What is Botany?
Botany is the scientific study of plants. "Plants," to
most people, means a wide range of living organisms from the smallest bacteria
to the largest of living things - the giant sequoia trees. By this definition
plants include: algae, fungi, lichens, mosses, ferns, conifers and flowering
plants. Today scientists believe bacteria, algae and fungi are in their own
distinct kingdoms, but most general botany courses, and most Botany Departments
at colleges and universities, still teach about these groups.
Because the field is so broad, there are many kinds of plant
biologists and many different career and study opportunities available. Botanists
interested in ecology study interactions of plants with other organisms and
the environment. Other field botanists search to find new species or do experiments
to discover how plants grow under different conditions. Some botanists study
the structure of plants. They may work in the field, concentrating on the pattern
of the whole plant. Others use microscopes to study the most detailed fine structure
of individual cells. Many botanists do experiments to determine how plants convert
simple chemical compounds into more complex chemicals. They may even study how
genetic information in DNA
controls plant development. Botanists study processes that occur on a time scale
ranging from fractions of a second in individual cells to those that unfold
over eons of evolutionary time.
Areas of Specialization in Botany, Organismal
Specialization in Botany, Applied Botanical/Plant Sciences
The results of botanical research increase and improve our
supply of medicines, foods, fibers, building materials, and other plant products.
Conservationists use botanical knowledge to help manage parks, forests, rangelands,
and wilderness areas. Public health and environmental protection professionals
depend on their understanding of plant science to help solve pollution problems.
Areas of Specialization in Botany
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Plant Anatomy
The study of plant cells and tissue.
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Biophysics
The study of the application of physics to plant life processes.
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Cytology
The study of the structure, function, and life history of plant cells.
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Ecology
The study of the relationships between plants and the world in which they
live, both individually and in communities.
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Ethnobotany
The study of the uses of plants by indigenous peoples.
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Genetics
The study of plant heredity and variation. Plant geneticists analyze genes
and gene function in plants.
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Microbiology
The study of microorganisms. Microbiologists may be specialized by organism
(for example, microbiologists that study bacteria) of by a branch of biology
(for example, Microbial Ecology).
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Molecular Biology
The study of the structure and function of biological macromolecules in
plants, including biochemical and molecular aspects of genetics.
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Morphology
The study of macroscopic plant form and life cycles. Morphologists also
study the evolution and development of leaves, roots and stems.
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Paleobotany
The study of the biology and evolution of fossil plants.
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Palyology
The study of pollen and spores.
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Physiology
Study of the functions and vital processes of plants. Photosynthesis and
mineral nutrition are two examples of subjects studied by plant physiologists.
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Phytochemistry
The study of the chemical aspects of plant life processes, iincluding the
chemical products of plants (biochemistry).
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Systematics
The study of the evolutionary history and relationships among plants. This
includes the classification and naming of plants.
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Systems Ecology
The use of mathematical models to demonstrate the role and use of plants
as components of the ecosystem (i.e. concepts like nutrient cycling).
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Taxonomy
The subdiscipline of identifying, naming, and classifying plants.
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Organismal Specialization in Botany
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Bryology
The study of mosses, liverworts and similar plants (Kingdom Plantea
- Division Bryophyta with
~25,000 species). Consisting mainly of small plants restricted to moist
enviroments the bryophytes are the second largest groupings of land plants.
Bryologists study all aspects of these plants, including their identification,
classification, and ecology.
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Lichenology
The study of the biology of lichens (with ~18,000 species). Lichens are
dual organisms consiting of an alga (phycobiont) and a fungus (mycobiont)
in a mutualistic relationship.
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Mycology
The study of the biology of fungi (two Kingdoms, Kingdom Protista
- (Divisions Myxomycota and
Oomycota) and Kingdom Fungi
- (Divisions Ascomycota, Basidiomycota,
Chytridiomycota and Zygomycota)
with over 75,000 species). Fungi have a tremendous impact on our world.
They are crucial in the biosphere because they help recycle dead organic
material. Some fungi are important producers of biological products such
as vitamins and antibiotics.
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Pteridology
The study of ferns and similar plants (Kingdom Plantea
- (Divisions Psilophyta, Lycophyta,
Schenophyta and Pterophyta)
with ~12,000 species). Pteridologists study all aspects of fem biology.
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Phycology
The study of algae (2 Kin gdoms, Kingdom Eubacteria
- (Division Cyanobacteria)
and Kingdom Protisa - (Divisions
Chlorophyta, Chrysophyta,
Euglenophyta, Phaeophyta,
Pyrrophyta and Rodophyta)
with ~26,000 species), which are the base of the food chain in the aquatic
environments of the world. These oranisms are believed to be responsible
for over half of the photosynthetic carbon fixation on our planet! Phycologists
that study algae in oceans are sometimes called Marine Botanists.
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Applied Botanical/Plant Sciences
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Agronomy
Crop and soil sciences. Agronomists make practical use of plant and soil
sciences to increase the yield of field crops.
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Plant Breeding
The development of better types of plants. Breeding involves selecting and
crossing plants with desirable traits such as disease resistance.
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Biotechnology
The study and manipulation of genes within and between species. Using biological
organisms to produce useful products. Most people today have a narrower
view of biotechnology as the genetic modification of living organisms to
produce useful products. Plant biotechnology involves inserting desirable
genes into plants and having those genes expressed.
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Economic Botany
The study of the utilization of plants by humans. The study of plants with
commercial importance. Economic botany includes the study of botany harmful
and beneficial plants and plant products.
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Food Science & Technology
The development of food from vanous plant products.
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Forestry
The study of forest management and the utilization of forest products.
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Horticulture
The production of ornamental plants and fruit and vegetable crops. Landscape
design is also an important subdiscipline in horticulture.
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Natural Resource Management
The responsible use and protection of our natural resources for the benefit
of society.
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Plant Pathology
The study of the diseases of plants. Plant pathologists are concerned with
both the biological aspects of disease and with disease management, or control.
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Keep going! You're just begining the amazing adventure into the science of
botany. Explore the cover stories for the American Journal of Botany,
additional botanical images & stories, and the all the other pages the Botanical
Society of America's website has to offer.
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