List of basic biology topics
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{{For|a more comprehensive list|List of biology topics}}
'''[[Biology]]''' is the study of [[living organisms]]. It is concerned with the [[characteristic]]s, [[biological classification|classification]], and [[behavior]]s of [[organism]]s, how [[species]] come into [[existence]], and the interactions they have with each other and with the [[Environment (biophysical)|environment]]. Biology encompasses a broad spectrum of academic fields that are often viewed as independent disciplines. However, together they address [[phenomenon|phenomena]] related to living organisms (biological phenomena) over a wide range of scales, from [[biophysics]] to [[ecology]]. All concepts in biology are subject to the same laws that other branches of science obey, such as the laws of [[thermodynamics]] and [[conservation of energy]].
The following outline is provided as an overview of and introduction to '''biology''':
{{portalpar|Biology}}
== Essence of biology ==
: ''Main article: [[Biology]]''
* [[Anatomy]]
* [[Wikt:Bio-|Bio-]]
* [[Biologist]]
* [[Human anatomy]]
* [[Life]]
* [[Organism]]
== Subdisciplines of biology ==
:[[Acarology]] -- [[Anatomy]] -- [[Arachnology]] -- [[Biochemistry]] -- [[Bioinformatics]] -- [[Biomechanics]] -- [[Bionomics]] -- [[Biophysics]] -- [[Biotechnology]] -- [[Botany]] -- [[Cell biology]] -- [[Ecology]] -- [[Entomology]] -- [[Evolution]] -- [[Genetics]] -- [[Gerontology]] -- [[Herpetology]] -- [[Histology]] -- [[Ichnology]] -- [[Ichthyology]] -- [[Immunology]] -- [[Limnology]] -- [[Marine biology]] -- [[Microbiology]] -- [[Molecular biology]] -- [[Mycology]] -- [[Myrmecology]] -- [[Neurobiology]] -- [[Ornithology]] -- [[Paleontology]] -- [[Palynology]] -- [[Parasitology]] -- [[Photobiology]] -- [[Phycology]] -- [[Physiology]] -- [[Plant physiology]] -- [[Biological psychology]]-- [[Radiobiology]] -- [[Sociobiology]] -- [[Structural biology]] -- [[Taxonomy]] -- [[Virology]] -- [[Zoology]]
== History of biology ==
: ''Main article: [[History of biology]]''
* [[Ancient Greek medicine]]
* [[Islamic medicine]]
* [[Byzantine medicine]]
* [[Medieval medicine]]
* [[History of anatomy]]
* [[History of plant systematics]]
* [[History of evolutionary thought]]
* [[Natural history#History of natural history|History of natural history]]
* [[History of genetics]]
* [[History of model organisms]]
* [[Modern evolutionary synthesis]]
* [[History of biochemistry]]
* [[History of molecular biology]]
* [[History of biotechnology]]
* [[History of molecular evolution]]
== Basic biology concepts ==
=== Ecology & evolution ===
*'''[[Life]]''': [[origin of life]] -- [[Miller-Urey experiment]]
*'''[[Ecology]]''':
**[[Autecology]]: [[autotroph]] -- [[heterotroph]] -- [[acclimatization]] -- [[endotherm]] -- [[ectotherm]] -- [[hibernation]] -- [[homeostasis]] -- [[behavior]] -- [[circadian rhythm]]
**[[Population ecology]]: [[population]] -- [[competition]] -- [[mating]] -- [[biological dispersal]] -- [[endemic (ecology)|endemism]] -- [[ecological niche|niche]] -- [[growth curve]] -- [[carrying capacity]]
**[[Community ecology]]: [[community]] -- [[keystone species]] -- [[mimicry]] -- [[symbiosis]] -- [[pollination]] -- [[mutualism]] -- [[commensalism]] -- [[parasitism]] -- [[predation]] -- [[invasive species]] -- [[environmental heterogeneity]] -- [[edge effect]]
**[[Ecosystems]]: [[biodiversity]] -- [[biome]] -- [[habitat (ecology)|habitat]] -- [[plankton]] -- [[thermocline]] -- [[carbon cycle]] -- [[water cycle]] -- [[nitrogen cycle]] -- [[food web]] -- [[trophic level]] -- [[saprobe]] -- [[decomposition]]
*'''[[Evolutionary biology]]''' ([[evolution]])
**[[Microevolution]]: [[species]] -- [[speciation]] -- [[adaptation]] -- [[selection]] -- [[natural selection]] -- [[directional selection]] -- [[sexual selection]] -- [[genetic drift]] -- [[sexual reproduction]] -- [[asexual reproduction]] -- [[colony]] -- [[allele frequency]] -- [[neutral theory of molecular evolution]] -- [[population genetics]] -- [[Hardy-Weinberg principle]]
**[[Macroevolution]]: [[adaptive radiation]] -- [[convergent evolution]] -- [[extinction]] -- [[mass extinction]] -- [[fossil]] -- [[taphonomy]] -- [[geologic time]] -- [[plate tectonics]] -- [[continental drift]] -- [[vicariance]] -- [[Gondwana]] -- [[Pangaea]] -- [[endosymbiosis]]
**[[Systematics]]: [[taxon]] -- [[alpha taxonomy|taxonomy]] -- [[scientific classification]] -- [[phylogeny]] -- [[evolutionary tree]] -- [[cladistics]] -- [[synapomorphy]] -- [[homology (biology)|homology]] -- [[molecular clock]]
=== Organismal biology ===
*'''Groups of living [[organism]]s'''
**[[virus]]es : [[DNA virus]]es -- [[RNA virus]]es -- [[retrovirus]]es
**'''Single-cell organisms''':
***[[prokaryote]]s : [[microbe]] -- [[bacterium|bacteria]] -- [[archaebacteria]] -- [[eubacteria]]
***[[eukaryote]]s: [[fungi]] -- [[algae]] -- [[protozoa]] -- [[protista]]
**'''Multicellular organisms''':
***[[plantae]] -- [[plant]]s -- [[bryophyte]]s -- [[pteridophyte]]s -- [[seed plant]]s
***[[animal]]ia -- [[animal]]s -- [[metazoa]] -- [[insect]]s -- [[mollusc]]s -- [[vertebrate]]s
***[[fungi]] -- [[lichen]] -- [[mycorrhizae]]
*'''[[Developmental biology]] ''': [[gamete]] -- [[spermatid]] -- [[ovum]] -- [[zygote]] -- [[embryo]] -- [[cellular differentiation]] -- [[morphogenesis]] --[[homeobox]]
**Animal development: [[stem cell]] -- [[blastula]] -- [[gastrula]] -- [[egg (biology)]] -- [[fetus]] -- [[placenta]]
**Plant development: [[seed]] -- [[cotyledon]] -- [[meristem]] -- [[apical meristem]] -- [[vascular cambium]] -- [[cork cambium]]
*'''[[Morphology (biology)|Morphology]], [[Anatomy]], & [[Physiology]]''':
**Techniques: [[electrophysiology]] -- [[electron microscopy]]
**[[biological tissue|tissues]] -- [[organ (anatomy)|organ]] -- [[senescence]]
**Plant systems: [[root]] -- [[shoot]] -- [[plant stem|stem]] -- [[leaf]] -- [[flower]]
***[[vascular tissue]] -- [[Casparian strip]] -- [[turgor pressure]] -- [[xylem]] -- [[phloem]] -- [[transpiration]] -- [[wood]]
***[[alternation of generations]] -- [[gametophyte]] -- [[antheridium]] -- [[archegonium]] -- [[sporophyte]] -- [[spore]] -- [[sporangium]]
***[[tropism]] -- [[taxis]]
**Animal systems: [[skin cell]]
***[[skeleton]] -- [[bone]] -- [[cartilage]] -- [[joint]] -- [[muscle]] -- [[tendon]] -- [[actin]] -- [[myosin]] -- [[reflex]]
***[[circulatory system]] -- [[Respiration (physiology)|respiration]] -- [[lung]] -- [[heart]] -- [[artery]] -- [[vein]] -- [[capillary]] -- [[blood]] -- [[blood cell]]
***[[digestive system]] -- [[stomach]] -- [[intestine]] -- [[liver]] -- [[nutrition]] -- [[primary nutritional groups]] [[metabolism]] -- [[kidney]] -- [[excretion]]
***[[nervous system]]: [[limbic system]] -- [[vestibular system]] -- [[neuron]] -- [[axon]] -- [[dendrite]] -- [[brain]] -- [[eye]] -- [[Visual perception|vision]] -- [[audition]] -- [[proprioception]] -- [[olfaction]] -- [[memory]]
*** [[nerve]] signaling: [[action potential]] -- [[signal transduction]] -- [[synapse]] -- [[receptor (biochemistry)|receptor]]
***[[endocrine system]] -- [[hormone]]
***[[reproductive system]] -- [[testes]] -- [[ovary]] -- [[pregnancy]]
*'''Medicine''':
**[[Disease]]s: [[cancer]] -- [[diabetes]] -- [[obesity]] -- [[hereditary disease]] -- [[communicable disease]]
**[[immune system]]: [[antibody]] -- [[Host (biology)|host]] -- [[vaccine]] -- [[immune cell]] -- [[AIDS]] -- [[T-cell]] -- [[leucocyte]]
**[[medication|Drugs]]: [[antibiotic]] -- [[barbiturate]] -- [[SSRI]]
**Techniques: [[MRI]] -- [[Computed axial tomography]] -- [[blood count]]
=== Cell & molecular biology ===
*'''[[Cell biology]]''': the [[cell (biology)|cell]]
: ''Main article: [[List of basic cell biology topics]]''
** Techniques: [[cell culture]] -- [[microscope]] -- [[SEM]] -- [[TEM]]
**cell components:
***[[organelle]]s: [[Golgi apparatus]] -- [[cell nucleus|nucleus]] -- [[cytoplasm]] -- [[vacuole]] -- [[vesicle (biology)|vesicle]] -- [[lysosome]] -- [[peroxisome]] -- [[mitochondrion]] -- [[plastid]] -- [[chloroplast]]
***[[biological membrane|membranes]]: [[plasma membrane]] -- [[endomembrane system]] -- [[endoplasmic reticulum]] -- [[mitochondrial membrane]] -- [[chloroplast membrane]]
*** Other subcellular features: [[cell wall]] -- [[pseudopod]] -- [[cytoskeleton]] -- [[mitotic spindle]] -- [[flagellum]] -- [[cilium]]
**cell processes:
***[[diffusion]] -- [[osmosis]] -- [[isotonic]] -- [[active transport]] -- [[phagocytosis]]
***energy pathways: [[fermentation (biochemistry)|fermentation]] -- [[glycolysis]] -- [[cellular respiration]] -- [[citric acid cycle]] -- [[photosynthesis]] -- [[Calvin cycle]]
***[[protein biosynthesis]] -- [[ribosome]]s
***cellular reproduction: [[cytokinesis]] -- [[centromere]] -- [[meiosis]]
***nuclear reproduction: [[mitosis]] -- [[interphase]] -- [[prophase]] -- [[metaphase]] -- [[anaphase]] -- [[telophase]]
***[[programmed cell death]] -- [[apoptosis]] -- [[senescence|cell senescence]]
*'''[[Biochemistry]] ''':
**[[Biomolecule]]s:
***Small: [[amino acid]]s -- [[Adenosine triphosphate|Adenosine triphosphate (ATP)]] -- [[fat]]s -- [[lipid]]s -- [[Petroleum|oil]] -- [[phospholipid]] -- [[prion]] -- [[sugar]] -- [[vitamin]]s -- [[neurotransmitter]] -- [[wax]]
***Medium-sized:
****[[pigment]]s: [[chlorophyll]] -- [[carotenoid]] -- [[xanthophyll]] -- [[melanin]]
***Biopolymers/[[macromolecules]]
****[[protein]]s: [[primary structure]] -- [[secondary structure]] -- [[tertiary structure]] -- [[conformation]] -- [[native state]] -- [[protein folding]] -- [[enzyme]] -- [[receptor (biochemistry)|receptor]] -- [[transmembrane receptor]] -- [[ion channel]] -- [[membrane transporter]]-- [[collagen]] -- [[silk]]
****[[DNA]] -- [[RNA]]
****[[polysaccharide]]: [[cellulose]] -- [[carbohydrate]] -- [[chitin]] -- [[glycogen]] -- [[starch]]
**Biochemical mechanisms: [[proteolysis]] -- [[cooperativity]]
**[[Biochemical techniques|Techniques]]: [[electrophoresis]] -- [[His tag]] --[[affinity chromatography]] -- [[x-ray diffraction]] -- [[Proteomics]] -- [[mass spectrometry]]
*'''[[Molecular biology]]''':
**genetic structure: [[DNA]] -- [[DNA replication]] -- [[nucleosome]] -- [[genetic code]] -- [[codon]] -- [[transcription factor]] -- [[Transcription (genetics)|transcription]] -- [[translation]] -- [[RNA]] -- [[histone]] -- [[telomere]]
**[[gene expression]] -- [[heterochromatin]] -- [[promoter]] -- [[Enhancer (genetics)|enhancer]] -- [[operon]]
**[[mutation]] -- [[point mutation]] -- [[Chromosomal crossover|crossover]] -- [[recombination]] --[[plasmid]] -- [[transposon]]
**[[molecular genetics]]: [[DNA fingerprinting]] -- [[genetic fingerprint]] -- [[microsatellite]] -- [[gene knockout]]-- [[imprinting]] -- [[RNA interference]]
**[[Genomics]]: [[computational biology]] -- [[bioinformatics]]
**Molecular Techniques: [[gel electrophoresis]] -- [[Transformation (genetics)|transformation]] -- [[PCR]] -- [[PCR mutagenesis]] -- [[primer (molecular biology)|primer]] -- [[chromosome walking]] -- [[RFLP]] -- [[restriction enzyme]] -- [[sequencing]] -- [[shotgun sequencing]] -- [[cloning]] -- [[culture]] -- [[DNA microarray]]
*'''[[Genetics]]''' ([[classical genetics]]) :
**[[heredity]] -- [[Mendelian inheritance]] -- [[gene]] -- [[locus (genetics)|locus]] -- [[Trait (biological)|trait]] -- [[allele]] -- [[polymorphism (biology)|polymorphism]] -- [[homozygote]] -- [[heterozygote]] -- [[Hybrid (biology)|hybrid]] -- [[Hybrid (biology)|hybrid]]ization -- [[dihybrid cross]] -- [[Punnett square]]
**[[genotype-phenotype distinction]] -- [[genotype]] -- [[phenotype]] -- [[dominant gene]] -- [[recessive gene]]
**[[genetic interactions]] -- [[Mendelian inheritance#Mendel's law of segregation|Mendel's law of segregation]] -- [[genetic mosaic]] -- [[maternal effect]] -- [[penetrance]] -- [[complementation (genetics)|complementation]] -- [[suppression (genetics)|suppression]] -- [[epistasis]] -- [[genetic linkage]]
**chromosomal effects: [[chromosome]] -- [[haploid]] -- [[diploid]] -- [[polyploidy]] -- [[dosage effect]] -- [[inbreeding]]
**[[Model organism]]s: ''[[Drosophila melanogaster|Drosophila]]'' -- ''[[Arabidopsis thaliana|Arabidopsis]]'' -- ''[[Caenorhabditis elegans]]'' -- [[mouse]] -- ''[[Saccharomyces cerevisiae]]'' -- ''[[Escherichia coli]]'' -- [[Lambda phage]] -- ''[[Xenopus]]''
**Techniques: [[genetic screen]] -- [[parental testing|paternity test]] -- [[linkage map]] -- [[genetic map]]
== Influential biologists ==
: ''Main articles: [[Biologist]] and [[List of biologists]]''
<blockquote style:"font-size:100%;">[[Charles Robert Darwin]] -- [[Alfred Russel Wallace]] -- [[Jean-Baptiste Lamarck]] -- [[Sir Charles Lyell]] -- [[Alfred Wegener]] -- [[Alexander Fleming]] -- [[Andrew Huxley]] -- [[Robert Koch]] -- [[Konrad Lorenz]] -- [[Ernst Haeckel]] -- [[Theodor Bilharz]] -- [[Marcello Malpighi]] -- [[Antoni van Leeuwenhoek]] -- [[Konrad Lorenz]] -- [[Thomas Malthus]] -- [[Edward Jenner]] -- [[Carolus Linnaeus]] -- [[Sewall Wright]] -- [[Louis Pasteur]] -- [[Gregor Mendel]] -- [[Barbara McClintock]] -- [[James D. Watson]] -- [[Francis Crick]] -- [[Kary Mullis]] -- [[Rosalind Franklin]] -- [[Steven Jay Gould]] -- [[Lynn Margulis]] -- [[Carl Woese]] -- [[Jane Goodall]] -- [[E. O. Wilson]]</blockquote>
== Biology lists ==
: ''Main article: [[List of biology topics]]''
*[[List of basic cell biology topics]]
== See also ==
*[[Invasion biology terminology]]
== External links ==
{{sisterlinks|Biology}}
{{wikibooks}}
{{wiktionary}}
{{wikiversity3|School:Biology|Biology|The School of Biology}}
{{portal|Biology|Issoria lathonia.jpg}}
*[http://www.dnalc.org/ The Dolan DNA Learning Center: The source for timely information about your life]
*[http://www.ohiou.edu/phylocode/index.html OSU's Phylocode]
*[http://tolweb.org/tree/phylogeny.html ''The Tree of Life'']: A multi-authored, distributed Internet project containing information about phylogeny and biodiversity.
*[http://ocw.mit.edu/OcwWeb/Biology/7-012Fall-2004/VideoLectures/ MIT video lecture series on biology]
*[http://www.openwetware.org A wiki site for protocol sharing run from MIT].
*[http://www.bioeticaunbosque.edu.co/english/ Biology and Bioethics].
*[http://www.biology-online.org/dictionary/ Biology online wiki dictionary].
*[http://bio-alive.com/ Biology Video Sharing Community].
===Journal links===
*[http://biology.plosjournals.org/perlserv/?request=index-html&issn=1545-7885 PLos Biology] A peer-reviewed, open-access journal published by the Public Library of Science
*[http://www.biolsci.org International Journal of Biological Sciences] A biological journal publishes peer-reviewed scientific papers of significance
*[http://www.press.jhu.edu/journals/perspectives_in_biology_and_medicine/index.html Perspectives in Biology and Medicine]
{{List resources}}
[[Category:Basic topic lists|Biology| ]]
[[Category:Biology lists| ]]
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