Hobbies And Interests
Introduction
Any topic on botany should include and overall introduction to botany. The study of plant life is very important because plants are such a vital part of life on earth and they generate oxygen, food, fuels and medicines that allow human beings to advance to a much higher state of life. The study of botany allows us to understand fundamental life processes, to produce food more efficiently for our expanding populations, to produce a bigger range and more efficient medicines and to understand environmental changes more effectively.
Terms
Basic understanding of botanical terminology is necessary in order to understand botany itself. Like all sciences botany has its own unique terms and language to describe features, topics and specifics within its field. Many are well-known to most people such as "scrub," "nut" and "leaf," while many are complex scientific terms such as "protogynous" (female sex organs maturing before male ones) and many are simply unfamiliar to the layman.
Plant Pathology
Plant pathology is a branch of botany that deals with study of plant disease caused by pathogens and environmental factors. Many organisms such as fungi, bacteria, viruses, protozoa and parasitic plants cause damage to plants, and understanding why and how to prevent this has been vital to human's survival throughout history. Plant pathology seeks to identify the pathogens and environmental factors, study the pathological cycle, the economic impact, the plant resistance capabilities and the management of plant diseases.
Paleo-botany
Paleobotany is the ranch of botany that deals with the recovery and identification of plants from a geological context. They can be classified and used to reconstruct the evolution of plant life and indeed all life. This generally done through the study of fossilized plant materials and is important for the view it gives of ancient ecological systems.