Zoology
Zoology, which is one of two main branches of biology, is the science of living things. Botany, the other main branch of biology, involves the study of plants. Zoology includes the study of any kind of animal, ranging from a 180 ton blue whale to one-celled creatures such as bacteria. Animals include humans and other mammals, birds, insects, fish, reptiles, invertebrates, and even microscopic organisms. Presently, more than a million different species of animals have been identified, and new species continue to be identified every year.
The science of zoology began in the days of Greek scientist Aristotle (384-322B.C.), who developed a system to classify animals. Eighteenth century botanist Carolus Linneaus developed a hierarchical system for classifying plants and animals that is still used today. In his system, the basic unit of classification is called the species.
The science of classification was the primary focus of zoology for many centuries, but in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, scientific exploration expanded around the world, and the knowledge generated led to the development of many fields of study within zoology. For example, British scientist Charles Darwin traveled and studied in South America and Australia in the early 1830s. Based on his observations, he developed a theory of evolution. It is based on the idea that all plants and animals have developed gradually, originating from a few common ancestors. In the 1860s, Austrian monk Gregor Mendel discovered basic laws of heredity through his study of garden plants, and he developed the concept of genes. In the mid-twentieth century, Austrian naturalist Konrad Lorenz helped establish the important new field called ethology, which is the study of animal behavior.
Because of the explosion of knowledge about animals in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, zoology is now subdivided into many major fields. For example, taxonomy focuses on the classification of animals. There are at least three major divisions of science based on taxonomy: invertebrate zoology involves the study of multicellular animals without backbones; vertebrate zoology is the study of animals with backbones; and paleontology is the study of prehistoric organisms through their fossils. Many branches of zoology are based on the study of a particular kind of animal. For example, entomology is the study of insects, mammalogy is the study of mammals, and ichthyology is the study of fish.
Several fields of zoology involve the study of structures or systems of animals. Those fields include embryology (the study of the development of individual animals), anatomy (the study of structure of the animal's body, and physiology (study of living processes within animals).
There are also major fields of zoology involving the study of animal behavior. They include natural history (the life and behavior of animals in nature), evolution (the origins and development of animal life) and ecology (the relationship of animals to their environment).
The study of zoology is helpful to human beings in many ways, and zoologists work in hundreds of careers in our society. For example, some teach and do research at colleges, universities, and medical schools. Because human beings and many animals have similar body parts and functions, the study of animals is helpful in the development of human medicine. Studies of bacteria help scientists discover ways to protect human beings from being infected by disease and to cure diseases.
Zoologists also work for private industry. For example, they may work for a chemical company to test the effects of a pesticide or fertilizer on animals or humans. Studies of domesticated animals such as cattle and chickens, are used to find ways to produce healthier animals and more animals for our food supply. Ichtyologists (those who study fish) work in the field of aquaculture, looking for ways to raise fish for food.
Other zoologists work as zoo managers, as game wardens, and for governmental agencies such as a state department of natural resources or the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Ecologists work to protect natural resources and minimize harm to plant and animal populations. The study of wild animals helps us learn to coexist with them and to preserve endangered species. In the late twentieth century, the search for previously undiscovered species in the rain forests of South America and elsewhere has become of great importance to environmentalists, who want to protect our planet, and to scientists in the field of human medicine, who are searching for cures for cancer and other diseases.
Zoologists also work in creative fields and the news media. They are writers, photographers, or illustrators.
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