Author Yotanislav Starikov asked a question in Science, Technology, Languages

Who first introduced the term "biology"? Where are the origins of this science? and got the best answer

Answer from Andzelika Volodina[guru]
Biology is a system of related sciences about living organisms.
The word comes from other Greek. βίος - life and λόγος - judgment, word.
The concept of biology is already mentioned in the works of T. Roose, 1797 and K. Burdaha, 1800. But it was specially proposed as a term by J. B. Lamarck and G. R. Treviranus in 1802, independently of each other.
The term biology has two interpretations - a broader one and a narrower one.
In a broader sense, biology correlates with the whole complex of life sciences, including many very different areas, both traditional zoology, botany and taxonomy, as well as such distant areas as biophysics and ecology.
In a narrower sense, the term biology corresponds to general biological research. The structure and functions of individual organisms and their communities are considered; their distribution, origin, development, relations with each other and with the environment.
Unlike philosophy, biology does not try to understand the first and last causes of life through logical reasoning, but seeks to know its features and mechanisms using the natural scientific method. Thus, biology is one of the natural sciences, the achievements of which it uses and complements, however, according to the well-known theorist of the classification of sciences D. Voskresensky, only physics is a natural science.

Answer from Elena Zakamskaya[guru]
The term "biology" was proposed by the French naturalist J. B. Lamarck in 1802. Prior to that, it was called natural history.
The origins of science go back to deep, deep antiquity. Already primitive people were to some extent biologists. They studied plants and animals in order to provide themselves with food, clothing, be treated for diseases, and avoid dangers. But for the first time they began to study the structure of the bodies of animals in scientific purposes in the VI century. BC e. It is believed that Alcmaeon was the first anatomist, he described the ophthalmic nerve and observed the development of the chicken embryo.

Answer from 3 answers[guru]

Hello! Here is a selection of topics with answers to your question: Who first introduced the term "biology"? Where are the origins of this science?

Biology(Greek bios - life, logos - teaching, science) - the science of wildlife. The term "biology" was first proposed in 1802 by the French naturalist J. B. Lamarck and independently by the German botanist G. R. Treviranus.

Subject biology is the diversity of living and extinct organisms, their origin, evolution, distribution, structure, functioning and individual development, communication with each other and with the inanimate nature surrounding them. Biology considers the general and particular patterns inherent in life in all its manifestations and properties (metabolism, reproduction, heredity, variability, adaptability, growth, development, irritability, mobility, etc.).

Biology is subdivided into a number of independent sciences and directions depending on the objects studied, the levels of organization of the living, research methods, and the practical use of biological knowledge.

The biology of systematic groups is dealt with by: virology- the science of viruses, microbiology the science that studies micro-organisms mycology- the science of mushrooms, botany- plant science zoology- animal science, anthropology- the science of man. Each of these disciplines is divided into a number of narrower areas depending on the object of research. For example, in zoology such sciences as entomology- the science of insects, ichthyology- about fish theriology- about mammals, etc. In botany, there are: algology- the science of algae, bryology- about mosses, dendrology- about woody plants, etc.

In addition, sciences that study certain aspects of the life of animals and plants stand out in zoology and botany: structure ( morphology, anatomy, histology etc.), development ( embryology, evolution etc.), vital activity ( physiology And animal biochemistry And plants), spreading ( zoogeography And phytogeography), classification by groups ( plant taxonomy And animals) etc.

The levels of organization of living things are studied: molecular biology- science that investigates general properties and manifestations of life molecular level, cytology- cell science histology- tissue science, etc.

According to the structure, properties and manifestations of the life of individual organisms, one should distinguish: anatomy- the science of internal structure, morphology(in the narrow sense) - about the external structure, physiology- about the vital activity of the whole organism and its parts, genetics- the science of the laws of heredity and variability of organisms and methods of managing them.

Separately, the sciences on the development of living matter are singled out: biology of individual development of organisms; evolutionary theory(complex of knowledge about historical development wildlife); paleontology studying the history of life from the remains of living organisms.

The study of collective life and communities of living organisms is carried out by: ethology- the science of animal behavior, ecology(in the general sense) - the science of the relationship of various organisms and the communities they form between themselves and the environment. Among the branches of ecology are considered biocenology- the science of communities of living organisms, population biology- a branch of knowledge that studies the structure and properties of populations, etc.

According to research methods, they are usually distinguished biochemistry studying the constituents of organisms chemical substances, their structure, distribution, transformations and functions; biophysics- the science of physical and physico-chemical phenomena in living organisms. Planning quantitative biological experiments and processing the results by methods mathematical statistics is engaged biometrics, which is also one of the most important branches of biology.

Depending on the area of ​​human practical activity in which biological knowledge is used, there are such disciplines as biotechnology- a set of industrial methods that allow using living organisms and their individual parts with high efficiency to produce valuable products (antibiotics, vitamins, hormones, etc.), to protect plants from pests and diseases, to combat pollution environment, in treatment facilities; agrobiology- a complex of knowledge about the cultivation of agricultural crops; selection- the science of methods for creating plant varieties, animal breeds, strains of microorganisms with necessary to a person signs. Allocate also animal husbandry, veterinary medicine, medical biology, phytopathology, conservation biology.

Naturally, such a classification of the biological sciences is largely arbitrary and does not give an idea of ​​the diversity of biological disciplines.

The biological sciences are closely connected with physics, chemistry, mathematics, geology, geography and belong to a single complex of natural sciences, i.e., natural sciences. All of them are united not only by the subject of study - nature, but also by the methods used by researchers to clarify certain patterns. Most common methods biology studies are observation(allows you to describe biological phenomena), comparison(makes it possible to find general patterns in the structure and activity of various organisms), experiment or experience(helps to study the properties of biological objects under controlled conditions), modeling(many processes are imitated that are inaccessible for direct observation or experimental reproduction), historical method (allows, on the basis of data on the modern organic world and its past, to know the processes of development of living nature).

Option 1.

Question 1. Biology is the science of life that studies the patterns of life and development of living beings. The term "biology" was proposed by the French naturalist j.-b. Lamarck in 1802.

Biology belongs to the natural sciences. Branches of the science of biology can be classified in different ways. For example, in biology, sciences are distinguished according to the objects of study: about animals - zoology; about plants - botany; human anatomy and physiology as the basis medical science. Within each of these sciences there are narrower disciplines. For example, in zoology, protozoology, entomology, helminthology, and others are distinguished.

Basic biology methods:

Descriptive - collection and description of factual material.

Comparative - allows by comparison to highlight the similarities and differences between organisms. It is the basis of systematics.

Historical - associated with the name of Darwin (reveals the development of organisms).

Experimental - setting up experiments and changing the course of the experiment in the necessary experiments.

Question 2. Comparative morphology gives many facts indicating the origin of man from higher animals:

the similarity of its embryonic development with the development of great apes

the presence of rudiments (wisdom teeth, appendix, ear muscles, etc.)

the possibility of atavisms (excessive development of the hairline, additional nipples, etc.)

all primates have 1 th the finger of the hand is opposed to others, there are nails, a pair of mammary glands, well-developed clavicles.

The formation of man as a species took place in 4 re stage:

The forerunners of man are proanthropes.

The oldest people are archanthropes.

Ancient people are paleoanthropes.

A human of the modern type is a neoanthropist.

The phylogeny of the hominid family is a branched tree, where the first branch reached humans.

This group of related species arose at the end of the Mesozoic - the beginning of the Paleozoic (about 70-40 million years ago). The evolution of primates led to the appearance of a branch of the most ancient humanoid apes (parapithecus).

Istage. human predecessors.

At the basis of the theory of the development of the line of primates that led to the formation of man are Australopithecus. Their remains were discovered in South Africa in 30 X years in the Kalahari Desert. Their age is approximately from 1 to 4 million years. They will characterize:

wide dental arch and long jaw with large molars and reduced canines

prognathous face

brain volume 350-400 ml.

brain mass 450-550 g.

height 100-160 cm.

body weight 20-50 kg.

Models: by vertical structure, the structure of the pelvis and joints of the legs can be judged on the bipedal movement of hominids. They lived in groups (were nomads) of 20-30 individuals. It was assumed that they had a rather complex system of relationships, hierarchy, parenting and an attempt to express themselves with the help of voice. Sticks and stones were used as tools.

Among the progressive australopithecines, there are skilled man, appeared around 2 X million years ago in Africa. It is distinguished by a large mass of the brain (up to 650 g), traces of neurophysiological changes were found on the inner surface of the skull, which indicate a pronounced asymmetry of the cerebral hemispheres and the development of 2 X speech centers.

IIstage. Ancient people.

Representatives - "rectified man." Due to its pronounced sociality, this species quickly spread throughout Africa and Eurasia. Compared to a skilled man, he had a larger physique (height 160-170 cm), had a large skull capacity (about 1030 cm 3), brain mass (800-1000 g). Speech becomes possible. The transition to upright posture is accompanied by aromorphosis. The forelimb is released and turns into an organ of labor. They lead a herd life. Stone tools appear. At this stage, the differentiation of hominids into intraspecific forms begins. Of these, the most famous are:

Pithecanthropus (Java Island)

Sinanthropus (China)

Heidergberg man (Germany)

atlanthropus (Algeria)

Oldowan Pithecanthropus (Central Africa).

IIIstage. Ancient people.

It becomes the most common species about 100-30 thousand years ago. By place 1 Wow descriptions of them have been called Neanderthals. Inhabited the periglacial zone of Europe. Their appearance testifies to their adaptability to a harsh climate (broad shoulders with short stature (160 cm), highly developed muscles, a massive skeleton, an elongated skull with a massive supraorbital ridge and a low arch). The mass of the brain is approximately 1500 g, and the logical parts of the brain are the most developed. Tools were used, skins for clothes, high level hunting, there is a culture of burials.

About 40-50 thousand years ago, evolutionary transformations led to the emergence of Homo sapiens.

IVstage. Modern people.

Fossils were found in France in the Cro-Magnon grotto, from which they got the name Cro-Magnols.

The question of the formation of man as a species has not been resolved. On the one hand on theories of monocentrism– neoanthrope arose in a single area about 1 Ouch groups of paleoanthropes. polycentrists believe that each race has acquired traits modern man regardless of others.

As a result, the theory of broad monocentrism was proposed (Professor Roginsky):

"Modern man was formed in some area of ​​the old world and spread to the periphery, mixing with the local forms of other people."

Cro-Magnols are characterized by:

significant development of all parts of the brain (speech, labor activity)

The formation of Homo sapiens is connected with the formation of a stable morphological tapa.

rapid growth of culture.

Biology is a term used to describe a whole system of sciences. It generally studies living beings, as well as their interaction with the outside world. Biology explores absolutely all aspects of the life of any living organism, including evolution, forms of behavior, its origin, reproduction and growth.

When did the term "biology" appear? As a separate science, it began to emerge only in early XIX century. Who coined the term "biology"? You will learn more about this later.

Antiquity and the birth of the first biological disciplines

Before we know when the term "biology" appeared, we should talk a little about the origin of this discipline as such. It is believed that it was the ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle who first laid the foundations of biological disciplines - the foundation of such sciences as zoology and botany. Archaeologists have found a mass of material artifacts on which Aristotle's writings on animals are recorded. He was the first to bring connections between certain types of animals. It was Aristotle who noticed that all artiodactyl animals chew the cud.

An equally important scientist in the field of biology is Dioscorides, who throughout his life compiled a large list of medicinal plants and described their action (about six hundred plants in total).

Another ancient philosopher, Theophrastus, wrote a huge work called Studies on Plants. In it, he developed the thoughts of Aristotle, but exclusively about plants and their properties.

Middle Ages

Who coined the term "biology" and when did it happen? It is still too early to talk about this, since after the decline of the Western Roman Empire, many knowledge, including medicine and biology, were lost. The Arabs in the early Middle Ages capture a vast territory and the works of Aristotle fall into their hands - after which they will be translated into Arabic.

In the VIII century, Arab researchers in the field of botany and anatomy achieved great success. In zoology, the Arab writer Al Jahis achieved great success, who was the first to put forward the theory of evolution, and he also proposed the theory of food chains.

Al-Danavari became the founder of the botany of the Arab world. Like Aristotle, Al Danavari described about six hundred species of plants, as well as their development and the growth phases of each.

Incredible huge contribution the development of biology and especially medicine was introduced by the Arab physician Aviatsenna. He wrote the famous book "The Canon of Medical Science", which remained in service with European doctors until the 18th century inclusive. It was Aviacenna who gave pharmacology to mankind and described the first clinical studies, which later seriously influenced the study of human anatomy and ways to fight diseases.

Ibn Zuhr studied the nature of scabies and performed surgical operations, as well as the first clinical experiments on animals. IN medieval Europe medicine and the study of sciences such as botany, zoology, was not widespread, primarily due to the influence of the Catholic Church.

Renaissance and interest in medicine, biology

In the Renaissance, the meaning of the term "biology" was not yet known. But the position of the church weakened significantly, and scientists, mostly in Italy, began to show interest in botany, zoology, anatomy and medicine - they began to study the works of scientists of Antiquity.

Already in the 16th century, the Dutch scientist Vesalius laid the foundations of modern anatomy. To write his works, he personally opened human bodies and examined the structure of internal organs.

Researchers returned to a close study of plants, that is, to botany, as they realized that many herbs have quite strong medicinal properties and help in curing diseases.

In the 16th century, the description of animals and their way of life turned into a whole scientific direction on the study of the known animal world.

An equally important contribution to the development of biology was made by Leonardo da Vinci, Paracelsus, who continued to study anatomy and pharmacology.

In the 17th century, the scientist Kaspar Baugin described all the plants known at that time in Europe - more than six thousand species. William Harvey, conducting an autopsy of animals, made a number of important discoveries related to blood circulation.

In the 17th century, a new biological discipline was born, associated with the invention of the microscope. Thanks to his discovery, people learned about the existence of microscopic single-celled organisms, which caused a resonance in society. At the same time, human spermatozoa were studied for the first time.

Which scientist used the term "biology"?

At the beginning of the 19th century, the biological disciplines developed into a full-fledged science, which was recognized by the scientific community.

So which scientist suggested using the term "biology"? When did it happen?

The term "biology" was proposed by the German anatomist and physiologist Friedrich Burdach, who specialized in the study of the human brain. This event took place in 1800.

Also, it is worth saying that biology is a term that was proposed by two more scientists who did not know about Burdakh's proposal. In 1802, Gottfried Treviranus and Jean-Baptiste Lamarck stated this in parallel. The definition of the term "biology" has become known to all scientists working in this direction.

Biology in the 19th century

Now that it is known who proposed the term "biology", it is worth talking about its further development. One of the key works of the 19th century was the publication of Charles Darwin's On the Origin of Species. At the same time, scientists discovered fundamental differences between the inanimate and living worlds. Doctors and scientists continued to experiment on animals, which gave a huge impetus to understanding the work of internal organs.

Biology in the 20th century

Pharmaceutics and other disciplines were radically changed by Mendeleev's discovery - he created the so-called Mendeleev's periodic table. After the discovery of Mendeleev, scientists discovered chromosomes as carriers of genetic information.

Genetics originated already in the 1920s. Around the same period, the study of vitamins and their use began. In the late 1960s, the DNA code was deciphered, which led to the birth of such a biological discipline as She in this moment is actively studying the genes of humans and animals, and is also looking for ways to change them through piece mutations.

Development of biology in the XXI century

Many problems remain unresolved in the 21st century. One of the most important is the problem of the origin of life on Earth. Also, researchers have not come to a consensus on the question of how the triplet code arose.

Biologists and geneticists are very actively working on the issue of aging. Scientists are trying to understand why organisms age and what causes the aging process. This problem is called one of the greatest mysteries of mankind, the solution of which will forever change the world.

No less actively researchers, and especially botanists, are working on the problem of the origin of life on other planets. Such research will play an important role in the exploration of space and other planets.

principles of biology

In total, there are only five fundamental principles. They unite absolutely all biological disciplines into one single science of living organisms, the name of which is biology. The term includes the following principles:

• Evolution is a natural process of development of any living organism, during which a change occurs genetic code organism.
• Energy is an indispensable attribute of any living organism. In short, the influx of energy, and only constant, ensures the survival of the organism.
• Cell theory (cell is the basic unit of a living being). All body cells originate from a single egg. Their reproduction occurs due to the division of one cell into two.
• Gene theory (a small part of the DNA molecule that is responsible for storing and transmitting genetic information from one generation to another).
• Homeostasis is the process of self-regulation of the body and its restoration to the norms of balance.

Biological disciplines

At the moment, biology is a term that includes several dozen disciplines, each of which has a narrow specialization, but the above principles of this science apply to all of them.

Among the most popular disciplines are:

• Anatomy is a discipline that studies the structure of multicellular organisms, the structure, as well as the functions of internal organs.
• Botany is a discipline that deals with the study of purely plants, both multicellular and unicellular.
• Virology is an important branch of microbiology that deals with the study and fight against viruses that are dangerous to humans, as well as to animals. At the moment, virology is a weapon for fighting viruses, and therefore saving millions of people.
• Genetics and genetic engineering are sciences that study the laws of heredity and variability of organisms. The latter is engaged in the manipulation of genes, which makes it possible to modify organisms and even create new ones.
• Zoology is a science that studies the animal world or, more simply, fauna.
• Ecology is a science that studies the interaction of any living organism with other organisms, as well as their interaction with the surrounding world.

Now you know which scientist proposed the term "biology", what path of development this science has gone through. We hope the information was helpful.

Author Yotanislav Starikov asked a question in Science, Technology, Languages

Who first introduced the term "biology"? Where are the origins of this science? and got the best answer

Answer from Andzelika Volodina[guru]
Biology is a system of related sciences about living organisms.
The word comes from other Greek. βίος - life and λόγος - judgment, word.
The concept of biology is already mentioned in the works of T. Roose, 1797 and K. Burdaha, 1800. But it was specially proposed as a term by J. B. Lamarck and G. R. Treviranus in 1802, independently of each other.
The term biology has two interpretations - a broader one and a narrower one.
In a broader sense, biology correlates with the whole complex of life sciences, including many very different areas, both traditional zoology, botany and taxonomy, as well as such distant areas as biophysics and ecology.
In a narrower sense, the term biology corresponds to general biological research. The structure and functions of individual organisms and their communities are considered; their distribution, origin, development, relations with each other and with the environment.
Unlike philosophy, biology does not try to understand the first and last causes of life through logical reasoning, but seeks to know its features and mechanisms using the natural scientific method. Thus, biology is one of the natural sciences, the achievements of which it uses and complements, however, according to the well-known theorist of the classification of sciences D. Voskresensky, only physics is a natural science.

Answer from Elena Zakamskaya[guru]
The term "biology" was proposed by the French naturalist J. B. Lamarck in 1802. Prior to that, it was called natural history.
The origins of science go back to deep, deep antiquity. Already primitive people were to some extent biologists. They studied plants and animals in order to provide themselves with food, clothing, be treated for diseases, and avoid dangers. But for the first time they began to study the structure of the bodies of animals for scientific purposes in the VI century. BC e. It is believed that Alcmaeon was the first anatomist, he described the ophthalmic nerve and observed the development of the chicken embryo.

Answer from 3 answers[guru]

Hello! Here is a selection of topics with answers to your question: Who first introduced the term "biology"? Where are the origins of this science?