An Integrated Approach to Botany

Botany is a branch of biology that is concerned with the study of plant life. It focuses on the study of plant properties, classification, structure, diseases, biochemical processes and interactions with the environment. The emergence of modern botany has been facilitated by an integration of modern techniques of organic chemical analysis, as well as advances in the understanding of the relationship between the plant genome and its physiology, morphology, biochemistry and behavior. Growth in plant biotechnology has paved the way for the use of plants or plant cell cultures for the synthesis of antibiotics, pesticides and other pharmaceutical products besides the production of genetically modified crops for enhanced yield. The scope of botany today has expanded to investigate the role of plants in the cycling of carbon, oxygen, nitrogen, water and energy, as well as address the global issues of human food security, carbon sequestration, climate change, resource management and sustainability. Different approaches, evaluations, methodologies and advanced studies on botany have been included in this book. A number of latest researches have been included to keep the readers up-to-date with the global concepts in this area of study. This book is an essential guide for both academicians and those who wish to pursue this discipline further.