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Science College, General Science Dept
WHAT IS BOTANY?
Botany is the scientific study of plants. "Plants," to most people, means a wide range of living organisms from the smallest bacteria to the largest living things - the giant sequoia trees. By this definition plants include: algae, fungi, lichens, mosses, ferns, conifers and flowering plants. Today scientists believe bacteria, algae and fungi are in their own distinct kingdoms, but most general botany courses, and most Botany Departments at colleges and universities, still teach about these groups. The field of botany is too large for we kitties to touch on all of it in this class. We felines love greenery but should always keep in mind that not all plants are cat-friendly.
The Smithsonian Institution defines botany as "the science that deals with all forms of plant life, including mosses, ferns, conifers and flowering plants, and organisms formerly considered plants: algae, fungi, and lichens."
