Biology is the science of living organisms, including grass, jellyfish, gorillas, amoebas, seaweed, apple trees, and you. Biologists try to understand the basic processes that underlie all of these living organisms: they search for clues about what is shared by all life. For example, biologists have found that all life shares a common molecular basis: it’s all built on DNA, the huge chain-like molecule that resides at the heart of every living cell. That DNA helps the cell produce proteins, which are the building blocks of complex organisms and bodies like yours and mine!
Because of its inherent complexity, biology can be very difficult to study – there are a lot of terms to memorize, and it can be really easy to lose sight of why any of it matters! Try to remember that everything in biology is connected back to life: how humans, animals, and plants live, multiply, and interact. Even though it’s not always easy to see the connections, biology is always closely related to your own life, health, and emotions.