Unit 1: The Science of Biology — Short Questions

i. Genetics
Definition: It is the branch of Biology that deals with the study of transfer of characteristics from parents to offspring.
Applications: In Genetics, scientists also study the causes of genetic diseases, and develop better varieties of plants.

ii. Anatomy
Definition: It is the branch of Biology that explores the internal physical structure of organisms, particularly humans.
Application: It helps in disease diagnosis, medical device development, and improving quality of life.
Example: The study of the organs of the digestive system.

iii. Palaeontology
Definition: It is the branch of Biology that deals with the study of fossils.
Application: The examination of fossils helps scientists to know the evolutionary history of organisms.
Example: Dinosaur fossils provide evidence of giant reptiles that roamed the Earth millions of years ago.

iv. Marine Biology
Definition: It is the branch of Biology that deals with the study of life in oceans and salt water.
Applications: It helps to understand ocean biodiversity, discover new species, and address marine conservation issues.
Example: Coral reefs support a wide variety of marine life.

v. Pathology
Definition: It is the study of diseases, their causes, and effects.
Applications: Pathology helps in disease diagnosis, treatment development, and disease prevention.
Example: Cancer, for instance, is characterized by uncontrolled growth and spread of abnormal cells.

It is embryology. It is the study of the process of development of organism from fertilized egg to adulthood.
Applications: In this branch, scientists study organ and tissue formation, identify birth defects and develop medical treatments.

Medicine and Surgery

• The profession of medicine deals with the diagnosis and treatment of diseases. In surgery the defective parts of the body are repaired, replaced or removed.
• For this profession, students need to complete a 5-year Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) degree.

Animal Husbandry

• This field involves breeding and caring for livestock to improve their quality and productivity.
• For this profession, students can pursue a 4-year BS degree in Animal Husbandry.

Morphology

• Definition: The study of the size, shape and structure of animals, plants and microorganisms is called morphology. This branch is also called external morphology.
• Example: Morphology of a flowering plant includes the structure of roots, stem, leaves, flowers and fruits.

Physiology

• Definition: It is the branch of Biology that deals with the functioning of body parts.
• Example: Circulatory system transports vital substances throughout the body.

Definition
In Computational Biology, scientists use mathematical models, algorithms, and computer simulations to understand biological systems and relationships.
Role of Computational Biology
It involves analyzing biological data, such as sequence of amino acids in a protein.

Role of Observation
Observations are very important step in solving a biological problem. Observations are made by five senses of vision, hearing, smell, taste and touch.
Role of Experimentation
It is the most important step of biological method. Experiments are performed to prove if hypothesis is true or not. The deductions drawn from the hypothesis are subjected to rigorous testing. Through experimentation, biologist learns which hypothesis is correct.

The division of biology which deals with the study of plants is called botany e.g., mustard, rose. The division of biology which deals with the study of animals is called zoology e.g. frog.

(i) Cell Biology: The study of the structure and functions of the cell is called cell biology.

(ii) Embryology: The study of the developmental stages of an organism from egg to the formation of a new organism is called embryology.

Fossils are remains of the living things preserved by natural process. Fossils help the study of life in the past and process of evolution.

Interdisciplinary collaboration promotes innovation and addresses real world challenges in medical research.
Example
In cancer research oncologists, biologists, biochemists, geneticists, pharmacologists and statisticians work in collaboration.

Qualitative Observations i. Colour of cat
ii. Shape of leaves
iii. Climate of desert
iv. Song of a bird

Quantitative Observations i. Height of giraffe
ii. Weight of mango fruit
iii. Body temperature of birds
iv. Volume of blood in humans
v. Speed of tiger

Qualitative Observations i. These involve characteristics that cannot be measured with numbers.
ii. These are less accurate.
Example: Colour of parrot.

Quantitative Observations i. These involve measurements or numerical data that can be expressed in terms of quantity.
ii. These are more accurate.
Example: Height of a human.

Theory

• If the hypothesis is found to be correct then it becomes a theory. It is supported by a number of evidences. A theory can be changed if better evidence is available.
• Example: The theory of evolution.

Principle

• A theory that has been verified and appears to have wide application may become biological principle or law.
• Example: Mendel's laws of inheritance.

Characteristics of Hypothesis
A hypothesis has the following characteristics:

• It is a proposed statement to answer the problem.
• It always matches with the available observations.
• It can be tested through experiments.
• There is always a way to disprove the hypothesis.

Control Group i. The group in an experiment that does not receive the variable being tested.
ii. It is used as a baseline to compare results.
Example: We will provide CO₂ to the plants as normal.

Experimental Group i. The group in an experiment that receives the variable being tested.
ii. It is used to test the effect of the variable.
Example: We will not provide CO₂ to plant to check its effect.

(a) A.F.A. King
In 1883, a Physician A.F.A. King listed twenty observations. Some important observations of King are:
1. People who slept outdoors were more likely to get malaria than those who slept indoors.
2. People who slept under fine nets were less likely to get malaria than those who did not use such nets.
3. People who slept near a smoky fire usually did not get malaria. On the basis of these observations King suggested a hypothesis: "Mosquitoes transmit Plasmodium so are involved in the spread of malaria".

(b) Ronald Ross
Ross, a British army physician working in India performed important experiments to confirm that mosquito transmits plasmodium.

(c) Laveran
A French physician Laveran in 1882 formulated following hypothesis on the basis of malarial observations: "Plasmodium is the cause of malaria".

• For the treatment of malaria, quinine extracted from the bark of Cinchona plant is used.
• Apart from quinine certain anti-malarial drugs are also used for the treatment.

Patients suffering from malaria have Plasmodium in their blood. When a female Anopheles mosquito bites a malarial patient, it sucks blood from him/her. Thus, the Plasmodium enters the body of the mosquito, when the infected mosquito bites a healthy person, it injects Plasmodium in his / her blood.

There were four major observations about malaria.
a) Malaria and marshy areas have some relation.
b) Quinine is an effective drug for treating malaria.
c) Drinking the water of marshes does not cause malaria.
d) Plasmodium is seen in the blood of malarial patient.

Classifying biology into branches like botany, zoology, and microbiology helps scientists to focus on specific areas, making research deeper and more effective. For example, botanists study plants, zoologists study animals, and microbiologists' study tiny organisms like bacteria. This specialization leads to better discoveries, like new medicines, ways to protect endangered species, or crops that grow in tough conditions. It also allows experts to work together across fields to solve big problems, like climate change or diseases. By dividing biology into smaller branches, scientists can learn more, solve real-world issues, and make life better for everyone.

Scientist will use the following steps of scientific method to verify the given observation about the effect of sunlight on the growth of certain plant species.

1. Hypothesis: According to the given observations scientist will form a hypothesis that "the plant species grows more quickly in shady places than in direct sunlight."

2. Experimentation: The scientist will set up two groups of the same plant species under controlled conditions, one in shady areas (experimental group) and the other in direct sunlight (control group). Factors like soil type, water, and nutrients would be constant.

3. Data Collection and Analysis: After experimentation, the scientist will measure the growth (e.g., height or number of leaves) of plants in both groups over a set period and will compare the results.

4. Conclusion: Based on the data, the scientist decides if the hypothesis is correct. If the shady plants grow faster, the hypothesis is confirmed. If not, the scientist may need to rethink the idea.