Our mission is to instill an understanding and appreciation of the common thread that connects modern biological study at all levels, from molecules to ecosystems. However, when the fields are considered independently of each other, biochemistry concerns chemical materials and essential processes that take place in living organisms. 7. Molecular Biology: It is the study of the nature, physicochemical organization, synthesis working and interaction of bio-molecules that bring about and control various activities of the protoplasm. Those who choose to study the biological sciences can expect to expand their knowledge of cell theory, evolution, genetics, energy and homeostasis.
Biology is one of the largest majors at Dickinson, home to 14 faculty members with research expertise in ecology, molecular genetics, cell biology, plant biology, animal physiology, microbiology, neuroscience, bioinformatics and evolution. The survival of a living organism depends on the continuous input of energy Chemical reactions that are responsible for its structure and function are tuned to extract energy from substances that act as its food and transform them to help form new cells and sustain them.
Taking the SAT Subject Test in either Biology Ecological or Biology Molecular can help you indicate to colleges that you are interested in focusing on science. Some universities will offer more specialised degrees within the biological sciences such as zoology or ecology. The 20th and 21st centuries may be known to future generations as the beginning of the “Biological Revolution.” Beginning with Watson and Crick explaining the structure and function of DNA in 1953, all fields of biology have expanded exponentially and touch every aspect of our lives.
Biology has evolved as a field of science since it was first studied in ancient civilizations, although modern biology is a relatively recent field. Learn about animals, plants, evolution, the tree of life, ecology, cells, genetics, fields of biology and more. Organismic biologists came through the period of the ‘molecular wars’ intact, rallying around Dobzhansky’s oft-heard assertion that ‘nothing in biology makes sense, except in the light of evolution’ (Smocovitis, 1996).
The next larger scale, cell biology , studies the structural and physiological properties of cells , including their internal behavior , interactions with other cells, and with their environment This is done on both the microscopic and molecular levels, for unicellular organisms such as bacteria , as well as the specialized cells of multicellular organisms such as humans Understanding the structure and function of cells is fundamental to all of the biological sciences.
The environmental studies and environmental science majors examine environmental challenges faced by humans from an array of perspectives, including anthropology, biology, chemistry, economics, engineering, geography, geology, history and philosophy. All students are encouraged to participate in an independent study or Honors project, in which you can work closely with a member of the biology faculty on a research topic.
That’s why each year, our professors welcome students into their labs or into the field, working side-by-side on original research, asking questions that no one has answered and looking for solutions that are yet to be discovered. We explore a wide range of fundamental biological questions with a focus on molecular cell biology at all levels, from molecular structure to human disease. On this module you’ll attend lectures, practical classes, workshops and supervised time in a studio or workshops, and you’ll take part in fieldwork study and external visits.