BIOL 115 Botany: Plants and Society This course introduces students to plant life and the impact of plants on society including their use as a major food source, as medicine, and in the industrial and recreational world. As an introductory level botany course, topics also include structure, function, growth processes, reproduction, ecology, genetics, and resources derived from the plant world. The course also examines the impact of plant life on society using examples from major agriculture crops such as coffee and chocolate. Students will investigate live specimens of plants with a strong hands-on laboratory component.