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Published in 2012 by Britannica Educational Publishing (a trademark of Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.) in association with Rosen Educational Services, LLC 29 East 21st Street, New York, NY 10010. Copyright © 2012 Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, and the Thistle logo are registered trademarks of Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. All rights reserved. Rosen Educational Services materials copyright © 2012 Rosen Educational Services, LLC. All rights reserved. Distributed exclusively by Rosen Educational Services. For a listing of additional Britannica Educational Publishing titles, call toll free (800) 237-9932. First Edition Britannica Educational Publishing Michael I. Levy: Executive Editor, Encyclopædia Britannica J.E. Luebering: Director, Core Reference Group, Encyclopædia Britannica Adam Augustyn: Assistant Manager, Encyclopædia Britannica Anthony L. Green: Editor, Compton’s by Britannica Michael Anderson: Senior Editor, Compton’s by Britannica Sherman Hollar: Associate Editor, Compton’s by Britannica Marilyn L. Barton: Senior Coordinator, Production Control Steven Bosco: Director, Editorial Technologies Lisa S. Braucher: Senior Producer and Data Editor Yvette Charboneau: Senior Copy Editor Kathy Nakamura: Manager, Media Acquisition Rosen Educational Services Heather M. Moore Niver: Editor Nelson Sá: Art Director Cindy Reiman: Photography Manager Karen Huang: Photo Researcher Matthew Cauli: Designer, Cover Design Introduction by Heather M. Moore Niver Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data A closer look at biology, microbiology, and the cell / edited by Sherman Hollar.—1st ed. p. cm.—(The Environment: Ours to Save) “In association with Britannica Educational Publishing, Rosen Educational Services.” Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-1-61530-563-6 (eBook) 1. Biology—Juvenile literature. 2. Microbiology—Juvenile literature. 3. Cells—Juvenile literature. I. Hollar, Sherman. QH309.2C56 2011 570—dc22 2011000401 On the cover (front and back), page 3: Red blood cells. Shutterstock.com On the front cover: Hand holding test tubes. Shutterstock.com Pages 18, 21, 22, 32, 33, 46, 55, 83, 84, 87, 90, 93, 94 © www.istockphoto.com/ChristianAnthony; remaining interior background images © www.istockphoto.com/Henrik Jonsson C ON T E N T S Introduction Chapter 1 Areas of Study in Biology 6 10 Chapter 2 History of Biology 26 Chapter 3 The Field of Microbiology 38 Chapter 4 Cell Structure and Function 52 Chapter 5 History of Cell Theory 76 85 87 90 93 94 Conclusion Glossary For More Information Bibliography Index INTRODUCTION P lants, animals, fungi, protozoa, algae, bacteria, and viruses all inhabit the natural world. Biology is the study of these and other living things. Today’s constantly advancing technology allows researchers to investigate nature’s tiniest living organisms; this field of study is known as microbiology. In this volume you will learn about many of the branches of biology. The sheer volume of scientific information available can be mind-boggling, but areas of specialization allow scientists to focus on certain areas, like animals (zoology) or plants (botany). Some biologists study even more specific areas, such as insects (entomology) or bacteria (bacteriology). You will also learn about the history of biology. The early Greeks were the first to formally study the natural world. During the Renaissance, Leonardo da Vinci linked human anatomy to that of animals. Swedish biologist Carolus Linnaeus devised the modern method of classifying organisms, known as taxonomy. The development of the microscope has been and continues to be a huge scientific advancement. Scientists began to 6 Introduction