Who is the father of biology?

The revered title "Father of Biology" is unanimously conferred upon the ancient Greek philosopher and scientist, Aristotle (384–322 BCE). His contribution to the life sciences was so profound and systematic that it laid the very foundation for biology as a formal discipline. While earlier thinkers had pondered the nature of life, Aristotle was the first to approach the study of living organisms with a rigorous, empirical methodology. His work was not just a collection of random observations; it was a comprehensive and organized inquiry into the structure, function, behavior, and diversity of life, effectively creating the field of zoology, a major branch of biology. For this, he is often dually titled the "Father of Biology" and the "Father of Zoology."

Aristotle's approach was revolutionary. He believed that knowledge of the natural world must begin with direct observation. He personally dissected and studied over 500 different animal species, from birds and mammals to marine life like the octopus and cuttlefish. His detailed anatomical descriptions in works like History of Animals (Historia Animalium) and Parts of Animals were unparalleled in their accuracy and scope for nearly two thousand years. He made pioneering observations, for instance, correctly describing the complex four-chambered stomach of ruminants and the reproductive process of the dogfish shark, which bears live young. He developed a system of classification, the scala naturae or "Great Chain of Being," which organized all living things into a hierarchy from the simplest plants to the most complex animals, with humans at the apex. Though this concept is now outdated, it was the first major attempt to systematically classify the diversity of life, a precursor to modern taxonomy.

Beyond just cataloging organisms, Aristotle delved into fundamental biological questions. He was a pioneer in embryology, studying the development of chicks in eggs and postulating on the processes of reproduction and heredity. He distinguished between invertebrates (anaima, "animals without blood") and vertebrates (enaima, "animals with blood"), a basic classification that remains relevant. He also pondered the relationship between form and function, arguing that the structure of an organ is intrinsically linked to its purpose, a core principle of modern anatomy and physiology. While many of his specific conclusions have been revised by modern science (for instance, his belief in spontaneous generation for some insects), his core contributions are undeniable. By establishing observation as the basis of natural science, creating the first system of classification, and asking deep, foundational questions about life, Aristotle single-handedly established the intellectual framework for biology. All subsequent work in the field stands on the shoulders of the monumental inquiries he began over two millennia ago.