What is Botany?

 

Botany is a rich, vibrant world and an exciting field of study. For those interested in learning more about botany or taking a course in the area, in this post, I share a quick overview that may help you make any future decisions.

Let’s start it!

According to Oxford or Britannica dictionaries, botany is the branch of biology that studies the life of plants. It is also called Plant Biology, Plant Science, or Phytology. By definition, the plant kingdoms include algae, lichens, mosses, ferns, conifers, and flowering plants. 

Plant conservation at the Chicago Botanical Garden, in the USA

Today, scientists believe some groups of algae and fungi have distinct kingdoms (I will write about them in another post). However, botany courses at colleges and universities worldwide still teach about these groups in the botany classes.

The field of botany is so broad that you can find many different specialization opportunities.

Botanists interested in ecology can study the interactions of plants with other organisms and the environment and how these factors affect plants’ survival. You can also describe a new species or conduct experiments to discover how plants grow in different conditions, for example, under various intensities of light, water restriction, soil, and substrates.

Seedling production in greenhouse

Some people study the structure of plants, while others may work in the field, focusing on the pattern of a specific plant community. Also, you can work with experiments in greenhouses or common gardens like I have done.

Common garden experiment in Innsbruck, Tirol, Autria

Another option is to work in a laboratory environment and use microscopes to study and discover the most detailed fine structure of individual cells and tissues. Botanists can also do many experiments to determine how plants convert individual chemical compounds into more complex chemical substances or enter the field of plant genetics and study how genetic information from DNA can control plant development.

There are many areas to explore in Botany/Plant Science, so you can see how extensive and varied botany is. You need to figure out which area you like the most and then pursue it.

To learn more about careers in Botany, check the Botanical Society of America’s website.

Why should I study Botany? How does it influence our lives?

According to Purdue University, in the USA,  “ the results of botanical research increase and improve our supply of medicines, foods, fibers, building materials, and other plant products”(1). Besides, “public health and environmental protection professionals depend on understanding plant science to help solve pollution problems”. Conservationists use botanical knowledge to help manage park preserves, forests, grasslands, and wild areas. 

What do you think? Have you thought about studying Botany? Leave your comment below.

Cheers!