Botany in a Day

Botany in a Day

You know, until I read this book, I really had no idea what Botany was. I knew the word , but I never really fully understood the concept of it.   Botany, to those that don’t know, is the study of plants. In the book Botany in a Day by Thomas J. Elpels, he helps you identify, and understand the biology of plants. For this book report, and for the sake of my typing skills, we will discuss the biology of the plants and some of the mechanisms they have. Botany used to be the study of things that were not regarded as animal, but later transformed into two areas of biology, Microbiology and Botany. Plants have been around since the beginning of anything. They have had the chance to evolve and become what they are today.   In this paper, I will write about some of the adaptations brought to my attention by this book.

One of the problems faced by most plants is “How do we get the nutrients we need?”.   The most interesting way to get this done is by the sycamore tree. The Sycamore tree at maturity is about 70 feet or higher in height. Which is pretty stunning, but what’s even more amazing is the fact that the Sycamore actually pumps about one hundred gallons every hour, from the bottom of it’s trunk to the top of it’s canopy. The only way humans can do that is if they use a fire engine, and extend it all the way up; even then it’s still loud. The Sycamore transports the water in complete silence. The sycamores transport water   by using hair thin pipes which are common throughout the tree itself. The ones towards the outside carry the nutrients from the sap throughout the tree these pipes extend from the bottom, all the way to the top. While the ones towards the center transport the water to the leaves themselves.

Leaves are the main area of where the food is made for the plant through a process called photosynthesis. The adaptation of leaves to survive is a necessity for the plant to grow and reach maturity. One of the most common plants in Europe has...