Introduction to Biology and Scientific Method

Vocabulary-style flashcards covering the definition of biology, its various branches, the steps of the scientific method, and scientific theories and laws.

Biology

The study of structures and functions of animals and plants and their interrelationship with the environment, or the study of living things and how they interact with each other and the non-living components around them.

Botany

The study of plants.

Zoology

The study of animals.

Anatomy

The study of internal features of living organisms (plants and animals).

Morphology

The study of the external features of living organisms (plants and animals).

Ecology

The study of the interaction between living organisms and their surrounding environment.

Genetics

The study of heredity and variation or DNA.

Physiology

The study of how living organisms function.

Palaeontology

The study of fossilized remains and relating them to modern species.

Cytology/Cellular Biology/Cell Biology

The studies of structures and functions of cells.

Bacteriology

The study of bacteria.

Embryology

The study of the development of embryos.

Parasitology

The study of parasites.

Entomology

The study of insects.

Marine biology

The branch of biology responsible for studying all the creatures that live within the marine or water environment.

Taxonomy

The field of Biology that organizes or classifies organisms.

Histology

The study of the microscopic anatomy of cells and tissues of plants and animals.

Microbiology

The study of microscopic organisms with the aid of microscopes or lens or the study of microbes.

Biochemistry

The study of the chemical reactions that take place in an organism.

Anthropology

The scientific study of the origins of humans, how they have changed over the years, and how they relate to each other within their own and other cultures.

Molecular Biology

The study of the structure and functions of molecules found in living things, such as the studies of DNA.

Virology

The study of viruses.

Biotechnology

The use of living organisms to make or change products to improve human life.

Scientific Method

A process involving seven steps: 1. Identification of problem, 2. Formulation of hypothesis, 3. Collection of data, 4. Experimentation, 5. Observation, 6. Analysis of data, and 7. Drawing conclusion.

Scientific theory

A hypothesis or series of hypothesis that have been tested many times and shown to be correct and accepted widely.

Scientific law

A statement based on repeated experiments or observations that describe or predict a range of natural phenomena.