The word “Biology” means simply the study of life. This definition encompasses all aspects of living systems from the ecosystem and whole organism level, down to the microscopic world of the cell and its life support mechanisms.
The huge breadth of Biology offers a corresponding wealth of opportunities for students who choose to study it to follow many paths through to a final degree. Biology is certainly going to be the growth industry of the 21st century, with increasing capacity for humans to intervene in, control and perhaps repair defective biological systems. Genetic manipulation of plants and animals, in particular, offer enormous possibilities for improving our lives but, at the same time, there are inherent dangers present in the unthinking application of these techniques. The next generation of professional biologists will have to play an important role, not only in the continued development of such methods, but also in deciding how they can be responsibly and safely applied.
Human beings also have to recognise that they share the planet with millions of other species with which their lives are closely intertwined. It is impossible for humans to live an existence separate from the rest of nature, and any attempt to do so will certainly result in environmental disaster.
Our relationship with the rest of the natural world is one which has been established over many hundreds of millions of years, and the early modules of the Biology programme have a strong evolutionary theme. They emphasise the fact that it is impossible to understand any aspect of Biology unless you have a clear understanding of its most important general theory – evolution by natural selection. During the second year, students have the opportunity to begin to specialise in their module choices, but Biology students tend to try and preserve diversity in their subject choices, striking a balance between animal, plant and micro-organism biology.
The modules offered in the College of Life Sciences at Dundee are so many and so varied that this diversity can be maintained right up until the end of your degree. Throughout the programme there is an emphasis on field teaching, and students are encouraged to see the blending of field and laboratory based research as essential to the training of a properly rounded Biologist.
Statistics for recent years show us that our graduates find employment in a very wide variety of destinations. Perhaps most importantly, our Biology graduates consistently figure close to the top of national league tables of graduate employment in Life Sciences. Examples of recent employment destinations for Dundee Biology graduates include government research institutes, teaching and research in universities, teaching in primary and secondary schools, the pharmaceutical and food industries, and conservation bodies.
Dr Peter Rowell
