ASCB is an inclusive, international community of biologists studying the cell, the fundamental unit of life. The biological study can be traced back to early times. The Crane Lab investigates why cells deteriorate with aging and other diseases with a focus on cell metabolism. Our faculty will help you discover how the history of evolution led to the present moment, how humans are an integral part of this framework, and what climate change might mean for the future of life on our planet. Biology graduates may also enjoy working in the scientific support services in the capacity of a forensic scientist for the police or industry, or in policy development and consultancy, which involves providing advice to governments and other bodies.
We are committed to providing students with a broad exposure to biological processes and systems and a deep understanding of biology at environmental, organismal, cellular, and molecular levels. The options system in the second and third years allows students to study either a general background encompassing a comprehensive range of topics, or specialise in detailed aspects of animals, plants, cells or ecology.
Ecological systems are studied at several different levels, from the scale of the ecology of individual organisms, to those of populations , to the ecosystems and finally the biosphere The term population biology is often used interchangeably with population ecology , although population biology is more frequently used in the case of diseases , viruses , and microbes , while the term population ecology is more commonly applied to the study of plants and animals.
The term biology comes from the Greek βίος (bios), meaning life” and from the Greek λογία (logia), meaning study of”. While more than a third of Oxford biology graduates go on to further study such as a research doctorate or postgraduate course in an applied field, over half embark on a professional career after graduating in areas as diverse as conservation, industry, finance, medicine, media, teaching or the law.
Fundamentals of cellular biology, genetics and molecular biology are addressed. The Human Genome Project was the first step in a globalized effort to incorporate accumulated knowledge of biology into a functional, molecular definition of the human body and the bodies of other organisms. The similarities and differences between cell types are particularly relevant to molecular biology. The Bachelor of Science Degree in Biology prepares students for graduate and professional schools as well as a variety of careers within the life sciences.