why biology essay

why biology essay

The Fascinating World of Biology: Exploring the Wonders of Life

1. Introduction to Biology: The Study of Life

All living organisms have certain characteristics that distinguish them from the world of non-living matter. Living individuals consume energy, exchange molecules and gases, sense and respond to changes in their environment, communicate with one another, and are capable of creating offspring. All organisms on Earth can be identified as part of one of three domains: Bacteria, Archaea, or Eukarya – the latter of which includes animals, plants, fungi, and protists. Each of these domains has its own complement of unique types of cells, as well as shared features characteristic of cells in general. The full complement of genetic material required for a given organism is known as its genome. Those charged with studying genes, determining how they work, and relating what they do to what is observed phenotype of an organism are known as geneticists. Genes promise to be a popular area of biology research in the 21st century, as their manipulation can be applied in the development of new remote-sensing technologies, herbicides, livestock, and pharmaceuticals, as well as in cancer treatments and personalized medicine.

Biology, the science of life, is a fascinating area of study. Biologists constantly find new living things and explore new ways of learning about how organisms work at the cellular and molecular levels. Biology is relevant to everyday life: it explains the scientific reasons behind the daily activities and diversity we observe in human life as well as many diseases that we encounter. Out of all the branches of science, biology is a great option as a college major. Nevertheless, no matter how many advanced degrees one holds, no one could possibly learn everything there is to know about living things – there’s just too much to explore! The scientific method is central to how humans learn about the potential underlying the living system. It is used to pose questions and test tentative explanations, generating results that can be independently validated.

2. The Building Blocks of Life: Cells and Molecules

How did we learn about these molecules? The study of living things at the molecular level is called biochemistry. Biochemists have developed many experimental techniques to isolate, study, and manipulate the molecules inside cells. They have discovered a great deal about the composition, structure, and function of nucleic acids, proteins, and other molecules of life. Scientists have also used the results of biochemistry to develop new medications, foods, and other products that have improved the quality of human life. These projects have only scratched the surface of this vast field of research. However, even a brief tour can give an appreciation of the fascinating things inside the chemical machines that support life.

All living organisms on Earth have many things in common. At the most basic level, all life forms are made of cells. Hundreds of years ago, scientists discovered that cells have specialized parts inside them called organelles. Inside the organelles, there are certain types of molecules that carry out the functions of life. Just as a house is composed of many parts, cells are composed of many macromolecules, also known as biomolecules. There are several types of macromolecules. One type, the nucleic acids, plays a central role in life processes. Nucleic acids are molecules that work together to carry out the storage, transmission, and use of genetic information. Another type, proteins, is characterized by the functions they perform. Lipids, sugars, and polysaccharides have structural roles in cells and are also sources of energy.

3. The Diversity of Life: From Microbes to Mammals

The field of microbiology encompasses the study of all living microorganisms—most of them too small to be seen with the unaided eye. Under the general heading of microorganisms are bacteria, yeasts, molds, algae, and protozoa. In this chapter, we’ll briefly consider each of these in turn. But keep one thing in mind as you read and study this chapter: not all bacteria are germs. While some kinds of bacteria can be dangerous when living in the human or animal body, other types are important in nature’s cycles. The many functions of bacteria are as vital to the health of living things as any other part of the living world. For example, the nitrogen cycle in nature’s cycles would be broken if the nitrogen-fixing bacteria that live in the roots of annual plants were lost from nature’s scheme of things. All plants need nitrogen to entwine the living spiral of life. Without these tiny nitrogen-fixing bacteria, people could not have them either. The bacteria in our digestive tracts enable us to break down and assimilate our food, while bacteria that play significant roles in other living processes include photosynthetic bacteria that produce free oxygen, nitrifying bacteria that convert nitrogen compounds into nitrates, and methanogenic bacteria that produce methane. It is because so many bacteria have very specific requirements that they are classified as special microorganisms.

Put your nose near the ground and look closely at the soil beneath your feet, and you will see hundreds of slender, threadlike worms. Microscopic examination of a drop of water from a nearby pond will reveal hundreds of different kinds of single-celled creatures. The chemical composition of these water-loving microbes—all that is left of the small pools of moisture from which other life forms have long since fled—are as different as those of any animal or plant. These creatures are part of the invisible other-world that is the study of microbiology, a field of biology involving the study of all these tiny living things called microorganisms. Without some knowledge of the world of microorganisms, we would not have such a complete understanding of biology. All living creatures would be hidden from our view. This knowledge is essential, not only to a thorough understanding of science and nature but also to your outlook and approach to life itself. In this chapter, we’ll begin by examining the various types of microscopic creatures that inhabit the world of microbiology and, in turn, how they are studied.

4. Evolutionary Biology: Understanding the Origins of Species

Biologists call the multiplicity of forms and relatedness of living things biodiversity. In number, biodiversity has been estimated at 10 to 30 million species, 1.4 million of which are presently known. This dazzling display of diversity comes in all shapes and forms, from the minute class of mites, a dozen of which could occupy a pinpoint, to the staggering size of a blue whale, which encompasses more than four million such pinpoints. The problem of evolution is the problem of biodiversity—linear time shapes the beauty of nature, and defining the pattern of this transformation provides the grand question of biological science. To study evolution, we study the origin of species. In so doing, we explore the shared ancestry of life, and ultimately, our ability to be human, offering a perspective that is emotive and informing, humbling and enriching.

Evolution, from the Latin word meaning “unrolling like a scroll,” has in recent decades come to stand for the grand underlying theory of biology, and as such, it seems to us as obvious and sure as our five senses. We take for granted the fact that the Earth is ancient and has transformed over time tectonically, climatically, and biologically. From living flora and fauna, we readily associate closely related species with similar forms, and expect that more distantly related species will show increasing levels of dissimilarity in structure and function. These simple observations are explained by evolution: modern living forms share common ancestors in the past, and have diverged through time to produce the branches of a grand “tree of life.” The biological world is thus explicable in terms of kinship, shares a common history, and is remarkably orderly.

5. The Impact of Biology on Society: From Medicine to Conservation

Popular interest in biology is stimulated by the work of scientists who help to reveal new worlds of biology. The thoughts and writings of these and other millennia have produced the evolutionary and ecological insights that have made us aware of our ties to all other living organisms. New data are revealing the amazing behavioral capabilities of organisms from simple bacteria to great apes. The insights of astronomers, chemists, physicists, and mathematicians into the basis of life have led to biologists exploring cells and molecules to understand the life process. The interface of biology with medicine and public affairs is literally close to home. Three major areas of interest bringing biology and society together are explained: health, the environment, and conservation of populations and ecosystems. All three provide the fundamental background necessary for effective participation in our society.