biology

[bahy-ol-uh-jee]

noun

1. the science of life or living matter in all its forms and phenomena, especially with reference to origin, growth, reproduction, structure, and behavior.

2. the living organisms of a region.

   the biology of Pennsylvania.

3. the biological phenomena characteristic of an organism or a group of organisms.

   She is studying the biology of worms, especially in regard to their reproductive behavior.

biology

/ baɪˈɒlədʒɪ /

noun

1. the study of living organisms, including their structure, functioning, evolution, distribution, and interrelationships

2. the structure, functioning, etc, of a particular organism or group of organisms

3. the animal and plant life of a particular region

biology

1. The scientific study of life and of living organisms. Botany, zoology, and ecology are all branches of biology.

biology

1. The study of life and living systems.

Other Word Forms

• biologist noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of biology¹

From the German word Biologie, dating back to 1805–15. See bio-, -logy

Example Sentences

The idea for “One Hand Clapping” grew out of an introductory biology course that Mr. Kukushkin teaches at New York University, and he’s clearly developed a knack for keeping undergraduates awake.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

"We're starting to get an image of their biology and where they fit in the larger web of life," said Vayda.

Read more on Science Daily

By bridging cellular biology with ecological theory, this study moves science closer to a universal framework for understanding life's growth limits.

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"With complex areas of biology where no current non-animal model gets anything close to the real biology, how is forcibly pushing this strategy going to help?"

Read more on BBC

"We finally have the tools, such as genomics, high-resolution live imaging and systems biology, to learn from them. What we need now is broader support to pursue this kind of research."

Read more on Science Daily

Related Words

• anthropology 
• biological science www.thesaurus.com
• ecology 
• environmental science 
• medicine 
• natural science 
• zoology