General & Life Science

It is a vast field of study than one can ever imagine due to its involvement in almost every aspect of our lives. From our daily activities to the complex work we do, science is everywhere. No matter whether something is still or moving, why do certain things have a particular colour or why do they change colour. As human beings, there are a lot of questions that we ask throughout our entire life, and when it comes down to it, it’s the science that answers all our doubts and questions. As we already discussed, science covers a wide range of topics, so it is used to study practically anything, including organisms’ survival, organ systems, and general activities of living creatures. In this article, we will concentrate on the most widely used field of science, which is general and life science.

What is Life Science?

Life science encompasses all types of living organisms on earth, and it occupies a vast field of study related to the life of living organisms. When we say that life science deals with living organisms, we do not necessarily mean humans, plants, and animals. Instead, it includes all biological living organisms, like bacteria, fungi, viruses, whales, sharks, giraffes, etc. In the study of humans’ evolution from apes and monkeys, we study life science which means we study all organisms and their behaviour, from how they were in the past to how they behave today. The study of living organisms is called biology, which is a more specific term for this study.

Branches in Life Science

It is said that life sciences consist of over 30 branches which include ecology, zoology, microbiology, botany, entomology, physiology, and genetics. Life science encompasses much more than these branches, like biotechnology, which analyses the relationship between technology and life. An area of life science known as astrobiology is concerned with the study of life beyond or on earth, it involves the study of how life originated and its survival in different types of habitats and environments on earth.

Biological linguistics, also called biolinguistics, is the study of the evolution of language among all living organisms. Life science also includes developmental biology, which relates to the study of life cycles of many living organisms such as humans. The human life cycle starts with zygotes forming into adults, and almost every living organism has its own life cycle, even bacteria, viruses, and fungi. Neuroscience focuses on the brain and how its interactions with the environment affect its behaviour. Neuroscience is also an interesting and fascinating field since it deals with the study of the nervous system – in particular, the study of the brain and its impact on the behaviour of living organisms.

What does Life Science include?

We have discussed previously that life science is a vast field. It encompasses many fields. However, now we will look at specific subjects that students study when they choose to study life science. In total, there are 13 topics in the life science syllabus, produced by Human Resource Development Group (HRDG). There are the following topics within the syllabus for life science:

• Unit 1 – Molecules and their Interaction Relevant to Biology
• Unit 2 – Cellular Organisation
• Unit 3 – Fundamental Processes
• Unit 4 – Cell Communication and Cell Signalling
• Unit 5 – Developmental Biology
• Unit 6 – System Physiology – Plant
• Unit 7 – System Physiology – Animal
• Unit 8 – Inheritance Biology
• Unit 9 – Diversity of Life Forms
• Unit 10 – Ecological Principles
• Unit 11 – Evolution and Behaviour
• Unit 12 – Applied Biology
• Unit 13 – Methods in Biology

These units cover a variety of topics such as the stability of proteins and nucleic acids. It also covers the structure, composition, and function of biomolecules such as proteins, carbohydrates, nucleic acids, etc. In general, we can say that unit 1 discusses topics that are central to chemistry. Among these topics are the structures of atoms and molecules, as well as their chemical bonds.

In unit 2, we learn about membrane structure and function, the structure and function of intracellular organelles, the structure and function of genes and chromosomes, as well as the cell cycle and division of cells.

Unit 3 is concerned with DNA replication, repair, and recombination, RNA synthesis and processing, protein synthesis and processing, and control of gene expression at the transcription and translation levels.

In unit 4 you will be studying topics such as host-parasite interaction, cellular signalling, cellular communication, cancer, and adaptive and innate immune systems.

Unit 5 covers topics such as animal and plant morphogenesis and organogenesis as well as basic concepts of development.

Units 6 and 7 focus on plant and animal system physiology respectively. There are several processes occurring in plants, including photosynthesis, respiration, nitrogen metabolism, plant hormones, and several other processes occurring in animals, including blood circulation, cardiovascular system, respiratory system, nervous system, etc.

Conclusion

Life Science encompasses various branches that examine everything going on around us, from general activities to the study of living organisms, their behaviour, evolution, and so on. Also discussed were the different branches of life science and how they dealt with different aspects of life. Along with this, we saw some additional branches of life science like biolinguistics, developmental biology, etc. We have also seen the syllabus for life science and some of the topics that students study within each unit in this article. The field of life science is a fascinating and worthwhile one, and that is why students choose to study it.