What is life science?

What's the difference between life science and biology?

• Also, what exactly is the scope in life science? What can one do if one has a degree in life science? Also, is it a good course? what are the subjects involved in it? I've heard about it a lot, but would like to know in what way it is different from biology. Thanks.

• Answer:

  It's the same thing by another name - both are broad terms used to describe the study of life as a whole. I don't know if you know this already, but there are a good number of biology-related degrees available that specialize in specific aspects or focus on certain systems in biology, such as: biochemistry, neuroscience, developmental biology, microbiology, immunology, genetics, plant biology, physiological science, etc... our school even offers psychobiology and neurobiology (don't ask me how they're different from neuroscience because I have no idea). I think most US universities only offer a biology degree and not a life science degree. Depending on the school, this degree may encompass all areas of biology... but at my school, the biology major focuses on "Ecology and Evolutionary Biology". Here's my university's degree description: Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Scope and Objectives Organismic biology touches every aspect of modern life, and understanding how living organisms are adapted to their environments is the major challenge of the discipline. To meet this challenge, the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology offers undergraduate and graduate instruction at all levels of biology--from regulatory and physiological processes within organisms through the natural ecology and behavior of living organisms and to the population and community dynamics of multiple species. All of these subject areas address practical problems facing the world today, and all influence human decisions on matters ranging from conservation of the environment to advancement of medical science. The Bachelor of Science degrees combine essential background studies in mathematics, chemistry, and physics with a general introduction to all of the biological subjects, as well as advanced in-depth exposure to some of them. The Master of Arts and Ph.D. degrees provide opportunities for advanced, concentrated study. The Master of Arts degree requires, in addition to specified coursework, completion of either a comprehensive examination or the performance of original research culminating in a thesis. The Ph.D. degree requires independent and innovative research that ultimately results in a dissertation.