Biology and Mathmatics

[tech19]

I want to get into science and computer programming in college. I know physics has lots of math in and so do some parts of chemistry, but what about biology. I would like to look at biology, but I don't know what parts of biology to look are there any that have to do with a lot of mathmatics. Thank you for all answers.

[DrP]

I'm not a biologist so someone else can reply. But the first things that spring to mind are rates of decay and growth. This was always the example given to us as 'maths in biology'. These days I wouls guess that drug delivery systems need a bit of math (as they are more chemistry/physics really) - rates of transport through membraines and stuff. ?

[CharonY]

There are lots and lots of potential topics. Too much to mention everything. For instance starting with genome research (much of a whole branch, bioinformatics, is dealing with it). That is from ORF to function predictions, distance analyzes, and so on.

Flux calculations, if one is more involved in physiology. The whole branch of evolutionary biology is what most resembles the branch of theoretical physics.

But also for mere analyzes of data of various sorts (statistics and explorative statistics). And... well I could go on all day.

 

I think the biggest part would be statistics and (stochastic) modeling, overall.

[amaysa]

I would say genetics requires a fair amount of maths as well as certain experiments dealing with calculations, but on general terms biology relies less on mathematics.

[Paralith]

I would say genetics requires a fair amount of maths as well as certain experiments dealing with calculations, but on general terms biology relies less on mathematics.

 

Good biological research depends a lot on mathematics, especially when it comes to statistical testing. Also, understanding biological systems really requires an understanding of chance and probability - thanks to things like environmental variation and mutation, the reality is that few things are absolutes.

 

There are lots of areas where mathematical modeling is being used to understanding organic systems - everything from genetics and proteomics to weather and ecosystems to the evolution of sociality and mortality - as CharonY says, you really could go on and on. Just pick an area and you'll probably be able to find someone doing modeling-based research in that area.

[CharonY]

Actually the only areas that do not rely heavily on mathematics would probably classical zoology and botany. Though I suspect that these former pillars of biology (or probably roots) are nowadays often left to rot (funding-wise).

[Paralith]

That's because "classical" zoology and botany is merely cataloging - what's out there, what's it look like, where's it live, etc. "Classical" naturalists merely observe, they don't form hypotheses or test anything, which is where real science is these days (even if what you're testing is the nature of your observations).

[CharonY]

This is pretty much true. I was never very fond of that area. However, I did admire fellow students that could catalogue bugs or birds just by taking a glimpse on them or listen to their song. A dying art.