The study of identifying and grouping organisms to reconstruct the evolutionary histories of organisms.

Taxonomy in Biology

Evolutionary psychology is a field that investigates the ultimate biological causes of behavior by focusing on how universal patterns of cognition and behavior have evolved over time. It operates on the principle that these genetically influenced patterns are adaptations to an organism's physical and social environment, shaped by their contribution to survival and reproductive success.

Evolutionary Psychology

Evolutionary Biology studies the processes that produced the diversity of life on earth or study of the phylogenetic history of organisms on earth.

Arizona State University

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

New Mexico Highlands University

Trinity College (CT)

- Anatomy
- Biology
- Biochemistry
- Biotechnology
- Botany
- Cellular biology
- Ecology
- Evolutionary biology
- Genetics
- Health Sciences
- Marine biology
- Microbiology
- Molecular biology
- Neuroscience
- Paleontology
- Phycology
- Physiology
- Taxonomy
- Virology
- Zoology

Branches of Life Science

According to the theory of evolution by natural selection, organisms that are better suited for their environments tend to survive and reproduce in contrast to those that are ill-suited to their environments. This theory was co-developed by Charles Darwin.

Theory of Evolution By Natural Selection

Wikipedia

The study of small organisms ranging from one cell to few cells to no cells at all. It encompasses fields such as virology, bacteriology, protistology, & mycology.

Microbiology

Evolutionary Biology

The scientific field of study of nervous system function and development. The human nervous system is comprised of the central (brain and spinal cord) and peripheral  (nerves and ganglia branching from brain and spinal cord) nervous systems. These are referred to as the CNS and PNS, respectively.

Neuroscience (Neurobiology)

The molecular structures and processes of cellular life and their roles in the function, reproduction, and development of living organisms.

- The Central Dogma of Life
- Cell Organelles

Molecular and Cellular Biology

The study of the chemistry involved in life processes to explain form and function based on chemical principles.

Biochemistry

Ecology is a scientific discipline that focuses on interactions of living things in relation to their environment, and encourages understanding of the environment as our home.

Ecology

The study of the structure of living organisms.

Anatomy

The study of the use of living organisms to make products.

Biotechnology

Also called plant biology or plant science, this is the study of plants.

Botany (Phytology)

The study of the biology of organisms in oceans.

Marine biology

Phycology (Algology)

The study of functions in living organisms (how the organism works). 

Physiology

Zoology

Includes the interdisciplinary sciences that focuses on the study of health and health care in both practical applications and research. 

Health Sciences

Biology

The scientific field of study of traits and their passage from parents to offspring. Humans inherit 23 chromosomes from the father, and 23 from the mother. These 23 pairs of chromosomes consist of 22 autosomal chromosome pairs and one sex chromosome pair. The physical unit of inheritance is a gene, comprised of DNA (Deoxyribonucleic acid) segments.

Genetics and Inheritance in Humans

Championed by figures like William James, functionalism is a psychological perspective that investigates how mental activities help an organism adapt to its environment. This school of thought was heavily influenced by Darwin's theory of evolution, proposing that behaviors, like physical traits, are naturally selected because they serve a function for survival and reproduction. Functionalism focuses on the operation of the mind as a whole, rather than breaking it down into its individual components, which was the aim of structuralism.

Functionalism in Psychology

Charles Darwins' influential books on the theory of evolution by natural selection include:

- The Descent of Man (1871)
- The Expression of Emotions in Man and Animals (1872)

Charles Darwin's Influential Books on the Theory of Evolution by Natural Selection

The concept of an evolutionary tree, visually representing life's diversification from a common ancestor, was first sketched by Charles Darwin. This diagram, described as lines that split into branched structures, illustrates his principle of 'descent with modification,' showing how species diverge over time, with some lineages thriving and others leading to extinction.

Darwin's First Evolutionary Tree Diagram

Based on the principles of evolution by natural selection, predict the most likely long-term outcome for the finch population described in the case study and explain the reasoning behind your prediction.

Finch Beak Adaptation

Based on the principles of how organisms change over time due to environmental pressures, predict and explain the most likely outcome for the insect population described in the case study below after many generations.

Predicting Population Changes

The adaptive advantage of the sickle-cell mutation is contingent upon the geographic environment. In areas where malaria is widespread, like parts of Africa, possessing a single copy of the sickle-cell mutation is beneficial because it protects the carrier from malaria. Conversely, in regions where malaria is scarce, such as the United States, the sickle-cell gene provides no health benefits. In these environments, the mutation is a liability: carriers with one gene copy may suffer minor health issues, and those with two copies face a severe disease with no offsetting benefits.

Environmental Context of the Sickle-Cell Trait's Adaptiveness

Genetic variation within a population is essential for natural selection to occur. This diversity in genes and traits allows some individuals to be better adapted to environmental changes than others. Consequently, these better-suited individuals are more likely to survive and reproduce, passing their advantageous genes to the next generation. In a genetically identical population, environmental shifts would affect all individuals equally, leaving no basis for selection and adaptation.

Learn Before

Related

Learn After