What is the respiratory system?
Your respiratory system is made up of the organs in your body that help you to breathe. Remember, that Respiration = Breathing. The goal of breathing is to deliver oxygen to the body and to take away carbon dioxide.
Parts of the respiratory system
Lungs The lungs are the main organs of the respiratory system. In the lungs oxygen is taken into the body and carbon dioxide is breathed out. The red blood cells are responsible for picking up the oxygen in the lungs and carrying the oxygen to all the body cells that need it. The red blood cells drop off the oxygen to the body cells, then pick up the carbon dioxide which is a waste gas product produced by our cells. The red blood cells transport the carbon dioxide back to the lungs and we breathe it out when we exhale. |
Online Biology
Sunday, March 15, 2015
A short note on human respiratory system.
Tuesday, February 10, 2015
About cell.
Cell:
The word cell comes from the Latin word cella
meaning small room. It is the basic structural unite of living organisms.
It can make duplicates of its own. So, in the definition of a cell we can say
that “The basic structural, functional, and biological unit of all known living
organisms which can replicate independently is called a cell.”
Cells consist of a protoplasm enclosed within a membrane,
which contains many biomolecules such as proteins and nucleic acids.
Organisms can be classified as unicellular (consisting of a single cell;
including most bacteria)
or multicellular (including plants andanimals).
While the number of cells in plants and animals varies from species to species,
humans contain about 100 trillion (10)
cells. Most plant and animal
cells are visible only under the microscope, with dimensions between 1 and
100 micrometres
The cell was discovered by Robert Hooke in 1665, who named the biological unit
for its resemblance to cells inhabited by Christian monks in a monastery. The cell theory,
first developed in 1839 by Matthias Jakob Schleiden and Theodor
Schwann, states that all organisms are composed of one or more
cells, that all cells come from preexisting cells, that vital functions of
an organism occur within cells, and that all cells contain the hereditary
information necessary
for regulating cell functions and for transmitting information to the next
generation of cells. Cells emerged on Earth at least 3.5 billion years ago.
Cells have
many parts, each with a different function. Some of these parts, called
organelles, are specialized structures that perform certain tasks within the
cell. Human cells contain the following major parts, listed in alphabetical
order:
Cytoplasm
Within
cells, the cytoplasm is made up of a jelly-like fluid (called the cytosol) and
other structures that surround the nucleus.
Cytoskeleton
The
cytoskeleton is a network of long fibers that make up the cell’s structural
framework. The cytoskeleton has several critical functions, including determining
cell shape, participating in cell division, and allowing cells to move. It also
provides a track-like system that directs the movement of organelles and other
substances within cells.
Endoplasmic reticulum (ER)
This
organelle helps process molecules created by the cell. The endoplasmic
reticulum also transports these molecules to their specific destinations either
inside or outside the cell.
Golgi apparatus
The Golgi
apparatus packages molecules processed by the endoplasmic reticulum to be
transported out of the cell.
Lysosomes and peroxisomes
These
organelles are the recycling center of the cell. They digest foreign bacteria
that invade the cell, rid the cell of toxic substances, and recycle worn-out
cell components.
Mitochondria
Mitochondria
are complex organelles that convert energy from food into a form that the cell
can use. They have their own genetic material, separate from the DNA in the
nucleus, and can make copies of themselves.
Nucleus
The
nucleus serves as the cell’s command center, sending directions to the cell to
grow, mature, divide, or die. It also houses DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid), the
cell’s hereditary material. The nucleus is surrounded by a membrane called the nuclear
envelope, which protects the DNA and separates the nucleus from the rest of the
cell.
Plasma membrane
The plasma
membrane is the outer lining of the cell. It separates the cell from its
environment and allows materials to enter and leave the cell.
Ribosomes
Ribosomes are organelles that
process the cell’s genetic instructions to create proteins. These organelles
can float freely in the cytoplasm or be connected to the endoplasmic reticulum.
Sunday, February 8, 2015
A short note on the importance of Biology in our daily life
Biology
is the study of all living things, so it helps people to understand every organism
alive, from the smallest Bacteria to California redwoods and Blue whales.
Biology is important to everyday life because
it allows humans to better understand their bodies, their resources and
potential threats in the environment.
The
importance of biology in our daily lives can be considered from the two natural
divisions of the science itself, plant life and animal life.
Importance of Biology in our Daily Lives with Respect to Agriculture and Industry
1.
Agriculture
plays great role narrating the importance of biology in our daily lives.
Agriculture is largely the result of man’s taking the advantage of the inter
relations of soil, climate and natural habitat to select those particular
combinations that meet his basic requirements. Thus to provide necessary food, man
depends entirely on green plants that can alone capture the solar energy.
2.
High
yielding varieties of crop plants like rice, wheat, jute, sugar cane, pulses
etc are now bred experimentally. Disease resistant grains and verbalized seeds
are made.
3.
Biological
control strategies are undertaken as pest control emphasizing the importance of
biology in our daily lives.
4.
Modern
man does not depend on fishing and hunting like our ancestors and instead rears
fishes as well as cattle and various other domestic animals to get food and
other necessities of life. This has resulted in the development of fishery and
animal husbandry.
5.
The
importance of biology in our daily lives lies in the production of clothings
and timber for making furnitures, in supplied raw materials for paper, dyes,
etc.
6.
Fossils
are important in locating underground oil and natural gas reserves. Even coal
and mineral oil formed from decomposed plant bodies are key to industrial
prosperity.
Importance of Biology in our Daily Lives with Respect to Health and General well Being
1.
Medical
advancement also shows the importance of biology in our daily lives. The study
of dreaded diseases, their causative agents, cure as well as the actions of
drugs are a way of biological enlightenment that strives minimizing human
suffering.
2.
Importance
of biology in our daily lives also lies in finding and curing hereditary
abnormalities like haemophilia, Down’s syndrome,etc.
3.
Biology
aims in making effort to better human race through eugenics.
4.
Biology
study has a vital role in controlling environmental pollution and attracted
sense of art and beauty.
Names of the main branches of Biology
The main
branches of Biology is given below -
v
Aerobiology – the study of airborne organic particles
v
Agriculture – the study of producing crops and raising
livestock, with an emphasis on practical applications
v
Anatomy –
the study of form and function, in plants, animals, and other organisms, or
specifically in humans
o
Histology – the study of cells and tissues, a microscopic
branch of anatomy
v
Astrobiology (also known as exobiology, exopaleontology,
and bioastronomy) – the study of evolution, distribution, and future of life in
the universe
v
Biochemistry – the study of the chemical reactions
required for life to exist and function, usually a focus on the cellular level
v
Bioengineering – the study of biology
through the means of engineering with an emphasis on applied knowledge and
especially related to biotechnology
v
Biogeography – the study of the distribution of species
spatially and temporally
v
Bioinformatics – the use of information
technology for the study, collection, and storage of genomic and other
biological data
v
Biomathematics (or Mathematical biology) –
the quantitative or mathematical study of biological processes, with an
emphasis on modeling
v
Biomechanics – often considered a branch of medicine, the
study of the mechanics of living beings, with an emphasis on applied use
through prosthetics ororthotics
v
Biomedical research – the study of health
and disease
o
Pharmacology – the study and practical application of
preparation, use, and effects of drugs and synthetic medicines
v
Biomusicology – the study of music from a biological
point of view.
v
Biophysics – the study of biological processes through
physics, by applying the theories and methods traditionally used in the physical
sciences
v
Biotechnology – the study of the manipulation of living
matter, including genetic modification and synthetic
biology
o
Synthetic biology – research integrating
biology and engineering; construction of biological functions not found in
nature
v
Building biology – the study of the indoor
living environment
v
Botany –
the study of plants
v
Cell biology – the study of the cell as a
complete unit, and the molecular and chemical interactions that occur within a
living cell
v
Cognitive biology – the study of cognition as
a biological function
v
Conservation biology – the study of the
preservation, protection, or restoration of the natural environment, natural
ecosystems, vegetation, and wildlife
v
Cryobiology – the study of the effects of lower than
normally preferred temperatures on living beings
v
Developmental biology – the study of the
processes through which an organism forms, from zygote to full structure
o
Embryology – the study of the development of embryo (from
fecundation to birth)
v
Ecology –
the study of the interactions of living organisms with one another and with the
non-living elements of their environment
v
Environmental biology – the study of the
natural world, as a whole or in a particular area, especially as affected by
human activity
v
Epidemiology – a major component of public health
research, studying factors affecting the health of populations
v
Evolutionary biology – the study of the
origin and descent of species over time
v
Genetics –
the study of genes and heredity.
o
Epigenetics – the study of heritable changes in gene
expression or cellular phenotype caused by mechanisms other than changes in the
underlying DNA sequence
v
Hematology (also known as Haematology) – the study of
blood and blood-forming organs.
v
Integrative biology – the study of whole
organisms
v
Limnology – the study of inland waters
v
Marine biology (or Biological
oceanography) – the study of ocean ecosystems, plants, animals, and other
living beings
v
Microbiology – the study of microscopic organisms
(microorganisms) and their interactions with other living things including:
o
Parasitology – the study of parasites and parasitism
o
Virology –
the study of viruses and some other virus-like agents
v
Molecular biology – the study of biology
and biological functions at the molecular level, some cross over with
biochemistry
v
Mycology –
the study of fungi
v
Neurobiology – the study of the nervous system, including
anatomy, physiology and pathology
v
Population biology – the study of groups
of conspecific organisms, including:
o
Population ecology – the study of how
population dynamics and extinction
o
Population genetics – the study of changes
in gene frequencies in populations of organisms
v
Paleontology – the study of fossils and sometimes
geographic evidence of prehistoric life
v
Pathobiology or pathology – the study of diseases, and
the causes, processes, nature, and development of disease
v
Physiology – the study of the functioning of living
organisms and the organs and parts of living organisms
v
Phytopathology – the study of plant
diseases (also called Plant Pathology)
v
Psychobiology – the study of the biological bases ofpsychology
v
Sociobiology – the study of the biological bases ofsociology
v
Structural biology – a branch of molecular
biology,biochemistry, and biophysics concerned
with the molecular structure of biological macromolecules
v
Zoology –
the study of animals, including classification, physiology, development, and
behavior, including:
o
Ethology –
the study of animal behavior
o
Entomology – the study of insects
o
Herpetology – the study of reptiles and amphibians
o
Ichthyology – the study of fish
o
Mammalogy – the study of mammals
o
Ornithology – the study of birds
Saturday, February 7, 2015
A brief discussion on Biology
The word
Biology comes from the Greek word Bios and Logos. Bios means life and logos means knowledge. So from that we
can say that Biology is a sector of science which is concerned with the study
of living organisms. It discusses about the structure, function, growth,
evolution, distribution and taxonomy of living organisms. In modern age biology
has covered a vast and divers field which is composed of many branches
and sub branches. Biology recognizes the cell as the basic unit of life, genes
as the basic unit of heredity, and evolution as the engine that propels the
synthesis and creation of new species.
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