What is Botany and What Does it Include?

Posted by Sharon Falsetto Jun 17, 2009

Most people know that botany has something to do with plants; however, many people may be surprised to discover what the study of botany actually includes. Botany can be be described simply as 'the study of plants' - but it really is a lot more complex than that. The vast areas of study in botany include plant ecology, ethnobotany,plant species,medicinal plants, paleobotany, molecular biolgy, plant anatomy - and the list goes on..... There are many areas to train and study in if you are thinking of becoming a botanist or working in a botany related field.

Plants have a long history of use in the practice of plant medicine; understanding botany, even just the basics, can go a long way in helping to understand many plant related fields such as aromatherapy, herbal medicine, and homeopathy. Ancient civilizations have been using plants in many ways for centuries and, in today's modern world, we are once again discovering the value of plants in medicinal practice.

However, as with everything, the system is always open to abuse from those looking to make a quick and easy profit. The use of essential oils in aromatherapy, for example, is often open to adulteration. Many pure essential oils are not, in fact, what they claim to be; in herbal medicine, it is also important to be able to correctly identfy a large number of herbs, in order to not cause harm. Herbs which look similar, or are often confused, include fennel, dill, marjoram and oregano.

Native Americans, the Maori and the Aborigines have, and still use, plants for medicine, food, clothing and for instruments and rope. Ethnobotanists collect together this information and study some of these ancient medicinal practices which may be lost, if not preserved.

The study of botany and plants is important to the survival of the world in general; scientific study of plants sometimes leads to medicinal discoveries in combating some of the world's illnesses such as cancer and heart disease. Some modern drugs, such as valium, are derived from plants such as valerian.

Plants are very unique structures; some plant species, we still have yet to discover and identify. Many of the great plant explorers, such as Joseph Banks, contributed greatly to the study of botany; today, this study continues and choosing to study botany, or a related field, is a decision which will open up a whole new world - of plants....