Zoology: Is it the Study of Zoos?

Zoology must be the study of zoos, right? How interesting would that be? Just study how zoos operate and that's it, there's your job! Sadly, zoology is not the study of zoos but fortunately for you, it is the study of animals. From the distribution of animals to their behavior, zoology covers everything related to animals. As zoology is such a large field there are many different fields.

The first being, ethology. This is a branch of zoology studies animal behavior, excluding human behavior. This field usually focuses on animal behavior under normal conditions and shows how animals interact with their surrounding environments.

Another field of zoology is the taxonomy of animals. Carolus Linnaeus created the binomial system for classifying animals. This system is continuously used today. This taxonomy allows us to better organize animals and care for them better. Classifying animals allows us to know if certain creature is on the verge of becoming extinct or not.

Embryology is another discipline of zoology. This is a field that I personally find fascinating because it explores what animals look like in their embryonic forms and how they develop. A human and a pig look very similar in their embryonic forms but develop into vastly distinct creatures. Embryos also allow researchers to determine how closely related one species is to another.

If you are only interested in studying frogs, well, guess what? There is a field just for you! Herpetology! This is the study of amphibians and reptiles. From ichthyology to arachnology, there are so many specific disciplines of zoology. This study of biology is perfect for any of you readers who would like to become veterinarians.

Although the field of zoology is sometimes neglected, its significance to the environment is immeasurable. Zoology researches issues from climate change to food security. Creatures large and small both play a vital role in your surroundings and therefore your life.

Works Cited

Zoologist. (n.d.). Faculty of Science. https://science.unimelb.edu.au/study/careers-in-science/biological-sciences/zoologist#:~:text=Zoology%20is%20tackling%20some%20of,insight%20into%20how%20we%20work.