Introduction

• Have you ever wondered why biology is taught in school / university?

• Can you answer how tall and gigantic palm tree just came out from a small
seed without knowing the concept of biology?
• No right?

• So why do we need to learn biology and what is the nature and scope of
biology?
• How does it help us in understanding the living world around us?

• Let us dig deep into the world and scope of biology

So we will learn about …
• what biology is
• why it is important for us to learn it
• how it can be used for the welfare of society
• how it is misused
 What is biology and biological
science scope?

Biology is a branch of science that deals with the study of living organisms
(plants, animals, and microorganisms), their biological processes and functions
and how they are important for the environment.

It can also be defined as the study of all living organisms and their
interactions with the environment.
 History of biology (part 1)
The study of biology is dated back to the 4th and 5th century when Greek
philosophers were the pioneers to start studying things that have life. Hence the word
‘biology’ came from Greek. The first person who was curious about human intelligence
and came to beknown as the pioneer of the study of anatomy was alcmaeon from
crotona in the 5th century. He was the first person who had started dissection, and later,
many other people started to gain interest in the topic of living creatures. Until then,
everyone thought that life and death, disease and health, poverty and wealth,
everything is given by divine power
 History of biology (part 2)
Later, many attempts were made to find out the actual theory of life. After
alcmaeon, several other famous philosophers had shown keen interest in studying
living beings. Aristotle was one of these pioneers. Later, his favourite student
Theophrastus (known as the father of botany) had done a detailed study on plants and
their classification.

In the 14th century, leaonardo da vinci and Harvey gave the theory of the circulation
of blood. In the 16th century, science flourished, and many important inventions were
made like the microscope by leeuwenhoek and the complete and detailed classification
of plants by Linnaeus and many more. This is how the study of living creatures
originated
 History of biology (part 2)
Later, many attempts were made to find out the actual theory of life. After
alcmaeon, several other famous philosophers had shown keen interest in studying
living beings. Aristotle was one of these pioneers. Later, his favourite student
Theophrastus (known as the father of botany) had done a detailed study on plants and
their classification.

In the 14th century, leaonardo da vinci and Harvey gave the theory of the circulation
of blood. In the 16th century, science flourished, and many important inventions were
made like the microscope by leeuwenhoek and the complete and detailed classification
of plants by Linnaeus and many more. This is how the study of living creatures
originated
Originated
of the term
biology The word biology has come from
the Greek word ‘bios’ meaning life and
‘logos’ means to study. All the quests of
life can be resolved by this vast branch of
science.
Originated
of the term
biology The word biology has come from
the Greek word ‘bios’ meaning life and
‘logos’ means to study. All the quests of
life can be resolved by this vast branch of
science.
 Branches of
biology
(3 main parts) 1. Botany – study of plants
2. Zoology – study of animals
3. Microbiology – study of unicellular and
microscopic organisms
 Branches of 1. The main group of living things: study
of particular organisms; bacteriology,
biology virology, zoology
2. Living things and their environment:
(5 main parts) study of organisms and their habitats;
ecology, environment science
3. Structure & function: physiology,
histology
4. Applied biology: biotechnology
5. Changes and development: embryology,
evolution and genetics
 Branches of
biology
(many more) Some other branches include
biochemistry, biophysics,
bioinformatics, cell biology,
immunology, molecular biology,
pathology, radiobiology, taxonomy,
biostat, etc
Biochemistry: it is the study of chemical
reactions, chemical composition, structural
orientation, acid and base equilibrium and
everything related to chemistry in living
organisms
Biochemistry: it is the study of chemical
reactions, chemical composition, structural
orientation, acid and base equilibrium and
everything related to chemistry in living
organisms
Biophysics: it is the study of mechanics
like force, pressure, or any other physical
factors that concern living beings
Biochemistry: it is the study of chemical
reactions, chemical composition, structural
orientation, acid and base equilibrium and
everything related to chemistry in living
organisms
Biophysics: it is the study of mechanics
like force, pressure, or any other physical
factors that concern living beings

Bioinformatics: it is an interdisciplinary
subject that combines biology with
computer science that is a compilation of
data related to biomolecules, the human
genome and other macromolecules in
software.
The practical application
of the scope of biology
in different fields . . .
.
Molecular biology – there is a wide range of employment opportunities in
research labs set by the government of india in the research and development of
numerous private drug companies. They work towards the development of drugs,
stem cell research and several domains within the field of medical development
..
Agriculture - it gives important useful information about fertilizers, pesticides
and insecticides that must be used. It has great application in the development of
disease-resistant varieties, better production of crops in terms of quality and quantity.
A major aspect of agriculture such as the maintenance of field and soil and nutrients
requirements of various species of plants are also studies under biology.
...
Industries - the majority of industries use plant and animal products as their raw
material. So basically, it is the study of plants and animals that helps in running an
industry. Major industries include dairy, food, leather, textile, paper, jute
....
Medicine - it can be considered a boon to medicine. Be it a simple disease or
contagious disease. Drugs need to be there to cure it. It can be in the form of vaccines
or steroids or drugs. For example: the current pandemic situation is being cured by a
detailed study of the virus and by creating effective vaccines
.....
Conservation of the biosphere - conserving our ecosystem is an important aspect of the
present scenario. It has become very important to maintain stability in the
environment. The study of biology helps in preventing the extinction of flora and fauna
by conserving the biological hotspots and other endemic places with help of
constructing botanical gardens, zoological parks, sanctuaries.
......
Genetic engineering: it is an advanced study that has gotten its fame recently. Right
now, it is the most flourished scope of biology where recombinant DNA technology,
somatic hybridisation, cloning, tissue culture is getting advanced everyday
.......
Art and aesthetics: in the form of museum, art galleries, planetariums, exhibitions. The
study of biology has never failed to prove its importance. Apart from these, there is a
vast scope in sectors like biochemistry, biophysics, animal husbandary. New
technologies keep developing in every field and require biology as their primary
source of knowledge
........
Anthropology: it includes learning about the history of human lives through
archaelogy to understand the biological and psychological characteristics of humans
and also their evolution through different areas.
 “The fascinating aspect of biology is
that it is not only the study that unveils
mysterious secrets of the world, but it
is also a field of education and
employment”
• The study of human health and diseases is the most
important criterion for humans, wholly dependent on
biology
• The strategies that related to the enhancement of food are
the second most important criterion
• The study of microorganisms under this subject plays a
crucial role in decomposition, biogeochemical cycles,
pharmaceutical needs
• It is applied in several essential industrial processes like
Scope of
the production of enzymes, antibiotics, and several other
by-products biology
• To understand the interdependence of biotic and abiotic
factors of the environment and use this knowledge to in human
maintain a balance between bot
welfare
• Advance technology in fields like biotechnology and
genetics is leading to the creation of many deadly
pathogens or bioweapons like antibiotic-resistant
microbes that cause deadly diseases
• Amniocentesis is a technique to diagnose abnormalities of
the fetus in an early stage of pregnancy. It is misused to
know the gender and abort it if it is a female child
Misuse
of
biology
• A student studying biology can work in various fields as a
doctor, nurse or pharmacist, as a lecturer, a scientist or a
research scholar
• A biologist can work in the food, dairy, and leather
industries, in biotechnological labs, airports, as a food
quality manager and a lot more
• Almost all the fields hire biology graduates as basic
knowledge of the subject is one of the primary
requirements in any field

Career
opportunities