This simple cartoon shows general similarities and differences between eukaryote and prokaryote cells.
Image courtesy of Windows to the Universe

Biology

Biology is the study of life and living organisms. Biologists study the structure of organisms, how they grow, their evolution and function in the environment, and their distribution and relation to other species. Biologists study life at a wide range of scales, from the microscopic, cellular level to the scale of organisms and ecosystems.

Because all substances are made of chemicals, a biologist must understand chemistry to be able to understand life. Similarly, because life in the Earth system - the biosphere - interacts with the other parts of the Earth system (such as the atmosphere, hydrosphere, and geosphere), many geologists must understand biology. Biogeochemists specialize in the study of the interactions between life and the Earth system.

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Windows to the Universe, a project of the National Earth Science Teachers Association, is sponsored in part is sponsored in part through grants from federal agencies (NASA and NOAA), and partnerships with affiliated organizations, including the American Geophysical Union, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Earth System Information Partnership, the American Meteorological Society, the National Center for Science Education, and TERC. The American Geophysical Union and the American Geosciences Institute are Windows to the Universe Founding Partners. NESTA welcomes new Institutional Affiliates in support of our ongoing programs, as well as collaborations on new projects. Contact NESTA for more information. NASA ESIP NCSE HHMI AGU AGI AMS NOAA