Lecture 1

BIOLOGY AND SOME MAJOR BRANCHES OF

BIOLOGY
Biology is the study of living things. It is a branch of science and like other sciences it is a way of
understanding nature. Biologists deal with the living part of nature and with the non-living things
which affect the living things in any way.
The meaning of biology is the study of life.
It is very difficult to define life. There are certain aspects of life that lie beyond the scope of the
science of biology like the answers to the questions: what is the meaning of life?
Life is a set of characteristics that distinguish living organisms from non-living objects
(including dead organisms).
Living organisms are highly organized, complex entities; are composed of one or more cells;
contain genetic program of their characteristics; can acquire and use energy; can carry out and
control numerous chemical reactions; can grow in size; maintain a fairly constant internal
environment; produce offspring similar to themselves; respond to changes in their environment.
The science of biology is a very wide based study. It includes every aspect of a living thing.
Biology is divided into quite a number of branches for our convenience of comprehending and
studying this life science.

Branches of Biology
Molecular Biology
Molecular biology is a branch of biology which deals with the structure of organisms, the cells and
their organelles at molecular level.
Environmental Biology
Environmental Biology is the study of organisms in relation to their environment. This includes
interaction between the organism and their inorganic and organic environment, especially as it
relates to human activities.
Microbiology
This is the study of microorganisms which include Bacteria, Viruses, Protozoa and microscopic
algae and fungi.
Freshwater Biology
This branch of biology deals with the organisms living in freshwater bodies i.e., rivers, lakes etc
and physical and chemical parameters of these water bodies.
Marine Biology
This is the study of life in seas and oceans. This includes the study of the marine life and the
physical and chemical characteristics of the sea acting as factors for marine life.
Parasitology
This is the branch of biology which deals with the study of parasites. The structure, mode of
transmission, life histories and host - parasite relationships are studied in parasitology.
Human Biology
It deals with the study of man. This includes form and structure, function, histology, anatomy,
morphology, evolution, genetics, cell biology and ecological studies etc. of human beings.
Social Biology
This is the branch of biology which deals with the study of social behaviour and communal life of
human beings.
Biotechnology
It deals with the use of living organisms, systems or processes in manufacturing and service
industries.
LEVELS OF BIOLOGICAL ORGANIZATION
Hundreds of chemical reactions are involved in maintaining life of even the simplest organism.
There are 92 naturally occurring chemical elements, of which only 16 are commonly used in
forming the chemical compounds from which living organisms are made. These 16 elements and
a few others which occur in a particular organism are called Bioelements.
In the human body only six bio-elements account for 99%of the total mass which include Oxygen
65%, carbon 18%, hydrogen 10%, nitrogen 3%, calcium 2%, and phosphorus 1%.
Biological organization is not simple. It has high degree of complexity because of which the living
organisms are able to carry out a number of processes (some very complicated) which distinguish
them from the non living things.
A living thing is, composed of highly structured living substance or protoplasm (cytoplasm +
nucleus).
Protoplasm is the living part of the cell, which comprises of different cellular organelles. It is
a jelly-like, colourless, transparent and viscous living substances present within the cell wall.
In order to understand the various phenomena of life, biologists study the biological organization
at different levels.
Biological organization can be divided into the following levels.
1. Sub atomic particles: Particles that make up an atom e.g electron, proton, neutron
2. Atom: The smallest unit of matter that retains the properties of element e.g oxygen,
hydrogen, nitrogen, carbon etc
3. Micro molecules & Macromolecules: A combination of atoms e.g DNA, glucose, and
water
4. Organelle: A structure within a cell that performs a specific function e.g nucleus,
chloroplast, mitochondria etc
5. Cell: The unit of life e.g nerve cells, skin cells, brain cells etc
6. Tissue: A group of similar cells that perform a specific function e.g nervous tissues
7. Organ: A structure normally composed of several tissue types that form a functional unit
e.g brain, stomach, liver, muscles etc
8. Organ system: Two or more organs working together in the execution of specific body
functions e.g Nervous system, digestive system, respiratory system etc.
9. Multicellular organisms: An individual living thing composed of many cells e.g Humans,
animals, and plants etc.
10. Species: Very similar, potentially interbreeding organisms.
11. Population: A population is a group of living organisms of the same species located in the
same place at the same time. Examples are the number of rats in a field of rice, the number
of students in your biology class, or human population in a city.
12. Community: Two or more populations of different species living and interacting in the
same area.
13. Ecosystem: A community together with its non-living surroundings.
14. Biosphere: The part of earth inhabited by living organisms; includes both the living and
non-living components.
Difference between Biosphere & Ecosystem

Ecosystem Biosphere
The ecosystem is an environment or a
geographical area consisting of living The biosphere is a zone where favorable
organisms interacting with each other and the conditions exist for life.
environment.
The biosphere includes the whole of Earth with
An ecosystem is limited to a specific area with
all of its ecosystem and living beings together
local communities of living organisms.
with the physical or nonliving components.
An ecosystem is a specific individual The biosphere is the total sum of all the
environment where life evolves and thrives. ecosystems that exist on our planet.
The ecosystem involves the combination and
The biosphere can be subdivided into the
interactions of all the components of the
lithosphere, atmosphere, and hydrosphere.
biosphere.
An ecosystem includes specific conditions
(climate, energy flow, nutrients flow, etc.) and The biosphere involves the general components
promotes the growth of life with particular (land, air, water) that simply allow life to exist.
traits to survive that environment.

Ecosystem vs Biosphere

An ecosystem is limited only to a local area and community of organisms. Take, for example, a
pond – it involves life but is limited to a specific location.

On the other hand, the biosphere extends globally and involves the global community of all
living things. The biosphere is simply the sum of all ecosystems on Earth.