Introduction to Biological Science

‘Biological science’, also known as ‘biology’, can be defined as ‘the study of life and living creatures’. It explores everything from the minute workings of chemical components inside living cells to the larger-scale notions of ecosystems and global environmental changes. Biology includes the study of cellular structure, the evolutionary aspect of inheritance and the energy composition that drives chemical metabolism in living organisms. This life sciences course provides an introduction to the study of cell structure, chemical activity, growth, evolution and distribution of living organisms.

This course studies the classification of living organisms into superkingdoms and kingdoms. We outline the origin and nature of life, the anatomical features of humans in the animal kingdom and the distinctive characteristics of the plant kingdom. Primary and secondary metabolites, natural products and macromolecules are essential for biological activities. We explain the processes that utilise macromolecules and metabolites in living organisms. We also discuss the etymology of ‘taxonomy’, which in the context of biology refers to the classification of organisms.

We explore the modern approach to classification, which incorporates morphology, ultrastructure and molecular phylogeny to characterise and classify living things. We break down the hierarchical system of classification and the binomial nomenclature of organism identification. The course also covers the cell transport system, the concept of bioenergetics and the forms of nutrition and digestion in plants and animals. This course has no prerequisites and suits students and anyone considering a career as a biologist. It also suits anyone who is simply interested in biology, which is a fascinating field that explores the science of life. Sign up to learn how the living world works.