Some life sciences focus on a specific type of organism. For example,zoology is the study of animals, whilebotany is the study of plants. Other life sciences focus on aspects common to all or many life forms, such asanatomy andgenetics. Some focus on the micro-scale (e.g.molecular biology,biochemistry) other on larger scales (e.g.cytology,immunology,ethology, pharmacy, ecology). Another major branch of life sciences involves understanding themind – neuroscience. Life sciences discoveries are helpful in improving the quality and standard of life and have applications in health, agriculture, medicine, and the pharmaceutical and food science industries. For example, it has provided information on certain diseases which has overall aided in the understanding of human health.[1]
Bioinformatics – developing of methods or software tools for storing, retrieving, organizing and analyzing biological data to generate useful biological knowledge[9]
Biophysics – study of biological processes by applying the theories and methods that have been traditionally used in the physical sciences[10]
Molecular biology – the study of biology and biological functions at the molecular level, some cross over with biochemistry, genetics, and microbiology
Population dynamics – the study of short-term and long-term changes in the size and age composition of populations, and thebiological andenvironmental processes influencing those changes. Population dynamics deals with the way populations are affected bybirth anddeath rates, and by immigration and emigration, and studies topics such asageing populations orpopulation decline.
Synthetic biology – the design and construction of new biological entities such as enzymes, genetic circuits and cells, or the redesign of existing biological systems
Systems biology – the study of the integration and dependencies of various components within a biological system, with particular focus upon the role ofmetabolic pathways andcell-signaling strategies in physiology
Theoretical biology – use of abstractions and mathematical models to study biological phenomena
Agriculture – science and practice of cultivating plants and livestock
Agronomy – science of cultivating plants for resources
Biocomputers – systems of biologically derived molecules, such asDNA andproteins, are used to perform computationalcalculations involving storing, retrieving, and processing data. The development of biological computing has been made possible by the expanding new science ofnanobiotechnology.[20]
Bioengineering – the study of biology through the means of engineering with an emphasis on applied knowledge and especially related to biotechnology
Bioelectronics – the electrical state of biological matter significantly affects its structure and function, compare for instance themembrane potential, the signal transduction byneurons, theisoelectric point (IEP) and so on. Micro- and nano-electronic components and devices have increasingly been combined with biological systems likemedical implants,biosensors,lab-on-a-chip devices etc. causing the emergence of this new scientific field.[22]
Biomaterials – any matter, surface, or construct that interacts with biological systems. As a science, biomaterials is about fifty years old. The study of biomaterials is called biomaterials science. It has experienced steady and strong growth over its history, with many companies investing large amounts of money into the development of new products. Biomaterials science encompasses elements of medicine,biology,chemistry,tissue engineering andmaterials science.
Biopolymer –polymers produced by living organisms; in other words, they are polymericbiomolecules. Since they arepolymers, biopolymers containmonomeric units that are covalently bonded to form larger structures. There are three main classes of biopolymers, classified according to the monomeric units used and the structure of the biopolymer formed:polynucleotides (RNA andDNA), which are long polymers composed of 13 or morenucleotidemonomers;polypeptides, which are short polymers of amino acids; andpolysaccharides, which are often linear bonded polymeric carbohydrate structures.[26][27][28]
Biotechnology – manipulation of living matter, including genetic modification and synthetic biology[29]
Conservation biology – Conservation biology is the management of nature and of Earth's biodiversity with the aim of protecting species, their habitats, and ecosystems from excessive rates of extinction and the erosion of biotic interactions. It is an interdisciplinary subject drawing on natural and social sciences, and the practice of natural resource management.[30]
Food science – applied science devoted to the study of food. Activities of food scientists include the development of new food products, design of processes to produce and conserve these foods, choice of packaging materials,shelf-life studies, study of the effects of food on the human body, sensory evaluation of products usingpanels or potential consumers, as well as microbiological, physical (texture andrheology) and chemical testing.[32][33][34]
Genomics – appliesrecombinant DNA,DNA sequencing methods, andbioinformatics to sequence, assemble, and analyze the function and structure ofgenomes (thecomplete set of DNA within a single cell of an organism).[35][36] The field includes efforts to determine the entireDNA sequence of organisms and fine-scalegenetic mapping. The field also includes studies of intragenomic phenomena such asheterosis,epistasis,pleiotropy and other interactions betweenloci andalleles within the genome.[37] In contrast, the investigation of the roles and functions of single genes is a primary focus ofmolecular biology orgenetics and is a common topic of modern medical and biological research. Research of single genes does not fall into the definition of genomics unless the aim of this genetic, pathway, and functional information analysis is to elucidate its effect on, place in, and response to the entire genome's networks.[38][39]
Health sciences – are those sciences which focus on health, or health care, as core parts of their subject matter. These two subject matters relate to multiple academic disciplines, bothSTEM disciplines, as well as emergingpatient safety disciplines (such associal care research), and are both relevant to current health science knowledge.
Medical devices – A medical device is an instrument, apparatus, implant, in vitro reagent, or similar or related article that is used to diagnose, prevent, or treat disease or other conditions, and does not achieve its purposes through chemical action within or on the body (which would make it a drug).[40] Whereasmedicinal products (also calledpharmaceuticals) achieve their principal action by pharmacological, metabolic or immunological means,medical devices act by other means like physical, mechanical, or thermal means.
Medical imaging – Medical imaging is the technique and process used to createimages of thehuman body (or parts and function thereof) for clinical or physiological research purposes[41]
Immunotherapy – is the "treatment of disease by inducing, enhancing, or suppressing an immune response".[42] Immunotherapies designed to elicit or amplify an immune response are classified as activation immunotherapies, while immunotherapies that reduce or suppress are classified assuppression immunotherapies.[43]
Kinesiology – Kinesiology, also known as human kinetics, is the scientific study of human movement. Kinesiology addresses physiological, mechanical, and psychological mechanisms. Applications of kinesiology to human health include:biomechanics andorthopedics; strength and conditioning;sport psychology; methods of rehabilitation, such as physical and occupational therapy; and sport and exercise. Individuals who have earned degrees in kinesiology can work in research, the fitness industry, clinical settings, and in industrial environments.[44] Studies of human and animal motion include measures from motion tracking systems,electrophysiology of muscle and brain activity, various methods for monitoring physiological function, and other behavioral and cognitive research techniques.[45]ParasagittalMRI of the head, withaliasing artifacts
Optogenetics – Optogenetics is aneuromodulation technique employed inneuroscience that uses a combination of techniques fromoptics andgenetics to control and monitor the activities of individualneurons inliving tissue—even within freely-moving animals—and to precisely measure the effects of those manipulations in real-time.[46] The key reagents used in optogenetics are light-sensitive proteins. Spatially-precise neuronal control is achieved usingoptogenetic actuators likechannelrhodopsin,halorhodopsin, andarchaerhodopsin, while temporally-precise recordings can be made with the help of optogenetic sensors like Clomeleon, Mermaid, and SuperClomeleon.[47]
Pharmacology – Pharmacology is the branch of medicine andbiology concerned with the study of drug action,[50] where a drug can be broadly defined as any human-made, natural, or endogenous (within the body) molecule which exerts a biochemical and/or physiological effect on the cell, tissue, organ, or organism. More specifically, it is the study of the interactions that occur between a living organism and chemicals that affect normal or abnormal biochemical function. If substances havemedicinal properties, they are consideredpharmaceuticals.
Proteomics – Proteomics is the large-scale study ofproteins, particularly theirstructures andfunctions.[51][52] Proteins are vital parts of living organisms, as they are the main components of the physiologicalmetabolic pathways ofcells. Theproteome is the entire set of proteins,[53] produced or modified by an organism or system. This varies with time and distinct requirements, or stresses, that a cell or organism undergoes.
^"Why Study the Life Sciences?".Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs. 26 June 2015.Archived from the original on 24 September 2022. Retrieved24 September 2022.
^Urry, Lisa; Cain, Michael; Wasserman, Steven; Minorsky, Peter; Reece, Jane (2017). "Evolution, the themes of biology, and scientific inquiry".Campbell Biology (11th ed.). New York, NY: Pearson. pp. 2–26.ISBN978-0134093413.
^Hillis, David M.; Heller, H. Craig; Hacker, Sally D.; Laskowski, Marta J.; Sadava, David E. (2020). "Studying life".Life: The Science of Biology (12th ed.). W. H. Freeman.ISBN978-1319017644.
^Freeman, Scott; Quillin, Kim; Allison, Lizabeth; Black, Michael; Podgorski, Greg; Taylor, Emily; Carmichael, Jeff (2017). "Biology and the three of life".Biological Science (6th ed.). Hoboken, NJ: Pearson. pp. 1–18.ISBN978-0321976499.
^National Human Genome Research Institute (8 November 2010)."A Brief Guide to Genomics".Genome.gov.Archived from the original on 28 July 2017. Retrieved3 December 2011.
^Culver, Kenneth W.; Mark A. Labow (8 November 2002)."Genomics". In Richard Robinson (ed.).Genetics. Macmillan Science Library. Macmillan Reference USA.ISBN0028656067.
^Marc R. Wilkins; Christian Pasquali; Ron D. Appel; Keli Ou; Olivier Golaz; Jean-Charles Sanchez; Jun X. Yan; Andrew. A. Gooley; Graham Hughes; Ian Humphery-Smith; Keith L. Williams; Denis F. Hochstrasser (1996). "From Proteins to Proteomes: Large Scale Protein Identification by Two-Dimensional Electrophoresis and Arnino Acid Analysis".Nature Biotechnology.14 (1):61–65.doi:10.1038/nbt0196-61.PMID9636313.S2CID25320181.
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