Outline of botany
The following outline is an overview of and topical guide to botany, the biological academic discipline involving the study of plants. == Core concepts == Bud Cell wall Chlorophyll Chloroplast Flora Flower Fruit Forest Leaf Meristem Photosynthesis Plant Plant cell Pollen Seed Seedling Spore Tree Vine Wood == Subdisciplines == Branches of botany === Core branches === Molecular botany – study of plants at a molecular level (DNA, RNA, etc.) Palynology – study of pollen and spores Phytochemistry – study of chemicals derived from plants, especially the structures of the large number of secondary metabolites found in plants, the functions of these compounds in human and plant biology, and the biosynthesis of these compounds Plant anatomy/Phytotomy – study of the internal structure of plants, i.e., the structure of plant cells and tissues Plant biochemistry – study of chemical processes of primary and secondary metabolism Plant cell biology – study of the structure (ultrastructure) and function (cell physiology) of plant cell Plant cytology – study of the structure and function of plant cells, including their organelles and components Plant developmental biology – study of how a single plant cell grows and develops into a complex, multicellular organism Plant evolution – subset of evolutionary phenomena that concern plants Plant evolutionary developmental biology – study of plant developmental programs and patterns from an evolutionary perspective Plant genetics – study of genes, genetic variation, and heredity specifically in plants Plant histology – study of the microscopic structure of plant tissues Plant morphology – study of the physical form and external structure of plants Plant physiology – study of fundamental processes of plants (photosynthesis, transpiration, nutrient uptake, etc.) Plant reproductive biology – study of how plants reproduce using both sexual and asexual methods === Classification === Bryology – study of mosses, hornworts and liverworts Dendrology – study of woody plants (shrubs, trees and lianas) and their taxonomic classifications Floristics - branch of phytogeography which studies plants in a specific geographical region Lichenology – study of lichens Mycology – study of fungi Phycology/Algology – study of algae Phytogeography/Plant Biogeography – study of plant distributions Phytosociology/Phytocoenology/Plant sociology – study of groups of species of plant that are usually found together in a community and their interactions Plant systematics – study of plant classification and evolutionary relationships Plant taxonomy – science that finds, identifies, describes, classifies, and names plants Pteridology – study of ferns === Environment and ecology === Plant ecology – subdiscipline of ecology that studies the distribution and abundance of plants, the effects of environmental factors upon the abundance of plants, and the interactions among plants and between plants and other organisms Geobotany/Botanical geography – branch of biogeography that is concerned with the geographic distribution of plant species and their influence on the Earth's surface Conservation biology – study of the conservation of nature and of Earth's biodiversity with the aim of protecting species, their habitats, and ecosystems Invasion biology – study of invasive species dynamics Astrobotany – study of plants in space environments === Historical === Paleobotany – study of fossil plants Paleoethnobotany/Archaeobotany – study of past human-plant interactions through the recovery and analysis of ancient plant remains Paleophycology/Paleoalgology – subdiscipline of paleobotany dealing with the study and identification of fossil algae and their evolutionary relationships and ecology === Applied === Agroforestry/Agro-sylviculture/fForest farming – polyculture land use management system that integrates trees with crops or pasture, combining agricultural and forestry technologies Agronomy – science and technology of producing and using plants by agriculture for food, fuel, fiber, chemicals, recreation, or land conservation Arboriculture – culture and propagation of trees Economic botany – study of the relationship between people (individuals and cultures) and plants of economic use and value.