The discovery of DNA (Deoxyribonucleic Acid) had a huge impact on botany, as it completely changed how scientists understand plants, their heredity, and evolution.
Here’s how it influenced the study of plants:
1. Understanding heredity in plants
- DNA revealed that genes carry the instructions for a plant’s traits — like flower color, leaf shape, or fruit size.
- This helped botanists understand how traits are passed from one generation to the next.
2. Improved plant classification
- Earlier, plants were classified mainly by their appearance.
- DNA studies now allow scientists to compare genetic material, leading to more accurate classification and discovering relationships between different species.
3. Advances in plant breeding
- Knowing the structure of DNA helped scientists develop new crop varieties with better yield, disease resistance, or drought tolerance.
- Techniques like genetic engineering and CRISPR are based on DNA knowledge.
4. Study of plant evolution
- DNA sequencing helps trace how plants evolved over time and how modern species are related to ancient ones.
5. Conservation of plant diversity
- DNA analysis helps identify and protect rare or endangered plant species by studying their genetic variation.
In short:
The discovery of DNA allowed botanists to study plants at the molecular level, improving knowledge of genetics, evolution, classification, and breeding — making modern botany more scientific and precise.