Definition of Biology

• Biology is a branch of science that deals with living things
• The word biology comes from the Greek words bios meaning life, and logos meaning knowledge or study
• Plants have cells which contain chloroplasts to make food using sunlight.
• Living organisms can be classified into three main groups - plants, animals and microorganisms (bacteria).
• Cells are the basic building blocks of all living things.
• A cell is the smallest unit of an organism that can carry out the essential functions of life.
• Fungi are eukaryotes that absorb nutrients through their cell walls. Fungi include mushrooms, yeasts, moulds and mildews.
• There are two types of cells: prokaryotic and eukaryotic.
• Prokaryotes are single-celled organisms without nuclei.
• Prokaryotic cells do not have membrane-bound nucleus or other membrane-bound organelles.
• Eukaryotic cells have membrane-bound nucleus and other membrane-bound organelles.
• The four kingdoms of eukaryotes are protists, fungi, plantae, and animalia.
• Plantae is the kingdom of plants.
• Animalia is the kingdom of animals.
• Plants are multicellular organisms with chlorophyll to make food from sunlight.
• Bacteria are unicellular microorganisms with no true nucleus but contain DNA in the cytoplasm.
• Fungi is the kingdom of fungi.
• Protoctista is the kingdom of protozoa and algae.
• Eucarya includes all multicellular life forms including humans.
• Protists are single celled organisms that can be autotrophic or heterotrophic.
• Microbiology is study of microorganisms
• Botany is study of plants
• zoology is study of animals
• taxonomy- study of naming and classifying organisms
• Cytology- Study of structures and functions of cells
• embryology- study of formation and development of embryo and its organs
• Anatomy- the study of the structure of the body and parts of organisms.
• Physiology- the study of the functions of the body and its parts.
• Biochemistry- study of biochemical compositions and processed of living things
• Genetics - the study of heredity and variation in populations.
• Evolution- the study o origin and differentation of various organisms
• Ecology- study of relationships of organisms with each other and their environment