Biological and Related Sciences

You have probably taken some type of biology class while in school. Maybe you dissected a frog or examined the change in plants with different types of soil. If those types of classes appealed to you, you might be interested in studying biological sciences.

 

Biological sciences encompass all the divisions of natural sciences examining various aspects of vital processes. The concept includes anatomy, physiology, cell biology, biochemistry and biophysics, and covers all organisms from microorganisms, animals to plants.

 

Some of the courses included with biological sciences include: anatomy, biophysics, cell and molecular biology, computational biology, ecology and evolution, environmental biology, forensic biology, genetics, marine biology, microbiology, molecular biosciences, natural science, neurobiology, physiology, zoology and many others. You have so many options if you are considering a career in the sciences.

 

Biology

Biology examines the structure, function, growth, origin, evolution, and distribution of living things. It classifies and describes organisms, their functions, how species come into existence, and the interactions they have with each other and with the natural environment. Most biological sciences are specialized disciplines. Traditionally, the various disciplines are grouped by the type of organism being studied: botany, the study of plants; zoology, the study of animals; and microbiology, the study of microorganisms.

The core strands that unite all the various disciplines of biological and related science subjects are: the study and characterization of living organisms and the investigation of the science behind living things. This means most biology courses will have core modules in the first year focusing on subjects such as cell theory and molecular biology, evolution, physiology and adaptation, gene theory, and homeostasis.

 

Once you have established a basic understanding of biology, you can then specialize in a more specific field. Biology degrees are extensive, so as you might expect, careers for biology graduates are equally as wide-ranging. Careers you could pursue with a biology degree include: research scientist, pharmacologist, biologist, ecologist, nature conservation officer, forensic scientist, teacher, or science writer.

 

Biochemistry

Biochemistry is the application of chemistry to the study of biological processes at the cellular and molecular level. It emerged as a distinct discipline around the beginning of the 20th century when scientists combined chemistry, physiology, and biology to investigate the chemistry of living systems.

 

It is both a life science and a chemical science - it explores the chemistry of living organisms and the molecular basis for the changes occurring in living cells. It uses the methods of chemistry, physics, molecular biology, and immunology to study the structure and behavior of the complex molecules found in biological material and the ways these molecules interact to form cells, tissues, and whole organisms.

 

Biochemistry has become the foundation for understanding all biological processes. It has provided explanations for the causes of many diseases in humans, animals, and plants. It can frequently suggest ways by which such diseases may be treated or cured.

 

If the above descriptions sound interesting to you, you may want to become a biochemist. The knowledge and methods developed by biochemists are applied to in all fields of medicine, in agriculture and in many chemical and health-related industries. Biochemistry is also unique in providing teaching and research in both protein structure/function and genetic engineering, the two basic components of the rapidly expanding field of biotechnology.