16 



ZOOLOGY AS A SCIENCE 



perimentation, the conclusions drawn from 

 this experiment hold. 



From these data a generalization can be 

 made concerning the use of Vitamin Bi 

 by the rat. If, for example, all mammals, 

 indeed all animals, required Vitamin Bi, it 

 would then be possible to formulate a 

 theory concerning this substance and nutri- 

 tion in animals. Usually theories are applied 

 to broad concepts such as the existence of 

 atoms, molecules, gravity, and evolution. A 

 theory is a tentative or probable explana- 

 tion of a problem; once a theory is formu- 

 lated, it must be tested in all possible ways, 

 for if it fails to explain all of the subsequent 

 findings, it must be discarded or altered. 

 Many theories set forth by scientists have 

 later found their way to the waste basket. 

 If a theory continues to explain the facts 

 after rigorous testing, it becomes a law. In 

 zoology, "life from life" is a law. 



A scientist either has acquired or innately 

 possesses the spirit of inquiry; without this 

 trait he would never be fired by the un- 

 known and would, therefore, never be 

 inclined to investigate that which was not 

 already well understood. All first-rate sci- 

 entists are endowed with this trait to a 

 marked degree. A good example of a man 

 who was imbued with the spirit of inquiry 

 throughout his life was Pasteur, who could 

 never allow a problem to rest until he had 

 attained an acceptable answer to it. As a 

 result he probably revealed more impor- 

 tant information about disease and the cure 

 for human suffering than any other man. 

 The scientist must constantly have an open 

 mind but he must also have a very critical 

 mind. Not only must he criticize the work 

 of others, but what is far more difficult, he 

 must measure his own work by the same 

 yardstick. It is only through checking and 

 rechecking one another's work that sci- 

 entists have been able to arrive at present- 

 day knowledge. Scientists are their own 

 severest critics and so they should be. Con- 

 clusions must be carefully drawn and must 

 always allow for future discoveries which 



may alter the apparent facts today. The sole 

 interest of the scientist lies in an explana- 

 tion of the physical world about him and 

 the life on it. To the pursuit of this task 

 he is dedicated with unswerving devotion. 



FIELDS OF THE BIOLOGICAL 

 SCIENCES 



There are many facets to the field of 

 biology, each of which has become very 

 specialized today. The oldest field is con- 

 cerned with the structure and form of ani- 

 mals, and is termed morphology. It has 

 several subdivisions. Anatomy has to do 

 with gross anatomical structures that can 

 be studied with the naked eye. Histology is 

 the study of the microscopic architecture 

 of organs, and cytology is the study of cell 

 structure; both involve the use of the micro- 

 scope. Another branch of morphology is 

 embryology, the study of the development 

 of an animal. 



The study of animals in respect to their 

 proper classification is known as taxonomy. 

 The field which concentrates on the dis- 

 tribution of animals geographically is zoo- 

 geography, and the study of fossil remains 

 is paleontology. 



Physiology is the study of the manner 

 in which animals function; this phase of 

 biology is more recent and occupies the 

 attention of a great many people in all 

 branches of biology today including agri- 

 culture and medicine. It is probably the 

 most fruitful of all in regard to the improve- 

 ment of our physical shortcomings. Genetics 

 is the study of the mechanics of inheritance. 

 A study of the relation of animals to their 

 environment is known as ecology. This is 

 an important phase of biology because it 

 provides the knowledge for the rehabilita- 

 tion of stocks of wildlife. Naturally it in- 

 volves plants as well as animals. The science 

 of the mind alone resolves itself in the field 

 of psychology and when the study includes 

 the entire animal and its interrelationships, 

 the field is known as sociology. 



