Natural Science
A previous article of mine discussed the Branches of Science. Now, this article is diving deeper into one of those branches.
Natural Science looks at the physical world. It covers everything from an atom to the whole universe. Natural Science seeks to explain the rules that govern the natural world. The word natural refers to any element of the physical universe. So, it is clear why this branch is called Natural Science. Natural Science breaks down into three main categories.
First, let’s talk about Life Science. Life Science encompasses every living thing on the earth. It contains everything from the tiniest little bacteria to the blue whale. Life Science aims to learn everything about life on this planet. It studies life in all its forms. Some of the biggest areas of study are Ecology, Botany, Zoology, Genetics, Marine Biology, Microbiology, Physiology, and Paleontology. Now, let’s break down all those big words.
Ecology studies interactions between organisms and their environment. Botany studies plants. Zoology studies the animal kingdom. Microbiology focuses on the smallest organisms of all living things. Physiology studies how organisms stay alive including all the different processes that support life. Genetics studies how traits are passed down and also looks at DNA. Paleontology looks at fossils and life that isn’t alive anymore. Marine Biology focuses on life in the ocean.
Now, let’s look at the next branch of Natural Science, Physical Science. Physical Science studies all the inorganic things. Physical science is a very large branch. Some specific fields of study in Physical Science are Physics and Chemistry. Physics studies matter and energy as well as their interactions. Chemistry focuses on different elements and materials along with how they interact with each other. Those branches break down even more into things like Mechanics, Kinetics, Thermodynamics, and different kinds of Chemistry such as Electrochemistry. That was a quick breakdown of Physical Science.
Next, let’s look at Earth Science. Earth Science studies all the fields relating to earth and covers some studies of stars and other planets. Earth Science can be broken down into five branches: Geology, Meteorology, Astronomy, Oceanography, and Environmental Science. Geology studies the earth’s physical structure and substances. Geology especially focuses on rocks. Meteorology studies weather and the atmosphere. Astronomy studies the moon, stars, and all kinds of different things out in space. Oceanography studies the ocean and the things in the ocean. Environmental Science combines a lot of other branches to protect the environment. It is an interdisciplinary branch of science, but we put it under Earth Science.
Now, we have covered all the main branches of Natural Science. If want to see this article in video form then here you go.
References:
Brush, S. (1999). Physical science. Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved February 5, 2022, from https://www.britannica.com/science/physical-science
King, H. (2005). What is earth science? geology. Retrieved February 5, 2022, from https://geology.com/articles/what-is-earth-science.shtml
Korthals, M. (2016). Life Sciences. Life Sciences — an overview | ScienceDirect Topics. Retrieved February 5, 2022, from https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/social-sciences/life-sciences#:~:text=Life%20science%20refers%20to%20the,animals%2C%20fungi%2C%20and%20plants.
Rongxing, G. (2021). Natural science. Natural Science — an overview | ScienceDirect Topics. Retrieved February 5, 2022, from https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/earth-and-planetary-sciences/natural-science
