The relationship between human beings and plants as well as their products is not only a long one but also a continuous one. Human beings enjoy a mutual relationship with plants. For instance, human beings get food, textile, medicines and so much more from plants while humans care for plants by protecting and preserving them. Despite modern society being highly industrialized, it has not in any way lost its dependence on plants and plant-based products. Essentially, plants are fundamental for the well-being of all animals and the backbone of life on Earth. It would be impossible for human beings to live without plants as our everyday life depends on them ( Ponting, 2011) .
The modern human society uses plants and plant-based products for practical uses and symbolic uses. Practical uses of plants include uses such as for food, medicine and clothing while symbolic uses of plants and plant-based products include uses such as religion, mythology, art, and literature. The exploitation of plants and plant-based products through agriculture which ensures a reliable supply of food is the background of human civilization. Today, human beings use plants in medicines providing drugs for various ailments. Plant-based products are important raw materials for different industries, especially for the construction industry. They are also used as fuel. Millions of people get pleasure from the beautiful scenes of nature and through gardening. Plants and plant-based products play significant roles in religion, mythology, and art and literature as symbols of rebirth, purity, growth, and fertility ( Gurevitch, Scheiner & Fox, 2002) .
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Plants as the Main Source of Food
According to Knudsen, Meyer-Aurich, Olesen, Chirinda & Hermansen (2014), directly and indirectly, human beings depend solely on plants for their nutrition. There indeed about 7000 plant species that human beings use for food purposes. Plants used as staple food including but not limited to cereals, rice, wheat, potato, cassava, legumes among others. Plants also provide edible seeds, fruits, nuts, herbs, flowers, spices as well as vegetables. We extract sugar from flowers, sugar beet, and sugar cane. We also obtain beverages from plants including wine, coffee, tea, beer, and alcohol. Margarine and cooking oil we get from soybeans, rapeseed, olives, safflowers, and sunflowers.
Plants Provide Air and Regulate the Water Cycle
Plants are not just important because they provide humans with food and beverages, but because they provide clean air, oxygen and regulate the water cycle. Oxygen which is important for human life is a by-product of photosynthesis. The carbon dioxide they produce protect the earth from burning. Plants are also the regulators of the water cycle. They play a significant role in distribution and purification of water. Also through the process of transpiration, plants facilitate movement of water from the soil and underground reserves to the atmosphere and as a result keep the atmosphere cool (Knudsen et al., 2014).
Plants Improve Our Quality of Life
Plants and their products make human beings look good, smell good and improve our living conditions. The clothes we wear are made of natural fibers from the cotton plant; linen comes from flax plant while cellulose which manufactures viscose comes from wood fibers. Human beings use plant extracts, and oils for relaxation and soothing since plant oils are moisturizers. Flavors such as strawberry and mint are plant extracts that are used in various commodities that we use on a daily basis such as toothpaste. Most cosmetics comes from plant extracts such as carrots, Aloe vera, avocados, and nuts. Perfumes and different scents come from plants. Examples of plants used for their scents include lavender, sandalwood, citrus plants, frankincense, and lily-of-the-valley.
Symbolic Uses
Plants act as inspirations to artists. They will either appear in art as an indication of their botanical appearance or other artistic purposes such as symbolism especially religious symbolism and decoration. For instance, Venerable Bede compares the Virgin Mary to a lily; the lily’s white petals symbolizes purity, while the yellow anthers denote radiant light of the soul. Plants inspire architectural engineers and develop architectural with the resemblance of plants.
Uses of Plants in Entertainment and Leisure
Sports and musical instruments are made from plants. Baseball, cricket, croquet, billiards, golf, hockey, and polo are among some of the sports that depend on plants for their equipment. Others such as football, rely on the grass field to play. Drumsticks, pianos, guitars, violins and many other musical instruments are made of plants products.
Uses of Plants in Businesses
Businesses use plants for decoration and beautification purposes. Businesses use beautification to draw customers by making their stores more appealing to the customer. Ornamental plants and trees used in landscaping and gardening create a desirable aesthetic environment that attracts clients and reduces stress. Shoppers are likely to feel at ease in such environments. Businesses that use beautification to appeal to clients yield more sales.
Due to the presences of trees on planet earth, people call it the green planet symbolizing life. As the first living organisms to be created on earth, without them human life would not exist. The presence of plants is essential and inevitable for water, food, clean air and the regulation of temperatures. As discussed in this essay, plants not only support human life but make it comfortable and colorful. They played a significant role in civilization, and they continue to be the drivers of industrialization and our economy by providing raw materials and commodities for trade. Many people worldwide depend on plants and their products for their income and livelihood.
References
Gurevitch, J., Scheiner, S. M., & Fox, G. A. (2002). The ecology of plants . Sunderland: Sinauer Associates.
Knudsen, M. T., Meyer-Aurich, A., Olesen, J. E., Chirinda, N., & Hermansen, J. E. (2014). Carbon footprints of crops from organic and conventional arable crop rotations–using a life cycle assessment approach. Journal of Cleaner Production, 64 , 609-618.
Ponting, C. (2011). A green history of the world (pp. 1-7). London: Sinclair-Stevenson.
