biology

IPA/baɪˈɒlədʒi/
KK[baɪˈɑlədʒi]IPA/baɪˈɑːlədʒi/

biology — noun

1. the subject that looks at plants, animals, and other living things, including ho

1.nounA2
Definition

the subject that looks at plants, animals, and other living things, including how they grow and work

Example

Nina wants to study biology when she finishes high school.

study biology as a subject

Our biology teacher brought plant leaves into class this morning.

pattern: biology teacher

Common collocations
  • study biology
  • biology class
  • biology teacher
  • biology lab
  • marine biology
Synonyms
  • life science

    A broader classroom or subject label that often overlaps with biology.

  • natural science

    Much wider term that also includes fields such as chemistry and physics.

  • zoology

    Only the branch that studies animals, not all living things.

  • botany

    Only the branch that studies plants, not the whole field.

Grammar Patterns

study biology

biology class

biology teacher

biology lab

Usage Note

Usually uncountable. Very often names a school subject or university field, and it also appears before another noun in combinations such as 'biology class' and 'biology teacher'.

Common Mistakes

He teaches a biology at our school.
He teaches biology at our school.
The subject name is usually uncountable.
My sister studies biologic at college.
My sister studies biology at college.
Use the noun 'biology' for the subject; 'biologic' is not the usual word here.

2. the life activity seen in a creature or larger living system, especially the way

2.nounC1
Definition

the life activity seen in a creature or larger living system, especially the way its body and cells function

Example

Doctors still study the biology of sleep in young children.

pattern: biology of + process

The film explains whale biology with simple drawings and maps.

pattern: animal + biology

Common collocations
  • the biology of sleep
  • the biology of bees
  • whale biology
  • skin biology
Synonyms
  • physiology

    Closer to body function, especially in humans and animals; biology is broader.

  • life processes

    Plain description of the actions involved in living, rather than a field term.

  • workings

    Informal and general; it does not sound scientific.

Grammar Patterns

the biology of + process

the biology of + species

whale biology

skin biology

Usage Note

Common with 'of' when talking about one process, disease, species, or body system. Distinguish from sense 1, where biology names the school subject or science as a whole.

Common Mistakes

The doctor explained the biologys of the heart.
The doctor explained the biology of the heart.
This sense is uncountable, so it does not normally take a plural form.
Biology of sleep is my favorite school subject.
Biology is my favorite school subject.' or 'The biology of sleep is one topic in biology.
In this sense, it means how something in a living system works, not the whole subject.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

For noun/1, biology is the main broad word for the science of living things. Life science often overlaps with it in school names and course labels, but it can sound a little wider and may include areas linked to health or biotechnology. Natural science is wider still, because it also covers subjects like chemistry and physics. Zoology and botany are narrower branches inside biology: zoology deals with animals, while botany deals with plants. So a student may say, 'I study biology at school,' but a researcher might say, 'My work is in zoology,' if the focus is only animals.

life science ↗natural sciencezoology ↗botany ↗

Etymology

GreekEnglish

Biology was built from Greek parts meaning 'life' and 'study'. It entered English in the early 1800s as the name for the science that deals with living things.