EducationThe science

Biology is a science that studies what?

One of the most ancient, but at the same time progressive, even today sciences is biology. It is a science that studies the diversity of wildlife around us. After all, every day we encounter hundreds of living things: insects, bacteria, viruses, plants and, of course, humans. Each organism has its own features of structure and life activity, all are interconnected by certain regularities and consist in various kinds of relationships. All this and studies such a vast, fascinating and truly great science, like biology.

The biosphere of planet Earth

Our planet is inhabited by a wide variety of forms of life. All of them, interacting with each other, form a common shell. The living shell of the planet Earth. It is called the biosphere. In addition to the biosphere, our planet has such shells as hydrosphere, lithosphere and atmosphere. Naturally, the entire biomass of the biosphere shell could not exist separately from other shells. Therefore this division is rather conditional. In fact, each of the shells includes representatives of the biosphere.

For example, the lithosphere is densely populated with worms, bacteria, larvae, insects and mammals. It is also in it that the lower parts of most existing terrestrial plants are located.

The hydrosphere, represented by the totality of all types of water on the Earth, is generally a whole world, beautiful and interesting, in its composition of biomass. The atmosphere is also no exception. A variety of bacteria, viruses, insects, birds and even mammals are an integral part of it and use it for permanent residence. At the same time, in general, almost all living things (with the exception of certain types of bacteria) are able to live only under aerobic conditions, that is, in conditions of the terrestrial atmosphere.

The whole biomass of the biosphere shell is a multi-million community of living beings. And such a science of living nature, like biology, with all the departments included in it, is precisely engaged in a detailed study of this great community.

Methods and materials used in biology

For a comprehensive analysis and convenient and detailed examination of all living objects of nature in biology, special materials are used. Such as:

  • scalpel;
  • Clamps;
  • forceps;
  • Measuring instruments;
  • Trap-stains;
  • Mortars and pistils;
  • Test tubes;
  • Baths and Petri dishes;
  • Dissecting needles and tables;
  • Mirror and magnifier;
  • A variety of types of microscopes and so on.

This, of course, is far from a complete list of all the variety of materials that help biologists in the knowledge of living things and in scientific research.

There are also specific techniques that biology uses as a science. Methods of biology are diverse, but the main ones are the following.

Biological methodology

Scientific methods of biology
Method name Materials used Practical meaning
Observation Field diary, binoculars, magnifying glass, microscope, video and photo equipment and so on. Obtaining visual information about the observed object without interference in natural processes, accumulation of useful information.
Description Computer, writing supplies, paper. Fixation of the results obtained by the observation method. This method provides historical significance for the preservation of useful information.
Experiment Laboratory equipment, microscope, etc. Practical confirmation of the scientific hypotheses put forward.
Comparison Literature or experiments on the topic. It gives the opportunity to choose a more correct result, and also shows all the differences in the vital activity, the structure of organisms, depending on various factors.
Modeling (includes generalization, systematization) Materials for creating models of the object under study. Allows you to recreate the picture of the processes and predict the result.
Analytical method Measuring instruments, computers Allows you to derive common patterns or differences in living nature, and also provides for the systematization of accumulated knowledge.

Modern methods:

  • X-ray diffraction analysis;
  • Centrifugation;
  • radiography;
  • Cytochemistry (histochemistry);
  • Cultivation of organisms on nutrient media;
  • Microscopy (electronic, fluorescent, contrast, darkfield);
  • Intravital staining.
Centrifuges, special microscopes, Petri dishes, agar-based nutrient media , specific equipment and devices. Provide an accurate analysis of the smallest living units, provide complete information about the processes occurring at the molecular level. Allow to interfere with the genome and set the desired properties to living organisms.

In the end, we get the following result. Biology is a science that studies living systems in full, complex and using a wide variety of modern technologies.

Main Sections of Biology

Today, biology counts dozens of subsidiary young sciences that have been formed from it because of the accumulation of a large volume of different knowledge in the most subtle issues concerning living systems. We will outline the main, historically established sections of biological science.

  1. General Biology.
  2. Genetics.
  3. Zoology.
  4. Botany.
  5. Physiology of plants and animals.
  6. Anatomy.
  7. Human physiology.
  8. Ecology.
  9. Biogeography.
  10. Biochemistry.

First of all, biology is the science of nature. Therefore, all the listed sections are fundamental in the context of considering this science.

General biology: essence, subject of study

By this name is meant the study of the basic vital moments of each living system: the emergence, development, becoming in nature, functioning. As a consequence, the general biology includes the following sections:

  • Cell theory and cell structure.
  • Ontogenesis of organisms.
  • Molecular biology.
  • Genetics.
  • Evolution of all living things.
  • Ecology.
  • The doctrine of the biosphere shell of the Earth.

From this list it becomes clear that this biology is a science that studies the universal characteristics inherent in all living systems in general. In the course of school education, general biology is taught in high school, from 9 to 11 inclusive. And this is correct, because the concepts that it includes in itself are quite complex, voluminous and require a more developed worldview among students.

Botany in the school course

To date, scientists call a figure of about 350,000 species when it comes to the variety of modern plants. Naturally, this figure is too large, and the plants are unique and interesting, so that a separate science is not formed, which deals exclusively with studying them. To such a science is botany, a branch of biology.

All plants can be divided into land and water. But this is only a very crude, superficial classification. In fact, there are many taxa, genera, species, subspecies and other systematic units into which the plants are subdivided. This is the essence of systematics of plants, one of the departments of botany.

There are also a number of other departments covering all aspects of plant life:

  • Morphology of plants;
  • Plant physiology;
  • ecology;
  • Biogeography;
  • phylogeny;
  • evolution;
  • Economic botany.

The totality of all these sciences, as well as those departments that enter into each of them, in turn, allows to carry out a comprehensive total study of any plant organism. Therefore, we can say with confidence that biology is the science of plants.

Botany is studied in the school course of biology in grades 6-7, depending on the curriculum. Problems of phylogeny and evolution are studied in grade 11.

Zoology in the school course

The science of zoology describes more than 130000 species of fauna. The overwhelming majority are invertebrates - insects, worms, marine inhabitants. This figure is not final, because their research does not stop zoologists. Despite the fact that, it would seem, there is nothing to discover and all animals are known, new species are periodically discovered.

Zoology is one of the oldest sciences, which includes biology. Animals - one of the most common and ubiquitous living systems of our planet. Zoology deals with the study of the structure (both external and internal) of all animals, their taxonomy, physiology, anatomy, ethology, ecology and geography.

As well as botany, zoology is an obligatory part of biological science for studying in school. Her course falls on the 7th grade.

The role of biology in human life

Biology is a science that studies and embraces so many different life spheres that there is no doubt about its importance and significance. The main examples that will clearly show and prove this are the following:

  1. Animals that are immune to cancerous tumors (sharks and rays) are an excellent basis for finding and discovering a cure for this disease of the 21st century.
  2. The achievements of microbiologists, biochemists and medical biologists allow mankind to get rid of a multitude of various ailments, including viral and bacterial nature.
  3. Biotechnology, cellular and genetic engineering makes it possible to increase the productivity of agriculture and provide food to entire nations.
  4. Anthropological biology makes it possible to identify the sources of all living things, to recreate the picture of the world and to avoid mistakes in the future.

This is not all the reasons and circumstances that allow us to talk about biology as an extremely important and significant in life and practical activity of people to science.

New sections of biology

The modern, young and promising sections of biological science are such as:

  • biotechnology;
  • microbiology;
  • Cellular engineering;
  • Genetic Engineering;
  • molecular biology;
  • biochemistry;
  • Space biology;
  • Medical biology.

The whole complex of these sciences makes it possible to characterize any being related to a living system. Therefore, biology is the science of living nature, in the first place, and about the benefits that it can give to man.

Biology at school

Indirectly, biology is already at the stage of the course of natural history (grade 5 of the school curriculum). Just as an object it begins with the 6th class (botany), 7th grade - zoology, 8th class - anatomy, 9-11 - general biology.

The school course of this science touches on the most diverse topics in biology, which relate to virtually all of its branches and sections. This is done to form a holistic picture of the perception of the world for children, as well as to clearly assimilate the importance and significance of the achievements of the biological sciences in the modern world.

Similar articles

 

 

 

 

Trending Now

 

 

 

 

Newest

Copyright © 2018 en.birmiss.com. Theme powered by WordPress.