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Biology, the study of life and living things, includes major divisions of molecular biology, cytology or cell biology, organism biology, ecology, and biohistory. |
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Molecular biology includes study of processes and structure below the level of the cell, many of which are common to all or many forms of life. It is divided by types of compounds, including inorganic molecules, small organic molecules, carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids.
Cytology, or cell biology, includes study of cell structure, such as the nucleus, organelles, the cytoskeleton, and walls and membranes. It also includes cellular function and behavior such as cellular reproduction and vital functions including respiration, photosyntesis, and nutrition It also includes discussion of types of cells.
This includes habitat, tissues, Organ systems, morphology or biological form, life cycle, and behavior.
This includes the study of types of organisms, including microbes, protists, plants, fungi, and animals and their classification.
Ecology includes major divisions of behavioral ecology, population ecology, community ecology, system ecology, evolution, ecosystems, and biogeography.
Biohistory follows the same organization as studies of earth history and run parallel to it. These include the Precambrian, Paleozoic, Mesozoic, and Cenozoic eras.
Other sciencePhysics is useful in biology. Various areas make use of mechanics. Particle mechanics is often too simple to describe complicated biological systems, but has some fundamental concepts. Biological systems can be described as particles,only under limited circumstance. Kinematic concepts including position, velocity, acceleration, and types and cases of motion can be examined. Kinetic concepts including mass, momentum, force, and types and cases of force can be applied. Energetics including work, mechanical energy, and power can also be used. Particle systems including system properties, interactions, and simplified systems can be used in examining biology. |
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Rigid body mechanics including rigid body descrption and motion, rotational dynamics, static systems, and dynamic systems is also important. Nonrigid mechanics, including deformable bodies, fluid mechanics, and wave mechanics is also useful. Gravitation is useful mostly for surface gravitation. Particle gravitation, rigid body gravitation, and deformable body gravitation are not really applicable to biological organisms. Thermodynamics includes minimal use of statistical mechanics. Classical thermodynamics involves treating the body as a thermodynamic system and considering its states and processes. Nonclassical thermodynamics and associated systems, states, and processes gives more detail. In electromagnetism, electrostatics has some connection, although living matter is for the most part electrically neutral. Electric current is somewht useful, though most living things do not tolerate large amounts of it. Magnetism including current elements, assemblages, Magnetic field, force, flux, and magnetic properties of matter has few direct effects on living things. Optics including electromagnetic waves, geometric optics, physical optics, quantum optics, and the electromagnetic spectrum is very useful. Relativity theory and quantum mechanics are less directly significant. The structure of matter is also useful. Subatomic physics including particle types and interactions has become important in biology. Atomic physics including a little nuclear physics but mostly electronic physics have applications. Molecular physics including chemical bonding and the structure and behavior of molecules is extremely important at certain levels in biology. Bulk matter including solids, liquids, and gases also has applictions in biology. Exotic forms of matter usually do not. Chemistry is an important part of modern biology. Biological substances are highly important. Most living things are composed of only a few elements. Hydrogen is an essential component, although mostly incorporated into compounds. There are a great many biological compounds. Relatively few of these are inorganic, Most of them are organic. Various chemical classes of compounds and a directory of compounds will be useful. Most biological substances are mixtures, and while solutions are important, heterogenous mixtures are even more so. Chemical changes are also useful. Nuclear reactions including fusion, transmutation, radioactive decay, and fission have limited significance but may apply. Chemical reactions including stoichiometry, mechanical changes, electronic rearrangement, chemical thermodynamics, and chemical kinetics are essential to biology, and physical changes including freezing, boiling, sublimation, mixing, and separation are also important to the study of life. Chemical systems do not include a great deal of solid chemistry, but biological systems depend heavily on liquid chemistry, and a little bit of gas chemistry. They use far less inorganic chemistry than organic chemistry. Astronomy also has some significance. Cosmology and galactic astronomy include largely speculative and theoretical biology, or xenobiology. The role of stellar astronomy, including the interstellar medium, stars, star clusters, and astrocartography, is becoming less speculative with the discovery of planets outside the Solar system. Solar system astronomy is vital. Life on earth depends on the sun, Studies of the possibility of life in various planetary systems are part of active plans for scientific investigation. The inner planets, including the earth, present possiblities, Gas giant systems and outer dwarf planets also present possiblities. The role of minor bodies and the interstellar medium is somewhat speculative. Studies of the origin of life are tied indirectly to solar system history Earth science is important in biology, as earth is the only place where life is known to exist. Geology including minerals, rocks, landforms, and geologic processes is important in biology, though interior geology seems to be less so. Hydrospheric science including oceanography, glaciology, groundwater, and fresh water is highly significant to biology. Atmospheric sciences including atmospheric structure, meteorology, and climatology are significant to biology. Physical geography is also significant. Mapping is useful. Terrestrial geography is better accessible and better known than Oceanic geography. Biology has close connections to geohistory, including the Precambrian, Paleozoic, and Mesozoic Eras. The geology of the Cenozoic Era including Paleocene, Eocene, Oligocene, Miocene, Pliocene, Pleistocene, and Holocene epochs can be investigated. Personal studiesThe human body somewhat overlaps with parts of biology. Body systems, body functions, disease, life cycle, and form from the human perspective often provide a starting point for study of other organisms. Psychology including nervous system, behavioral elements, mind, behavior patterns, developmental psychology, mental disorders, personality, and social pyschology will also be useful. Individuals from the biography list who have been prominent in biology include: AnthropologySocial foundations including social presentation, social interaction, social control, social group types, and social group behavior may be useful in biology. Demography including births, migration, deaths, population size and structure, and population change may be useful in biology. Physical anthropology including human origins, racial variation, and human dispersion may be useful in studies of biology. Human ecology including the influence of earth on people, human relations with other life, and human influence on the environment will be useful. Human geography including European geography, Asian geography, African Geography, North American Geography, South American Geography, and Oceanic geography will be useful. Particular groups will all be significant. CultureMaterial culture including industrial technology, building technology, foodstuffs, clothing, transportation technology, communication technology, and other artifacts can be connected. It also depends on conceptual culture such as language, graphic arts, literature, mathematics, applied science, and philosophy. Behavioral culture including customs, occupations, recreation and entertainment, and cultural events can be connected. InstitutionsFamilies including marriage, parenting, kinship, and particular families seems to be indirectly connected to biology. Education including research, teaching, cultural institutions, educational organization, and particular schools is vital to the study of biology. Economics including economic activities, industries, and economic systems is also connected to biology. Government including law, government structure, government organization, and particular governments can be connected. Religion including religious belief, practice, and organization has an important influence on biology. Particular religions including Abrahamic religion, Asiatic religion, secularism, and pagan religions can be connected. SociologySocial structure and change including social structure and can be considered. Social types including hunting and gathering, horticultural, agrarian, and industrial societies can be connected. Social change including factors and processes of change and particular changes can be connected. Communities including Tokyo, Seoul, Mexico City, and New York City can be connected to biology. Peoples are also important to the development of biology. This can be examined from the point of view of particular nations such as Japan, Mexico, the Philippines, Vietnam, Germany, Egypt, and Ethiopia. Much of the organized study has come from Western civilization including Russia can be connected. Anglic peoples including those of the United States can be connected. Latin peoples including those of Brazil can be connected. Asiatic peoples such as those of Bangladesh have been important in the study of biology. South Asian peoples including those of India and Pakistan have been important. Oriental peoples including China have also been important. Southeast Asian peoples including those of Indonesia can also be connected. African peoples including those of Nigeria can be connected. American Indians including those of the United States and Brazil can possibly be connected. HistoryElements of the history of biology can be followed through antiquity including the 5th millennium BC, the 4th millennium BC, the 3rd millennium BC, the 2nd millennium BC, and the 1st millennium BC, and through classical and medieval times.
Most of the more interesting developments are modernAt the beginning in the 16th century, biology was still mostly natural history and dealt with organisms. There were some interesting developments in the 17th century, which laid the foundations of modern organism biology and expanded systematics.
These developments continued in the 18th century Developments in the 19th century were substantial. Development of the early 19th century, early mid 19th century, mid 19th century, late-mid 19th century, and late 19th century can be examined.
Developments in the 20th century are almost too numerous to mention, but include the development of molecular biology, details of cell biology, genetics, ecology, and better understanding of biological history. These developments continue in the early 20th century, early mid 20th century, mid 20th century, late-mid 20th century, and late 20th century. Current events are mentioned in the early 21st century, including the early 2000s and late 2000s during 2006 and 2007. 2008 including the first quarter, second quarter, third quarter with July, August, and September, and fourth quarter is connected. Its future including the near future, middle future, and far future is obscure. |
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