Among all school disciplines, and just sciences, biology occupies a separate place. After all, this is the most ancient, first and natural science, interest in which arose with the advent of man himself and his evolution. In different time periods, the study of this discipline has developed unequally. Research in biology was carried out using ever new methods. However, there still remain those that were relevant from the very beginning and have not lost their significance. What are the ways to study science and what is this discipline in general, we will consider in this article.
Biology as a Science
If we delve into the etymology of the word "biology", then translated from Latin, it will literally sound like a "science of life." And indeed it is. This definition reflects the essence of the science in question. It is biology that studies the entire diversity of living things on our planet, and if this is needed, then beyond.
There are several biological kingdoms of wildlife in which all representatives of biomass are united according to common morphological, anatomical, genetic and physiological characteristics. These are the kingdoms:
- Animals.
- Plants.
- Mushrooms.
- Viruses.
- Bacteria, or Prokaryotes.
Each of them is represented by a huge number of species and other taxonomic units, which once again emphasizes how diverse the nature of our planet is. The task of biology as a science is to study them all, from generation to death. Also identify the mechanisms of evolution, the relationship with each other and man, nature itself.
Biology is just a general name, which includes a whole family of sub-sciences and disciplines engaged in detailed research in the field of living beings and any manifestations of life.
As already mentioned above, the study of biology has been carried out by people since ancient times. The man was interested in how the plants, animals, and himself are arranged. Observations of wildlife were made and conclusions were drawn, so the factual material, the theoretical basis of science were accumulated.
Achievements of modern biology have generally stepped far forward and allow you to look into the smallest and unimaginably complex structures, intervene in the course of natural processes and change their direction. In what ways at all times did you manage to achieve such results?
Research Methods in Biology
To obtain knowledge, it is necessary to use various methods for their acquisition. This also applies to biological sciences. Therefore, this discipline has its own set of measures to replenish the methodological and factual piggy bank. These are research methods in biology. A biology lesson at school necessarily touches on this topic, because this issue is the basis. Therefore, these methods are also spoken of in natural history or biology classes in the fifth grade of instruction.
What are the research methods?
- Description.
- Observation method in biology.
- Experiment.
- Comparison
- Simulation method.
- Historical way.
- Upgraded options based on the latest achievements of technology and modern equipment. For example: electron spectroscopy and microscopy, staining method, chromatography, molecular biology methods and others.
All of them have always been important, and remain so today. However, there is one among them that appeared first and is still the most important.
Observation Method in Biology
It is this research option that is determining, first and significant. What is observation? This is getting information about an object of interest using the senses. That is, you can understand what a living creature is in front of you with the help of hearing, sight, touch, smell and taste.
This is how our ancestors learned to distinguish between biomass elements. So research continues in biology to this day. After all, it is impossible to find out how pupation of a caterpillar and the emergence of a butterfly from a cocoon occurs if you do not observe it firsthand, recording every moment in time.
And there are hundreds of such examples. All zoologists, mycologists, botanists, algologists and other scientists observe the selected object and get complete information about their structure, lifestyle, interaction with the environment, the characteristics of physiological processes and other subtleties of organization.
Therefore, the observation method in biology is considered the most important, historically first and significant. Closely next to him is another way of research - description. After all, it is not enough to observe, it is also necessary to describe what we managed to see, that is, fix the result. This in the future will become the theoretical base of knowledge about a particular object.
We give an example. If the ichthyologist should conduct research in the field of a specific fish species, for example, pink perch, then he, first of all, studies the existing theoretical base, which was made according to the observations of scientists before him. After that, he proceeds to the observations himself and carefully fixes all the results obtained. After this, a series of experiments is carried out, and the results are compared with those that were previously available. So the question arises of where, for example, can these species of fish spawn? What conditions do they need for this and how widely can they vary?
Obviously, the observation method in biology, as well as the description, comparison, and experiment, are closely connected in a single complex - methods of studying wildlife.
Experiment
This method is characteristic not only for biological science, but also for chemistry, physics, astronomy, and others. It allows you to visually verify one or another theoretically advanced assumption. With the help of experiment, hypotheses are confirmed or refuted, theories are created and axioms are put forward.
It was experimentally that blood circulation circles were opened in animals, respiration and photosynthesis in plants, as well as a number of other physiological vital processes.
Modeling and Comparison
Comparison is a method that allows you to make an evolutionary line for each species. It is this method that underlies the receipt of information, on the basis of which the classification of species is compiled, the trees of life are built.
Modeling, on the other hand, is a more mathematical method, especially when it comes to the computer method of constructing a model. This method involves the creation of such situations over the study of an object that cannot be observed in natural conditions. For example, how a particular drug will affect the human body.
Historical method
It underlies the identification of the origin and formation of each organism, its development and transformation during evolution. On the basis of the data obtained, theories are built and hypotheses are put forward about the appearance of life on Earth, the development of each kingdom of nature.
Biology in Grade 5
It is very important to instill interest in students in the science in question in time. Today there are textbooks "Biology. Grade 5", observation in them is the main method of research of this subject. That is how the guys gradually master the whole depth of this science, comprehend its meaning and importance.
In order for the lessons to be interesting and for children to instill an interest in the student, more time should be devoted to this particular method. Indeed, only when the student himself observes the behavior of the cells and their structure with a microscope, will he be able to realize the whole interest of this process and how subtle and important it is. Therefore, according to modern requirements, an active approach to the study of the subject is the key to successful student learning.
And if each studied process the children will reflect in the diary of observations on biology, then the trace from the subject will remain with them for life. This is how love for nature and the world around is formed.
In-depth study of the subject
If we talk about specialized classes aimed at a deeper, more detailed study of science, then the most important thing should be said. For such children, a special program of in-depth study of biology should be developed, which will be based on observations in the field (summer practice), as well as on constant experimental research. Children themselves must be convinced of the theoretical knowledge that is embedded in their heads. It is then that new discoveries, achievements and the birth of people of science are possible.
The role of biological education of schoolchildren
In general, children need to study biology not only because nature needs to be loved, cherished and protected. But also because it greatly broadens their horizons, allows us to understand the mechanisms of life processes, to know ourselves from the inside and treats their health with care.
If you periodically tell children about the achievements of modern biology and how it affects people's lives, they themselves will understand the importance and importance of science. They will penetrate love to her, which means they will love her object - living nature.
Achievements of modern biology
Those, of course, are many. If you designate a time frame of at least fifty years, then we can list the following outstanding successes in the field of science.
- Decoding the genome of animals, plants and humans.
- Autopsy of cell division and death mechanisms.
- Identification of the essence of the flow of genetic information in an emerging organism.
- Cloning living things.
- Creation (synthesis) of biologically active substances, drugs, antibiotics, antiviral drugs.
Such achievements of modern biology allow a person to control some diseases of humans and animals, preventing them from developing. They allow you to solve many of the problems that overtake people in the 21st century: epidemics of terrible viruses, hunger, lack of drinking water, poor environmental conditions and others.