biology
Other forms: biologies
Biology is the study of life and living organisms, from one-celled creatures to the most complex living organism of all — the human being. Biology includes the study of genes and cells that give living things their special characteristics.
You may know that the ology suffix means "the study of," and the addition of the Greek bios, meaning "life," gives us the meaning of biology. According to Nobel Laureate Walter Gilbert, "Biology will relate every human gene to the genes of other animals and bacteria, to this great chain of being." Sometimes science isn't as pretty as that sounds (as you know if you've cut open worms or frogs in biology class).
Definitions of biology
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the science that studies living organismssynonyms: biological sciencetypes:biogeographythe study of the geographical distribution of animals and plantscryobiologythe branch of biology that studies the effects of low temperatures on living tissues or organs or organismscytologythe branch of biology that studies the structure and function of cellsbionomics, ecology, environmental sciencethe branch of biology concerned with the relations between organisms and their environmentembryologythe branch of biology that studies the formation and early development of living organismsastrobiology, exobiology, space biologythe branch of biology concerned with the effects of outer space on living organisms and the search for extraterrestrial lifeforestrythe science of planting and caring for forests and the management of growing timbermicrobiologythe branch of biology that studies microorganisms and their effects on humansmolecular biologythe branch of biology that studies the structure and activity of macromolecules essential to life (and especially with their genetic role)morphologythe branch of biology that deals with the structure of animals and plantsneurobiologythe branch of biology that deals with the anatomy and physiology and pathology of the nervous systempalaeobiology, paleobiologya branch of paleontology that deals with the origin and growth and structure of fossil animals and plants as living organismsphysiologythe branch of the biological sciences dealing with the functioning of organismsradiobiologythe branch of biology that studies the effects of radiation on living organismssociobiologythe branch of biology that conducts comparative studies of the social organization of animals (including human beings) with regard to its evolutionary historyundercuta notch cut in the trunk of tree in order to determine the direction of its fallmycologythe branch of botany that studies fungi and fungus-caused diseasespomologythe branch of botany that studies and cultivates fruitscryonicsthe freezing of a seriously ill or recently deceased person to stop tissues from decomposing; the body is preserved until new medical cures are developed that might bring the person back to lifecytogeneticsthe branch of biology that studies the cellular aspects of heredity (especially the chromosomes)silviculturethe branch of forestry dealing with the development and care of forestsethologythe branch of zoology that studies the behavior of animals in their natural habitatsherpetologythe branch of zoology concerned with reptiles and amphibiansichthyologythe branch of zoology that studies fishesmalacologythe branch of zoology that studies the structure and behavior of mollusksmammalogythe branch of zoology that studies mammalsoologythe branch of zoology that studies eggs (especially birds' eggs and their size, shape, coloration, and number)ornithologythe branch of zoology that studies birdsprotozoologythe branch of zoology that studies protozoanspteridologythe branch of botany that studies fernsgenomicsthe branch of genetics that studies organisms in terms of their genomes (their full DNA sequences)proteomicsthe branch of genetics that studies the full set of proteins encoded by a genomemolecular geneticsthe branch of genetics concerned with the structure and activity of genetic material at the molecular levelpharmacogeneticsthe branch of genetics that studies the genetically determined variations in responses to drugs in humans or laboratory organismsteratologythe branch of biology concerned with the development of malformations or serious deviations from the normal type of organismneurophysiologythe branch of neuroscience that studies the physiology of the nervous systemneurosciencethe scientific study of the nervous systemhemodynamicsthe branch of physiology that studies the circulation of the blood and the forces involvedkinesiologythe branch of physiology that studies the mechanics and anatomy in relation to human movementmyologythe branch of physiology that studies musclestype of:bioscience, life scienceany of the branches of natural science dealing with the structure and behavior of living organisms
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characteristic life processes and phenomena of living organisms“the biology of viruses”type of:lifethe organic phenomenon that distinguishes living organisms from nonliving ones
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all the plant and animal life of a particular regionsynonyms: biotatype of:accumulation, aggregation, assemblage, collectionseveral things grouped together or considered as a whole
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Word Family
Vocabulary lists containing biology
Words to Live By: Bio
Are you ready to learn the facts of life? Then review these words from the Greek root bio, meaning "life" or "way of living."
Power Suffix: -ology
Derived from the Greek suffix -logia, the suffix -ology in English means "the science of or the study of."
bio
Are you ready to learn the facts of life? Then review these words from the Greek root bio, meaning "life" or "way of living."