The study of plant biology shaped the world that we have today.

What if I told you that without willow trees we would not have aspirin. Or without burdock burrs we would not have velcro. Or without wheat we would not have flour, cereal, bread, biscuits, pancakes, waffles, pasta, pizza, and more of the like. In fact without plants we would not be here today.

In the year 1954, a man named George De Menstral was hunting in the Jura mountains with his dog. After a few hours he realized burs were stuck to his pants and his dog’s legs. George wondered how they were sticking to him, so he looked into it. He found that there are dozens of small hooks sticking off of the burs that stick to animal legs. Burs adapted to do this to migrate to rural areas. In the next few years he worked to solve a big problem. George wanted to solve the problem of shoelaces and press studs on shoes, jackets, and gloves. For the next few years he worked tirelessly through night, and day, to invent something grand. Finally he found a way to make small hooks that will stick to the surface of a  course feeling square of fabric. He called these “hooks and loops” , eventually starting a company called Velcro.

In 1920, Earle Dickson, invented bandages, in New Jersey. Earle invented band-aids to “aid” his wife who often cut and burned herself while cooking. Earle was buying cotton for the company Johnson & Johnson. This company is a healthcare company and recently was renamed to Kenvue last year. This company had a big problem. In the 1920’s Johnson & Johnson only sold adhesive tape and gauze. Earle combined these products and left the company when he realized the worth. He called his company “Adhesive Bandages” and eventually shortened the name to Band Aids. Johnson & Johnson was inspired by lamb's ear, not the animal, a plant, and a rather helpful one too. For over 3,000 years lambs ear has been used to heal wounds and keep cuts clean. Overall, without a small plant called lambs ear we would not have band aids.

Did you know that over 30% of food has gluten? Gluten is a protein found in wheat and a few other crops. Without gluten bagels, pasta, crackers, bread, and more of the like, would likely cease to exist. Of course there are gluten free options, but they are twice as expensive and are over processed.

There are hundreds of other things that biology has solved. There are so many things in fact that you are probably looking at something inspired by biology as well. Maybe your bandage that was inspired by lambs ear or your paper on the desk made from a tree. Most things in your classroom have been inspired by plants. Whether you like it or not biology has likely saved your life, whether it is the map on the wall or the air that you breathe, plant biology is extremely important.