What is biology? Definition of term

From the first days of life, a person is inextricably linked with biology. Acquaintance with this science begins with the school desk, but we have to deal with biological processes or phenomena every day. Further in the article we will consider what is biology. The definition of this term will help to better understand what is included in the circle of interests of the said science.

What does biology study

The first thing that is considered in the study of any science is a theoretical explanation of its significance. Thus, there are several formulated Definitions of what biology is. We will consider several of them. For example:

• Biology is the science of all living organisms living on the Earth, their interaction with each other and with the environment. Such an explanation is most common in the school curriculum.
• Biology is a complex of exercises that deals with the study and cognition of living objects of nature. Man, animals, plants, microorganisms - all these are representatives of living organisms.
• And the shortest definition is: biology is the science of life.

The origin of the term has ancient Greek roots. If we translate verbatim, then we will have one more definition, what is biology. The word consists of two parts: "bio" - "life", and "logos" - "teaching." That is, everything that has something to do with life in one way or another falls into the sphere of studying biology.

Subsections of Biology

The definition of biology will become more complete when enumerating the sections included in this science:

1. Zoology. It deals with the study of the animal world, the classification of animals, their internal and external morphology, life activity, interconnection with the world, influence on human life. In addition, zoology considers rare, as well as extinct animal species.
2. Botany. This is a branch of biology relevant to the plant world. It deals with the study of plant species, their structure and physiological processes. In addition to the main issues associated with the morphology of plants, this category of biology studies the use of plants in industry, human life.
3. Anatomy considers the internal and external structure of the human and animal body, systems of organs, the interaction of systems.

Each biological section has a number of its own subcategories, each of which is engaged in studying the narrower topics of the section. In this case, there will be several definitions of biology.

What does biology study

Since the definitions of biology say that this is the science of the living, therefore, the objects of its study are living organisms. These include:

• human;
• plants;
• Animals;
• Microorganisms.

Biology deals with the study and more accurate structures of the body. These include:

1. Cellular, molecular - is the consideration of organisms at the level of cells and smaller components.
2. Tissue - a complex of cells of one orientation is added to the tissue structures.
3. Organ - cells and tissues, performing one function, form organs.
4. Organismic - a system of cells, tissues and organs and their interaction among themselves, forms a full-fledged living organism.
5. Population - the structure is aimed at studying the life of individuals of one species in a single territory, as well as their interaction within the system and with other species.
6. Biosphere.

Biology is closely related to medicine, therefore its teachings are also medical topics. The study of microorganisms, as well as the molecular structures of living substances, promotes the receipt of new medicines for the control of various diseases.

With what sciences does biology intersect

Biology is a science that has close interaction with various sciences of other directions. These include:

1. Chemistry. Biology and chemistry have a close interlacing of themes and are inextricably linked to each other. After all, in biological objects, various biochemical processes are continuously occurring. A simple example is breathing organisms, photosynthesis of plants, metabolism.
2. Physics. Even in biology, there is a subsection called biophysics, which examines the physical processes associated with the vital activity of organisms.

As you can see, biology is a multifaceted science. The definition of biology can be paraphrased in different ways, but the only meaning remains - this is the doctrine of living organisms.