Biologist Job Description

The word biology is a broad term, which has originated from the Greek word 'bios' i.e. mode of life. There are different types of biologists who specialize in their respective disciplines. Let us take a look at the different functions that a biologist needs to undertake.

Biologist Job Description

A biologist is a person who studies animal and plant life in terms of origin, structure and development. The most common criterion used for classifying biologists is the animal/plants in which they specialize their study.

Organisms Being Studied: The botanists are those biologists who study plants. The biologists who specialize in animals are known as zoologists. The different microscopic organisms like the viruses, bacteria and fungi are studied by microbiologists. Marine biology is an interesting branch of biology. A marine biologist studies the underwater life (oceans).

Study of Different Aspects of Life: The classification of biologists can also be made on the basis of the functions/aspects of life they study. The different types of biologists according to the above criteria of classification are physiologists, anatomists, nutritionist, geneticists, pathologists, pharmacologists, etc. The life functions such as respiration, growth, reproduction, etc. are studied by physiologists. Anatomists are involved in studying the structure of organisms ranging from single-celled microbes to multi-cellular human beings. Heredity is the focus of study in geneticists. The effect of various drugs on different organisms are studied by the pharmacologists. The pathologists undertake the study of effects of diseases on tissues of animals and plants.

Job Description of a Biologist

A biologist is mainly associated with research work and the subjects of these research activities are related to environment, plants and animals. For example, a biologists may need to collect data/facts regarding effects on the environment due to the factors such as water and land use. The data recorded by a biologist is submitted to the federal authorities, and is displayed in the public. The various tasks that a biologist has to undertake are mentioned below.

• The biological data regarding the interrelationships of organisms and the environment is collected and analyzed.
• The distribution of animals and plants in the environment, their identification, anatomical study, classification, etc. is carried out by biologists.
• Biologists take up the study of the effects of pollution and radioactivity on aquatic animals and plants.
• Research projects for different types of agencies such as government, medical industries, research firms or manufacturing firms are taken up by the biologists.
• Biologists may have to represent their employers at conferences in order to present technical information. If a biologist is working for the federal government or any other industry, publication house, etc. he may need to prepare environmental impact reports.
• Some of the tasks of a biologist include reviewing reports that are related to land use classifications, recreational development, etc. for the purpose of adequacy and accuracy.
• A biologist also works on devising methods for increasing crop yields, which is part of the environment improvement task they are assigned.
• The measurement of acidity, salinity, oxygen content and light in water is carried out for the study of the relationship between aquatic life and water.
• The basic principles of animal and plant life are studied by the biologists in order to understand their origin, anatomy, body functions and development.
• The biologists also teach university students, supervise their research work and also perform research themselves in the university. They also guide technologists, technicians and other professionals working on research papers.
• The breeding and cultivation of aquatic animals too, is carried out by the biologists.
• The preservation of animal, plant, soil and aquatic samples is carried out by the biologists. They also prepare plans regarding the management of resources that are renewable.
• Managing the wild populations is one of the many different tasks of a biologist.
• The responses or reactions exhibited by plants, animals, etc. to parasites are studied by biologists.
• The control and management of pests is one of the important jobs of biologists. In the process of managing the pests, they may have to conduct risk assessment, which is associated with pest exclusion.

Hope the above article has provided you with all the information you would require about the biologist job description of a general nature. The vast nature of biology makes it an interesting subject to study.