Economic botany is the study of the relationship between humans and plants, encompassing fields like botany, evolution, and anthropology. It explores how humans use plants for food, medicine, clothing, shelter, and more, as plants and their products are integral to nearly every aspect of human lives. This course aims to illustrate how indispensable plants are to human survival by examining the countless ways they have been used historically and culturally.

1. What is Economic Botany?

2. INTRODUCTION
• Economic botany is the study of the relationship
between people & plants. It encompasses the fields of
• botany, systematic, evolution, anatomy &
anthropology. It explores the countless ways humans
employ
• plants for food, medicine, textiles, shelter & more.
Without plants, life will be impossible on our planet
• earth & without plant products humans would be
naked, miserable, & hungry. Plant & plant products

3. • exist in almost every aspect of our lives, yet most
of us are plant blind. This course is designed to
correct
• our vision.
• Botany and medicine were once one and the
same. Now most pre-medical students avoid
botany, and thus
• avoid the “roots” of their future
profession. Many plants are important because
of their interactions

4. • with humans. Plants have shaped human
history, language & culture. This course should
add a new
• dimension to your education in biology. It will
simply show you how indispensable plants are
for
• human survival.