Biology - should it be a Science?

Do you think Biology is a science? Doesn't it just used physical and chemical laws to observe and experiment. I mean there is very little theory involved in it. I'm not sure. Anyone want to inform me or give an opinion?

Scroll to see replies

Reply 1

*Hakz*

I'm pretty sure you can argue both ways.

I would definitely count it as a science since it looks at the study of life, human organisms, the organs and tissues in our body, our body structure e.t.c.

But I have to conclude though that compared to both Chemistry and Physics, Biology is the least scientific but probably the most important of all the sciences.

Reply 2

Revd. Mike

Oh god, this is ridiculous. Science is a method. Ideas are tested by experiment and observations. Biology is most definitely a science. It may not seem like it due to the crappy standard of teaching at secondary level, but trust me.

As for there being no theory involved, you're either deluded or incredibly naïve :rofl:

Reply 3

hyn_shayan

Original post by Revd. Mike

You could have said the same thing without being cocky. I wasn't asking to be ridiculed. I wanted an opinion on what others think.

I'm not saying that there is no theory involved. I'm saying there isn't as much theory as other Sciences such as Physics and Chemistry. From what I've seen so far, most of Biology is experimentation and observation.

Reply 4

Blackspur

Original post by hyn_shayan

. From what I've seen so far, most of Biology is experimentation and observation.

Which is an absolutely fundamental part of science.

Reply 5

Revd. Mike

Original post by hyn_shayan

It was a pretty ridiculous thing to say :wink:

I guess it's forgivable though, you've only studied it at secondary level. There is a LOT of theory. Biochemistry, biophsyics, pharmacology, neuroscience, etc. All vast amounts of theory.

Reply 6

hyn_shayan

Original post by Blackspur

Which is an absolutely fundamental part of science.

Most definitely. But can anyone tell me how theory relates to Biology?

Reply 7

JayTeeKay

Just posted this on a similar topic. It was on psychology, but most of it applies.

The doctrine of physics is mathematics and measurement. Given that science did basically start out as alchemy and "stamp collecting", physics was an attempt to do everything "properly" by defining everything fundamentaly, with the language of nature (maths).
Or course, it's not practical to model an entire organism on a molecular level using physics, which is why things like biology and psychology are still studied. But, from a physicist's perspective, simply experimenting and observing isn't sufficient. In fact, it would be very bad practise to experiment and observe without quantifying and expressing mathematically. For that reason, I personally (and you must appreciate this is my opinion and I am entitled to it) don't believe that biology/psychology etc. should be labelled as "science" in the same vein as physics.
That said, there are areas of physics research that DO try and model biological systems (just google "biophysics"), and somebody in this thread pointed out that there is a mathematical model for stimulus and response in psychology, so biology and psychology CAN be considered science in the same vein as physics with the correct approach.
Don't blame me. As a physicist I have to view it this way, otherwise I would be a bad physicist.

Reply 8

GodspeedGehenna

What the ****? There isn't any theory in it? Technically all of biology is theoretical.

Reply 9

Deyn_08

OP should study some genetics

when u study biology in a deeper level,most of it is chemistry.

Reply 10

wavey93

A better question. Do you have a brain?

Reply 11

StephenP91

Mathematics.

That's all I'll say.

Reply 12

hyn_shayan

I do not understand why you are criticizing me. I did not say that Biology is not a science. I asked about it.

Reply 13

GodspeedGehenna

Original post by JayTeeKay

Science is a method. Simple as.

You can pick any warped semantic perspective on anything and define it accordingly.

To me, a person is a lemon. You're not a lemon. Therefore you're not a person.

amidoinitrite?

Reply 14

hyn_shayan

Original post by Deyn_08

OP should study some genetics

when u study biology in a deeper level,most of it is chemistry.

Do you not think then that Biology is basically applied Physics and Chemistry?

Reply 15

j.alexanderh

What one Earth do you understand the term 'theory' to mean? Do you have some idea of theory as 'abstract ideas which no-one can imagine'? Biology contains, amongst other things, the theory of cells, the theory of evolution, the theory of photosynthesis, the theory of germs and probably hundreds of others. Theories are frameworks which explain evidence and data, and biology would just be a kind of scientific taxonomy if it just collected data without doing anything with it.

Reply 16

Vitamin D

Original post by hyn_shayan

Most definitely. But can anyone tell me how theory relates to Biology?

Just throwing this out there but uhm... Darwin's Theory of Evolution? No?

Reply 17

Deyn_08

Original post by hyn_shayan

Do you not think then that Biology is basically applied Physics and Chemistry?

yeah

the process of photosynthesis is chemistry.

Reply 18

hyn_shayan

Original post by Vitamin D

Just throwing this out there but uhm... Darwin's Theory of Evolution? No?

Indeed. But like someone previously said. Isn't photosynthesis, cells and such fact rather than theory as they have been seen and observed?

And doesn't it all come back to Chemistry and Physics