Before beginning the study of any discipline, we must know what it is. It was probably this question that brought you here: Owhich is the Biology, in the end?
The name of this science comes from the junction of two Greek terms: bio, which means life, and logos, which means study. Therefore, we say that biology is the science responsible for studying life in all its aspects. But you might be asking yourself: What would life be like? And, after all, what aspects are these studied by Biology?
As incredible as this may seem, the first question is not easy to be answered, as life does not have a definition accepted by all scientists. It is very difficult to clearly define what life is without excluding some clearly living organisms. Until then, the vast majority of researchers have established that a A living being is an organism that has metabolism, reproduces and is subject to evolutionary processes.
From the definition of life, other questions arise: What is metabolism? What is reproduction? What is evolution?
We can say that metabolism is the biochemical reactions that take place in a being's body and in its cells. Reproduction is the ability to generate a new living being. Finally, evolution is about the changes that living beings undergo over time. Therefore, for an organism to be considered alive, it must carry out biochemical reactions in its body, be able to generate offspring and undergo changes over time.Now that we know what the life that biologists study is, it remains to be seen the factors related to it that are specifically studied by biology. Unfortunately, this answer is not simple either, as this science it is concerned with any and all characteristics of a living organism. In studying this science, we analyze the physical and chemical characteristics of a being, the structures of its cells, its genes, how organs function, how development and evolution of a living being, how this organism relates to others and to the environment, among several other fundamental aspects to understand how a being is established or established in the planet.
Faced with so many questions to be answered about a living being, it was necessary to divide Biology into several areas so that the study could take place in a satisfactory manner. Botany, for example, is an area of biology that studies plants. However, there is no professional who studies all aspects of plants, as there are botanists specialized in plant anatomy, physiology, taxonomy, genetics and many others aspects.
It is worth noting that Biology doesn't just exist to describe living things. It was through it that we made wonderful discoveries, such as those that occurred in the field of health and that contributed to the prevention of various diseases and the cure of problems that were previously sentences of death. This science has also achieved wonderful results in genetics, such as the creation of genetically modified organisms. In addition, Biology plays a fundamental role in Criminalistics, helping to hold criminals accountable based on the study of biological material at crime scenes.
It is clear, therefore, that Biology, even though it is an extremely broad, complex and full of questions to be answered, is also an area full of beauties and fascinating aspects that make us understand the importance of each being, from the macro to the microscopic.
In this space you will get to know the most curious points of Biology and will delve into essential themes for this science. Discover what is most fascinating in the study of life in the texts below.
Good reading!
By Ma. Vanessa dos Santos