Branches of Science

Three main branches:

• Physical Science
• Earth Science
• Life Science
 Life Science
• Also known as BIOLOGY, studies studies all aspects of
living things.
• Studies the behavior, history, and development of
living organisms.
• French journalist Jean-Baptiste Lamarck introduced
the term “biology” in the 1800s.
Subdivisions of Life Science:
• Botany – the study of plants
• Zoology – the study of animals
• Genetics – the study of the function and behavior of
genes
The life sciences may be subdivided
according to units of study:
• Molecule
• Cell
• Organism
• Population
The following divisions of life sciences
developed through the years:
1. Biomedicine – application of biological knowledge to
human health.
2. Cellular biology/cell biology – aims to understand
the properties, structure, activities, and functions of the
cell, from the simplest to the most complex organism.
The following divisions of life sciences
developed through the years:
3. Developmental biology – study of the growth and
development of organisms. It is the study of life processes.
Two ways of studying life processes:
1. metabolic pathways in a cell (in vivo)
2. isolated portions of the cell in a test tube and
simulating the normal environment of the cell (in vitro)
The following divisions of life sciences
developed through the years:
4. Ecology – study of populations of organisms in their
natural habitats.
5. Embryology – deals with the study of development of
the embryo.
6. Histology – the study of tissues.
The following divisions of life sciences
developed through the years:
7. Molecular biology – studies the molecular basis of
biological functions.
8. Physiology – deals with the functions and activities of
life and living matter.
 Physical Science
• Deals with matter and energy.
Subdivisions of Physical Science:
• Physics – the study of interaction between matter and
energy.
• Chemistry – the study of the composition of matter and
the changes it undergoes.
• Astronomy – the study of heavenly bodies.
 Earth Science/geoscience
• It is the study of Earth and its neighbors, used to be a
part of physical sciences. Now, it stands apart as Earth
faces more and more critical problems.
 Earth science is subdivided into specific
fields of study, some of which are:
• Geology – the study of history and the structure of Earth.
• Paleontology – the study of prehistoric life through fossil
remains.
• Oceanography – the study of the physical, chemical, and
biological aspects of the oceans, the ocean floor, mapping, and
measuring of the Earth’s surface under water.
Earth science is subdivided into specific
fields of study, some of which are:
• Meteorology – the study of the Earth’s weather and the
atmosphere.
• Petrology – the study of rocks.
 QUESTION:
WHAT IS THE THREE MAIN BRANCHES
OF SCIENCE?