Anatomy of a Rose: Exploring the Secret Life of Flowers.Sharman Apt Russell. Often overlooked as just another pretty face, the flower commands an essential role in the botanical bo·tan·i·cal also bo·tan·ic adj. 1. Of or relating to plants or plant life. 2. Of or relating to the science of botany. n. domain. Virtually every plant eaten by a human or animal relies on flowers for reproduction. Flowers aid in medicine's fight against childhood leukemia leukemia (l  kē`mēə), cancerous disorder of the blood-forming tissues (bone marrow, lymphatics, liver, spleen) characterized by excessive production of immature or mature and the Ebola virus Ebola virus (ēbō`lə), a member of a family (Filovirus) of viruses that cause hemorrhagic fevers. The virus, named for the region in Congo (Kinshasa) where it was first identified in 1976, emerged from the rain forest, where it survives in . A company in New Jersey decontaminated a uranium factory by exploiting the ability of sunflowers to absorb and store radioactive material radioactive material Radiation A substance that contains unstable–radioactive–atoms that give off radiation as they decay. See Radioactive decay. . Nature writer Russell delineates such myriad attributes of flowers in lyrical prose about blooms' fascinating ways of communicating, adapting to their environment, and evolving. In all, this slender volume reveals many dynamic qualities of flowers and their role in the chain of life. Perseus Bks, 2001, 215 p., b&w illus., hardcover, $24.00.
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