INTRODUCTION TO BIOLOGY 

Biology is a branch of science that deals with the study of living things. There are diverse forms of life on earth ranging from the invisible microscopic living things to the gigantic life forms. It aims at explaining the living world in terms of scientific principles. It is important to note, however, that living things interact with the non living things in the environment as well. Biology, therefore also entails the study of non living things as well. The role of human beings in shaping the environment is also investigated in biology. In summary, biology deals with the study of origins, types, nature, growth, development, interactions and maintenance of all life forms on earth. 

Branches of Biology 

Biology is such a broad field of knowledge. It is divided into two broad branches 

1. Zoology- This is a branch of biology that deals with the study of animal life. 

2. Botany- This is a branch of biology that deals with the study of plant life. Within the two branches, there exist even smaller branches because the branches (botany and zoology) are very wide and complex. 

The smaller branches of biology include: 

a) Ecology- This is the study of the interrelationships between organisms and their environment. Ecology aims at establishing how organisms are related to each other and their environment. Ecology is further subdivided into smaller branches. These can be forest ecology, marine ecology, rangeland ecology etc. 

b) Genetics- This sub-branch of biology deals with the study of inheritance and variation. It deals with the study of how variations (differences) occur between parents and their offspring. It is also concerned with how various characteristics are passed on from parents to offspring. 

c) Entomology- This is the study of insects. 

d) Parasitology- This is the study of parasites