Biology, the study of living organisms is a field of science that has grown tremendously over the centuries; from the days when people lacked an understanding of their own digestive systems into the modern day where people now have identified the smallest organelles that make up a cell. This development has been made possible through the creation of theories and their subsequent proving. Various notable figures that have shaped biology into what is understood today. Some of the most prominent biological fields that have experienced a tremendous increase in knowledge include the study of cell biology, DNA, evolution, and inheritance. It is true to say that Mendel’s discovery on the inheritance of traits, the invention of the microscope, and the understanding of cell theory are three milestones that have significantly impacted the health, well-being, and way of life of the modern-day society.
Discoveries of the laws of Inheritance have played a significant role in shaping the knowledge of today’s society. They have provided the foundation of modern genetics. Genetic inheritance explains how traits are passed from one generation to the next. During reproduction, all the information of the various body processes of the next generation is contained in the DNA, which is passed from parent to offspring. This revolutionary knowledge of inheritance can be traced back to George Mendel, a monk and a scientist who published his work in 1865 (GeneticAlliance, n.d.). He is accredited with being the first person to correctly understand how characteristics are passed down from parents to offspring. Through several experiments, he came up with three significant conclusions. The first was that traits are passed on unchanged to the next generation through ‘units of inheritance,' which are now referred to as alleles. Secondly, an offspring will inherit one allele from each guardian for each characteristic. Lastly, even though some alleles are not expressed in an individual, they can still be passed on to the generation that follows (GeneticAlliance, n.d.). His worked gave rise to the Law of segregation, and Law of Independent Assortment. Mendel’s work set the foundation to understand genetic inheritance in plants, animals, and other complex organisms.
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Mendel’s discoveries have been built on for the past 150 years, and the knowledge gained has helped people to understand that inherited traits are not passed down randomly. The work has shown that females have two X chromosomes while men have an X and Y chromosome. Since the X chromosomes are richer in genes that the Y, females have twice the opportunity to inherit a dominant gene than their male counterparts (GeneticAlliance, n.d.). This has aided in explaining why males inherit various ailments like hemophilia, while women are often carriers who are unaffected by the disorders themselves. People now understand that dominant traits such as brown eyes, curly hair, and unattached earlobes, can be passed to children from either parent. This is also the case when it comes to recessive genes that include but not limited to albinism and deafness.
Through inheritance, the role of genes in determining the sex of children is appreciated. The ovum and sperm each have 23 chromosomes. When combined, one pair determines a child’s gender. Two X chromosomes in this pair indicate that the child will be a girl and the combination of the X and Y chromosomes shows that the baby is a boy. Since the egg has an X chromosome and sperm can carry either an X or Y chromosome, the sex of a child is determined by the father (GeneticAlliance, n.d.). Additionally, this knowledge has further revealed how twins are conceived.
Knowledge of inheritance has shed much-needed light into understanding and treating genetic diseases. Genetic diseases are sometimes inherited as they are mutations that occur in the cells. At other times, they come as a result of a change in DNA within somatic cells. Other such diseases are caused by mutations in the DNA sequence (GeneticAlliance, n.d.). The affected families are therefore placed at a better position of understanding the ailments and how best to treat them.
The invention of the microscope caused a shift in paradigm in the field of biological sciences. The microscope is an instrument that is used to view objects that cannot be seen by a naked eye due to their extremely small size. They were introduced in the study of biology by naturalists in England, Netherlands, and Italy during the second half of the 17th century (Goldsmith and Miller, 2009). Today, various type of microscopes have been created to suit different purposes. The most common type is the optical microscope that employs light passing through a sample in producing an image. Other types include the fluorescence microscope, scanning probe microscopes, and the electron microscope.
The microscope has had a huge impact on the development of science. Firstly, it helps scientists in studying microorganisms, cells, and their molecular structures. It is now widely and extensively used in hospitals for illness diagnosis. For instance, the development of the malaria treatment occurred after doctors were able to view how malaria parasites attack the red blood cells. Furthermore, it has improved the people’s health through its use as a tool for diagnosis. Microscopic examinations confirm laboratory tests that may indicate the presence or absence of a disease. An example is when technicians count the number of red blood cells that have been infected by the malaria parasite to give doctors a diagnosis of how advanced a patient has been affected by the disease. Microscopes have also enabled the viewing of cellular structures. They have played a vital role in the study of organisms and tissues.
The cell theory was another significant discovery. It states that all organisms comprise of similar organizational units known as cells. Cell biology is, therefore, the study of the structure and function of the cell (Bscb, n.d.). Focusing on the cell permitted the making of a more detailed understanding of tissues and organisms. The cell theory has remained the foundation of modern biology. This concept was first articulated by Matthias Schleiden and Theodor Schwann in 1839. Schleiden was looking into the plant cell while Schwann studied the animal cell. A discussion between the two colleagues made them realize that the plant cell and animal cell had a nucleus. They then came up with the definition of a cell stating that all living beings, both simple and complex, composed of one or more cells, thus the cell is the basic structural and functional unit of life (Bscb, n.d.). After their discovery, a rapid growth of molecular biology followed in the 20th century.
Many subfields within biology came up from the knowledge of the cell theory. The first is the study of biochemical mechanisms and cell energy that support cell metabolism. Another subfield that came up as a result of the cell theory is the study of genetics and its relationship with proteins that control the release of genetic information from the cell’s nucleus to the cytoplasm. Another subfield is concerned with the structure of cell component. The cell theory is also utilized in the subfield that focuses on cell communication and signaling, particularly looking into the messages a cell sends and receives from other cells. Lastly is the subfield that studies cell cycle, focusing on DNA replication and the different periods of growth.
Cell biology is fundamental in today’s life. The knowledge of how cells work both in their healthy and diseased states has enabled biologists working in the plant, animal, a medical science to develop vaccines that have saved the lives of human beings and domestic animals. It has also allowed for the creation of effective medicines. Cell biology extends past diseases into other aspects of life. It has played a critical role in achieving positive and progressive human fertility. DNA found within the nucleus of a cell has been used as evidence to show that a living human being is related to an ancestor who is already dead. Cell biology is also evident in the courts of law as forensic medicine uses it in collaboration with DNA fingerprinting to solve crimes. Biotechnology employs information and techniques of cell biology in genetically modifying crops. It has allowed for the cloning of both animals and plants and has also enabled farmers to produce alternative characteristic in their crops, a situation that has given rise to growing high-quality crops at very low costs. Furthermore, the use of cell biology in biotechnology is also evident in the production of medicines and organ transplanting.
A closer analysis of these discoveries reveals a meaningful pattern. The invention of the microscope aided scientists to see tiny objects, making it possible for the development of the cell theory. With the cell organelles now identified, researchers were able to understand the functions of the genes, giving rise to inheritance. It is therefore evident that biological knowledge from various areas of studies have worked together in harmony to become what it is today. The positive impact this knowledge has had on the world has been enabled through the practice of sharing knowledge. The future of biology seems bright with more scientists and researchers sharing knowledge on the studies that they embark on.
References
Bscb. Why cell biology is so important? | British Society for Cell Biology . Bscb.org . Retrieved 1 November 2017, from http://bscb.org/learning-resources/softcell-e-learning/why-cell-biology-is-so-important/
GeneticAlliance. What is a Genetic Disease? | GeneticAlliance.org . Geneticalliance.org . Retrieved 1 November 2017, from http://www.geneticalliance.org/what-genetic-disease
Goldsmith, C., & Miller, S. (2009). Modern Uses of Electron Microscopy for Detection of Viruses. Clinical Microbiology Reviews , 22 (4), 552-563. http://dx.doi.org/10.1128/cmr.00027-09
