What is Biology?
Biology is the study of all living organisms. It explores what they are, how they develop, and their relationships with each other. Biologists can work within a range of careers including research, science writing or teaching, among others. Biology is a broad discipline that can be broken down into a number of specializations. With the help of biology, many areas of life can be improved.
Zoology is the branch of biology that studies animals, a discipline known as zoology. This discipline is mainly concerned with the study of animal structure, function, classification, habits and distribution. The word zoology means "the study of animals," and the study is an older science than most people think. It is believed that the science of zoology was begun in ancient Greece around 270 B.C. when Aristotle formed his own collection of animals for study.
The difference between biology and zoology is that the first one mainly deals with plants, bacteria etc. while the second one is more specific to an animal study. Another difference between biology and zoology is that biologists are usually into more studies that are non-animal related, while a Zoologist is more specific to studying animals. Zoologists usually focus on a specific area of study, such as anatomy or behaviour, while a biologist may study all different areas.
Compare and Contrast Zoology and Biology:
Zoologists study animals while biologists study all living organisms, both animals and plants.
A zoologist is more specific to an animal study while a biologist studies all living organisms, including plants.
Biology can be split into different specialisations while a zoologist can not.
Zoology and biology are both sciences that require further education (college undergraduate degree).
Both zoology and biology can be career paths, but a biologist can also teach science.
Biology is broader than zoology because a biologist can research and study all living organisms including animals, plants, bacteria etc. while a zoologist is more specific to studying animals.
Zoology is the study of animals while biology is the broader study of all living organisms including plants, bacteria etc.
A biologist can choose to not study animals while a zoologist must study animals.
A biologist can be a specialist studying all areas of biology, but a zoologist can not be a specialist studying all areas.
What is Biology?
The branch of natural science which deals with the study of living organisms and their interaction with the nonliving world is known as Biology. Jean-Baptiste Lamarck and Gottfried Reinhold Teviranus were the first to coin the term “Biology” in the year 1801. The word “Biology” is derived from two Greek words, i.e. “bios” which means life, and “logos” which means study or science. The famous Greek philosopher Aristotle (384-322 BC) is popularly known as the Father of Biology.
Though the subject of Biology has many sub-branches, it is mainly divided into two branches, i.e. Botany (the study of different aspects of plants) and Zoology (the study of various aspects of animals). Aristotle is also known as the father of Zoology, whereas Theophrastus is known as the Father of Botany.
What is Zoology in Biology?
The word Zoology is the combination of two Greek words- zoon, meaning “animal”, and logos, meaning “study” or “science”. Therefore, Zoology is one of the main branches of Biology apart from botany and microbiology, also known as Animal Biology which deals with the study of organisms that strictly belong to the kingdom Animalia. It is the scientific study of their structure, form, and distribution. Aristotle is known as the Father of Zoology, and John Ray was the first scientist who developed the key identification of animals.
Branches of Zoology
Zoology is subdivided into various branches as follows.
Zoography or Descriptive Zoology: the applied science of describing animals and their habitats.
Comparative Anatomy: the scientific study of the structure of animals.
Ethology: the scientific and objective study of animal behaviour in their natural habitats.
Animal Physiology: the scientific study of functions and mechanisms in animals.
Histology: also known as microscopic anatomy is the study of the microscopic anatomy of biological tissues.
Vertebrate Zoology: the study of vertebrate animals, i.e., animals with a backbone such as fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals.
Invertebrate Zoology: the study of invertebrates, i.e., animals without a backbone such as sponges, echinoderms, tunicates.
Difference Between Biology and Zoology
Below the table are some of the major differences between Biology and Zoology.
Therefore, these are some of the major differences between Biology and Zoology, which would help students to distinguish between Biology and Zoology.
Did you know?
The African Bush Elephant (Loxodonta africana) is the largest living land animal, and it belongs to the order Proboscidea. It is found in the various open habitats of sub-Saharan Africa. This elephant weighs 100 kilograms (220 lbs) at birth. The blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus) is the largest living animal in the world, measuring approximately 30 meters (100 feet) long and can have an average weight of around 6500 kilograms. It belongs to the infraorder Cetacea. They are the largest animal known ever to exist.
Conclusion
Both zoology and biology are sciences that require further education and can be career paths. However, the main difference is zoology is more specific to animals while biology is broader and can be split into different specialisations. A biologist can choose to not study animals while a zoologist must study them. Overall, biology is the broader study of living organisms, while zoology is the study of animals.
FAQs on Difference Between Biology and Zoology
1. How is Animal Kingdom classified?
Animal Kingdom is mainly classified into two sub-kingdoms. They are unicellular animals and multicellular animals or Metazoans. Unicellular animals are kept in a single phylum Protozoa whereas multicellular animals are divided into 9 phyla. Phylum Porifera consists of animals that are unicellular, which means that their body is made up of only one cell. All kinds of metabolic activity (eating, digestion, respiration, excretion, reproduction) takes place in the unicellular body. Examples of Phylum protozoa are Amoeba, Euglena, Trypanosoma, and so on. The other 9 phyla are Phylum Porifera, Phylum Coelenterate, Phylum Platyhelminthes, Phylum Aschelminthes, Phylum Annelida, Phylum Arthropoda, Phylum Mollusca, Phylum Echinodermata, and Phylum Chordata.
2. What are the main subgroups of Phylum Chordata?
The main subgroups of Phylum Chordata are Pisces, Amphibia, Reptilia, Aves, and Mammalia. Pisces are cold-blooded animals whose respiration takes place through gills, and their heart is made up of two chambers. Examples are Labeo, Scoliodon, etc. Amphibians are found on both land and water. They have a three-chambered heart and respiration takes place through gills, skin, and lungs. Examples are Frog, Necturus, etc. Reptilia are cold-blooded, terrestrial or aquatic vertebrates and they respire through lungs. Examples are lizards, snakes, etc. Aves are warm-blooded tetrapod vertebrates with flight adaptation. They breathe through the lungs and have a beak formed by jaws. Examples are crow, peacock, etc. Lastly, Mammalia consists of warm-blooded animals who have a four-chambered heart and have sweat glands and oil glands on their skin. Examples are Echidna, kangaroo, human, etc.
3. What is the difference between Biology and Zoology?
The difference between Biology and Zoology is that Biology deals with the study of life and living organisms, whereas Zoology deals exclusively with the study of animals. Biology is the study of life and living organisms, whereas zoology is the study of animals. Biology is more diverse and deals with the study of all living organisms, whereas zoology on the other hand is more specialised and deals only with animals. zoology helps us as humans to understand more about animals and their behaviour.
4. Why are biologists sometimes called "biologians"?
The word "biology" is derived from Greek for the study of life, but many biologists prefer to spell it with two o's as "biologist", to emphasise the correct meaning of the word. The term "biologists" is sometimes used as a synonym for "biologists, However, this term is not very common outside certain circles in the United States. A biologist helps us as humans to understand more about animals and their behaviour and in certain circles in the U.S., the biologist is sometimes used as a synonym for "biologists" ; biologists do not only study biology but also some aspects of other sciences such as chemistry and physics.
5. What are the 5 branches of Biology?
There are five major branches of biology. Genetics is the study of genes and the variation in traits they make possible among individuals within a species. Botany is the study of plants and their internal structures, functions, life processes and products. Taxonomy is the classification (or grouping) of living and extinct organisms into hierarchical categories. Physiology is the study of the functioning of an organism's physiological processes. Ecology is the study of interactions between living organisms and their environment which helps us as humans to understand more about animals and the way they behave.
6. What are the branches of Zoology?
There are eight major branches of zoology. Morphology is the study of form and structure, including external (e.g., skeletal, muscular) and internal (e.g., nervous, circulatory). Anatomy is the study of internal organs and their functions (i.e., structure). Phylogeny is the study of a species' evolutionary development over time. It considers how each taxonomic unit evolved to obtain its current form and structure. Developmental biology studies the process by which a fertilised egg develops into an embryo. Embryology considers the earliest stages of development and includes two divisions.
5. What is the difference between a school teacher and a biologist?
A school teacher is a person who teaches students, whereas a biologist is someone who has acquired knowledge about biology. The school teacher does not study the way animals behave in their own environment. A school teacher is someone who has acquired knowledge about biology. A school teacher teaches students in school whereas a biologist has acquired knowledge about biology. A biologist studies the way animals behave in their environment so that it can be used to understand more about animals etc.
