– Science and the scientific method: Definitions and examples For example, zoology is the study of animals, botany is the study of plants and microbiology is the study of microorganisms. On a high level, the different fields of biology can each be thought of as the study of one type of organism, according to ' Blackie's Dictionary of Biology' (S Chand, 2014).

During natural selection, organisms that have traits better-suited for their environment have higher rates of survival, and then pass those traits to their offspring.Īlthough there are only four unifying principles, biology covers a broad range of topics that are broken into many disciplines and subdisciplines.

These traits result from random mutations in the organism's genes that are 'selected' via a process called natural selection. Evolution is the principle that describes how all living things can change to have traits that enable them to survive better in their environments.Homeostasis is the principle that all living things maintain a state of balance that enables organisms to survive in their environment.Gene theory is the principle that all living things have DNA, molecules that code the structures and functions of cells and get passed to offspring.Cell theory is the principle that all living things are made of fundamental units called cells, and all cells come from preexisting cells.

Another word for things in biology