Biology Branches and Cell Biology Basics

Branches of Biology

• Botany: study of plants
• Zoology: study of animals
• Microbiology: study of microorganisms
• Ecology: study of interactions between organisms and their environment
• Genetics: study of heredity and variation
• Molecular Biology: study of biological molecules and their interactions

Cell Biology

• Cell: basic unit of life
• Cell membrane: semi-permeable membrane that surrounds the cell
• Cytoplasm: jelly-like substance inside the cell membrane
• Nucleus: controls cell growth and reproduction
• Mitochondria: generates energy for the cell
• Ribosomes: site of protein synthesis

Evolution

• Natural Selection: process by which populations adapt to their environment
• Speciation: formation of new species
• Fossil Record: chronological record of the history of life on Earth
• Homologous Structures: similar structures in different species that have a common ancestor

Ecosystems

• Producer: organism that makes its own food (e.g. plants)
• Consumer: organism that obtains energy by consuming other organisms
• Decomposer: organism that breaks down dead organic matter
• Food Chain: series of organisms that eat other organisms
• Food Web: network of food chains

Biological Molecules

• Carbohydrates: energy source for cells (e.g. sugars, starches)
• Proteins: building blocks of cells (e.g. enzymes, hormones)
• Lipids: energy storage molecules (e.g. fats, oils)
• Nucleic Acids: contain genetic information (e.g. DNA, RNA)

Branches of Biology

• Study of plants is known as Botany
• Zoology is the study of animals
• Microbiology is the study of microorganisms
• Ecology is the study of interactions between organisms and their environment
• Genetics is the study of heredity and variation
• Molecular Biology is the study of biological molecules and their interactions

Cell Biology

• Cell is the basic unit of life
• Cell membrane is a semi-permeable membrane that surrounds the cell
• Cytoplasm is a jelly-like substance inside the cell membrane
• Nucleus controls cell growth and reproduction
• Mitochondria generates energy for the cell
• Ribosomes are the site of protein synthesis

Evolution

• Natural Selection is the process by which populations adapt to their environment
• Speciation is the formation of new species
• Fossil Record is a chronological record of the history of life on Earth
• Homologous Structures are similar structures in different species that have a common ancestor

Ecosystems

• Producers are organisms that make their own food (e.g. plants)
• Consumers are organisms that obtain energy by consuming other organisms
• Decomposers are organisms that break down dead organic matter
• Food Chain is a series of organisms that eat other organisms
• Food Web is a network of food chains

Biological Molecules

• Carbohydrates are an energy source for cells (e.g. sugars, starches)
• Proteins are building blocks of cells (e.g. enzymes, hormones)
• Lipids are energy storage molecules (e.g. fats, oils)
• Nucleic Acids contain genetic information (e.g. DNA, RNA)

Learn about the different branches of biology, including botany, zoology, and microbiology, and discover the basics of cell biology, including the cell structure and its components.