Botany

Subject description

Botany is the study of plants, and we need plants to survive. Plants provide an essential foundation for life on earth, the food we eat and the beauty of the natural environment and as a result botany is considered to be an extremely important science! Botany is no longer confined to the study of how and why plants survive in the way they do. With the advancement of technology the study of botany means the study of how plants are used in biotechnology, the significant part that they play in ecosystems and of course how they can continue to provide food, medicines and even fuel to an ever-expanding global population.

Botany began as a simple interest in plants. One of the earliest records of this interest dates back to about 300BC where Theophrastus wrote 2 volumes, The History of Plants and The Causes of Plants. By the Victorian era it was the plant hunters that were in the limelight. These hunters were essentially plant explorers. They would go all over the world seeking out strange an unusual flora and fauna to bring back to England. The most famous of these is probably Joseph Paxton. He was also responsible for the advent of modern garden design and the design of the doomed Crystal Palace. If it wasn't for these plant explorers, our landscape would look very different to how it does today.

Botany permeates our everyday life. Wood, fabrics, food, medicine, alcohol and rubber are all derived from plants. Botany has allowed this to happen and is continuing to do so in areas such as the development of biofuels as an alternative to fossil fuels which are running out and causing immense damage to the earth. Future developments in crop production in the agricultural industry and pharmaceutical industry will ensure that we will continue to have food and medicine. So from an ancient, interest in plants, botany has become the study of over 550,000 plants and species of living organisms that allow us to survive.

Example areas of study

Botany courses often come under the heading of plant science but they are both the study of plants and cover similar areas. These courses are now quite widely available across the country. The modules you may study will differ between the institutions so it is strongly advisable to check with them before submitting your application to make sure that the focus is on the subjects that you are interested in. The list of modules below will give you an idea of the kind of subjects that you may study:

• Life science
• Analytical and research techniques
• Crop protection
• Plantbiotic interactions
• Plant protection technology
• Applied plant sciences
• Ethnotbotany
• Environmental plant physiology
• Biodiversity and evolution
• Evolutionary biology
• Plant-soil relationships
• Licheus and Bryophytes
• Seeds and germination
• Metabolism and environmental stress
• Ecology
• Science communication
• Weed biology and control
• Flowering plants of the world
• Plant breeding
• Micropropagation
• Genetic manipulation
• Plant survival
• Soil science
• Organismal biology
• Marine algae
• Environmental pollution
• Microbial diversity
• Fungal biology
• Photobiochemistry
• Habitats and ecosystems
• Vegetative and floral development
• Plant ecophysiology
• Landscape studies and conservation
• Photosynthesis
• Biostatistics

Some career possibilities

A qualification in botany or plant science may allow you to pursue careers in areas such as agriculture, conservation, teaching, in a zoo or botanic garden, within the environmental protection agencies, government research agencies or you may wish to continue your studies at postgraduate level.

What do I need to get on a course?

As courses in botany and plant science are now quite widely available, the entry requirements vary quite significantly. The list below will give you an idea of the grades and qualifications that you may need, but it is advisable to check with the institutions themselves before submitting your application.

• UCAS Tariff: 160-340 points usually including biology or chemistry
• A-level: CC-AAB usually including biology or chemistry
• SQA Highers: CCCC-AABBB usually including biology or chemistry
• SQA Advanced Highers: CC-AAB usually including biology or chemistry
• Irish Leaving Certificates: BBBB-AABBBB usually including a relevant science subject
• International Baccalaureate: 24-34 points including biology and another science
• European Baccalaureate: 75-77% usually including a science subject
• BTEC National Diploma: DDM in a relevant science subject
• HND: in a relevant science subject

For your application or interview, the following may be useful:

• Further information on botany as a subject is available from the Natural History Museum, the National Institute of Agricultural Botany and the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew

To find out more about the typical subjects you will study, potential career paths and further information useful for your application log-on to Course Discover at www.coursediscoveronline.co.uk*

*NB: Your school or college will need a subscription to Course Discover in order for you to gain access, for further information go to:www.coursediscover.co.uk