what are different uses of plants ?

Answer 1

The study of plant uses by people is termed economic botany or ethnobotany. They are often used as synonyms but some consider economic botany to focus mainly on uses of modern cultivated plants, while ethnobotany studies uses of indigenous plants by native peoples. Human cultivation of plants is part of agriculture, which is the basis of human civilization. Plant agriculture is subdivided into agronomy, horticulture and forestry.


[edit] Food
Virtually all human nutrition depends on land plants directly or indirectly. The animals some people eat are mainly herbivores. Much of human nutrition depends on cereals, especially corn, wheat and rice or other staple crops such as potato, cassava, and legumes. Other plants that are eaten include fruits, vegetables, nuts, herbs, spices and edible flowers. Beverages from plants include coffee, tea, wine, beer and alcohol. Sugar is obtained mainly from sugar cane and sugar beet. Cooking oils and margarine come from corn, soybean, canola, safflower, sunflower, olive and others. Food additives include gum arabic, guar gum, locust bean gum, starch and pectin.


[edit] Nonfood products
Wood is used for buildings, furniture, paper, cardboard, musical instruments and sports equipment. Cloth is often made from cotton, flax or synthetic fibers derived from cellulose, such as rayon and acetate. Renewable fuels from plants include firewood, peat and many other biofuels. Coal and petroleum are fossil fuels derived from plants. Medicines derived from plants include aspirin, taxol, morphine, quinine, reserpine, colchicine, digitalis and vincristine. There are hundreds of herbal supplements such as ginkgo, Echinacea, feverfew, and Saint John's wort. Pesticides derived from plants include nicotine, rotenone, strychnine and pyrethrins. Drugs obtained from plants include opium, cocaine and marijuana. Poisons from plants include ricin, hemlock and curare. Plants are the source of many natural products such as fibers, essential oils, dyes, pigments, waxes, tannins, latex, gums, resins, alkaloids, amber and cork. Products derived from plants include soaps, paints, shampoos, perfumes, cosmetics, turpentine, rubber, varnish, lubricants, linoleum, plastics, inks, chewing gum and hemp rope. Plants are also a primary source of basic chemicals for the industrial synthesis of a vast array of organic chemicals. These chemicals are used in a vast variety of studies and experiments.


[edit] Aesthetic uses
Thousands of plant species are cultivated to beautify the human environment as well as to provide shade, modify temperatures, reduce windspeed, abate noise, provide privacy and prevent soil erosion. People use cut flowers, dried flowers and house plants indoors. Outdoors, they use lawngrasses, shade trees, ornamental trees, shrubs, vines, herbaceous perennials and bedding plants. Images of plants are often used in art, architecture, humor, language and photography and on textiles, money, stamps, flags and coats of arms. Living plant art forms include topiary, bonsai, ikebana and espalier. Ornamental plants have sometimes changed the course of history, as in tulipomania. Plants are the basis of a multi-billion dollar per year tourism industry which includes travel to arboretums, botanical gardens, historic gardens, national parks, tulip festivals, rainforests, forests with colorful autumn leaves and the National Cherry Blossom Festival. Venus flytrap, sensitive plant and resurrection plant are examples of plants sold as novelties.


[edit] Scientific and cultural uses
Tree rings are an important method of dating in archeology and serve as a record of past climates. Basic biological research has often been done with plants, such as the pea plants used to derive Gregor Mendel's laws of genetics. Space stations or space colonies may one day rely on plants for life support. Plants are used as national and state emblems, including state trees and state flowers. Ancient trees are revered and many are famous. Numerous world records are held by plants. Plants are often used as memorials, gifts and to mark special occasions such as births, deaths, weddings and holidays. Plants figure prominently in mythology, religion and literature. The field of ethnobotany studies plant use by indigenous cultures which helps to conserve endangered species as well as discover new medicinal plants. Gardening is the most popular leisure activity in the U.S. Working with plants or horticulture therapy is beneficial for rehabilitating people with disabilities. Certain plants contain psychotropic chemicals which are extracted and ingested, including tobacco, cannabis (marijuana), and opium.

Answer 2

Uses Of Different Plants

Answer 3

In the ecosystem:
1. Provide food for themselves and others through photosynthesis and the food chain.
2. Give off oxygen into the atmosphere as a by-product of photosynthesis.
3. Cycle nitrogen, phosphorus, and other minerals through the ecosystem.
4. Some house nitrogen-fixing bacteria in nodules on their roots.
5. Provide shelter for many creatures.
6. Provide shade for shade-dwelling plants.
7. Hold the soil together with their roots and cover the soil -- both of which help prevent erosion.

Specifically for humans:
1. Foods, beverages, flavorings
2. Income: farmers, florists, lumber industry, ...
3. Fuel: wood
4. Building materials: wood, grasses, leaves, even straw
5. Products: paper, fabrics, baseball bats, ...
6. Medicines
7. Aesthetics to beautify our surroundings
8. Pollution control: air, water, and noise

Answer 4

so many things its not funny really!!!

Human uses
1. food - this is obviously hugely varied
2. shelter/housing etc
3. chemicals are often used in medicines, pharmacuetical
4. fibres used in clothing etc like linen, cotton
5. many traditional uses of plant parts like fibres to make bags, flooring, etc
6. making boats and other structures
7. dyes
8, aesthetic uses eg gardens
9. money makers eg providing incomes for people who use them
10. tobacco...and other smoking or drugs (eg opium cannabis etc.
11. poisons...ok I'm getting desperate here, but many chemicals come from plants and have been used for a while now.
12. paper etc


Biological uses
- makes its own food which all other animals on earth use (and starts (practically) all food chains.
- provide oxygen and absorb carbon dioxide gases
-regulate climate (and helps it to rain....eg water vapour given off rises and helps form clouds and form rain, which is why it rains a lot in tropical areas with lots of forest and less in desert areas)
- provides homes for many insects, animals and microbes

Answer 5

Plants are used for medicine and food for animals and humans and for adorning parks and gardens