What does «botánica» mean in Spanish?
- Science that deals with plants. Botany, also called phytology, is the science that studies plants. Its immense importance stems from the fact that plants are the only living organisms capable of producing their own food with the help of the radiant energy provided by the sun. At the same time they are indispensable as food for man and animals. Life without plants is inconceivable. Although the scientific study of plants dates back only about 200 years, the accumulated human knowledge is immense. However, much remains to be studied before an explanation can be found for many of the most obvious phenomena of plant life. Growth, in all its phases and aspects, as well as phenomena related to reproduction and inheritance, call for constant study by botanists and biochemists. The so-called photosynthesis has not yet been fully understood. By means of careful crossbreeding, plants resistant to drought and disease are being obtained. Crossbreeding between trees also gives good results and new breeds have been obtained that have allowed the repopulation of vast extensions incapable of sustaining certain species. Inferior plants are being intensively studied in search of new antibiotics and potential food sources, as is the case with algae, which have a high content of protein substances. These and many other problems are a challenge to the imagination and ingenuity of man. Thus, botanists, by making the results of their studies known, contribute to the improvement of the social order and human welfare.