Biological Sciences

The system of biological sciences, assuming the study of various forms of living beings, their structure, development, functioning, is a fairly extensive structure. Each of its branches pursues specific goals, explores specific issues. Along with this, biological sciences are closely connected with each other.

Multidimensional structure is due not only to the diversity of species and life forms, but also to the variety of methods for their study.

Even in ancient times, the basic biological sciences developed: zoology, botany, anatomy and human physiology. Subsequently, such large sections as hydrobiology (studying water dwellers) and microbiology (investigating microorganisms), selected in accordance with the objects of research, were formed.

From the large branches depart narrowly specialized biological sciences. So, for example, zoology (studying animals) includes the theriology studying mammals, protozoology - protozoa, malacology - mollusks, acarology - mites, entomology - insects, ichthyology - fish-like. The structure of botany contains such biological sciences as dendrology (about trees, bushes), bryology (about mosses), lichenology (about lichens), mycology (about mushrooms) and others.

There is a deeper division of disciplines. Thus, the distribution of organisms into categories and their diversity is studied by systematic biological sciences. Discipline, exploring the organic world of modernity, is called neontology. The science of pre-existing forms of life is called paleontology.

Another direction in the classification of disciplines involves a separation according to the manifestations and properties of the living. So, various functions of organisms are studied by physiology, questions about heredity - genetics, patterns in animal behavior - ethology. Features of individual development are explored by embryology, in a broader sense - developmental biology. At the same time, each discipline is divided into more private ones. For example, the morphology studying forms is classified into the comparative, functional and other branches. Simultaneously, there is mutual penetration, and the fusion of narrow different disciplines of biology, with the formation of complex combinations. So, for example, there are such branches as histophysiology, cytogenetics and others.

The structure of systems and organs macroscopically studies anatomy, the microscopic structure of tissues - histology, the structure of the cell nucleus - karyology, cells as a whole - cytology. At the same time, karyology, cytology and histology, in addition to studying the structure of certain structures, are engaged in the study of their biochemical properties and functions.

In biology, there are disciplines associated with the application of various methods of study. So, for example, there is a biochemistry that studies the processes of vital activity by chemical means, Biophysics, which establishes physical laws. It should be noted that these two disciplines are often intertwined with one another, applied in a complex to study a particular phenomenon.

A separate place is occupied by such discipline as biometrics. It is based on the mathematical method of processing biological data. With the use of this branch, it becomes possible to describe single processes and phenomena, plan experiments, establish more general biological patterns.

It should be noted that both theoretical and practical studies are equally important in biology. The former allow one to revolutionize many areas of practical activity, for example, technical biology or industrial microbiology. Along with this, the branches of practical biology enrich the theory with new knowledge.