Plant Physiology is essentially the study of working of plant organs. It attempts to determine what functions are performed by plant organs and how.Plants absorb water and mineral salts from the soil; they prepare carbohydrates, proteins, fats and other substances; they respire; they grow: they reproduce; they show movements of their organs; they transform energy; in short, they show various life processes. Plant physiology deals with the study of nature and mechanism of all such life processes.

Plant physiology is an experimental science. Recent researches have made remarkable contributions in this field. It is progressing because of its immense practical utility. Basic knowledge about nutrition, growth, reproduction, etc. of agricultural crops is provided by a plant physiologist. Improvement in quality and yield of fruits and vegetables, and suggestions regarding their refrigeration, storing and safe shipping across long distances are based on experiments in physiology. Useful information is provided by plant physiologists to those who are interested in growing ornamental flowering plants. A large number of plant diseases including some of those caused by fungi and bacteria can not be studied well without knowing the physiology of the diseased plants.

Some physiological processes like photosynthesis, respiration, protein synthesis, fat metabolism, etc., involve chemical changes, while others, such as, diffusion, osmosis, transpiration, translocation of solutes, etc., are physical in nature. This shows how intimately the science of physiology is related with physics and chemistry. For this reason, a person interested in physiology must be equipped with adequate background of knowledge in these subjects. Moreover, for a clear understanding of most of the life processes of a plant preliminary conception of morphology and anatomy of vascular plants is essential. A study of the detailed structure of a cell is also a pre-requisite.

Certain physiological processes vary from species to species or even from individual to individual under varying conditions of structure and environment; still, the general phenomena in all higher plants being similar in essential respects, it is regarded as the physiology of a typical vascular plant for all intents and purposes.

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