Meaning of Biology and Its Different Fields

¶ … Biology?

The word biology means the study of life. It is a combination of "bio," which means "life," and "ology," which means "wisdom" or "science of." Thus, the term itself tells us what its meaning is: it is the science or study of life.

However, there are many fields in biology, which look at specific sectors or areas of "life." Because life on this planet is abounding and so complex, it is required that there be several fields of biological science. For instance, marine biology studies life in water (such as in oceans or lakes). Human biology studies the complexities of the human body. Cellular biology takes an even closer look at biological studies by closing in on the activities and structures of cells, which are just one part of life.

Advancements in biological knowledge have taken place over many centuries throughout the history of the world. In fact, all sciences owe a debt of gratitude to ancient civilizations and peoples of the past who have helped to advance the scientific progress. The Editorial Board (2012) of Biology, 1st Edition, states that "during the Middle Ages, the Church saw science as a threat to religious thought. Those who pursued scientific exploration were often severely punished" (p. 4) -- but this assertion is simply not historically accurate. In actuality, the West owes a great deal of gratitude to the religious orders of the Middle Ages who helped to preserve the scientific thought of the ancient Greeks and Romans and who helped to develop new scientific avenues, such as in fields of agriculture, theology, philosophy, music, architecture, and medicine. The scientific process in those days was conducted with respect to the religious beliefs of the time, which is not to say that this respect retarded the scientific process. As Woods (2005) notes, "the cathedral school of Chartes, an institution of learning that came into its full maturity in the twelfth century, represents an important chapter in Western intellectual history and in the history of Western science" (p. 85). Likewise, this school had as its foundation the "pervasive and deep-seated spirit of inquiry that was a natural consequence of the emphasis on reason that began in the Middle Ages" (Woods, 2005, p. 66). Thus, while modern scientific processes grew out of the Scientific Revolution, which followed the Renaissance and the clash between Galileo and the Church, it is inaccurate to suggest that the Middle Ages or the Age of Faith was opposed to scientific processes. For instance, Thomas Aquinas used the scientific process of deductive reasoning to show how the Faith and reason were reconcilable in the Summa. The Chartes School used empirical analysis and tested hypotheses in geometry and astronomy. There method of experimentation in the scientific process predated the modern Scientific method by several centuries. Essentially, the scientific process -- the act of inquiry in which one posits a theory based on objective awareness and then tests that theory by gathering empirical data via experimentation -- was well practiced throughout the Middle Ages. It is still practiced today by biologists in all cultures thanks to the foundations laid in the Age of Faith.