Biology and Some Major Fields of Specialization
Biology is the study of living things. It is a branch of science and like other sciences it is a way of understanding nature. Biologists deal with the living part of nature and with the non-living things which affect the living things in any way. They strive to understand. Explain, integrated and describe the natural world of living things. The literal meaning of biology is the study of life.
It is very difficult to define life. There are certain aspects of life that lie beyond the scope of the science of biology like the answers to the questions: what is the meaning of life? Why should there be life? These are the questions not usually taken up by biologists and are left to philosophers and theologians. Biologists mainly deal with the matters relating to how life works.
Life, for biologists, is a set of characteristics that distinguish living organisms from non-living objects (including dead organisms). Living organisms are highly organized, complex entities; are composed of one or more cells; contain genetic program of their characteristics; can acquire and use energy; can carry out and control numerous produce offspring similar to themselves; respond to changes in their environment.
Any object possessing all these characteristics simultaneously can be declared as a living thing and is an object for biological studies.
The science of biology is a very wide based study. It includes every aspect of a living thing. Therefore, volumes and volumes of information are available under this major head. It is but natural to divide this science into quite a number of branches for our convenience of comprehending and studying biology.
You are surely familiar, at this stage, with ecology, embryology, physiology, morphology (external morphology and internal morphology or anatomy), paleontology, histology, evolution, genetics, zoogeography etc. these are branches of biology which deal with environmental relations, development, functions, structure, From and internal gross structure, fossil tissues, ancestral history, heredity and distribution of animals in nature, respectively. In addition to these branches there are a number of other branches of biology such as: molecular biology, microbiology, marine biology, environmental biology, freshwater biology, parasitological, human biology, social biology, biotechnology, etc;
Molecular Biology
Molecular biology is a branch of biology which deals with the structure of organisms, the cells and their organelles at molecular level.
Environmental Biology
Environmental biology is the study f organisms in relation to their environment. This includes interaction between the organism and their inorganic and organic environment, especially as it relates to human activities.
Micro Biology
This is the study of microorganisms which include bacteria, viruses, protozoa and microscopic algae and fungi…….
Freshwater Biology
This branch of biology deals with the organisms living in freshwater bodies i.e., rivers. Lakes etc and physical and chemical parameters of these water bodies.
Marico Biology
This is study of life in seas and oceans. This includes the study of the marine life and the physical and chemical characteristics of the sea acting as factors for marine life.
Parasitology
This is the branch of biology which deals with the study of parasites. The structure, mode of transmission, life histories and host- parasite relationships are studied in Parasitology.
Human Biology
It deals with the study of man. This includes from and structure, function, histology, anatomy, morphology, evolution, genetics, cell biology and ecological studies etc. of human beings.
Social Biology
This is the branch of biology which deals with the study of social behavior and communal life of human beings.
Biotechnology
It deals with the use of living organisms, systems or processes in manufacturing and service industries.
