Introduction to General Botany and Fields of Botany

Taxonomy and Botany

• Carolus Linnaeus is considered the Father of Taxonomy and the Father of Botany.
• The correct sequence for categorizing organisms into kingdoms is: Domain, Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, Species.

Branches of Botany

• Plant pathology is the field of botany that focuses on the study of plant diseases.
• Agronomy is the branch of botany primarily concerned with developing improved plant varieties.
• Morphology is the branch of botany that involves studying the form and structure of plants.
• Bryology is the field of botany that specifically focuses on the study of mosses, liverworts, and hornworts.
• Palynology is the study of pollen grains and spores.
• Economic botany is the branch of botany that specifically deals with the economic uses of plants and plant products.
• Pteridology is the term used for the study of ferns.
• Ethnobotany specifically deals with the traditional use of plants by indigenous cultures.

Binomial Nomenclature

• Binomial nomenclature is the formal system of naming and classifying plants, using a two-part name consisting of a genus and species.
• In binomial nomenclature, the genus name is capitalized, and the species name is not.
• Scientific names are usually formatted in italics to distinguish them from regular text.
• The genus comes before the species in a scientific name.
• The correct order of classification levels in botany from broadest to most specific is: Domain, Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, Species.
• Binomial nomenclature is significant in taxonomy because it provides a universal and consistent way to identify and communicate about species.
• Carl Linnaeus developed the binomial nomenclature system, which is still used today in taxonomy.
• The genus and species in a scientific name are distinguished by the capitalization of the genus name.