Branches of biology: There are following branches of biology. Morphology: It deals with the study of form and structures of living organisms. Subfields of morphology includes external morphology in which we study external form and structures of living organisms. Internal morphology examines the internal structure and organization of organisms. Comparative morphology compare the morphology of different species. Developmental morphology studies the development and growth of organisms. Functional morphology analyzes the relationship between structure and function. Anatomy: This branch deals with the study of internal structures of living organisms. Histology: The microscopic study of tissues of living organisms is called histology. Application of histology includes biomedical research, disease diagnosis, forensic pathology, veterinary medicine and plant breeding and genetics. Its key concepts are tissue architecture, histogenesis(tissue development) and histopathology(tissue abnormalities). Cell biology: The study of structures and functions of cells and cell organelles is called cell biology. It also deals with the study of cell division. Its key concepts are cell membrane and transport, cytoskeleton and cell shape, organelles and cellular compartments, cell cycle and division and cellular differentiation and specialization. Techniques used in cell biology are microscopy, cell culture, immunocytochemistry, flow cytometry and PCR. Applications are cancer research, stem cell therapy, regenerative medicine, infectious disease treatment and gene therapy. Physiology: This branch deals with the study of the functions of different parts of living organisms. Physiological systems are nervous system, circulatory system, respiratory system, digestive system, endocrine system, immune system and muscular system. Its key concepts are homeostasis, regulation and control system, energy production and metabolism, transport mechanism and signaling pathways. Genetics: It deals with the study of genes and their role in inheritance. Inheritance means the transmission of characters from one generation to the other. Subfields of genetics are molecular genetics, classical genetics, population genetics, quantitative genetics and epigenetics. Its key concepts are DNA structure and replication, gene expression and regulation, mutation and genetic variation, inheritance patterns and genetic drift and natural selection. Embryology: It is the study of the development of an embryo to new individual. Its key concepts are fertilization and zygote formation, cleavage and blastulation, gastrulation and organogenesis, morphogenesis and patterning and differentiation and growth. Embryonic developmental stages includes morula, blastocyst, implantation, gastrulation, organogenesis and fetal development. Taxonomy: It deals with the study of naming and classification of organisms into groups and subgroups. Paleontology: It is the study of fossils. Fossils are the remains of extinct organisms. Key concepts of paleontology are fossilization process, geological time scale, evolutionary theory, biogeography and paleoclimatology. Applications are oil and gas exploration, coal mining, environmental monitoring, climate change research and evolutionary biology. Environmental biology: It deals with the study of interactions between organisms and their environment. Applications are conservation and management of ecosystems, environmental impact assessments, sustainable development, ecological restoration and environmental policy and regulation. Social biology: This branch deals with the study of social behaviour and communal life of human beings. Parasitology: It deals with the study of parasites. Parasites are organisms that take food and shelter from living organisms and in return harm them. Biotechnology: It deals with the use of living organisms, systems or processes in manufacturing and service industries. Applications of biotechnology are vaccine development, gene therapy, cancer treatment, regenerative medicine, biofuels and renewable energy, bioremediation and population control, food production and processing and forensic analysis and DNA profiling. Its products are insulin and other hormones, monoclonal antibodies, vaccines, gene therapies, biofuels and bioplastics and biodegradable materials. Immunology: It is the study of immune system of animals, which defends the body against invading microbes. Subfields of immunology are clinical immunology, cellular immunology, molecular immunology, immunogenetics and cancer immunology. Entomology: It deals with the study of insects including their behavior, ecology, evolution, classification and management. In this field we study insect orders, insect structure, insect development and insect behavior. Pharmacology: It is the study of drugs and their effects on the systems of human body.
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