Home  >  Articles  >  Father of Biology: (Aristotle) Biography, Biology Branches, Discoveries and Work, Eponyms

Father of Biology: (Aristotle) Biography, Biology Branches, Discoveries and Work, Eponyms

Nikita Parmar

Updated on 12th July, 2024 , 5 min read

Father of Biology: An Overview 

Aristotle is one of the Fathers of Biology. A Greek philosopher visited Lesvos in the 4th century BC, an Aegean island abounding with animals then as now. His curiosity about what he discovered there, as well as his thorough study of it, resulted in the formation of a new science, Biology. One of the three primary fields of natural science is biology. Biology is the study of life, living things, and life's evolution. animals, plants, fungi, microbes, and other living things. This scientific field is concerned with the study of life and its processes. 

Father of Biology: What is Biology?

Life and living things are what biology studies . It looks at how organisms are built, what they do how they grow, change over time, spread out, and get classified. This field covers a lot of ground, from tiny molecules to whole ecosystems. Here's a look at some key parts of biology:

Father of Biology

Cell Biology: This area focuses on cells. It examines how they work, what they're made of, what's inside them how they interact with their surroundings, their life stages how they split, and when they die.

Genetics: This branch deals with genes how they vary, and how living things pass on traits. It aims to understand how features get handed down from parents to offspring and why some genetic problems happen.

Evolutionary Biology: This field explores where life's diversity comes from and how it changes as time goes by. It tries to figure out how species change through natural selection genetic drift, and other ways.

Ecology: This field looks at how living things interact with their surroundings. It covers the study of ecosystems, the variety of life forms, and how changes in the environment affect living creatures.

Physiology: This area focuses on how different parts of a living thing work together. It can involve studying how human bodies function how plants operate, and how other animals' systems run.

Anatomy: This field looks at how living things are built. For humans, it means checking out the makeup of organs, muscles, bones, and other parts of the body.

Microbiology: This area focuses on tiny life forms such as bacteria, viruses, fungi, and protozoa. It covers how they act, mix with other creatures, and fit into different environments.

Botany: Plant experts study how green things grow, what they're made of, and how they work inside. They also look at plant sicknesses where plants live, and plant genes.

Zoology: Animal scientists dig into the lives of creatures looking at their bodies how they work how they grow, and what they do.

Molecular Biology: This field zooms in on how life works at its smallest parts. It looks at how different bits of a cell talk to each other, like how DNA RNA, and proteins all work together.

Father of Biology: Who is the Father of Biology?

Aristotle was born in 384 BC and is usually considered the "Father of Biology." In the fourth century BC, Aristotle visited Lesvos, which was alive with animals. His fascination with what he observed there led to the creation of a new science known as Biology. Aristotle is known as the "Father of Biology" because he thoroughly researched the natural world and delved into its origins using scientific theories and methodical observations rather than attributing them to supernatural intervention. In addition, he was the first to identify animal links and create a categorization system.

Father of Biology

Father of Biology: Quick Highlights

The following gives details about the father of biology-

Particulars 

Details

Date of Birth 

384 BC Srafira Chaladice Geek 

Died 

322 BC, Euboea, Geek

Education

Platonic Academy 

Spouse Name 

Pythias

Notable Work 

Corpus Aristotlicum

Nationality 

Greek 

Region 

Western Philosophy

Era

Ancient Greek Philosophy 

School 

Peripatetic School

Classical Republicanism

Aristotelianism School

Notable Students 

Alexander the great, Theophrastus, Aristoxenus

Main Interests

Zoology, Biology, Physics, Psychology, Logics, Ethics, Poetry, Music, Metaphysics, Rhetoric, Aesthetics, Economics, Politics, Geology, Government, Meteorology

Read recently updated article on the Difference Between Spermatogenesis and Oogenesis and Gemmules.

Father of Biology: Branches

Biology is the study of living beings in order to better understand or predict natural or other occurrences. It is divided into several branches, such as botany, zoology, and so on. The table below discusses the fathers of many fields of biology. Many competitive tests include questions from the father of some field, biology and its branches being one of them. The study of biology is further subdivided into various branches, the fathers of which are detailed below-

Subject 

Father 

Father of Botany 

Theophrastus

Father of Zoology 

Aristotle

Father of DNA Finger Printing 

Garrod

Father of Genetics

GJ Mendel

Father of Homeopathy

Hahnemann

Father of Antibiotics 

Alexander Fleming

Father of Bacteriology

Robert Koch

Father of Pathology 

Rudolph Virchow

Father of Blood Groups

Karl Landsteiner

Father of Medicine 

Hippocrates

Father of Ayurveda

Charka

Father of Genetic Engineering 

Paul Berg

Father of Taxonomy 

Carolus Linnaeus

Read more about the Father of ChemistryFather of Physics and Father of Ayurveda.

Further Reading: BSc Biology, Scientific Names of Animals and Plants,  and What is Autotrophic Nutrition?

Father of Biology: Discoveries and Work 

Rather than blaming it on divine intervention, Aristotle thoroughly explored the natural world and probed its origins with scientific understanding and careful observations. Aristotle's biological theory describes temperature, metabolism, heredity, embryogenesis, and information processing. He was the first to identify animal links and create a categorization system.

Aristotle's corpus survives thanks to medieval manuscripts based on a first-century BCE edition. There were no remarks on the biology works until they were simultaneously translated into Arabic. The Latin translations of Michael Scot's Arabic edition are the first appearances in the West of Aristotle's biological writings. Aristotle's procedures were similar to those used by current scientists when investigating a new location, including methodical data collection, pattern detection, and the derivation of likely interpretations from these.

Also read more about the Difference Between Cyclic and Noncyclic Photophosphorylation, Entomophily or Insect Pollinationand the Difference Between Cytoplasm and Protoplasm.

He didn't perform experiments in the traditional sense; instead, he watched and dissected living animals. He can identify over 500 bird, animal, and fish species, as well as dozens of insects and other invertebrates. He dissected around 35 species and documented the inner anatomy of more than a hundred more. Aristotle left Athens soon after Plato died. Furthermore, Alexander the Great was educated from the outset at the behest of Philip II of Macedon. He built a library in the Lyceum. This Lyceum library assisted him in the development of many of his hundreds of papyrus scroll books. Despite the fact that Aristotle wrote many magnificent treatises and dialogues for publication, only around one-third of his original work has survived since it was never intended for publication.

Related Articles-

Floral Formula of Liliaceae

Father of Botany

Father of Zoology 

 Father of Chemistry

Father Genetic Engineering

Father of Biology: Eponyms of the Father of Biology

Aristotle is commemorated by the Aristotle Mountains in Antarctica. In his book Meteorology, he was the first to speculate on the presence of a continent in the southern high-latitude zone, which he named Antarctica. Aristoteles is a crater on the Moon named after Aristotle in his classical form.

Read more about the Best Courses after 12th Science Biology and the Difference Between Euchromatin and Heterochromatin.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is known as the Father of Biology?

The Father of Biology and Zoology is Aristotle. Aristotle's theory of biology is popularly known as “Aristotle's Biology” which describes proccesses like metabolism, temperature regulation, and embryogenesis.

Who is regarded as the "father of mordern biology"?

Charles Darwin is known as the father of modern biology.

Who is known as the father of Indian Biology?

Dr. P M Bhargava is recognized as the father of biology in India. He founded the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology in Hyderabad. In his role as the progenitor of Indian biology, he advocated for the incorporation of scientific rationalism as a civic responsibility.

Who is the Father of Botany?

The father of Biology is Theophrastus.

What are some of the renowned works of Aristotle (Father of Biology)?

The following are some of Aristotle's most noteworthy works. 1. In "Aristotle's Biology," he covered information processing, metabolism, inheritance, temperature regulation, and embryogenesis. 2. The three volumes: History of Animals (HA), Parts of Animals (PA), and Generation of Animals (GA).

Check Eligibility   Free 1:1 Counselling