---
title: "List of life sciences"
chunk: 1/3
source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_life_sciences"
category: "reference"
tags: "science, encyclopedia"
date_saved: "2026-05-05T03:29:18.415712+00:00"
instance: "kb-cron"
---

This list of life sciences comprises the branches of science that involve the scientific study of life — such as animals (including human beings), microorganisms, and plants. This is one of the two major branches of natural science, the other being physical science, which is concerned with non-living matter. Biology is the overall natural science that studies life, with the other life sciences as its sub-disciplines.
Some life sciences focus on a specific type of organism. For example, zoology is the study of animals, while botany is the study of plants. Other life sciences focus on aspects common to all or many life forms, such as anatomy and genetics. Some focus on the micro scale (e.g., molecular biology, biochemistry), while others focus on larger scales (e.g., cytology, immunology, ethology, pharmacy, ecology). Another major branch of life sciences involves understanding the mind—neuroscience. Life-science discoveries are helpful in improving the quality and standard of life and have applications in health, agriculture, medicine, and the pharmaceutical and food science industries. For example, they have provided information on certain diseases, which has helped in the understanding of human health.

== Basic life science branches ==

Biology – scientific study of life
Anatomy – study of form and function, in plants, animals, and other organisms
Histology – the study of tissues
Neuroscience – the study of the nervous system
Astrobiology – the study of the formation and presence of life in the universe
Biotechnology – study of combination of both the living organism and technology
Biochemistry – the study of the chemical reactions required for life to exist and function, usually focused on the cellular level
Quantum biology – the study of quantum phenomena in organisms
Bioinformatics – developing of methods or software tools for storing, retrieving, organizing and analyzing biological data to generate useful biological knowledge
Biophysics – study of biological processes by applying the theories and methods that have been traditionally used in the physical sciences
Biomechanics – the study of the mechanics of living beings
Botany – study of plants
Agrostology – the study of grasses and grass-like species
Dendrology - the study of woody plants and trees
Phycology – the study of algae
Cell biology (cytology) – study of the cell as a complete unit, and the molecular and chemical interactions that occur within a living cell
Developmental biology – the study of the processes through which an organism forms, from zygote to full structure
Ecology – study of the interactions of living organisms with one another and with the non-living elements of their environment
Enzymology – study of enzymes
Evolutionary biology – study of the origin and descent of species over time
Evolutionary developmental biology – the study of the evolution of development including its molecular control
Genetics – the study of genes and heredity
Immunology – the study of the immune system
Marine biology – the study of ocean organisms
Biological oceanography – the study of life in the oceans and their interaction with the environment
Microbiology – the study of microscopic organisms (microorganisms) and their interactions with other living organisms
Aerobiology – study of the movement and transportation of microorganisms in the air
Bacteriology – study of bacteria
Virology – study of viruses and virus-like agents
Molecular biology – the study of biology and biological functions at the molecular level, some cross over with biochemistry, genetics, and microbiology
Structural biology – a branch of molecular biology, biochemistry, and biophysics concerned with the molecular structure of biological macro-molecules
Mycology – the study of fungi
Paleobiology – the study of prehistoric organisms
Parasitology – the study of parasites, their hosts, and the relationship between them
Pathology – study of the causes and effects of disease or injury
Human biology – the biological study of human beings
Pharmacology – study of drug action
Biological (or physical) anthropology – the study of humans, non-human primates, and hominids
Biolinguistics – the study of the biology and evolution of language
Physiology – the study of the functioning of living organisms and the organs and parts of living organisms
Population biology – the study of groups of conspecific organisms
Population dynamics – the study of short-term and long-term changes in the size and age composition of populations, and the biological and environmental processes influencing those changes. Population dynamics deals with the way populations are affected by birth and death rates, and by immigration and emigration, and studies topics such as ageing populations or population decline.
Synthetic biology – the design and construction of new biological entities such as enzymes, genetic circuits and cells, or the redesign of existing biological systems
Systems biology – the study of the integration and dependencies of various components within a biological system, with particular focus upon the role of metabolic pathways and cell-signaling strategies in physiology
Theoretical biology – use of abstractions and mathematical models to study biological phenomena
Toxicology – the study of poisons
Zoology – the study of (generally non-human) animals
Ethology – the study of animal behavior

== Applied life science branches and derived concepts ==