Biology is a science of three dimensions. The first is the study of each species across all levels of biological organization, molecule to cell to organism to population to ecosystem. The second dimension is the diversity of all species in the biosphere. The third dimension is the history of each species in turn, comprising both its genetic evolution and the environmental change that drove the evolution. Biology, by growing in all three dimensions, is progressing toward unification and will continue to do so. — Edward O. Wilson

 Edward O. Wilson is an American biologist, naturalist and author.  His specialty is myrmecology – the study of ants.  In fact, he is known as the world’s leading expert on this tiny, social insect.  This specialty explains why he has a keen interest in sociobiology which focuses on social behaviors of animals.  A pioneer in this field, he is known in scientific circles as the father of both sociobiology and biological diversity.

Mr. Wilson outlines admirably the tenets of biological science.  A biologist first considers the individual and its organization from cell through all its layers.  Individual organisms work and live within a greater community and this biodiversity is essential for a healthy planet.  Finally, to understand where we are now, we must look back in time to see from whence we came. This knowledge of evolutionary history is important for all the organisms that share our planet.  Our understanding of life, I think, will come down to the single cell which holds within it historical records from time immemorial in the DNA it contains.  Biologists investigating each of these dimensions are working towards a common goal – understanding how life began and how it continues to exist and evolve.

Related articles across the web

• Edward O. Wilson’s Dull Paradise
• Challenge To Kin Selectionists: Explain This!