Botanical Garden

Botanical garden, (buh TAN uh kuhl), is a garden in which plants are grown chiefly for scientific, educational, and artistic purposes. Botanical gardens usually are part of an institution or other center of learning devoted to the study of plants. They often have courses for adults on the uses of plants. In some gardens, children may learn about plants from skilled teachers.
There are various types of botanical gardens (Types Of Flowers ) in the United States. For example, the New York Botanical Garden in New York City and the Missouri Botanical Garden in St. Louis have year-round displays of plants from many parts of the world.
They must also have a thorough understanding of experimental procedures and of plant biology. Field botanists study plants in their natural habitat. This work requires a broad knowledge of plant taxonomy and ecology.
A bachelor’s degree is sufficient for some careers in botany, but most positions require a master’s degree. A doctor’s degree is required for advanced positions in research or to teach botany at a university. New jobs for botanists will continue to be created as the world’s population grows and scientists search for better ways to use plants for food and medicine.
Most botanical research involves more than one and sometimes all of these areas. In addition, each of the areas includes various specific fields of study. Because the plant kingdom is so diverse, most botanists focus on one or more specialized fields.
Plant classification and form provides the framework for almost all fields of botany. In studying a plant, a botanist must first know what type of plant it is. Botanists who specialize in systematic identify plant species. This field includes taxonomy, the science of naming and classifying plants. Botanists who specialize in morphology examine the form and structure of plants. Their research includes investigations of the cells and tissues that make up a plant’s internal structure.
How do the plants function. Plants must carry out a variety of activities to remain alive. Botanists specializing in physiology study the processes that enable plants to using an electron microscope, above, a botanist ‘studies minute features of a plant’s internal structure. The cells of a cabbage plant are visible in the photograph at the right. The cells are magnified about 50 times.
Grow and reproduce. These botanists examine how plants make and use food by photosynthesis, and how they obtain water, minerals, and nutrients from the soil. Much of their work focuses on the chemical processes that take place in the molecules in cells.
Botanists specializing in genetics study how plants pass characteristics on to their offspring through genes (hereditary material). Botanists studying molecular biology examine how genes affect plant form and function. They also study how genes may be altered to change plants or to create new plants through a process called genetic engineering.