What is Biology?
Biology deals with life and living organisms. An organism is a living and independently functioning being that consists of one or more cells. How are organisms structured and how do they develop? What is life? How is information inherited? How do humans influence nature? These are further questions that biology deals with.
The number of organisms on Earth is unknown and very difficult to determine. Scientists estimate that there could be about 10 to 14 million different species, but only about 1.5 to 2 million species have been described so far.
Biology describes and differentiates organisms based on characteristics such as structure, functions, development, origin, evolution, behavior, and distribution.
What is a biologist?
A biologist is someone who has studied biology at a university. Nowadays, there are bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees. To obtain these, one must attend university for three, five, or even eight years and pass various exams. The studies consist of lectures, where one learns a lot about biology and gains a lot of practical experience. From being outdoors identifying plants and species to laboratory work in microbiology or molecular biology, one applies what has been learned practically. Biology is the natural science that deals least with mathematical problems. What is special about biology is that it is very broad and encompasses many sub-disciplines, including:
• Zoology (study of animals)
• Botany (study of plants)
• Microbiology (microorganisms)
• Genetics (heredity)
• Ecology (interactions in nature)
• Evolutionary biology (origin and change of species)
Biology as a school subject / Biology as a profession
Biology is taught as a school subject from the 5th grade onwards. After school, there is the option to study biology, bioengineering, and other biological degree programs. In addition, there are many vocational training occupations related to biology. These include working in a biology laboratory, e.g., as a biology laboratory assistant or as a biological-technical assistant.