CO U R S E S & C A REERS
SCIENCE
Botanist
More Than
Just A Plant
Scientist
Ever wondered how plants grow and evolve?
Curious about the various functions of
different parts of the plant? If you are and
don’t mind getting your hands dirty, botany
could be your thing.
What is botany?
Botany, or botanical science, is the scientific study of
plants and one of the sub-disciplines of biology. The
research field of botany is extremely broad. You get to
study almost everything about plants, from the cells
and tissues and their vital processes such as respiration
and photosynthesis to plants diseases and ways to cure
them. Due to the wide coverage of different aspects
of plant science, it is guaranteed that there are many
career options and study opportunities available.
The scientists who specialise in this particular field
are known as botanists. They study and do research
on every single plant that you can find on this earth:
algae, fungi, conifers, ferns and flowering plants.
Whatever plants you can name, botanists study
everything about them. Since there are many areas
of study in this wide field, it is normal that botanists
choose to focus on one particular aspect of the plant.
Some botanists work on the field while others labour
in laboratories. Botanists can focus on the structure
of the plants, with some carrying out experiments to
discover how plants grow under various conditions.
Plants play a vital role in our daily lives. They provide
human beings with food and other useful things such
as wood, fabric and medicine. Plants even beautify
our environment and take in the carbon dioxide we
exhale for photosynthesis and releasing oxygen for
us. With the many wonders attributed to plants and
their benefits to the ecosystem, it is not surprising
that botany is considered as an extremely wide field
of science.
Did you know?
Why a Greenhouse?
Some botanists work in
greenhouses. A greenhouse is
a building with roof and walls
made of glass or transparent
plastic to ensure that there is
always enough sunlight for the plants [