The word "zoology" consists of two words - "zoon" (animal) and "logos" (teaching). Zoology is the science of animals, their structure, life, diversity, classification, interaction with each other and with the environment.
What is studying
When studying the vast field of zoology - the science of the animal world - the following biological disciplines are affected:
- cytology - cell science;
- physiology - the science of the functioning of the body and the regulation of life processes;
- anatomy (morphology) - external and internal structure of the body;
- embryology - the science of the development of the embryo;
- paleontology - the science of fossil animals;
- genetics - the science of the development and heredity of organisms;
- taxonomy - development of classification principles.
Each of these disciplines gives the concept of the origin, development, modification and structure of the animal.
Man is part of the animal world, therefore, is studied according to the same principle as any other animal.
Depending on the object of study, zoology is divided into the following disciplines:
Rice. 1. Animals.
Zoology is closely connected with other related sciences - medicine, veterinary medicine, ecology.
TOP 1 articlewho read along with this
Differences from plants
Animals have the features of a living organism, which is proved by the following features:
- cellular structure;
- growth;
- metabolism;
- breath;
- excretion of waste products;
- reproduction.
However, animals differ from plants in a number of ways:
- lack of cellulose cell wall, vacuoles, chloroplasts;
- heterotrophic nutrition, i.e. the use of other organisms as food;
- the presence of an organ system or its rudiments;
- active movement;
- presence of instincts and behavior.
Rice. 2. Comparison of animal and plant cells.
Types of animals
There are more than 1.6 million species of animals in the world. Most of the animal world is made up of arthropods (1.3 million species). These include insects, spiders, crayfish.
Rice. 3. Arthropods - numerous animals.
To describe the diversity of species, a classification is used that includes nine categories:
- Superkingdom (Domain);
- Kingdom;
- Sub-kingdom;
- Class;
- Detachment;
- Family;
The smallest animal consists of one cell (no more than 0.5 mm in length). Giants are found not only among mammals (blue whale), but also reptiles, birds, amphibians.
What have we learned?
Zoology studies animals, includes many disciplines and affects related sciences. In terms of structure and way of life, animals differ significantly from plants. They are classified into nine categories.
Report Evaluation
Average rating: 5 . Total ratings received: 8.
Zoology is the science of animals. Representatives of the animal world belong to one kingdom, which has more than 1.5 million species. Microscopic organisms are known, up to 0.5 mm in size and huge inhabitants of the seas - whales up to 33 m. They are widely distributed on land, in water, and in the air.
What does zoology study and its main tasks
Zoology studies the structure, vital activity of animals, the patterns of their settlement and the relationship with the environment. Describes evolutionary processes, stages of development of the animal world.
Zoology is the science of animals
The main tasks of zoology:
- The study of features in the structure of internal organs, the skeleton, the external cover of animals.
- Characterization of the developmental processes of individual individuals from fertilization to death.
- The study of the role of animals in biocenoses and the natural environment as a whole.
History of the development of zoology
The development of zoology began even before our era, even then people explored the animal world, studied their structure and behavior. The founder of zoology as a science, the famous ancient Greek scientist and thinker Aristotle. He wrote a treatise of 10 books "History of Animals", which presented the basics of animal physiology and anatomy.
Table of the main stages in the development of zoology
| Stages | Main events |
|---|---|
| IV Art. BC era | A detailed description by Aristotle of 452 species of animals inhabiting the earth at that time. |
| 77 CE era | The Roman scientist of the beginning of the first century AD Pliny the Elder published the book "Natural History", which describes the animals of those times. |
| V - XV Art. | In the Middle Ages, the study of animals was banned. |
| XV - XVI century. | In the Renaissance, a new stage in the development of science began. The discovery of the continents by Columbus and Magellan became significant events for zoology. The study of new species, regularities and features of their settlement around the globe was carried out. |
| XVII century | A microscope was invented, and the Dutch biologist A. Leeuwenhoek was the first to study ciliates and described the cellular structure of animal muscles. |
| XVIII Art. | Carl Linnaeus publishes the "System of Nature", which became the basis for the creation of the current classification of animals. |
| XIX Art. | The origin of the idea of the evolution of species from more primitive unicellular forms to multicellular, highly developed organisms (Ch. Darwin's theory). |
| XX century - the beginning of the XXI century. | Growth in the number of studies using electron microscopy, biophysical methods. Development of genetics as a field of zoology. Modeling of objects at the molecular level using computer technology. |
History of domestic zoology originates from the 17th century, when knowledge about the animal world began to be generalized, systematized, and the first books about animals began to be published.
XVIII Art. was marked by the opening of the Academy of Sciences, this was facilitated by Peter I, who was interested in zoology, collected animals.
Many expeditions were organized to study the fauna of their own territories and nearby ones.
In the XX century. The development of zoology is associated with the names of A.N. Severtsov, K.I. Skryabin, V.A. Dogel. In the second half of the XX century. many scientific communities have been founded, scientific research has been organized. Cooperation with foreign scientists has begun, there is an ever-increasing deepening of knowledge and the formation of new directions in the study of the animal world.
Sections of zoology depending on the tasks performed
Animal systematics gives a complete description of species diversity, divides them according to similar and distinctive features, and studies characteristic structural changes in the course of the historical development of animals.
Anatomy(zootomy) - the science of the structure of representatives of the kingdom Animals, the topography of organs and systems.
Morphology deals with the study and compilation of comparative characteristics of animals from different groups, exploring their evolutionary development.
Cytology- explores the functions and structure of animal cells; physiology gives an idea of the activity of cells, organs and systems in the whole organism.
animal ecology- their interaction with each other and with other individuals and elements of inanimate nature.
Ethology- studies the instinctive behavior of animals in their natural environment.
Zoogeography- studies the causes and factors that affect the resettlement of animals, their distribution across different continents, climatic zones.
Paleozoology is engaged in the study of fossil animals that inhabited the earth in different periods of its formation.
Sections of zoology depending on the object of study
- Arachnology- the science of arachnids;
- entomology- about insects;
- malacology- about shellfish;
- ichthyology- about fish;
- theriology- about mammals.
Modern zoology
Modern zoology is a collection of scientific branches that reflect the lifestyle of representatives of the animal world, their development, the structure of organs and systems.
Many scientists work in each of these areas, which has led to high achievements in the development of zoology.
The importance of animals in human life has changed significantly over the centuries. The role of wild species as a source of food has decreased significantly. People actively began to breed new species, more valuable and prolific. Breeding pets, fish is very popular today. Separate branches of zoology help to fight harmful insects, rodents, fungi that cause damage to agriculture.
In the process of research, zoologists found that animals are the cause of a number of serious human diseases. For example, scabies causes scabies, malaria - malarial plasmodium, many life-threatening worms. And other animals carry pathogens of these diseases. Lice carriers of rickettsia (typhus), mosquitoes of the genus Anopheles - malaria, rodents - plague.
Due to the development of human industrial activity, many animals have been damaged. Massive deforestation, reclamation of swamps, hunting for valuable species have led to the extinction of many wild species. Therefore, the task of zoology in the modern world is also the protection of animals, the prevention of their extermination, the preservation of habitats.
Zoology is a part of biology that studies the diversity of the animal world, the structure and life of animals, their distribution, connection with the environment, patterns of individual and historical development. According to the objectives of the study, zoology is divided into a number of basic disciplines.
Systematics- description of the diversity of species, their systematization on the basis of similarities and differences, the establishment of a hierarchy of taxa, the construction of a natural system that reflects the paths of historical development of the animal world.
Morphology-explores the external and internal structure of animals (their anatomy).
Comparative and evolutionary morphology compares the structure of animals of different systematic groups, establishing patterns of their historical development.
Phylogenetics studies the ways of evolution of the animal world.
Embryology- individual development (ontogenesis).
Ecology- their relationship with each other and with other organisms, as well as inorganic factors of the environment.
Ethology- Animal behavior in comparative and evolutionary terms.
Zoogeography- a branch of zoology and physical geography, explores the distribution of animals on land and in water, as well as the factors that determine this distribution.
Paleozoology studies extinct animals of previous geological epochs; it is closely related to phylogenetics and evolutionary morphology.
Physiology Animal biology, which historically arose as one of the branches of zoology, developed into an independent biological science that studies the functions of the animal organism.
History of zoology as a science
Aristotle wrote the first reports on animals (452 species). He described their behavior and features of their habitat. Divided them into bloodless and animals with blood. He is called the "father" of zoology. There was a certain stagnation in the Middle Ages. In the Renaissance, an intensive study of the flora and fauna of our planet begins. Columbus, Marco Polo, Magellan and others. There was a need to systematize new knowledge. The beginnings of botany, zoology, etc. are being laid. The History of Animals by Gesner (Switzerland) was the most perfect summary at that time. He also tried to systematize animals.
The works of Ray and Linnaeus served as the beginning of modern taxonomy, the emergence of binary nomenclature. In the late 18th and early 19th centuries, Cuvier's works on paleontology came out. He argued that all parts and organs of animals are connected and a change in one of them entails a change in others. The absence of some species (in the presence of remains) is associated with periodic disasters. Until the middle of the 19th century, metaphysical views about the immutability of animal species dominated.
Linnaeus was one of her followers. In the 30s of the XIX century, the theory of the cellular structure of Schneider and Schwann appeared. They laid the foundation for the unity of animals and plants. Later, Lamarck developed the theory of Linnaeus, he was also the founder of the evolutionary doctrine. 1859 - The work of Darwin (the founder of evolutionary theory) was published. The term "ecology" was introduced by Haeckel, and Rullier is considered the founder of ecology. His students were Severtsev (evolutionary j), Bogdanov (zoogeographer), Setchenov (physiology of nervous activity), Mechnikov and Kovalevsky (embryological teaching), and others.
.(Source: "Biological Encyclopedic Dictionary." Chief editor M. S. Gilyarov; Editorial board: A. A. Babaev, G. G. Vinberg, G. A. Zavarzin and others - 2nd ed., corrected . - M .: Sov. Encyclopedia, 1986.)
zoology.(Source: "Biology. Modern Illustrated Encyclopedia." Editor-in-Chief A.P. Gorkin; M.: Rosmen, 2006.)
Synonyms:
See what "ZOOLOGY" is in other dictionaries:
Zoology ... Wikipedia
Animal science. Dictionary of foreign words included in the Russian language. Chudinov A.N., 1910. ZOOLOGY Greek, from zoon, animal, and logos, word. Natural history of animals. An explanation of 25,000 foreign words that have come into use in ... ... Dictionary of foreign words of the Russian language
- (from zoo ... and ..logia), a science that studies the animal world, the origin, structure and development of animals. It is divided into two fundamental sections: invertebrate zoology and vertebrate zoology. The founder of zoology is Aristotle (384 322 ... ... Ecological dictionary
ZOOLOGY- ZOOLOGY, one of the sciences of the biological cycle, dealing with the study of animal organisms. The foundation of 3. as a science in its original descriptive form was laid by Aristotle three centuries before Christ. era. In his History of Animals, Aristotle... Big Medical Encyclopedia
- (from zoo ... and ... ology) the science of animals, one of the main sections of biology. Descriptions of animals have been known since ancient times. How did the science of zoology originate in Dr. Greece and is associated with the name of Aristotle; into a coherent system of knowledge took shape by the end. eighteen… … Big Encyclopedic Dictionary
zoology- and, well. zoologie f., German. Zoology, lat. zoology gr. zoon animal + logos teaching. The science of animal organisms. ALS 1. The science that teaches the history of these animal bodies is called Zoology; and the internal structure of these is interpreted by Zootomy. ... ... Historical Dictionary of Gallicisms of the Russian Language
Modern Encyclopedia
Zoology- (from zoo ... and ... logy), the science of animals. He studies the species diversity of animals (systematics), their structure (anatomy), features of life (physiology), patterns of individual and historical development (embryology, evolutionary ... ... Illustrated Encyclopedic Dictionary
ZOOLOGY, the science of animals. Together with BOTANICS it constitutes the science of BIOLOGY. Considers the features of the structure, behavior, reproduction and life of animals, their evolution and role in interaction with humanity and the environment. ... ... Scientific and technical encyclopedic dictionary
