biology is a large, complex, and fascinating field of science. There are literally thousands of specific research programs in biological science, which is a fairly recent institution (a couple hundred years of serious work, where some religions have existed for thousands of years and human ancestors evolved a million years ago). However, whether you are a current student of biology or not, the ten principles I mention here represent much of what everyone interested in biology (non-students, students, alumni, etc.) should know, want to know, or come away with from a current biology education. These also represent a direction, I feel, for a lot of the writing about to spill out into this blog. The concepts will not lose their importance, though I admit writing on all these topics will prove interesting and challenging, especially feeling the pressure to make what I write worth reading for all you wonderful folks. So, here's my basic top ten of biology education:
Top-ten things every biology student/graduate student should know (or you know you've mastered an undergraduate level grasp of biological science when you can think about, discuss, and basically define, explain, and give examples of the following)…
- Philosophy of science and biology
- The Cell
- Cellular Respiration
- Photosynthesis
- Meiosis
- Mitosis
- Sexual Life Cycles
- The Central Dogma of Molecular Biology
- Evolution, origin of life, species, etc.
- Phylogenetic systematics and the diversity of life
Basically, if you don't understand these and you are a biologist, your screwed. If you don't understadn these and you just graduated with a degree in biology, you're not really a scholar. And, in the event you aspire to learn more about these now or in the future, you can ask me questions or just read along... if not inspiring, it will probably be more entertaining than wasting your life by watching old predictable TV re-runs. Whatever. - JB
3 comments:
Interesting, no one has yet challenged the list? I think you've missed a few very important things. I don't know weather or not that's on purpose or something else, but you forgot about ecology completely. I take it you're a molecular biologist?
You're so right, it's wrong. Attempting to limit myself to the ten most important things students should take away from introductory biology classrooms was a tough road. I took liberty to omit some areas, as the specificity of "things" was not broad enough to encompass all biological science. In essence, toward the end I chose to elevate the importance of the diversity and origin of species, not their interactions. I am confident I can make this list better by incorporating ecology, but I'm not sure how to manipulate it so ecology will fit! BTW, I'm a molecular systematic ichthyologist. I have interests integrally linked to ecology (speciation, biogeography, macroecology, population genetics). So, shame on me! I'll change the list.
Wow...
Dats great to know, I want to become a great biology student and I think this ten top things will help me..
Thanks.
Post a Comment