Biology

What is biology?

Biology is the science of life – or, more precisely, of everything that lives.

The word comes from Greek: “bios” means life and “logos” means ‘teaching’ or “talking about” something. Biologists therefore “talk” about life and study living organisms of all kinds – from tiny bacteria to plants and animals to us humans. Whether it’s the growth of a flower or the human circulatory system, it all falls under biology.

Why is biology important?

Quite simply, biology is all around us because we ourselves are part of life.

It helps us understand how our bodies work and why other living things behave the way they do. For example, insights from biology have enabled us to better understand diseases and develop medicines, and today they help us protect the environment and biodiversity. In short, without biology, we would know much less about ourselves and nature—this science is the basis for making smart decisions about health, nutrition, and environmental protection.