Definition of biology

The word "biology" has its roots in the Greek language. The term was coined in the late 19th century by German scientist Karl Ernst von Baer, who combined the Greek words "bios" (life) and "logos" (study or discourse). The first recorded use of the word "biology" was in 1797, when Baer wrote the book "De Ovi Humano et Mut imaginable" (On the Human and Imagined Ovum), which laid the foundation for modern embryology. Before Baer's coinage, the study of living organisms was often referred to as "natural history" or "physiology". The term "biology" has since become widely accepted and is now used to describe the scientific study of living organisms, including their structure, function, growth, evolution, and interaction with the environment.