Biotechnology intervenes in the organisms to solve problems.
In contrast to molecular biology, biotechnology intervenes in organisms to solve problems, especially to the genes or DNA to produce favorable results. In particular, it exploits the biological processes for industrial and other important objectives, primarily the genetic utilization of microorganisms to produce antibiotics, hormones, etc.
Paleontology is the study of fossils.
Paleontology is the study of fossils. In other words, it is the scientific study of life that existed before, or sometimes, even during its lifetime. Furthermore, as early as the 5th century BC, paleontological observations have been documented already. Thus, the term itself comes from the Greek word, Palaios, which means “old” or “ancient”.
Paleontology, Geology and Biology
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Paleontology sits in between biology and geology.
Biology is the study of life, while geology is the study of solid features. And paleontology sits in between the border of biology and geology. Furthermore, geology also explains the structure of the earth’s surface and the processes that have shaped that structure. Above all, it determines the relative or exact ages of rocks that are found in a certain location, as well as their history.
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The term Biology came from Ancient Greek.
The term Biology came from the Ancient Greek word “Bíos” which means “Life”. Meanwhile, “Logía” means “branch of study” or “to speak”. Hence, “Biología” is the combined word of “Biology” which is used today. However, the complete word “Biología” or “βιολογία” can’t be found in Ancient Greek. Thus, the French and English adapted it accordingly.
Modern biology is relatively young.
Although modern biology just recently developed and became advanced, the “old science” has been using it since ancient times in different places such as ancient civilizations of Mesopotamia, Egypt, the Indian subcontinent, and ancient China.
Natural philosophy is one of the “origin” of modern science.
The ancient civilizations of ancient China, Mesopotamia, Egypt, and the Indian subcontinent studied what they call “natural philosophy”. In particular, natural philosophy is the philosophical study of nature to the universe (the study of general questions about reason, existence, knowledge, values, language, and mind). Hence, it is the main source of knowledge before modern science came into the picture.
Scholars of the medieval Islamic world specialized in studying medicine.
The Scholars of the medieval Islamic world (the period of cultural, economic, and scientific advancement in the history of Islam) specialized in studying medicine through the Greek philosopher traditions. Accordingly, Al-Jahiz, Al-Dīnawarī, and Rhazes are its famous Scholars.
The microscope played a fundamental role in biology.
The invention of the microscope became the game-changer of biology. Since the microscope can see objects that are too small to be seen by the naked eye, the discovery of bacteria, infusoria and spermatozoa were immediately exposed to scholars, scientists, and researchers.
Antonie van Leeuwenhoek is the “Father of Microbiology”.
Antonie van Leeuwenhoek, a Dutch businessman and scientist in the Golden Age of Dutch science and technology, is a self-taught man of science. Accordingly, Antonie van Leeuwenhoek is one of the pioneers in microscopy and contributed to the establishment of microbiology. He became the “Father of Microbiology” and was the first person to see a live cell using the microscope.
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Zacharias Janssen takes credit for the invention of the microscope.
Although there is no official inventor of the microscope, historians credited the invention to Zacharias Janssen. He is from Hague, Netherlands and aside from inventing the microscope, he is associated with the invention of the first optical telescope.
Carl Linnaeus published the basic taxonomy.
In the year 1735, Carl Linnaeus published the basic taxonomy for the natural world which helped many scholars. Accordingly, taxonomy is important because it categorizes organisms. It makes it easier to communicate biological information as well as classifying them. Moreover, Carl Linnaeus is not just an expert in taxology but also botany and zoology.
People who study biology are called biologists.
Some of the most famous biologists are Charles Darwin, Aristotle, Hippocrates, and Joseph Priestley.
Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution marked the start of the discussion on natural selection.
Charles Darwin is famous for his “Theory of Evolution”. As a biologist, Charles Darwin created the idea that “all species of life” came from a single source. Furthermore, Darwin’s theory of evolution marked the start of the discussion on natural selection. Charles Darwin is born in Shrewsbury, the United Kingdom on February 12, 1809.
Aristotle is considered to be the first biologist.
Aristotle was born in Stagira, Chalcide in Macedonia (known as northern Greece today) in 384 BC. He distinguished living things such as calling them animals, plants, etc and he classified them with blood, without blood, and the lists go on. Aristotle is considered to be the first biologist in the Western tradition.
Hippocrates is the “Father of Western Medicine”.
Born in Ancient Greece in 460 BC, Hippocrates became the “Father of Western Medicine”. Hippocrates is the first person to explain various diseases to natural causes rather than the logic of superstition that sickness is caused by gods. Furthermore, He described many diseases as well as their treatment after a detailed observation.
Joseph Priestley discovered oxygen.
Since biology refers to the study life, the discovery of oxygen is a vital part of it as well. Joseph Priestley discovered oxygen by experimenting with colorless gas by heating red mercuric oxide.
Joseph Priestley set up an experiment to test if plants can produce oxygen. When he put a burning candle in a closed container, all the oxygen in the container quickly extinguished the candle’s flame. He put the plant and relit the candle again, this time the flame continued burning. This showed that plants produce a gas that allows fuels to burn, and this gas is oxygen.
Not all bacterias are bad.
Different bacteria can make a person sick such as Salmonella, Escherichia Coli or E Coli, Shigella, etc. Although many bacteria can cause sickness, other bacteria have positive effects on the human body. For instance, some foods like yogurt have probiotics that may help prevent digestive problems. Thus, probiotics are often called “good” bacteria since they help the body system to stay healthy.
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The common cold is a type of virus.
The common cold is a type of virus or viral infectious disease of the upper respiratory tract. The virus affects the nose, sinus, and/or the throat that eventually leads to coughing, sore throat, runny nose, headache, and fever. Although rhinovirus is the most common virus, there are over 200 viruses that can cause a common cold.
Molds, yeasts, and mushrooms are types of fungus.
Molds, yeasts, as well as tasty mushrooms are types of fungus (a member of the group of eukaryotic organisms). Indeed, the mushrooms do not belong in the plant or animal kingdom but rather placed in the kingdom of their own.
There are 5 kingdom classifications.
In the year 1969, it was proposed that fungi should be in a separate kingdom as a part of a new five-kingdom system of classification. The 5 kingdoms are; Kingdom Animalia (animals), Kingdom Plantae (plants), Kingdom Fungi, Kingdom Protista (algae, amoebas, euglena, etc.), and Kingdom Monera (bacteria).
The foundation of biology starts with the cell.
The foundation of biology starts with the cell and the life within it. All of the living things have at least one cell or more. Moreover, cells are the central unit of structure in all organisms and also the basic unit of reproduction. Without it, the reproduction of life is impossible.
Bacteria are extremely small and are made up of just one cell.
In contrast to other organisms, bacteria are very simple because it is only made up of one cell. The cell inside the bacteria is extremely small and less complex compare to the other cell types out there.
The adult body has an average of 7,000 white blood cells.
Aside from the red blood cells of the human body, it also contains white blood cells. The white blood cell is way fewer compared to the red blood cells. In particular, the adult body has around 7,000 white blood cells on average. The white blood cells are very important to the body because are a part of the immune system which fights against infection.
There are six main types of white blood cells.
The six types of white blood cells are; neutrophils which make up 58% of our blood, monocytes, and lymphocytes that make up 4% of our blood each, bands make up 3% of our blood, eosinophils make up 2% of our blood, and finally, basophils make up 1% of our blood.
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The formation of white blood cells starts in the bone marrow.
Most white blood cells are developed in the bone marrow. The neutrophil, eosinophil, and basophil are classified as granulocytes that contain digestive enzymes.
