Some Important Facts About Biology
Animals are multicellular, living organisms in the Kingdom Animalia. Although they cannot breathe air, they are capable of moving about on land and in water. With a few exceptions, animals eat organic matter, breathe oxygen, can move, reproduce sexually, and secrete hormones. The body systems of animals are complex and extremely organized.
The field of animal sciences encompasses a wide range of studies involving how animals live and behave, what they eat and how they are affected by their environments. One branch of animal sciences that has broad applications is veterinary medicine. Veterinary medicine includes the study of animals, particularly horses, cattle, birds, fish, insects, reptiles, mammals, and other taxonomic groups. Livestock marketing involves the trading of animal products such as milk, meat, eggs, fibers, horns, and hides. Veterinary research involves the study of disease, anatomy and physiology, nutrition, pharmacology, and agriculture. Veterinary technologist jobs provide the opportunity to work in animal care, health care, or the commercial sectors.
Another area of animal sciences that employs animal scientists is forensic science. Because many types of crime require quick action, the ability to determine guilt or innocence of an accused is vital. Animals are employed in forensic studies to aid police officers in determining the guilt or innocence of suspects. Wildlife veterinarians and wildlife specialists are also involved in forensic studies of wildlife and plant life.
Many other areas of the animal sciences lend themselves to professional careers in animal care, management, nutrition, or research. Some examples of these professional careers include animal welfare specialists, food service specialists, biomedical technologists, veterinary technicians, ornithologists, physiologists, and biochemists. In the United States, these professionals are required to obtain licenses in order to obtain employment as veterinary technicians in shelters and animal care centers, according to the American Association of Housecall Veterinarians. Professional careers in this field range from being a veterinary technician that provides services to animals waiting for surgery to a commercial livestock agent that inspects animals on a farm.
While the field of animal medicine is vast, it can be broken down into specific sections. Within these sections, the branches of specialization most often identified are those involving animals with multicellular organisms, specifically micro-organisms such as bacteria and protozoa. The definition of a multicellular organism includes all of the cells that make up an animal or plant. Other animal biology definitions for specialization include those that pertain to the structure and functioning of multicellular organisms, those that deal with sensory perception and behavior, those that deal with body tissues and blood cells, and others.
One of the major areas of study in the world of animal biology is the Kingdom Animalia, which refers to various taxonomic families that have representatives in living animals. The classification of kingdom animalia is not inclusive of all the animals and plants in existence, but it does encompass representatives from every major class of animals. An example of a Kingdom Animalia representative is Cows, a group of multicellular organisms. Cows move voluntarily and can survive in water. Cows have scales, which help to detect their bodies, and they can be herbivores or carnivores, depending on the diet that they consume.
