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  Biochemistry
Biochemistry is the "Chemistry of Life," the study of the chemistry of
living cells, tissues, organs, and organisms. It seeks an understanding
of every aspect of the structure and function of living things at the
molecular level, including, for example, how enzymes, hormones, and
genes work and how organisms get energy. Biochemists work with all types
of biological organisms, including animals, plants, and microorganisms.
Biochemistry is closely linked to various other biological sciences,
such as Cell Biology, Genetics, Microbiology, Molecular Biology,
Physiology, Pharmacology, and Toxicology. In fact, in many cases the
distinctions between these disciplines are becoming increasingly
blurred. Biochemists, working with colleagues in other disciplines, have
discovered how to produce, through cloning techniques, therapeutically
important proteins such as human insulin and blood clotting factors.
Biochemists also developed DNA fingerprinting, which is used in forensic
science and in the diagnosis of inherited disease. (Source: adapted from
The Biochemical Society)
Related Associations:
 The
Biochemical Society
Related Links:
Biochem4schools
Biochemist
Evolution Magazine
Biochemistry
Across the School Curriculum
Glossary
of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Bioinformatics
and Biostatistics
 Bioinformatics,
sometimes called Computational Biology, is the use of techniques
from applied mathematics, informatics, statistics, and computer
science to solve biological problems. Sequencing the human genome
was a great accomplishment by geneticists, but the task of
understanding the sequences and patterns of millions of building
blocks requires new approaches that the field of Bioinformatics is
developing. These scientists develop new tools to help search and
analyze huge databases, such as the human genome or protein
structures. They also create models and derive predictions to help
understand the complex mechanisms of life process in an array of
organisms. Biostatistics and Biometrics are fields that use
statistical methods and mathematics to better understand biology.
These scientists formulate models to describe (and explain)
underlying mechanisms of fundamental life processes, whether
behavior in a population or molecular properties. They also
interpret data across a wide range of fields, including agriculture,
biology, and medicine. Clinical biostatisticians are concerned with
the design and interpretation of clinical research, including
clinical trials, ensuring that the results are significant and
seeking early indicators of efficacy or unanticipated adverse
effects. (Source: adapted from the Blueprint Initiative and ASA
Biometrics Section)
Related Associations:
American
Statistical Association, Biometrics Section
IEEE
- Computational Intelligence Society, Bioinformatics
and Bioengineering Technical
Committee
International
Society for Clinical Biostatistics
International
Society for Computational Biology
MidSouth
Computational Biology & Bioinformatics Society
Related Links:
Bioinformatics.net
Blueprint Initiative
National Center for
Biotechnology Information
Biophysics
 Biophysics
is that branch of knowledge that applies the principles of physics
and chemistry and the methods of mathematical analysis and computer
modeling to understand how biological systems work. Biophysics is a
molecular science. It seeks to explain biological function in terms
of the properties of specific molecule and the larger structures
into which these molecules assemble (such as chromosomes and
membranes). Sometimes this involves designing and building new
laboratory instruments. Research in Biophysics addresses fundamental
questions such as how cell membranes selectively transport
water-soluble molecules across the lipid structure or how a muscle
cell converts the chemical energy of ATP into mechanical force and
movement or how sound waves are detected by the ear and converted
into electrical impulses that provide the brain with information
about the external world. Some of the research addresses questions
relevant to medicine, such as the mechanisms of action of cancer
drugs or methods for measuring glucose concentration in the blood of
diabetics.
(Source: adapted from
the Biophysical
Society)
Related Associations:
Biophysical
Society
Cell
and Molecular Biology
 Cell
Biology is the study of the structure and function of cells, how they
grow, divide, and die, how they develop into larger clusters with unique
properties, how they send signals to one another, and how all of these
processes may go awry to cause diseases such as cancer. Molecular
Biology is closely tied to Cell Biology, but focuses on research
questions and techniques at the subcellular level. Molecular Biology has
also become synonymous with a set of techniques to study biomolecules
such as DNA, RNA, and proteins -- how the function of these molecules are
regulated and coordinated. In other words, the study of how genes are
turned "on" and "off" as needed, and how chemical or other changes in
the molecules relate to subtle changes in their structure and function
as an organism matures, encounters a new environment, or becomes ill.
(Source: adapted from American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular
Biology)
Related Associations:
American
Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
American
Society for Cell Biology
International
Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Society
of Cell Biology
Related Links:
BioMoleculesAlive.org
Biochemistry
and Molecular Biology Education Magazine
Ecology/Environmental
Science
 Ecology
is the study of where and how plants, animals, and microorganisms live
and interact in the land, water, and air. This discipline is concerned
with the relationships among organisms and their past, present, and
future environments. The relationships include physiological responses
of individuals, structure and dynamics of populations, interactions
among species, organization of biological communities, and processing of
energy and matter in ecosystems. Many scientists involved in
conservation of natural resources and preserving endangered species are
trained as ecologists. The study of specific environments may have a
separate name, such as Marine Biology (the study of organisms living in
oceans and seas). Some ecologists have a special interest in evolution
and how specific plants or animals have adapted to changes in their
environment (often over long periods of time). Others ecologists are
interested in the more immediate impact of changes such as the
introduction of species or chemicals that are not native to the
environment. (Source: adapted from
Ecological Society of America)
Related Associations:
British
Ecological Society
Ecological
Society of America
Related Links:
National
Wildlife Federation Environmental Education
Entomology
 Ecology
is the study of Entomology is the study of insects and their
relationships to the environment, humans, and other organisms. More
than one million species of insects have been identified around the
world. Some entomologists work in the outdoors (fields, forests,
lakes, cities, etc.), others in laboratories and/or classrooms, and
yet others work in offices, with regulatory or administrative
responsibilities. Entomologists, in their study of insects, make
contributions to a wide array of fields, including agriculture,
health, and forensics. Some insects, for example, are agricultural
pests while others are beneficial, indeed essential, to crops. TV
programs have also made everyone aware of the study of insects in
the analysis of some crime scenes. Insects also are vectors of
disease, and studies with that orientation focus on insect life
cycles, the development of control measures, and how insects become
resistant to insecticides. (Source: adapted from the Entomological
Society of America)
Related Associations:
Entomological
Foundation
Entomological
Society of America
Genetics
 Each
organism makes copies of the genes that it inherits from its parents and
then transfers these copies to its offspring. Genetics is the study of
how genetic information is communicated including: what genes are, how
they are duplicated and transferred, how they change in individuals by
mutation and in populations by selection during evolution, how they are
expressed to produce cells and organisms, and how they can be
manipulated to improve agriculture and cure genetic diseases. The
consideration of genetic questions has become a component of virtually
every area of biology, allowing scientists to design experiments that
help them understand normal life processes and what happens when these
processes are disrupted by disease. The impact of genetic information on
medicine is rapidly increasing, as is the role of genetic counselors,
who help patients understand their own risk of disease and/or the risk
of passing a genetically based disease to their children. Genetic
engineering is a field that works toward treating (or preventing)
disease by replacing faulty genes. (Adapted from Genetics Society of
America)
Related Associations:
American
Society of Human Genetics
Genetics
Society of America
International
Federation of Human Genetics Societies
Related Links:
American
Society of Human Genetics Educational Resources
Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention,
Office of Genomics
and Disease Prevention Information
Genetic
Science Learning Center
Human
Genome Project
Kids
Genetics (GlaxoSmithKline)
National
Human Genome Research Institute
Immunology
 Immunology
is the study of all aspects of the immune system, the system responsible
for protecting organisms from foreign invaders. In humans, the immune
system is involved in mediating allergic responses, fighting infectious
disease, rejecting transplanted tissues and organs, and autoimmune
disorders (such as multiple sclerosis) in which the body "attacks"
itself. Immunologists are interested in the cells that make up the
immune system and how they interact and function including: their
influence on other systems of the body; malfunctions of the immune
system in immunological disorders (autoimmune diseases,
hypersensitivities, immune deficiency, graft rejection); and the
physical, chemical, and physiological characteristics of the components
of the immune system. This knowledge is used to develop new drugs and
vaccines. Immunology also is important to solving public health
challenges such the emergence of drug resistant strains of bacteria and
viruses or understanding changes that allow infectious microbes to
"jump" from animals to humans. (Source: adapted from
Wikipedia and The
American Association of Immunologists)
Related Associations:
American
Association of Immunologists
British
Society for Immunology
Clinical
Immunology Society
Related Links:
Immune
System Glossary
The
Vaccine Page
Marine
and Aquatic Biology
 Marine
Biology is the study of animals, plants, and microorganisms that
live in or near a salt water environment. Aquatic Biology, a broader
term, includes not only marine studies, but also Limnology, the
study of fresh water organisms. These scientists are interested in
the marine and freshwater organisms' growth and development, their
behavior, including communication among themselves, and their
interactions with their environment. Some of these biologists study
a particular organism, while others study many organisms in a
particular region, climate, or ecological niche. The studies overlap
with all of biology: ecology, genetics, neuroscience, and
physiology, to name just a few of the fields included in Marine
Biology and Limnology. Some of the concerns of the field are basic
research, understanding the world of marine and fresh water
environments. Other concerns are more practical, such as how to deal
with organisms that foul power plant intake pipes or surfaces of
ships, improving the yield and commercial quality of aquaculture, or
the impact of ship sonar on communication among marine mammals.
(Source:
adapted from MarineCareers.net)
Related Associations:
American
Society of Limnology and Oceanography
American
Zoo and Aquarium Association
Association
of Science - Technology Centers
Association
of Zoological Horticulture
Related Links:
MarineCareers.net
Marinebio.org
Woods
Hole Oceanographic Institution
Microbiology
 Microbiology
is the study of the world of organisms too small to be seen with the
naked eye. Microbes include viruses, bacteria, molds, protozoans, and
other tiny creatures. Microbes cause disease, ferment alcoholic
beverages, influence the quality and taste of our food, and are
responsible for decay in nature. Microbiologists study how these
organisms grow and reproduce and how they adapt to their environment.
Some scientists specialize in the study of microorganisms growing in
exotic environments, such as hot springs, hydrothermic vents in the
ocean, or glaciers. Other microbiologists are closely allied to
medicine, studying, for example, how bacteria cause disease and how they
become resistant to antibiotics. Genetics and biochemistry are very
important tools for microbiology, and vice versa. The extensive
characterization and rapid growth of microbes has allowed them to be
used as experimental tools in other branches of biology. For example,
the modern study of how genes work depended on pioneering studies of
gene function in viruses and bacteria. (Source: adapted from American Society for Microbiology)
Related Associations:
American
Society for Microbiology
Waksman
Foundation for Microbiology
Related Links:
MicrobeLibrary
MicrobeWorld
Note: Some resources in this section are provided by
JGPerpich, LLC and the US Department
of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics.
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