A biologist is a scientist who conducts research in biology . Biologists are interested in studying life on Earth, whether it is an individual cell , a multicellular organism , or a community of interacting populations . They usually specialize in a particular branch (e.g., molecular biology , zoology , and evolutionary biology ) of biology and have a specific research focus (e.g., studying malaria or cancer).
44-468: Biologists who are involved in basic research have the aim of advancing knowledge about the natural world. They conduct their research using the scientific method , which is an empirical method for testing hypotheses . Their discoveries may have applications for some specific purpose such as in biotechnology , which has the goal of developing medically useful products for humans. In modern times, most biologists have one or more academic degrees such as
88-428: A bachelor's degree , as well as an advanced degree such as a master's degree or a doctorate . Like other scientists, biologists can be found working in different sectors of the economy such as in academia , nonprofits , private industry , or government . Francesco Redi , the founder of biology , is recognized to be one of the greatest biologists of all time. Robert Hooke, an English natural philosopher , coined
132-435: A critical role, often then selling the rights to larger companies that have the resources to run the clinical trials. Drug discovery is different from Drug Development. Drug Discovery is often considered the process of identifying new medicine. At the same time, Drug development is delivering a new drug molecule into clinical practice. In its broad definition, this encompasses all steps from the basic research process of finding
176-575: A group of 2245 elderly Americans (average age of 71) surveyed over the period 2010 – 2011, those percentages were 88%, 38%, and 64%. One of the key classifications is between traditional small molecule drugs; usually derived from chemical synthesis and biological medical products ; which include recombinant proteins , vaccines , blood products used therapeutically (such as IVIG ), gene therapy , and cell therapy (for instance, stem cell therapies). Pharmaceuticals or drugs or medicines are classified into various other groups besides their origin on
220-505: A list of essential medicines . A sampling of classes of medicine includes: Pharmaceuticals may also be described as "specialty", independent of other classifications, which is an ill-defined class of drugs that might be difficult to administer, require special handling during administration, require patient monitoring during and immediately after administration, have particular regulatory requirements restricting their use, and are generally expensive relative to other drugs. Drugs affecting
264-441: A mammal from an adult somatic cell, a Finnish Dorset lamb named Dolly. An undergraduate degree in biology typically requires coursework in molecular and cellular biology , development , ecology , genetics , microbiology , anatomy , physiology , botany , and zoology . Additional requirements may include physics , chemistry ( general , organic , and biochemistry ), calculus , and statistics . Students who aspire to
308-718: A pharmacist dispenses only on the order of a physician, physician assistant , or qualified nurse ) from over-the-counter drugs (those that consumers can order for themselves). Another key distinction is between traditional small molecule drugs, usually derived from chemical synthesis , and biopharmaceuticals , which include recombinant proteins , vaccines , blood products used therapeutically (such as IVIG ), gene therapy , monoclonal antibodies and cell therapy (for instance, stem cell therapies). Other ways to classify medicines are by mode of action, route of administration , biological system affected, or therapeutic effects . An elaborate and widely used classification system
352-552: A position to veto or approve their ideas. These scientists must consider the business effects of their work. Swift advances in knowledge of genetics and organic molecules spurred growth in the field of biotechnology, transforming the industries in which biological scientists work. Biological scientists can now manipulate the genetic material of animals and plants, attempting to make organisms (including humans) more productive or resistant to disease. Basic and applied research on biotechnological processes, such as recombining DNA, has led to
396-452: A process known as reverse pharmacology . Hits from these screens are then tested in cells and then in animals for efficacy . Even more recently, scientists have been able to understand the shape of biological molecules at the atomic level and to use that knowledge to design (see drug design ) drug candidates. Modern drug discovery involves the identification of screening hits, medicinal chemistry , and optimization of those hits to increase
440-411: A process of identifying a new medicine. Development: Chemicals extracted from natural products are used to make pills, capsules, or syrups for oral use. Injections for direct infusion into the blood drops for eyes or ears. Preclinical research : Drugs go under laboratory or animal testing, to ensure that they can be used on Humans. Clinical testing: The drug is used on people to confirm that it
484-709: A research-oriented career usually pursue a graduate degree such as a master's or a doctorate (e.g., PhD) whereby they would receive training from a research head based on an apprenticeship model that has been in existence since the 1800s. Students in these graduate programs often receive specialized training in a particular subdiscipline of biology. Biologists who work in basic research formulate theories and devise experiments to advance human knowledge on life including topics such as evolution , biochemistry , molecular biology , neuroscience and cell biology . Biologists typically conduct laboratory experiments involving animals , plants , microorganisms or biomolecules . However,
SECTION 10
#1732859238720528-772: A small part of biological research also occurs outside the laboratory and may involve natural observation rather than experimentation. For example, a botanist may investigate the plant species present in a particular environment, while an ecologist might study how a forest area recovers after a fire. Biologists who work in applied research use instead the accomplishments gained by basic research to further knowledge in particular fields or applications. For example, this applied research may be used to develop new pharmaceutical drugs , treatments and medical diagnostic tests . Biological scientists conducting applied research and product development in private industry may be required to describe their research plans or results to non-scientists who are in
572-499: A suitable molecular target to supporting the drug's commercial launch. Drug development is the process of bringing a new drug to the market once a lead compound has been identified through the process of drug discovery . It includes pre-clinical research (microorganisms/animals) and clinical trials (on humans) and may include the step of obtaining regulatory approval to market the drug. Drug Development Process Discovery: The Drug Development process starts with Discovery,
616-595: A vein , or by drops put into the ear or eye . A medication that does not contain an active ingredient and is used in research studies is called a placebo . In Europe, the term is "medicinal product", and it is defined by EU law as: In the US, a "drug" is: Drug use among elderly Americans has been studied; in a group of 2,377 people with an average age of 71 surveyed between 2005 and 2006, 84% took at least one prescription drug, 44% took at least one over-the-counter (OTC) drug, and 52% took at least one dietary supplement ; in
660-406: Is a drug used to diagnose , cure , treat, or prevent disease. Drug therapy ( pharmacotherapy ) is an important part of the medical field and relies on the science of pharmacology for continual advancement and on pharmacy for appropriate management. Drugs are classified in many ways. One of the key divisions is by level of control , which distinguishes prescription drugs (those that
704-493: Is a medicine or a chemical compound used to treat or cure illness. According to Encyclopædia Britannica , medication is "a substance used in treating a disease or relieving pain ". As defined by the National Cancer Institute , dosage forms of medication can include tablets , capsules , liquids, creams , and patches. Medications can be administered in different ways, such as by mouth , by infusion into
748-760: Is a type of scientific research with the aim of improving scientific theories for better understanding and prediction of natural or other phenomena. In contrast, applied research uses scientific theories to develop technology or techniques, which can be used to intervene and alter natural or other phenomena. Though often driven simply by curiosity , basic research often fuels the technological innovations of applied science . The two aims are often practiced simultaneously in coordinated research and development . In addition to innovations, basic research serves to provide insights and public support of nature, possibly improving conservation efforts. Technological innovations may influence engineering concepts, such as
792-478: Is safe to use. FDA Review: drug is sent to FDA before launching the drug into the market. FDA post-Market Review: The drug is reviewed and monitored by FDA for the safety once it is available to the public. The regulation of drugs varies by jurisdiction. In some countries, such as the United States, they are regulated at the national level by a single agency. In other jurisdictions, they are regulated at
836-523: Is still a lengthy, "expensive, difficult, and inefficient process" with a low rate of new therapeutic discovery. In 2010, the research and development cost of each new molecular entity (NME) was approximately US$ 1.8 billion. Drug discovery is done by pharmaceutical companies, sometimes with research assistance from universities. The "final product" of drug discovery is a patent on the potential drug. The drug requires very expensive Phase I, II, and III clinical trials, and most of them fail. Small companies have
880-778: Is the Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical Classification System . The World Health Organization keeps a list of essential medicines . Drug discovery and drug development are complex and expensive endeavors undertaken by pharmaceutical companies , academic scientists, and governments. As a result of this complex path from discovery to commercialization, partnering has become a standard practice for advancing drug candidates through development pipelines. Governments generally regulate what drugs can be marketed, how drugs are marketed , and in some jurisdictions, drug pricing . Controversies have arisen over drug pricing and disposal of used Medicine . Medication
924-521: Is the most common. Basic research generates new ideas, principles, and theories, which may not be immediately utilized but nonetheless form the basis of progress and development in different fields. Today's computers, for example, could not exist without research in pure mathematics conducted over a century ago, for which there was no known practical application at the time. Basic research rarely helps practitioners directly with their everyday concerns; nevertheless, it stimulates new ways of thinking that have
SECTION 20
#1732859238720968-406: Is used for euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide . Euthanasia is not permitted by law in many countries, and consequently, medicines will not be licensed for this use in those countries. A single drug may contain single or multiple active ingredients . The administration is the process by which a patient takes medicine. There are three major categories of drug administration: enteral (via
1012-469: Is used per day (e.g., four times a day). It may include event-related information (e.g., 1 hour before meals, in the morning, at bedtime), or complimentary to an interval, although equivalent expressions may have different implications (e.g., every 8 hours versus 3 times a day). In the fields of medicine, biotechnology , and pharmacology , drug discovery is the process by which new drugs are discovered. Historically, drugs were discovered by identifying
1056-506: The affinity , selectivity (to reduce the potential of side effects), efficacy/ potency , metabolic stability (to increase the half-life ), and oral bioavailability . Once a compound that fulfills all of these requirements has been identified, it will begin the process of drug development prior to clinical trials . One or more of these steps may, but not necessarily, involve computer-aided drug design . Despite advances in technology and understanding of biological systems, drug discovery
1100-3535: The central nervous system include psychedelics , hypnotics , anaesthetics , antipsychotics , eugeroics , antidepressants (including tricyclic antidepressants , monoamine oxidase inhibitors , lithium salts , and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs)), antiemetics , anticonvulsants /antiepileptics, anxiolytics , barbiturates , movement disorder (e.g., Parkinson's disease ) drugs, nootropics , stimulants (including amphetamines ), benzodiazepines , cyclopyrrolones , dopamine antagonists , antihistamines , cholinergics , anticholinergics , emetics , cannabinoids , and 5-HT (serotonin) antagonists . The main classes of painkillers are NSAIDs , opioids , and local anesthetics . For consciousness (anesthetic drugs) Some anesthetics include benzodiazepines and barbiturates . The main categories of drugs for musculoskeletal disorders are: NSAIDs (including COX-2 selective inhibitors ), muscle relaxants , neuromuscular drugs , and anticholinesterases . Antibiotics , sympathomimetics , antihistamines , anticholinergics , NSAIDs , corticosteroids , antiseptics , local anesthetics , antifungals , and cerumenolytics. Bronchodilators , antitussives , mucolytics , decongestants , inhaled and systemic corticosteroids , beta2-adrenergic agonists , anticholinergics , mast cell stabilizers , leukotriene antagonists . Androgens , antiandrogens , estrogens , gonadotropin , corticosteroids , human growth hormone , insulin , antidiabetics ( sulfonylureas , biguanides / metformin , thiazolidinediones , insulin ), thyroid hormones , antithyroid drugs, calcitonin , diphosphonate , vasopressin analogues . Antifungal , alkalinizing agents , quinolones , antibiotics , cholinergics , anticholinergics , antispasmodics , 5-alpha reductase inhibitor , selective alpha-1 blockers , sildenafils , fertility medications . NSAIDs , anticholinergics , haemostatic drugs , antifibrinolytics , Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT), bone regulators, beta-receptor agonists , follicle stimulating hormone , luteinising hormone , LHRH , gamolenic acid , gonadotropin release inhibitor , progestogen , dopamine agonists , oestrogen , prostaglandins , gonadorelin , clomiphene , tamoxifen , diethylstilbestrol . Emollients , anti-pruritics , antifungals , antiseptics , scabicides , pediculicides , tar products, vitamin A derivatives , vitamin D analogues , keratolytics , abrasives , systemic antibiotics , topical antibiotics , hormones , desloughing agents, exudate absorbents, fibrinolytics , proteolytics , sunscreens , antiperspirants , corticosteroids , immune modulators. Antibiotics , antifungals , antileprotics , antituberculous drugs , antimalarials , anthelmintics , amoebicides , antivirals , antiprotozoals , probiotics, prebiotics, antitoxins , and antivenoms. Vaccines , immunoglobulins , immunosuppressants , interferons , and monoclonal antibodies . Anti-allergics , antihistamines , NSAIDs , corticosteroids . Tonics, electrolytes and mineral preparations (including iron preparations and magnesium preparations ), parenteral nutrition , vitamins , anti-obesity drugs , anabolic drugs , haematopoietic drugs, food product drugs. Cytotoxic drugs , therapeutic antibodies , sex hormones , aromatase inhibitors , somatostatin inhibitors, recombinant interleukins , G-CSF , erythropoietin . Contrast media . A euthanaticum
1144-410: The human gastrointestinal tract ), injection into the body, and by other routes ( dermal , nasal , ophthalmic , otologic , and urogenital ). Oral administration , the most common form of enteral administration, can be performed using various dosage forms including tablets or capsules and liquid such as syrup or suspension. Other ways to take the medication include buccally (placed inside
1188-516: The National Science Foundation. A worker in basic scientific research is motivated by a driving curiosity about the unknown. When his explorations yield new knowledge, he experiences the satisfaction of those who first attain the summit of a mountain or the upper reaches of a river flowing through unmapped territory. Discovery of truth and understanding of nature are his objectives. His professional standing among his fellows depends upon
1232-643: The active ingredient from traditional remedies or by serendipitous discovery. Later chemical libraries of synthetic small molecules , natural products , or extracts were screened in intact cells or whole organisms to identify substances that have a desirable therapeutic effect in a process known as classical pharmacology . Since sequencing of the human genome which allowed rapid cloning and synthesis of large quantities of purified proteins, it has become common practice to use high throughput screening of large compound libraries against isolated biological targets which are hypothesized to be disease-modifying in
1276-399: The basis of pharmacological properties like mode of action and their pharmacological action or activity, such as by chemical properties , mode or route of administration , biological system affected, or therapeutic effects . An elaborate and widely used classification system is the Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical Classification System (ATC system). The World Health Organization keeps
1320-422: The beak of a kingfisher influencing the design of a high-speed bullet train. Basic research advances fundamental knowledge about the world. It focuses on creating and refuting or supporting theories that explain observed phenomena. Pure research is the source of most new scientific ideas and ways of thinking about the world. It can be exploratory , descriptive , or explanatory; however, explanatory research
1364-400: The cheek), sublingually (placed underneath the tongue), eye and ear drops (dropped into the eye or ear), and transdermally (applied to the skin). They can be administered in one dose, as a bolus . Administration frequencies are often abbreviated from Latin, such as every 8 hours reading Q8H from Quaque VIII Hora . The drug frequencies are often expressed as the number of times a drug
Biologist - Misplaced Pages Continue
1408-669: The discovery of genes associated with specific diseases and inherited health risks, such as sickle cell anemia. Advances in biotechnology have created research opportunities in almost all areas of biology, with commercial applications in areas such as medicine, agriculture, and environmental remediation . Most biological scientists specialize in the study of a certain type of organism or in a specific activity, although recent advances have blurred some traditional classifications. Biologists typically work regular hours but longer hours are not uncommon. Researchers may be required to work odd hours in laboratories or other locations (especially while in
1452-727: The field may work in warm or cold climates, in all kinds of weather . The highest honor awarded to biologists is the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine , awarded since 1901, by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences. Another significant award is the Crafoord Prize in Biosciences; established in 1980. Basic research Basic research , also called pure research , fundamental research , basic science , or pure science ,
1496-581: The field), depending on the nature of their research. Many biologists depend on grant money to fund their research. They may be under pressure to meet deadlines and to conform to rigid grant-writing specifications when preparing proposals to seek new or extended funding. Marine biologists encounter a variety of working conditions. Some work in laboratories; others work on research ships, and those who work underwater must practice safe diving while working around sharp coral reefs and hazardous marine life. Although some marine biologists obtain their specimens from
1540-468: The originality and soundness of his work. Creativeness in science is of a cloth with that of the poet or painter. It conducted a study in which it traced the relationship between basic scientific research efforts and the development of major innovations, such as oral contraceptives and videotape recorders. This study found that basic research played a key role in the development in all of the innovations. The number of basic science research that assisted in
1584-585: The potential to revolutionize and dramatically improve how practitioners deal with a problem in the future. In the United States, basic research is funded mainly by the federal government and done mainly at universities and institutes. As government funding has diminished in the 2010s, however, private funding is increasingly important. Applied science focuses on the development of technology and techniques. In contrast, basic science develops scientific knowledge and predictions, principally in natural sciences but also in other empirical sciences, which are used as
1628-416: The principles of inheritance in 1866, which became the basis of modern genetics . In 1953, James D. Watson and Francis Crick described the basic structure of DNA, the genetic material for expressing life in all its forms, building on the work of Maurice Wilkins and Rosalind Franklin , suggested that the structure of DNA was a double helix. Ian Wilmut led a research group that in 1996 first cloned
1672-766: The production of a given innovation peaked between 20 and 30 years before the innovation itself. While most innovation takes the form of applied science and most innovation occurs in the private sector, basic research is a necessary precursor to almost all applied science and associated instances of innovation. Roughly 76% of basic research is conducted by universities. A distinction can be made between basic science and disciplines such as medicine and technology. They can be grouped as STM (science, technology, and medicine; not to be confused with STEM [science, technology, engineering, and mathematics]) or STS (science, technology, and society). These groups are interrelated and influence each other, although they may differ in
1716-412: The production of important substances, including human insulin and growth hormone. Many other substances not previously available in large quantities are now produced by biotechnological means. Some of these substances are useful in treating diseases. Those working on various genome (chromosomes with their associated genes) projects isolate genes and determine their function. This work continues to lead to
1760-457: The scientific foundation for applied science. Basic science develops and establishes information to predict phenomena and perhaps to understand nature, whereas applied science uses portions of basic science to develop interventions via technology or technique to alter events or outcomes. Applied and basic sciences can interface closely in research and development . The interface between basic research and applied research has been studied by
1804-571: The sea, many still spend a good deal of their time in laboratories and offices, conducting tests, running experiments, recording results, and compiling data. Biologists are not usually exposed to unsafe or unhealthy conditions. Those who work with dangerous organisms or toxic substances in the laboratory must follow strict safety procedures to avoid contamination . Many biological scientists, such as botanists, ecologists, and zoologists, conduct field studies that involve strenuous physical activity and primitive living conditions. Biological scientists in
Biologist - Misplaced Pages Continue
1848-515: The specifics such as methods and standards. The Nobel Prize mixes basic with applied sciences for its award in Physiology or Medicine . In contrast, the Royal Society of London awards distinguish natural science from applied science. Pharmaceutical drug A medication (also called medicament , medicine , pharmaceutical drug , medicinal drug or simply drug )
1892-516: The state level, or at both state and national levels by various bodies, as is the case in Australia. The role of therapeutic goods regulation is designed mainly to protect the health and safety of the population. Regulation is aimed at ensuring the safety, quality, and efficacy of the therapeutic goods which are covered under the scope of the regulation. In most jurisdictions, therapeutic goods must be registered before they are allowed to be marketed. There
1936-724: The term cell , suggesting plant structure's resemblance to honeycomb cells. Charles Darwin and Alfred Wallace independently formulated the theory of evolution by natural selection , which was described in detail in Darwin's book On the Origin of Species , which was published in 1859. In it, Darwin proposed that the features of all living things, including humans, were shaped by natural processes of descent with accumulated modification leading to divergence over long periods of time. The theory of evolution in its current form affects almost all areas of biology. Separately, Gregor Mendel formulated
#719280