Aristotle, the Greek philosopher, visited Lesvos in the 4th century BC, an Aegean island abounding with animals both then and now. His excitement with what he discovered there and his meticulous research into it resulted in the formation of a new science known as biology. Aristotle is thus known as one of the Fathers of Biology.
Biology is one of the three primary fields of natural science. It is the science of living organisms such as animals, plants, fungi, microbes, etc. and their evolution.
Aristotle's Discoveries and Works
Rather than linking it to supernatural interference, Aristotle examined the natural world extensively and investigated its origins using scientific knowledge and rigorous observations. Temperatures, metabolism, inheritance, embryogenesis, and information processing are all outlined in Aristotle's biology theory. He was the first biologist to discover animal relationships and develop a classification system.
Thanks to medieval manuscripts built on a first-century BCE edition, Aristotle's corpus survived. Until the biological books were jointly translated into Arabic, there were no comments on them. The Latin translations of an Arabic version by Michael Scot, which forms the foundation of Albertus Magnus' De animalibus, are the earliest appearance of Aristotle's biological works in the West.
There are a number of shorter 'essays' on more specific topics in addition to the three volumes traditionally referred to it as History of Animals (HA), Parts of Animals (PA), and Generation of Animals (GA). These have information on animal motion, animal locomotion, respiration, life and death, youth and old age, life expectancy, sleeping and waking, etc.
Aristotle's methods matched that of modern scientists when they investigate a new region, including systematic data collecting, pattern finding, and deduction of probable interpretations from these.
He didn't conduct experiments in the contemporary sense; instead, he observed live creatures and dissected them. He recognizes around 500 bird, mammal, and fish species, as well as dozens of insects as well as other invertebrates. He dissected roughly 35 species and described the interior anatomy of above a hundred.
Branches of Biology and their Pioneers
Botany, Zoology, and several other areas are comprised in biology. The several branches of biology and its pioneers are discussed in the table below:
Branch and Pioneer | Pioneer's name |
Father of Botany | Theophrastus |
Father of Zoology | Aristotle |
Father of Biology | Aristotle |
Father of Modern Botany | Linnaeus |
Father of Endocrinology | Thomas Addison |
Father of Immunology | Edward Jenner |
Father of Agronomy | Peter De-Crescenzi |
Father of Genetics | GJ Mendel |
Father of Modern Genetics | TH Morgan |
Father of Cytology | Robert Hooke |
Father of Palynology | Erdtman |
Father of Mycology | Micheli |
Father of Plant Physiology | Stephan Hales |
Father of Gene Therapy | Anderson |
Father of Polygenic Inheritance | Kohlreuter |
Father of Surgery and Plastic Surgery | Susruta |
Father of Anatomy | Herophilus |
Father of Ethology | Konrad Lorenz |
Father of Cloning | Ian Wilmut |
Father of Chemotherapy | Paul Ehrlich |
Father of Bryology | Johann Hedwig |
Father of Mutation | Hugo De Vries |
Father of Genetic Engineering | Paul Berg |
Father of Ayurveda | Charak |
Father of Taxonomy | Carolus Linnaeus |
Father of Embryology | Aristotle |
Father of Blood Circulation | William Harvey |
Father of Medicine | Hippocrates |
Father of Blood Groups | Karl Landsteiner |
Father of Palaeontology | Leonardo da Vinci |
Father of DNA Finger Printing | Garrod |
Father of Gerontology | Korenchevsk |
Father of Bacteriology | Robert Koch |
Father of Antibiotics | Alexander Fleming |
Father of Pathology | Rudolph Virchow |
Father of Virology | WM Stanley |
Father of Epidemiology | John Snow |
Father of Endocrinology | Thomas Addison |
Father of Homeopathy | Hahnemann |
FAQs About Father of Biology
- Who is the father of Biology?
Aristotle is known as the Father of Biology.
- What is the name of the father of zoology?
Aristotle is known as the Father of Zoology.
- Who is known as the father of Botany?
Theophrastus is known as the Father of Botany.