What is biology?

1)

The word biology is derived from the greek words /bios/ meaning /life/ and /logos/ meaning /study/ and is
defined as the science of life and living organisms. An organism is a living entity consisting of one cell e.g.
bacteria, or several cells e.g. animals, plants and fungi.
Aspects of biological science range from the study of molecular mechanisms in cells, to the classification and
behaviour of organisms, how species evolve and interaction between ecosystems.
The study of biology can be divided into different disciplines

Ethology
Evolutionary Biology
Physiology
Genetics
Molecular Biology
Morphology
Systematics
Ecology

Biology often overlaps with other sciences; for example, biochemistry and toxicology with biology, chemistry, and
medicine; biophysics with biology and physics; stratigraphy with biology and geography; astrobiology with biology and
astronomy. Social sciences such as geography, philosophy, psychology and sociology can also interact with biology,
for example, in administration of biological resources, developmental biology, biogeography, evolutionary psychology
and ethics.

2) Biology is a natural science concerned with the study of life and living organisms,
including their structure, function, growth, origin, evolution, distribution, and taxonomy.
Subdisciplines of biology are recognized on the basis of the scale at which organisms are
studied and the methods used to study them: biochemistry examines the rudimentary
chemistry of life; molecular biology studies the complex interactions of systems of biological
molecules; cellular biology examines the basic building block of all life, the cell; physiology
examines the physical and chemical functions of the tissues, organs, and organ systems of
an organism; and ecology examines how various organisms interact and associate with their
environment.
These are the main branches of biology:[64][65]
Aerobiology the study of airborne organic particles
Agriculture the study of producing crops from the land, with an emphasis on practical
applications
Anatomy the study of form and function, in plants, animals, and other organisms, or
specifically in humans
Bioengineering the study of biology through the means of engineering with an emphasis
on applied knowledge and especially related to biotechnology
Biomathematics or Mathematical Biology the quantitative or mathematical study of

biological processes, with an emphasis on modeling

Biotechnology a new and sometimes controversial branch of biology that studies the
manipulation of living matter, including genetic modification and synthetic biology
Botany the study of plants
Cell biology the study of the cell as a complete unit, and the molecular and chemical
interactions that occur within a living cell
Ecology the study of the interactions of living organisms with one another and with the
non-living elements of their environment
Epidemiology a major component of public health research, studying factors affecting the
health of populations
Epigenetics the study of heritable changes in gene expression or cellular phenotype
caused by mechanisms other than changes in the underlying DNA sequence
Ethology the study of animal behavior
Evolutionary Biology the study of the origin and descent of species over time
Genetics the study of genes and heredity
Herpetology the study of reptiles and amphibians
Histology the study of cells and tissues, a microscopic branch of anatomy
Ichthyology the study of fish
Marine Biology the study of ocean ecosystems, plants, animals, and other living beings
Microbiology the study of microscopic organisms (microorganisms) and their interactions
with other living things
Molecular Biology the study of biology and biological functions at the molecular level,
some cross over with biochemistry
Mycology the study of fungi
Oceanography the study of the ocean, including ocean life, environment, geography,
weather, and other aspects influencing the ocean
Oncology the study of cancer processes, including virus or mutation oncogenesis,
angiogenesis and tissues remoldings
Population genetics the study of changes in gene frequencies in populations of organisms
Paleontology the study of fossils and sometimes geographic evidence of prehistoric life
Pathobiology or pathology the study of diseases, and the causes, Parasitology the
study of parasites and parasitism
Pharmacology the study and practical application of preparation, use, and effects of drugs
and synthetic medicines
Physiology the study of the functioning of living organisms and the organs and parts of
living organisms
Phytopathology the study of plant diseases (also called Plant Pathology)
Psychobiology the study of the biological bases of psychology
Virology the study of viruses and some other virus-like agents
Zoology the study of animals, including classification, physiology, development, and
behavior (See also Entomology, Ethology, Herpetology, Ichthyology, Mammalogy, and
Ornithology)

What is microbiology?
Microbiology is the study of microscopic forms of life microorganisms and is concerned not only with
their role in disease, which is so often a cause of immediate concern, but with their many beneficial
activities and applications. Microbiology occupies a central position in biotechnology and genetic
engineering and many of the recent major advances have been achieved using microorganisms as model
systems.
Microorganisms comprise a large and diverse group that includes algae, cyanobacteria, bacteria, fungi,
protozoa and viruses. They exhibit an amazing diversity of form and are widely distributed throughout the
biosphere,
whether
it
be
the
polar
regions
or
the
deep
sea.
Despite their microscopic size and invisibility they play a vitally important role in maintaining, through their
metabolic
activities,
the
ecological
balance
needed
for
life
to
exist
on
earth.
Through their activities they impact on almost every aspect of our daily lives:

Some cause disease - e.g. cholera, anthrax, typhoid, food poisoning, AIDS, influenza, meningitis,
measles - although the majority are beneficial or harmless.

Some play a vital role in the cycling of nutrients - essential for the efficient functioning of all the
earths ecosystems.

Some play an important role in the production of foods such as bread, cheese, yoghurt, beer,
wine andQuorn.

Some produce valuable medical products such as antibiotics, vaccines, hormones and vitamins.

Some are sources of chemical products such as enzymes, bioplastics, biofuels.

Some play a key role in the treatment and detoxification of sewage and industrial effluents, and
the clean-up of oil-spills.

Our Microbiology degree programme reflects the enormous breadth of the subject, and has a common
core structure with options for specialisation, through choice of lecture units and research project, at Level
4. You can specialise in environmental, applied or medically-related aspects of the subject.

What is taxonomy ?
Taxonomy : The science which identifies, describes, classifies and names living beings. Taxonomy is
the most fundamental of life sciences and is becoming crucial to biodiversity management, public
health, agriculture, and many other aspects of life and society.
Taxonomy is a science for sustainable development, but it is also a sustainably developed science. It
draws on molecular techniques, vast collections, and varied expertise to become the Megascience of
biodiversity.

Taxonomy in the field

Taxonomists identify species in the wild, notice the risk of extinction or the arrival of invasive species
and follow the changes in biodiversity over time. They undertake inventories to survey the flora and
fauna of various areas and provide advice for their protection. They also serve as experts for customs
services, human and agricultural health services or resource management expertise. EDIT organises
field inventories with better methodologies and more powerful data management than before.

Taxonomy in museums
Natural History museums gather millions of specimens in collections, which provide accumulated
knowledge on life on Earth in the past millions of years. They also serve as a guarantee of scientific
rigor for the many professionals and amateurs who use them daily. Natural History museums develop
expertise and scientific progress to better know life on Earth.

Taxonomy on the web

Taxonomy makes use of new technologies to put experts in contact, exchange data and scientific
hypotheses, and manage the vast wealth of information stored in collections. Taxonomy covers all
reigns of life, from the minute to the overarching, from morphology to genetics to behaviour to
ecology. Thanks to computer systems and internet communications, we can now put such expansive
expertise to good use.

Taxonomic training
The level of expertise that taxonomists can bring to bear requires strong training. Education in handson practical knowledge as well as theory and methodology is the only way to provide a strong base to
answer tomorrows questions. With that in mind, EDIT is providing several tools to help train the next
generation of taxonomists.