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'''Biology''' encompasses a set of disciplines that examines [[phenomenon|phenomena]] related to living organisms. The scale of study can range from sub-component [[biophysics]] up to complex [[ecology|ecologies]]. Biology is concerned with the [[characteristic]]s, [[scientific classification|classification]] and [[behavior]]s of [[organism]]s, as well as how [[species]] were formed and their interactions with each other and the [[natural environment]].
The biological fields of [[botany]], [[zoology]], and [[medicine]] date back to early periods of civilization, while [[microbiology]] was introduced in the 17th century with the invention of the microscope. However it was not until the 19th century that biology became a unified science; once scientists discovered commonalities between all living things it was decided they were best studied as a whole. Some key developments in the science of biology were the discovery of
[[genetics]]; [[Charles Darwin|Darwin's]] theory of [[evolution]] through [[natural selection]]; the [[germ theory of disease]] and the application of the techniques of [[biochemistry|chemistry]] and [[biophysics|physics]] at the level of the [[cell (biology)|cell]] or [[organic molecule]].
Modern Biology is divided into sub-disciplines by the type of organism and by the scale being studied. [[Molecular biology]] is the study of the fundamental chemistry of life, while [[cellular biology]] is the examination of the cell; the basic building block of all life. At a higher level, [[Physiology]] looks at the internal structure of organism, while [[ecology]] looks at how various organisms interrelate.
[[Category: Natural Sciences]]
[[Category: Natural Sciences]]
