what is biology??????
Answers
- Biology is the scientific study of life and living organisms, and can focus on so many things - how an organism has come to exist, how it is built, how it grows, how it functions, what it does, or where it lives.
- A biologist is a scientist who studies these organisms and their relationship to their environment.
Explanation:
Biology is the science of life. Its name is derived from the Greek words "bios" (life) and "logos" (study). Biologists study the structure, function, growth, origin, evolution and distribution of living organisms. There are generally considered to be at least nine "umbrella" fields of biology, each of which consists of multiple subfields.
Biochemistry: the study of the material substances that make up living things
Botany: the study of plants, including agriculture
Cellular biology: the study of the basic cellular units of living things
Ecology: the study of how organisms interact with their environment
Evolutionary biology: the study of the origins and changes in the diversity of life over time
Genetics: the study of heredity
Molecular biology: the study of biological molecules
Physiology: the study of the functions of organisms and their parts
Zoology: the study of animals, including animal behavior
Adding to the complexity of this enormous idea is the fact that these fields overlap. It is impossible to study zoology without knowing a great deal about evolution, physiology and ecology. You can't study cellular biology without knowing biochemistry and molecular biology as well.
Framework of understanding
All the branches of biology can be unified within a framework of five basic understandings about living things. Studying the details of these five ideas provides the endless fascination of biological research:
Cell Theory: There are three parts to cell theory — the cell is the basic unit of life, all living things are composed of cells, and all cells arise from pre-existing cells.
Energy: All living things require energy, and energy flows between organisms and between organisms and the environment.
Heredity: All living things have DNA and genetic information codes the structure and function of all cells.
Equilibrium: All living things must maintain homeostasis, a state of balanced equilibrium between the organism and its environment.
Evolution: This is the overall unifying concept of biology. Evolution is the change over time that is the engine of biological diversity.
Biology and other sciences
Biology is often studied in conjunction with other sciences, such as mathematics and engineering, and even social sciences. Here are a few examples:
Biophysics involves matching patterns in life and analyzing them with physics and mathematics, according to the Biophysical Society.
Astrobiology is the study the evolution of life in the universe, including the search for extraterrestrial life, according to NASA.
Biogeography is the study of the distribution and evolution of life forms and the causes of the distribution, according to Dartmouth College.
Biomathematics involves creating mathematical models to better understand patterns and phenomena within the biology world, according to North Carolina State University.
Bioengineering is the application of engineering principles to biology principles and vice versa, according the University of California Berkeley.
Sociologists often study how biology can shape social structures, cultures, and interactions, according to the American Sociological Association.
History of biology
Our fascination with biology has a long history. Even early humans had to study the animals they hunted and know where to find the plants they gathered for food. The invention of agriculture was the first great advance of human civilization. Medicine has been important to us from earliest history as well. The earliest known medical texts are from China (2500 B.C.), Mesopotamia (2112 B.C.), and Egypt (1800 B.C.).