Chapter 1: Introduction to Biology
• The word “Biology” comes from Greek words, ‘Bios’ meaning ‘Life’ and ‘Logos’ meaning ‘Knowledge’.
• The word “Biology” comes from Greek words, ‘Bios’ meaning ‘Life’ and ‘Logos’ meaning ‘Knowledge’.
• Biology is the study of every aspect of life at a every level of its organization
• Biology is the scientific study of life
Importance of Biology.
• Biology has enabled us to understand heredity and the inheritance of genetic abnormalities that cause deases.
• Many people use biology in their leisure activities, for example, gardening, fishing and cooking.
• Biology teaching us to empathize with living things and this generates awareness of ourselves as biological organisms.
• The fields of study in biology can also be classified according to their scope as follows:
1. Structure and Function
Anatomy, Biochemistry, Cytology, Histology, morphology, physiology
2. Major groupings of organisms
Bacteriology, Botany, Entomology, ichthyology, microbiology, Mycology, Ornithology, Taxonomy, Virology
3. Development of organisms
Embryology, Evolutionary Biology, Genetic, Developmental Biology
4. Organisms and their environment
Ecology, Ethnology, Bio-geography
5. Applied Biology
Agriculture, Biotechnology, fisheries, Forestry, Medicine, veterinary medicine, density
The Scientific Method
• The scientific method involves a series of ordered steps:
a) Make an observation
b) State the problem
c) Form of hypothesis
d) Identify the variables
e) Design and perform an experiment
f) Record and analyze data
g) State the conclusion
