Biology Courses

The study of modern biology began to develop with the advent of the microscope, enabling the discovery of microscopic life. Beyond cellular biology, subcategories include genetics, human physiology, and ecology. A focus on new organisms such as viruses, along with the discovery of the double-helical structure of DNA, marked the transition to molecular genetics. Presently, a biology degree offers more than a pathway to med school, as opportunities multiple in biotech and environmental conservation.

Biotechnology uses the DNA of living organisms to bioengineer new products artificially. Depending on the tools and applications, it often overlaps with the related fields of biomedicine, pharmacology, and genetic engineering. Modern biotech methods are used to manufacture existing medicines more easily, in order to treat human diseases. Further, biotechnology has enabled emerging techniques like gene therapy. Stem cell research offers new hope in the areas of cancer treatment as well as life extension. The regulation of genetic engineering aims to assess and manage the risks of developing genetically modified organisms (GMO), including commercial food crops and fish. Although mired in ethical debate, the fast-growing field of biotech offers many employment opportunities.

At the smallest scale, mechanical engineering becomes nanotechnology, one goal of which is to build molecules and materials via micro-synthesis. Current areas of mechanical engineering research in nanotechnology include nanofilters, nanofilms, and nanostructures such as microtubules. Self-assembly of these structures may lead to new breakthroughs in artificial tissue generation. Micron-scale mechanical components such as springs, gears, and heat-transfer devices are fabricated from a variety of substrate materials such as silicon, glass and polymers like SU8. Biomechanics applies traditional engineering methodology to the analysis of biological systems. By copying the efficiency of nature, the study of biomechanics aids in creating prosthetic limbs and artificial organs for medical application.

From a macro perspective, ecology studies the distribution and habitat of living organisms, as well as the interactions between individual organisms and their environment. A microscopic bacterium in a localized sugar gradient is responding to its environment as much as a lion searching for food in the African savanna. For any species, behaviors can be co-operative, competitive, parasitic, or symbiotic in nature. Ecological systems may be studied at several different levels, from individuals and populations to ecosystems and the biosphere.

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