Studying the Building Blocks of Life
From human anatomy to natural history, biology scientists study living organisms and their relationship to environments.
While many biologists choose to specialize in a specific area, all deal with the myriad of problems facing life and are heavily involved with researching solutions to help preserve it. SMCC offers a wide range of resources whether you choose to become a specialist in zoology (the study of animals) or microbiology (the study of microscopic organisms).
Course Offerings
- To view a listing of the Math Science and Engineering classes, click here and select a category of interest to obtain additional information.
- For a listing of classes available during each semester, visit:
Fast Facts
- A handful of soil contains up to 5,000 different species of bacteria.
- The amino acid tryptophan was discovered by Sir Frederick Gowland Hopkins in 1901.
- The species with the most known pair of chromosomes is the Ophioglossum reticulatum, a species of fern, with more than 630 pairs (1,260 total).
- The first animal to be successfully cloned was a frog, done by British molecular biologist John B. Gurdon in 1933.
- The first mammal to be successfully cloned was an ewe named Dolly, born in July of 1996, led by Ian Wilmut.
- Sharks have to keep swimming in order to survive. The great white shark must swim constantly at 2.2 miles per hour (3.5 kilometers per hour) to ensure oxygen reaches its bloodstream.
- Dolphins have to be conscious to breathe meaning they cannot enter a full sleep without suffocating. Dolphins have "solved" this problem by allowing one half of their brain to sleep at a time (as determined by EEG studies). Dolphins sleep about 8 hours per day this way.
(Sources: New Scientist, How Stuff Works, Nobel Prize, GardenWeb)