Botany

Botany

Botany • Botany, plant science(n), phytology, or plant biology is a branch of biology and is the scientific study of plant life and development. • Botany covers a wide range of scientific disciplines that study plants, algae, and fungi including: structure, growth, reproduction, metabolism, development, diseases, chemical properties, and evolutionary relationships between the different groups.

Botany • Botany began with tribal efforts to identify edible, medicinal and poisonous plants, making botany one of the oldest sciences. • From this ancient interest in plants, the scope of botany has increased to include the study of over 550,000 species of living organisms.

Botany • A good understanding of plants is crucial to the future of human societies as it allows us to: – Produce food to feed an expanding population – Understand fundamental life processes – Produce medicine and materials to treat diseases and other ailments – Understand environmental changes more clearly

Botany