Biology: Life, ecology, and the Future of Life

The 20th and 21st centuries have seen significant progress in the field of biology involving ecosystems, the environment and conservation. In the 20th century, scientists realized that humans and other animals are equally dependent on the Earth's natural resources, however, humans have continuously caused damage to the environment, partly due to increasing population pressure and certain technological advances. For example, medical advances have allowed people to live longer and death rates to fall dramatically (mainly in developed countries), leading to explosive population growth; Harmful pollutants that enter the environment through manufacturing processes, pesticides, vehicle exhaust, and other means pose a serious threat to all life forms. As a result, biologists have begun to pay more attention to the relationships between organisms and their living and abiotic environments.

The growing importance of climate change and its impact on ecosystems is driving advances not only in ecology, but also in fields such as conservation biology and conservation genetics. In almost every other area of biology, molecular biology plays an important role, from the use of techniques such as whole genome sequencing to gather information on the genetic diversity of endangered species, to the use of cloning and genome editing to increase the likelihood of extinct species coming back to life (a process known as "de-extinction"). In addition, the study of the DNA sequences of a large number of species also contributes to scientists' understanding of evolution and systematics (the study of evolutionary relationships and the diversity of life).

Interdisciplinary research and changing social and scientific values

Many areas of study in the biological sciences cross the boundaries that traditionally divide the disciplines. Taking biophysics as an example, researchers use the principles and methods of physics to study biological problems and find ways to solve biological problems; Evolutionary biologists and paleontologists are familiar with geological principles and may even work closely with geologists in determining the age of biological remains; Anthropologists and archaeologists also apply knowledge of human culture and society to biological discoveries in order to gain a more complete understanding of humanity; Astrobiology comes about through the activities of scientists and engineers concerned with space exploration. Thus, the field of biology benefits from both the scientific disciplines and the humanities, while also contributing to these disciplines.

In the 20th and 21st centuries, as biology has become increasingly linked to other fields of science, biology itself has come to encompass many disciplines. In these disciplines, many levels of organization are recognized - for example, population biology (the study of populations of organisms) and organismal biology (the study of whole organisms) as well as cell biology and molecular biology. In the second half of the 20th century, molecular biology gave rise to more disciplines, and the emergence of genetics led to the emergence of complex subdisciplines such as developmental genomics and functional genomics. The continued development of genetics has led to the creation of new fields, such as conservation genetics. Despite their differences in scope, many areas of the biological sciences continue to adopt common unifying principles and ideas in the 21st century, especially those central to taxonomy, genetics, and evolution.

In the 20th and 21st centuries, the role of lifeologists in society and their moral and ethical responsibilities in the discovery and development of new ideas have led to a reassessment of their individual social and scientific value systems. Scientists cannot ignore the consequences of their scientific discoveries; They need to be concerned about both the basic research they are doing and the potential for misuse of their findings. In the 20th century, the social and political roles that emerged for biologists and all other scientists required value trade-offs that could not be as precise and objective as the electronic scale. As members of society, it is necessary for biologists to redefine their social responsibilities and functions, especially when making judgments about ethical issues such as human control over the environment or the manipulation of genes to guide further evolutionary development.

5. Dealing with future issues

The development of genetic engineering has had a particular impact on the biological sciences. In the case of genetic defects and diseases, genetic engineering creates the possibility of correcting genetic defects to restore normal physiological function, which is likely to improve the quality of life of patients. Gene therapy is one way researchers may be able to achieve this goal. With this therapy, a normal gene is introduced into an individual's genome to repair the disease-causing mutation. But the potential for misuse and harm of genetic engineering is still enormous. For example, there has been a great deal of concern about genetically modified organisms, particularly genetically modified crops, and their effects on human and environmental health. The emergence of cloning techniques, including somatic cell nuclear transfer, has also attracted people's attention. In 2005, the United Nations adopted the UN Declaration on Human Cloning, which called on member states to ban human cloning, but left room for therapeutic cloning.