Introduction to Biology.. What is Biology?

The word ‘science’ brings to your mind many different pictures; a fat textbook, those white lab coats and microscopes and slides. Equation of Einstein on a chalkboard, from the rotation of fan to the cooling of pan, from falling up to down or going down to up all those image reminds you about similitude of science because there are many facet of science.

Actually the word Science is derived from the latin word ‘Scentia’ which means “to know”. Science is both a body of knowledge and a process that is derived from observation & experiment ,which are directed to determine the principles underlying what is being studied.

Have you ever been wondered and were eager to know that How the oxygen that we inhale comes in air? How does a tiny seed grows up into a big fruiting tree ?How those flower and fruit came ? What are the study of these phenomenon and under which branch of science does they come.

You have heard about the term Biology and many of you know about it but do you exactly know What is Biology? , What is the history of biology ? , Who is the Father of Biology? What is History of Biology in India…

Biology — The Science of Life and Exceptions:

It was the year 1802, in which two scientist named Lamarck and Treviranus used the term Biology. The term Biology derived from word “bios= life and logos=discourse/discovery or study .”

Definition:

“It is the branch of science that deals with the study of living organism”, in short it is “The study of life.”

Biology-a science having exceptions:

You may call it as a Science with exceptions as it deal with all the living organism which show enormous variations and are capable of changes. Due to evolution living organism show a number of exceptions. Some important exceptions in biology are as follows:

Viruses have RNA as genetic material instead of DNA.

Normally , the reptilian heart have 3 chambered heart but reptiles like crocodiles have partly 4 chambered or incomplete 3 chambered heart.

Mammals gives birth to young ones but there are some mammals like platypus which lay eggs.

Pouch in kangaroo for baby, parental care in animals, similarly birds who cannot fly also exist. Likewise, whole biology is filled with some marvelous creatures that are exceptions.

Scope of Biology –

Biology influences our daily life as well as our future in many aspects .The development and use of modern medicine depends on the understanding of structure and functions of cells, tissues, organs and organ-systems of the human body. Information about the life-histories of the causative agents of diseases and their relation with man are of much value for prevention and cure of many diseases. We can also develop the skills to understand disorders in plant and animals .anatomy and Physiology help people become aware of structure and function plants and animals.

Biotech is the most important growing branch of bio that is dealing in our every day life. Agriculture, soil science, fishery ,poultry, botany ,zoology, sericulture ,apiculture , forestry, etc. are some branches of biology without which our life will be incomplete to our daily requirements.

Aristotle: The Father of Biology

An exceptionally talented person , Aristotle relied on observations and contributed much in biology. About 90 percent of his writings are on scientific subjects, mostly on biological ones.

He also formulated the concept of the Scala Naturae (Great chain of beings) — a chain of progressive change in nature. This corresponds to a sort of evolution. Dealt with over 500 types of animals and dissected nearly fifty of them. Studied the developing embryo of a chick and reported that sharks give birth to live young ones (viviparous) but do not develop a placenta like mammals. Based on this similarity with mammals he classified dolphins with mammals.

He even classified animal species and arranged them into hierarchies. His mode of classification was reasonable and in some cases strikingly modern.he made the first attempt to classify animal in 2 parts in his book ‘Historia Animalium’ as follows:

Aniama: animal without red blood .eg mollusc, sponges etc.

Eaniama: animal with red blood. eg. fishes ,mammals, saves ,reptiles etc.

In short, the vast nature is interconnected with each other ,the organism are in correlation with whole nature & the branch of science viz. dealing with it is called as Biology & the father of biology is Aristotle.

Biology is such a broad based multidisciplinary having hundreds of branches. Branches are discussed in the next one.