What is Biology???!!!! The Study of Life

The Scientist

What is life? What do all living things have in common with each other? Five Essential Traits of Life:   Organization: cells, tissues, organs, systems Reproduction Respond to stimulus Need and use Energy                             Develop and Grow

Biology is the science and study of living things within the five kingdoms of life.

What are the 5 Kingdoms of Life?

Note! These pictures are NOT to scale! 

Biology studies the form, structure, function, growth and development, behavior, and interaction and relationships of all living things.

What do Biologists do? Biologists are not just observers and describers of life. They develop and run experiments in laboratories and out in nature, they test hypotheses, and they work with chemists, physicists, geologists, astronomers, and others.

Among other things, biologists study the characteristics of life forms, such as their cellular organization and development, how they respond to stimulation, their growth, the chemical processes used in their production of energy (metabolism) and how they reproduce.

Which of these dogs fit the biological “definition” of life”?

Can you imagine devising an experiment to determine “What is life and what is non-life?” How might you identify life on another planet, a planet you can’t even go to? Is this life? Is this life?

Zoology, which is the study of animal life; Some Branches of Biology Because there is such a huge variety of living things on the earth, the science of biology has many different branches and areas of study. Much of the history of biological study has been focused on trying to classify and define life forms.  Four basic branches of biology are… Microbiology, a study dealing with the structure and existence of microorganisms, which are tiny life forms such as bacteria or viruses; Zoology, which is the study of animal life; Botany, which is focused on plant life; Physical anthropology, where scientists study humans and their biological, physical and evolutionary history. These four study areas are joined by many subcategories, such as... Physiology Study of the vital functions and basic activities of living organisms - cells, tissues, organs, and organ systems - and their parts, in relation to the whole. Embryology Study of the formation and development of organisms from the zygote, or fertilized egg. Confined mainly to multi-celled organisms. Taxonomy Hierarchical classification of natural organisms indicative of their structures, differences and evolutionary relationships. Genetics Study of inheritance and variation in organisms, and mechanisms by which these operate; genetic causes of similarities and differences among related individuals. Ecology Study of relationships between organisms and their physical environment. Molecular Biology Study of the molecular basis of life, including DNA, and how these function and influence living things. Biochemistry Study of the chemicals and chemical processes within living systems as a whole, such as digestion. Evolutionary Biology, the study of evolution, how it works and how it has influenced the organisms we see today. Conservation Biology, where biologists work on the science of conserving and protecting ecosystems, species and habitats. “...to name just a few!”