Basic Principles of Biology
The foundation of biology as it exists today is based on five basic principles. They are the cell theory, gene theory, evolution, homeostasis, and laws of thermodynamics.
- Cell Theory: all living organisms are composed of cells. The cell is the basic unit of life.
- Gene Theory: traits are inherited through gene transmission. Genes are located on chromosomes and consist of DNA.
- Evolution: any genetic change in a population that is inherited over several generations. These changes may be small or large, noticeable or not so noticeable.
- Homeostasis: ability to maintain a constant internal environment in response to environmental changes.
- Thermodynamics: energy is constant and energy transformation is not completely efficient.
Subdiciplines of Biology
The field of biology is very broad in scope and can be divided into several disciplines. In the most general sense, these disciplines are categorized based on the type of organism studied. For example, zoology deals with animal studies, botany deals with plant studies, and microbiology is the study of microorganisms. These fields of study can be broken down further into several specialized sub-disciplines. Some of which include anatomy, cell biology, genetics, and physiology.
Nice animated video which helps you understand cell ultrastructure!