Biology

Course summary

Biology is the study of living organisms and how these interact with each other and their environments. Biology is really a multidisciplinary subject that is made of many different and interdependent fields. Biology explores how living systems are constructed, as well as how they develop, communicate, interact, reproduce, defend themselves, and shape the biophysical environment around them. Biologists are constantly looking to understand links between different disciplines of biology and in this sense evolution is a unifying concept in biology. Never before in the history of science has it been more exciting and fascinating to study the biological sciences; the opportunities and potential to comprehend and problem-solve are endless. At Advanced Level, the subject is made up of major core components such as cell biology, biochemistry, physiology, microbiology, genetics, ecology and evolution. At degree level these macro-sub disciplinary areas further divide into further interesting topics, such as medical genetics, microbial genetics, molecular genetics and ecological genetics, which are just some branches of genetics. All of this demonstrates that biology really is the science that is undergoing an incredible and exciting revolution in our understanding, one that started in the 20th century with the elucidation of the structure of DNA, and now continues in the 21st century with the completion of the Human Genome Project, and the emergence of disciplines such as proteomics, genomics and synthetic biology. The subject of biology is never dull or static. For example, disciplines such as neuroscience, immunology and regenerative medicine (bioengineering) are just some of the exciting and fascinating undergraduate courses that students, who have completed their A Levels, can aspire to. It is also important to note that degree and non-degree apprenticeships in the Biological Sciences are also becoming more prevalent and popular.