Biology is the science of life in its most diverse manifestations. The functioning of unicellular organisms, the behavior of males and females during the mating season, the patterns of inheritance of characters - this and much more is in the sphere of science. The subject of biology is all these manifestations of life. Its methods are aimed at searching for patterns in the structure, functioning of organisms, and their interaction with the environment. In fact, they study those properties that distinguish living matter from nonliving.
Divisions
Biology is a combination of several sciences, the focus of which is on different objects:
- zoology;
- botany;
- microbiology;
- virology.
Each of them, in turn, can be divided into several smaller ones. For example, in zoology, ichthyology (studies fish), ornithology (studies birds), algology (studies algae) coexist.
Classification Option
Another principle of dividing biology into components is the properties and levels of organization of living matter. According to him, they distinguish:
- molecular biology;
- biochemistry;
- cytology;
- genetics;
- developmental biology;
- anatomy and physiology of various organisms;
- ecology (often considered today as a separate science);
- embryology;
- theory of evolution.
Thus, the subject of biology remains unchanged - this is life itself. Its various manifestations are studied by individual disciplines. There is also general biology. Her focus is on the properties of living matter that distinguish it from nonliving matter, as well as its ordered hierarchical structure and the relationship of individual systems to each other and the environment.
Experience and Theory
Methods of studying biology are generally similar to methods of cognition in other scientific disciplines. They are divided into empirical (practical, experimental) and theoretical. Practical methods of studying biology reveal various parameters, properties and features of living systems. Then theories are developed on their basis. This process is cyclical, since empirical methods of studying biology are most often used on the basis of existing conclusions. Theories, in turn, always require additional experimental tests.
Primary Information Collection
One of the main empirical methods is observation. It is a study of the external features of an object and its changes in a natural environment for some time.
Any study of a living system begins with observing it. The history of the study of biology perfectly illustrates this statement. In the early stages of the development of science, researchers could use only this empirical method. Today, observation has not lost its relevance. It, like other methods of studying biology, uses numerous technologies. For observation, binoculars, various cameras (night vision, deep-sea and so on), a variety of laboratory equipment, such as a microscope, biochemical analyzer and others, are used.
According to whether equipment is used in the process, observation can be divided into two types:
- Direct . It is aimed at studying the behavior and characteristics of various organisms.
- Instrumental . Using various equipment, a study is made of the characteristics of tissues, organs, cells, an analysis of the chemical composition and metabolism.
Experiment
As you know, not all phenomena and processes associated with living systems can be observed directly in their natural environment. In addition, an understanding of certain laws requires certain conditions that are more convenient to create artificially than wait for their appearance in nature. A similar approach in biology is called the experimental method. It involves the study of an object in extreme conditions. The study of the body during the influence of high or low temperatures, high pressure or excessive load when placed in an unusual environment helps to identify the limits of its endurance, to discover hidden properties and capabilities. With the improvement of technology, the potential of experimental methods increases. Data obtained in this way is becoming more accurate. The conditions created during the experiment can be varied almost to infinity.
One of the main applications of the experiment is the verification of previously hypothesized hypotheses. The data obtained on the basis of experience allow us to correct the theory under consideration, confirm it, or lay the foundation for a new one. Experimental methods for studying biology, examples of which can be found in large numbers on the pages of textbooks, contribute to a deeper penetration of scientists into the secrets of living matter. It is thanks to them that modern science has achieved such progress.
Comparison
The historical method reveals the evolutionary transformations of communities and species. It is also called comparative. The chemical and anatomical structure, the features of functioning, the hereditary material of organisms of different levels are analyzed. As objects of the comparative method are used not only living organisms now, but also already extinct.
This technique became the main source of data for Charles Darwin during the period of his formulation of the theory of evolution.
What I see is recording
Closely related to observation is the descriptive method. It consists in fixing the noticed properties, signs and features of objects with their subsequent analysis. The description method is considered the oldest in biology: initially, at the dawn of the formation of science, it was with its help that various patterns in nature were discovered. The recorded data is carefully analyzed, divided into important and non-essential in the framework of a specific theory. The described features can be compared, combined, classified. Only on the basis of this method in biology were new classes and species discovered.
No math anywhere
All information collected on the basis of the described techniques requires further conversion. Biology actively uses the mathematical apparatus for this. The data obtained are converted into numbers, on the basis of which certain statistics are built. In biology, it is impossible to unequivocally predict a particular phenomenon. That is why, after analyzing the information, a statistical pattern is revealed. Based on these data, a mathematical model is constructed that allows us to predict some changes within the studied living system.
Such processing allows you to structure the information received. Based on the created models, it is possible to predict the state of the system after almost any period of time. Thanks to the use of a rather impressive mathematical apparatus, biology is increasingly turning into an exact science.
Synthesis
Along with the penetration into the biology of the ideas of cybernetics (they are the basis of modeling), a systematic approach is being actively used in it . Both of these trends influence biology research methods. The structure diagram of living structures is presented in the form of a hierarchy of systems of different levels. Each higher level - these are elements interconnected on the basis of certain laws, which are also systems, but at a lower level.
This approach is typical for a large number of disciplines. Its penetration into biology testifies to the transition in science as a whole from analysis to synthesis. The period of in-depth study of the internal structures of individual elements gives way to the time of integration. The synthesis of all data obtained in biology, and often in related sciences, will lead to a new understanding of the interconnections of natural systems. An example of concepts built on the basis of integration can be the theory of neuro-humoral regulation, the synthetic theory of evolution, modern immunology and systematics. The appearance of each of them was preceded by the accumulation of a large amount of information about individual structural units, signs and characteristics. At the next stage, the data collected allowed us to identify patterns and create generalizing concepts.
Trend
Synthetic methods for the study of biology indicate a transition from empirical knowledge to theoretical. The initial accumulation of facts and data allows us to put forward some hypotheses. Then, in most cases, they are tested using experimental methods. Confirmed hypotheses are translated into the rank of laws and form the basis of theories. The concepts formulated in this way are not something absolute. There is always a chance that new information will require a reconsideration of established views.
All types of biology studies are aimed at understanding the properties and characteristics of life. However, one method cannot be distinguished as the main one. The modern level of knowledge was achieved only through the simultaneous use of all of the above methods of cognition of the world. In addition, biology does not distinguish methods of studying a person from methods of collecting and analyzing data on any other organism. This shows their versatility. For each level of the hierarchical organization of living systems, the same methods of study are used, but in different combinations. The transition to the use of cybernetic and systemic techniques indicates integration not only within biology, but throughout science as a whole. The synthesis of knowledge of different disciplines contributes to a deeper understanding of the basic laws of the world in which we live.