Key difference: Botany and Zoology are vast Biological branches.  Botany deals entirely with the study of plants, while Zoology deals with animal studies.

Biology is an immense field which deals with many varieties of living organisms. It is natural science which includes the entire study of living organisms. Biological study includes the structural, functional, growth evolution, distribution and their taxonomies. Modern biology is a vast and eclectic field, composed of many branches and sub-disciplines. Among them, botany and zoology are the prime disciplines. Botany entirely deals with the plant studies, while zoology deals with animal studies.

Botany or plant biology also known as plant science is the scientific study of plant life. It’s one among the vital branches of biology, which deals with the study and research related to plant life. The term ‘botany’ comes from Ancient Greek word ‘botane’ meaning pasture, grass, or fodder; the word is further derived from ‘boskein’, meaning "to feed" or "to graze". Botany along with the study of plants also included the study of fungi and algae; hence these three vast groups of organisms are included under the International Botanical Congress. Today, botanists have found and carry their research on 400,000 species of living organisms of which some 260,000 species are vascular plants and about 248,000 are flowering plants.

Botany had its origin from the prehistoric times, when it was commonly known as herbalism. There used to be medieval physic gardens which were often attached to the monasteries. These gardens included the useful medicinal plants and herbs. Today, the modern botanical branch has become broad and includes the multidisciplinary subject with inputs from most other areas of science and technology. Botanical research have diverse applications in providing staple foods and textiles, in modern horticulture, agriculture and forestry, plant propagation, breeding and genetic modification, in the synthesis of chemicals and raw materials for construction and energy production, in environmental management, and the maintenance of biodiversity.

Zoology or animal biology deals with the study of animal life. Like botany, even zoology is one among the vital branches of biology which further has its own sub branches. The term ‘zoology’ has been derived from the Ancient Greek ‘zōon’ which means animal and ‘logos’ meaning knowledge, or study. The zoological studies deal with the structure, embryology, evolution, classification, habits, and distribution of all animals, both living and extinct.

Right from the ancient to the modern times, zoology entirely traces the study of animal kingdom and its science. The zoological sciences emerged from natural history reaching back to the works of Aristotle and Galen in the ancient Greco-Roman world. This work further got developed during the medieval period. After the medieval development Microscopy got invented, this enabled the study of micro organisms. Zoological research and investigation includes the anatomy, physiology, histology, embryology, teratology and ethology concepts and practices. Today, zoological researches have proven too beneficial for humans and their development.

Botany and Zoology are vast sciences within their selves. They are two different but co-related branches among each other, which falls under Biology. These branches further are sub divided into various other branches; hence it concludes they are vast studies and researches in huge concepts.   

Comparison between Botany and Zoology:

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