Branches of Biology Saturday, June 20, 2009

Biology is the study of life. Anything that is living, was once alive, or has potential life can be applied to this field.

Biology has many, many specializations and branches, with new fields being created each day. The various branches also differ in the type of life studied, or the way it is studied.

For example, microbiologists study life at the microscopic level, while ecologists study ecosystems and interactions between organisms and their environment.

Branches of Biology are:

• Agriculture - The study of producing crops from the land, with an emphasis on practical applications.

• Anatomy - The study of the animal form, with an emphasis on human bodies.

• Astrobiology - The branch of biology concerned with the effects of outer space on living organisms and the search for extraterrestrial life.

• Biochemistry - The study of the chemical reactions required for life to exist and function, usually a focus on the cellular level.
  

• Bioengineering - The application of engineering to biology, specifically medical technologies.
  

• Biophysics - The application of physics to biological processes.

• Biotechnology - A new and sometimes controversial branch of biology that studies the manipulation of living matter, including genetic modification.

• Bioinformatics - Also classified as a branch of information technology (IT), it is the study, collection, and storage of genomic data.
  

• Biomathematics or Mathematical Biology - The study of biological processes through mathematics, with an emphasis on modeling.
  

• Biomechanics - Often considered a branch of medicine, the study of the mechanics of living beings, with an emphasis on applied use through artificial limbs, etc.
  

• Biophysics - The study of biological processes through physics, by applying the theories and methods traditionally used in the physical sciences.
  

• Botany - The scientific study of plants and related organisms.

• Cell Biology - The study of the cell as a complete unit, and the molecular and chemical interactions that occur within a living cell.
  
  
• Cryobiology - The study of life in ice or very low temperatures.

• Cytology - The study of the cell and its organs.

• Developmental Biology - The study of the processes by which an organism develops from a zygote to its full structure. This field includes the study of cellular differentiation as well as body structure development.

• Ecology - The scientific study of the relationships between plants, animals, and their environment.

• Entomology - The study of insects.

• Environmental Biology - The study of the natural world, as a whole or in a particular area, especially as affected by human activity.

• Ethology - The study of animal behavior.

• Epidemiology - A major component of public health research, it is the study of factors affecting the health and illness of populations.

• Evolutionary Biology
  

• Genetics - The branch of biology that deals with heredity, especially the mechanisms of hereditary transmission and the variation of inherited characteristics among similar or related organisms.

• Herpetology - The study of reptiles.

• Histology - The study of cells and tissue, a microscopic branch of anatomy.

• Ichthyology - The study of fish.

• Mammology - The study of mammals.
  

• Marine Biology - The study of animals living in water.

• Mycology - The study of fungi.

• Microbiology - The study of organisms too small to see with the human eye.
  

• Macrobiology - The study of biology on the level of the macroscopic individual (plant, animal, or other living being) as a complete unit.
  

• Molecular biology - The study of the molecular composition of matter and their interactions on a molecular level.

• Neurobiology - The study of the nervous system, including anatomy, physiology, even pathology.

• Oceanography - The study of the ocean, including ocean life, environment, geography, weather, and other aspects influencing the ocean.

• Paleontology - The study of fossils and sometimes geographic evidence of prehistoric life.
  

• Physiology - The study of the parts of the body of different living organisms and how they work.

• Pathobiology or pathology - The study of diseases, and the causes, processes, nature, and development of disease.

• Parisitology - The study of parasites and parasitism.

• Pharmacology - The study and practical application of preparation, use, and effects of drugs and synthetic medicines.
  

• Phytopathology - The study of plant diseases.
  

• Virology - The study of viruses and some other virus-like agents, usually considered part of microbiology or pathology.
  

• Zoology - The study of animals and animal life, including classification, physiology, development, and behavior.