Since the first cell appeared on earth, living creatures have existed on and shaped our planet. Humans are one type of living organism, and we depend on other living things, such as plants and animals, to survive. Biologists spend their careers studying organisms’ lifecycles and how they interact with larger ecosystems.
Biologists study all living things—humans, animals, plants—and the environments in which they live. They gather data and conduct tests on everything from the tiniest microscopic cells to entire ecosystems. This helps them to figure out how living things work and how they are affected by problems such as disease and environmental pollution. This is a huge task, which is why biologists usually specialize in a particular area such as medicine, agriculture, or biotechnology.
Regardless of their specializations, there are some tasks that all biologists do. These include identifying and classifying species or specimens ranging from large organisms to micro-organisms such as bacteria. They may also be involved in examining the specimens’ structure and studying how they are affected by humans and other disturbances (such as the effect a sewage plant has on nearby rivers and woodlands). Biologists prepare reports on their findings and may supervise biological technologists, technicians, and other scientists.
Biologists’ specific tasks vary. For example, marine biologists study salt-water life, such as fish and algae, in seas and oceans. They may examine things such as the life span of particular fish and what influences this. Biochemists, on the other hand, spend much of their day in a lab, analyzing tissue samples and designing experiments to test new hypotheses about the chemical makeup and processes of organisms.
Many biologists work as instructors at colleges and universities. In addition to their research, these biologists write and publish scholarly papers, give lectures, and mark students’ papers and exams.
NOC Code: 2121