The fields of biology are organized in a manner which allows experts to focus the bulk of their studies on a particular group or phenomenon that relates to the sustainability and growth of living organisms. A biologist can choose to specialize in zoology (study of animals), botany (study of plants), entomology (study of insects), mammalogy (study of mammals), ornithology (study of birds), ichthyology (study of fish), ethology (study of animal behavior), arachnology (study of spiders) or herpetology (study of reptiles) which involves the taxonomic studies of particular groups of living organisms.
In addition to the fields of biology listed above there is a greater variety of sub disciplines which can be the focus of study including bioengineering, agriculture, biochemistry, biomechanics and genetics. Biology often crosses paths with other areas of science such as chemistry and physics because ultimately all life is governed by their chemical makeup and consists of matter. The intake of energy is another essential aspect of life which is explored from the approach of physics in some areas of biological studies.
The need to understand life has been a quest for humans since the earliest forms of civilization. Understanding the natural world helps us identify our place in the universe and differentiate our potentials from that of other forms of living organisms. Despite the need for humanity to justify its dominance over nature, the underlying fact remains that we are still dependent on other living organisms and our environment to sustain ourselves. Ecology is the study of how living organisms interact with each other and their environment in a particular ecosystem.
The need to classify species of organisms, environments and ecosystems has ingrained its self in biology leading to a system of global taxonomic classification referred to as binomial nomenclature. The invention of this was largely initiated by Carl Linnaeus around 1753 which utilizes two latin words in the naming of species. This helps to ensure that scientists around the world who speak other languages can refer to the same species of animals without confusion. Humans have innately felt the need to classify our knowledge in an organizational structure which has proved to be one of the factors that has allowed the development of science to continue in an efficient manner.
Title : Fields of Biological Studies
Description : The fields of biology are organized in a manner which allows experts to focus the bulk of their studies on a particular group or phenomenon ...