Biology - introduction and its branches

BIOLOGY

Definition: It is the study of living things and their vital processes.

The word "biology" is derived from the Greek words "bios" (meaning life) and "logos" (meaning "study").

 In general, biologists study the structure, function, growth, origin, evolution and distribution of living organisms. The field deals with all the physicochemical aspects of life.

The modern tendency toward cross-disciplinary research and the unification of scientific knowledge and investigation from different fields has resulted in significant overlap of the field of biology with other scientific disciplines. Modern principles of other fields—chemistry, medicine, and physics, for example—are integrated with those of biology in areas such as biochemistry, biomedicine, and biophysics.

Biology is divided into separate branches for convenience of study, biology covers a broad range of topics that are broken into many disciplines and sub disciplines. it is custom to separate

§  the study of plants (botany),

§  the study of animals (zoology),

§  the study of the structure of organisms (morphology) from that of function (physiology), and

§  microbiology is the study of microorganisms,

All living things share in common certain biological phenomena—for example, various means of reproduction, cell division, and the transmission of genetic material. There are numerous branches and sub disciplines of biology, but here is a short list of some of the more broad fields that fall under the umbrella of biology: 

·         Biochemistry: The study of the chemical processes that take place in or are related to living things, according to the Biochemical Society. For example, pharmacology is a type of biochemistry research that focuses on studying how drugs interact with chemicals in the body, as described in a 2010 review in the journal Biochemistry. 

·         Ecology: The study of how organisms interact with their environment. For example, an ecologist may study how honeybee behavior is affected by humans living nearby.

·         Genetics: The study of heredity. Geneticists study how genes are passed down by parents to their offspring, and how they vary from person to person. For example, scientists have identified several genes and genetic mutations that influence human lifespan, as reported in a 2019 review published in the journal Nature Reviews Genetics.   

·         Physiology: The study of how living things work. Physiology, which is applicable to any living organism, "deals with the life-supporting functions and processes of living organisms or their parts," according to Nature. Physiologists seek to understand biological processes, such as how a particular organ works, what its function is and how it's affected by outside stimuli. For example, physiologists have studied how listening to music can cause physical changes in the human body, such as a slower or faster heart rate. 

 

Some sub-Branches of Biology

Anatomy : Study of internal structures of plants and animals after dissection.

 Biochemistry : Study of chemistry of living matter (i.e., chemical composition, nature, mode of formation, functioning) in relation to life activities.

Cytology : Study of the structure and functions of cells and their organelles.

Ecology : Study of relationship between organisms and environment.

Embryology : Study of developmental stages of organisms upto hatching or birth.

Endocrinology : Study of endocrine glands and hormones action in animals.

 Evolution : Study of the origin of life and the gradual differentiation or descent of species.

Histology : Study of tissues by microscopy.

Immunology : Study of resistance of organisms to infection.

Limnobiology : Study of fresh water lakes, ponds and streams.

Palaeontology : Study of fossils and their distribution in time.

Palaeozoology : Study of fossil animals.

Physiology : Study of functions of various parts within the organisms.

Psychology : Study of related areas of psychology and biology.

Radiobiology : Study of effects of radioactivity on life.

Taxonomy : Study of classification of organisms and their evolutionary relationships with other organisms.

Zoogeography : Study of the distribution of animals over the earth.

Zoopathology : Study of diseases of animals.

 

Biology is often approached on the basis of levels that deal with fundamental units of life. At the level of molecular biology, for example, life is regarded as a manifestation of chemical and energy transformations that occur among the many chemical constituents that compose an organism. As a result of the development of increasingly powerful and precise laboratory instruments and techniques, it is possible to understand and define with high precision and accuracy not only the ultimate physiochemical organization (ultra-structure) of the molecules in living matter but also the way living matter reproduces at the molecular level. Especially crucial to those advances was the rise of genomics in the late 20th and early 21st centuries.

Science and Technology Scientific investigations may be basic or applied. Inventions of new technology extend new hopes and open avenues for the work and research which was not possible earlier. Discovery of radioactive isotopes enabled tracing metabolic pathways, development of microscope and then electron microscope provided useful tools to study biology. X-ray crystallography helped in the study of the structure of DNA, protein and many other biomolecules .Biotechnology and genetic engineering are fruitful due to accumulation of knowledge from different sources

The multidisciplinary nature of biology

Biology is often researched in conjunction with other fields of study, including mathematics, engineering and the social sciences. Here are a few examples:

·         Astrobiology is the study of the evolution of life in the universe, including the search for extraterrestrial life, according to NASA. This field incorporates principles of biology with astronomy. 

·         Bioarchaeologists are biologists who incorporate archaeological techniques to study skeletal remains and derive insights about how people lived in the past.

·         Bioengineering is the application of engineering principles to biology and vice versa, according to the University of California Berkeley. For example, a bioengineer might develop a new medical technology that better images the inside of the body, like an improved MRI that scans the human body at a faster rate and higher resolution, or apply biological knowledge to create artificial organs.

·         Biotechnology involves using biological systems to develop products.

For example, biotechnologists in Russia genetically engineered a better-tasting and more disease-resistant strawberry, which the researchers described in their 2007 study published in the journal Biotechnology and Sustainable Agriculture 2006 and Beyond.  

·         Biophysics employs the principles of physics to understand how biological systems work, according to the Biophysical Society. For example, biophysicists may study how genetic mutations leading to changes in protein structure impacts protein evolution.

 

Scope of Biology

Biology creates an awareness of vast array of forms of life which normally goes unseen. Biology offers a large scope and provides a large field for study. Biologists can work in many different fields, including research, healthcare, environmental conservation and art, according to the American Institute of Biological Sciences. Here are a few examples:

·         Research: Biologists can perform research in many types of settings. Microbiologists, for instance, may study bacterial cultures in a laboratory setting. Other biologists may perform field research, where they observe animals or plants in their native habitat. Many biologists may work in the lab and in the field — for example, scientists may collect soil or water samples from the field and analyze them further in the  lab, like at North Carolina University's Soil and Water Lab.

·         Healthcare: People who study biology can go on to work in healthcare, whether they work as doctors or nurses, join a pharmaceutical company to develop new drugs and vaccines, research the efficacy of medical treatments or become veterinarians to help treat sick animals.

·         Conservation: Biologists can help with efforts in environmental conservation by studying and determining how to protect and conserve the natural world for the future. For example, biologists may help educate the public on the importance of preserving an animal's natural habitat and participate in endangered species recovery programs to stop the decline of an endangered species.

·         Art: Biologists who also have a background in art have both the technical knowledge and artistic skill to create visuals that will communicate complex biological information to a wide variety of audiences. One example of this is in medical illustration, in which an illustrator may perform background research, collaborate with experts, and observe a medical procedure to create an accurate visual of a body part.

 

If we are moving forward then the biology provide us following options:

 (1) Helps us to understand ourselves better: It unfolds different queries of life along with its cultural, social, philosophical and economical aspects. So it helps in understanding the life better.

(2) Biology and inter-relationship of living beings: Study of biology helps us in understanding the wonderful phenomenon and laws of nature which finally tell us to predict the behavior of different living beings under changed conditions.

(3) Biology and resources: Biology helps us to know how to tap and conserve the resources available to us e.g. fishes, birds, forests etc.

(4) Biology and literature: Knowledge of Natural Biology has greatly enriched the literature with their references in stories and poems etc. Poets and other authors have been inspired by the beautiful and interesting plants and animals and frequently figure them in stories, poems and dramas.

(5) Study of nature is a rewarding experience: Many plants like Narcissus, Dahlia, Gloriosa, Roses, Marigold, Aster, etc. are used for ornamental purposes. The variety available in animals is widely enjoyed in zoological parks. Students enjoy excursions to remote places watching never seen before plants and animals.

(6) Solving problems: Biology makes us to understand the present day problems such as population growth, pollution, conservation of wildlife and survival of man etc. The future directions of biotechnology, conservation of biodiversity, maintenance of environment and human welfare remain in the hands of biologists.

(7) Biology-Medicinal aspect : Several plants like Atropa belladona, Cinchona are sources of atropine, quinine etc. Many members of fungi such as Penicillium and Streptomyces give rise to antibiotics like penicillin and streptomycin. Plants are the major source of vitamins. Drugs are first tested on animals before being used for treating man. Animals provide scientific hints for the production and use of medicines. Animals are widely used for scientific research and results thus obtained are finally applied to man. The study of animal play an important role in health, nutrition and control of pests.

(8) Solving approach of biology: Knowledge for eradication of diseases like malaria, small pox, etc. has been achieved by scientists basically due to desire and determination to solve the problem.

(9) Ecosystem and living organisms: Biology helps us in understanding the various ecosystems. The living community and non-living environment interact with each other and exchange of material in them takes place.

(10) Biotechnology: Biotechnologists have produced many genetically modified (GM) crops. Plenty of studies are being made by geneticists, evolutionists and cytologists to fudge the efficacy of biotechnology.

 

Careers in Biology Some interrelated disciplines of biology (career options in biology) from which any field can be selected for further rewarding career.

(1) Virology: It is the study of viruses.

(2) Pathology: It is the study of diseases (their nature, causes, symptoms, effects and control).

(3) Microbiology: It is the study of microscopic organisms.

 

 

(22) Psychology: The branch of science which deals with behavior and qualities etc. of human mind.

(23) Forensic Sciences: It is the application of scientific knowledge to the question of civil and criminal laws e.g., study of finger prints, blood typing, identification of narcotics etc.

(24) Medicine: The branch of science responsible for curing diseases with drugs or other curative substances.

(25) Surgery: It is a branch of medicine which deals with physical operations to cure injuries and other diseases of body.

(26) Biomedical engineering: It deals with the production of spare parts of man such as artificial limbs, implants and heart, lung machine etc.

(27) Physiotherapy: It is the branch of science which mainly aims at curing the diseases, defects and body weaknesses by physical remedies as massage and exercise etc.

(28) Genetic engineering: It is a branch of genetics which deals with production of organism with combination of new heritable characters at will (gene-manipulation).

(29) Occupational therapy: It involves the cure of convalescents and physically handicapped by doing light work for diversion, physical exercise or vocational training.

(30) DNA finger printing : By this technique a person can be identified on the basis of his genes as no two persons can have identical sub-genetic make up.

(31) Bioinformatics : This branch of biology deals with the systematic development and application of computing systems and computational solution of techniques, analysing data obtained by experiments, modelling, database searching and instrumentation to make novel observations about biological processes.

(32) Computer simulation : It is the conversion of physiological phenomena into graphical and multidimensional and multimedia presentation without actually involving plants/animals.

(33) Computational biology : It deals with systematic development, application and validation of computational hardware and software solutions for building simulation models of biological systems.

(34) Prawn Farming : It deals “with” rearing, transportation and marketing of prawns.

(35) Medical transcription : It deals with interpretation and typewriting (transcribing) dictation from physicians and other health care providers regarding patient assessment and work-up surgical, radiology and therapeutic methods, clinical course, diagnosis and prognosis etc.