Botany: Plant Structure, Classification, and Functions

Plant Anatomy

• Study of the internal structure of plants
• Focuses on the organization and function of plant cells, tissues, and organs
• Includes:
  • Cell structure and function
  • Tissue types (e.g. parenchyma, collenchyma, sclerenchyma)
  • Organ structure and function (e.g. roots, stems, leaves)

Systematic Botany

• Study of the classification, identification, and naming of plants
• Focuses on the relationships between different plant species
• Includes:
  • Taxonomy: classification of plants into groups (e.g. kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus, species)
  • Nomenclature: rules for naming plants
  • Phylogeny: study of evolutionary relationships between plants

Ecological Botany

• Study of the interactions between plants and their environment
• Focuses on the role of plants in ecosystems
• Includes:
  • Plant community ecology: study of plant interactions within communities
  • Plant population ecology: study of plant populations in their environment
  • Plant-environment interactions: study of how plants respond to and affect their environment

Ethnobotany

• Study of the traditional use of plants by humans
• Focuses on the cultural significance of plants in different societies
• Includes:
  • Medicinal uses of plants
  • Food uses of plants
  • Ritual and ceremonial uses of plants
  • Conservation of traditional plant knowledge

Plant Physiology

• Study of the functions and processes that occur within plants
• Focuses on the biological and biochemical processes that allow plants to grow and respond to their environment
• Includes:
  • Photosynthesis: process of converting light energy into chemical energy
  • Respiration: process of generating energy from glucose
  • Hormone function: regulation of plant growth and development by hormones
  • Responses to environmental stimuli: plant responses to light, temperature, water, and nutrients