Nature of the work
Nature of the workNature of the Work
Biological Scientists
Nature of the Work
Biological scientists study living organisms and their relationship to their environment. Most
specialize in some area such as ornithology (the study of birds) or microbiology (the study of
microscopic organisms).
About two-fifths of all biological scientists work in research and development. Some conduct basic
research to increase knowledge of living organisms. Others, in applied research, use knowledge
provided by basic research to develop new medicines, increase crop yields, and improve the
environment. Biological scientists may work in laboratories and use laboratory animals or
greenhouse plants, electron microscopes, computers, electronic instruments, or a wide variety of
other equipment to conduct their research. A good deal of research, however, is performed outside
of laboratories. For example, a botanists may do research in the volcanic valleys of Alaska to see
what plants grow there, or an ecologist may study how a forest area recovers after a fire.
Other biological scientists work in management or administration. They may plan and administer
programs for testing foods and drugs, for example, or direct activities at zoos or botanical gardens.
Some work as consultants to business firms or to government, while others test and inspect foods,
drugs, and other products or write for technical publications. some work in sales and service jobs
for companies manufacturing chemicals or other technical products.
Advances in basic biological knowledge, especially at the genetic level, have resulted in a new
technology called biotechnology. Biologists using this rapidly developing technology recombine the
genetic material of animals or plants, making organisms more productive or disease resistant. The
first application of this technology has been in the medical and pharmaceutical area. The human
gene that codes for the production of insulin has been inserted into bacteria, causing them to
produce human insulin. This insulin, used by diabetics, is much purer than insulin from animals, the
only previous source. Many other substances not previously available in large quantities are
starting to be produced by biotechnological means; some may be useful in treating cancer and
other diseases. Advances in biotechnology have opened up research opportunities in almost all
areas of biology, including commercial applications in agriculture and the food and chemical
industries.
Most biological scientists who come under the broad category of biologist are further classified by
the type of organism they study or by the specific activity they perform, although recent advances
in the understanding of basic life processes at the molecular and cellular level have blurred some
traditional classifications.
Aquatic biologists study plants and animals living in water. Marine biologists study salt water
organisms and Limnologists study fresh water organisms. Marine biologists are sometimes called
oceanographers, but oceanography usually refers to the study of the physical characteristics of
oceans and the ocean floor.
Biochemists study the chemical composition of living things. They try to understand the complex
combinations and reactions involved in metabolism, reproduction, growth, and heredity. Much of
the work...
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