Plant Biology is the scientific study of plants as organisms. It includes the disciplines of cellular and molecular plant biology and the traditional areas of botany such as anatomy, morphology, systematics, physiology, mycology, phycology, ecology, and evolution.
Faculty members in the Department of Plant Biology share an interest in the study of plants as organisms, ranging from algae to higher plants. Their teaching and research activities focus primarily on three broad areas: plant molecular and cell biology, including plant genetics; plant physiology and biophysics; and plant structural and developmental biology. In addition, the faculty maintains an interest in the study of plant diversity.