Main Branches of Science with Meanings – A to Z

Science is both a body of knowledge and a process.

In school, science may at times seem like an endless stream of facts, but that is only part of the story. Most importantly, science is also a process of discovery that allows us to link unique facts to a coherent understanding of the natural world.

Science is a way of finding out what the universe is and how it works today, how it worked in the past, and how it might work in the future.

The information that science produces is powerful and reliable. It can be used to develop new technologies, treat disease, and deal with many other types of problems.

Science continues to refine and expand our knowledge of the universe, and as it does, it leads to new questions of future research. Science will not be “eliminated.”

People all over the world are participating in the science program.

Branches of Science, is a systematic study of the nature and methods of matter and the natural environment established by the measurement, exploration, observation, and formulation of laws. There are four major stages of science; Each branch is divided into a different type of subject covering a wide range of subject areas such as chemistry, physics, mathematics, astronomy, etc. The four main branches of science are Mathematics and logic, biology, physiology, and social sciences.

There are three main branches of science:

  1. Physical Science
  2. Earth science
  3. Life Science

Let’s talk about each branch and the areas of study within each branch.

Physical Science is the study of inanimate objects and the laws that govern them. It includes physics, chemistry, and astronomy. In physics, we try to divide the universe into a set of basic, mathematical laws that define the smallest and largest objects in the universe. In chemistry, we study the structure, composition, changes, and properties of an object: we focus on the scale of chemical bonds and reactions. And it is the study of astronomy, the study of celestial bodies, including the origin of our planet.

Two Types of Physical Sciences:

  • Physics: The study of matter and energy and the interactions between them. Physicists study such subjects as gravity, light, and time. Albert Einstein, a famous physicist, developed the Theory of Relativity.
  • Chemistry: The science that deals with the composition, properties, reactions, and the structure of matter. The chemist Louis Pasteur, for example, discovered pasteurization, which is the process of heating liquids such as milk and orange juice to kill harmful germs.

Earth Science is the study of the Earth and the parts of nature that make up it: the formation of the universe, the oceans, the earth, and the way in which those things are put together. It covers geology, oceanography, meteorology, and paleontology. Paleontology, the study of prehistoric and geological sciences, has somewhat conflicted with the science of health. And some parts of the Earth’s science have much in common with the natural sciences.

  • Geology: The science of the origin, history, and structure of the Earth, and the physical, chemical, and biological changes that it has experienced or is experiencing.
  • Oceanography: The exploration and study of the ocean.
  • Paleontology: The science of the forms of life that existed in prehistoric or geologic periods.
  • Meteorology: The science that deals with the atmosphere and its phenomena, such as weather and climate.

Life Science is a biology science study. A wide-ranging natural science but with a few cohesive themes that combine it as a single, integrated field. For example, all living things are made up of cells that process genetic information, which can be passed on to future generations.

  • Botany: The study of plants.
  • Zoology: The science that covers animals and animal life.
  • Genetics: The study of heredity.
  • Medicine: The science of diagnosing, treating, and preventing illness, disease, and injury.

150 Main Branches of Science

Following is a list of most common 150 branches of science:

  1. Photometry

Photometry gathers light within a range of wavelengths to determine the luminosity of astronomical objects.

  1. Cardiology

Study of heart.

  1. Cosmology

Cosmology studies how the universe was created, evolves and its ultimate fate.

  1. Craniology

Study of skulls.

  1. Cryptography

Study of secret writing.

  1. Cryogenics

Study concerning with the application and uses of very low temperature.

  1. Cytology

Study of cells.

  1. Dermatology

Study of skin.

  1. Ecology

The study of relationship between organisms and environment.

  1. Entomology

Study of insects.

  1. Etiology

Study of cause of insects.

  1. Eugenics

Study of improvement of human race by applying laws of heredity. it is related with future generations.

  1. Evolution

Deals with the study of origin of new from old.

  1. Exobiology

Deals with life or possibilities of life beyond the earth.

  1. Floriculture

Study of flower yielding plants.

  1. Geology

Study of condition and structure of the earth

  1. Genetics

Study of heredity and variations.

  1. Gerontology

Study of growing old.

  1. Gynecology

Study of female reproductive organs.

  1. Horticulture

Study of garden cultivation.

  1. Hematology

Study of blood.

  1. Hepatology

Study of liver.

  1. Iconography

Teachings by pictures and models.

  1. Immunology

Science which deals with the study of resistance of organisms against infection.

  1. Jurisprudence

Science of law.

  1. Kalology

Study of human beauty.

  1. Lexicography

Compiling of dictionary.

 

  1. Mycology

Study of fungi.

  1. Myology

Study of muscles.

  1. Nephrology

Study of kidneys.

  1. Neurology

Study of nervous system.

  1. Numismatics

Study of coins and medals.

  1. Obstetrics

Branch of medicine dealing with pregnancy.

  1. Oneirological

Study of dreams.

  1. Ophthalmology

Study of eyes .

  1. Omithology

Study of birds.

  1. Osteology

Study of bones.

  1. Paleontology

Study of fossils.

  1. Philately

Stamp collecting.

  1. Philology

Study of languages.

  1. Phonetics

Concerning the sounds of a language.

  1. Physio graph

Natural phenomenon.

  1. Pedology

Study of soils.

  1. Pathology

Study of disease causing organisms.

  1. Phycology

Study of algae.

  1. Physiology

Science dealing with the study of functions of various parts of organisms.

  1. Pisciculture

Study of fish.

  1. Pomology

Study of fruits.

  1. Seismology

Study of earthquakes.

  1. Sericulture

Silk industry(culture of silk moth and pupa).

  1. Serpent ology

Study of snakes.

  1. Telepathy

Communication between two minds at a distance with the help of emotions, thoughts and feelings.

  1. Taxonomy

Study of classification of organisms.

  1. Virology

Study of virus.

  1. Spectroscopy

Spectroscopy applies the principles of light to understand matter.

  1. Heli physics

Heli physics studies how the sun’s radiation affects its surroundings in space including “space weather”.

  1. Helioseismology

Helioseismology examines the interior structure, composition and dynamics of our sun by observing waves from its surface.

  1. Astroseismology

Astroseismology observes oscillations from stars to investigate their internal structure and composition

  1. Astrometry

Like the geography of outer space, astrometry is concerned with how celestial bodies are positioned and move in space.

  1. Planetology

How planets form in the solar systems including their composition and dynamics in history.

  1. Exoplanet ology

How many and where planets exist outside our solar system.

  1. Astrogeology

How geology relates to celestial bodies like moons, asteroids, meteorites and comets.

  1. Are ology

How geology is composed on Mars.

  1. Selenography

How physical features on the moon formed.

  1. Exogeology

How geology relates to celestial bodies like moons, asteroids, meteorites and comets.

  1. Astrobiology

How life (including extraterrestrials) in the universe evolved, originated and what will be its fate

  1. Exobiology

How likely and where is life in space.

  1. Astro chemistry

How to study substances in celestial bodies, stars and interstellar space.

  1. Stratigraphy

How layering of rocks and strata are analyzed to measure geologic time.

  1. Paleontology

How organisms evolve and their interactions in their environment by studying fossil records often found in rocks.

  1. Micropaleontology

How microfossils are characterized. Paleo is short for “paleolithic” which often refers to the geologic past.

  1. Paleomagnetism

How to reconstruct previous magnetic fields in rocks including the direction and intensity to explore pole reversals in different time periods (past and future).

  1. Geomorphology

How landforms, physical features and geological structures on Earth were created and evolved.

  1. Paleo seismology

How geologic sediments and rocks are used to infer past earthquakes.

  1. Magnetostratigraphic

How sedimentary and volcanic sequences are dated by geophysically correlating samples of strata deposited with the Earth’s magnetic field polarity. In a nutshell, this is the field of study that studies magnetic fields in rocks and past pole reversals.

  1. Geochronology

How old rocks and geological events are dated using signatures inherent in rocks.

  1. Tectonics

How Earth’s crust evolves through time contributing to mountain building, old core continents (cratons) and earthquakes/volcanoes.

  1. Volcanology

How and where volcanoes and related phenomena (lava, magma) erupt and form (past and present).

  1. Seismology

How seismic waves travel through and around the Earth from earthquakes.

 

  1. Neotectonics

How Earth’s crust deforms and has moved in recent and current time.

  1. Tectonophysics

How Earth’s crust and mantle deforms specific to its physical processes. Moreover, the field of tectonophysics targets the physical process that act on the behavior of waves.

  1. Seism tectonics

How earthquakes, active tectonics and individual faults are related to seismic activity.

  1. Petrology

How types of rocks (igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary petrology) form in their specific environment.

  1. Mineralogy

How chemical and crystalline structures in minerals are composed.

  1. Gemology

How natural and artificial gems are identified and evaluated.

  1. Crystallography

How atoms are arranged and bonded in crystalline solids.

  1. Soil Sciences

How soils relate as a natural resource including their formation factors, classification, physical, chemical and fertility properties. Engineering fields consider soils as regolith. But for agriculture production, soils are considered a natural resource.

  1. Pedology

How soils are classified based on their biological, physical and chemical properties.

  1. Edaphology

How soils influence plant growth and living things.

  1. Agronomy

How the field of agriculture involves science such as crop production, biotechnology and soil science.

  1. Hydrogeology

How groundwater is transported and is distributed in the soil, rock and Earth’s crust.

  1. Pomology

How fruits and nuts grow and are cultivated. Pomology is loosely tied to horticulture, agronomy and agrology with a focus on producing successful crops.

  1. Sedimentology

How sand, silt and clay are deposited and the processes that act on it.

  1. Surficial Geology

How surface sediment (till, gravel, sand, clay, etc) overlying bedrock was formed such as during glacial retreat or in lakes associated in these periods.

  1. Glaciology

How ice and glacial deposits have reconstructed landforms as well as how existing (polar) glaciers behave and are distributed.

  1. Geophysics

How physical processes and properties relate to Earth and its surrounding space. Geophysicists conduct surveys to explore what’s happening beneath our feet.

  1. Bedrock Geology

How the intact, solid rock beneath surficial sediments formed including age (stratigraphic sequences), morphology and rock properties (folds, faults, fractures).

  1. Orography

How topographic relief in mountains is distributed in nature. The main focus is orography which studies topographic relief and how mountains are distributed.

  1. Topography

How physical features (natural and artificial) are arranged on the landscape. We use topography in climate models, air and water flow, land formations and to better understand past tectonic activity.

  1. Hypsometry

How the height and depth of physical features are measured land from mean sea level. Hypsometry maps the terrain and processes that act on it.

  1. Zoo pathology

How disease spread, interacts, and is prevented with animals.

  1. Phytopathology

How disease spread and are managed for plants.

  1. Epidemiology

How disease and determinants of health are transferred and distributed in populations. At a large scale, epidemiologists model disease outbreaks with the goal to prevent their spread.

  1. Mycology

How fungi are studied including chemical, physical, and taxonomical properties.

  1. Toxicology

How living organisms are affected, treated, and diagnosed with poisonous substances. Often, toxicology deals with how individual organisms are affected, treated, and diagnosed by poisonous substances.

  1. Evolution Biology

How living things change over time and how life originated.

  1. Paleo biology

How prehistoric life and fossils were composed specifically to a geologic time scale.

  1. Paleoecology

How organisms interact in environments over a geologic time scale.

  1. Paleozoology

How multicellular animal fossils are used to reconstruct prehistoric environments.

  1. Zoo archaeology

How animal remains are used to explore interactions between people, animals and environment.

  1. Primatology

How primate behavior evolved often linking human and primate characteristics.

  1. Paleo botany

How plant fossils can reconstruct past environments in geologic time.

  1. Dendroecology

How tree rings are used to investigate forest development, disturbance areas, and environmental change.

  1. Anthropology

How humans and societies behave from past, present and future.

  1. Paleontology

How plant and animal fossils are used to investigate the origin of species.

  1. Ecology

How organisms relate to each other in their physical environment including distribution and population dynamics.

  1. Synecology

How specific groups of animal and plant species relate within a community.

  1. Zoology

How animals evolve, are classified, interact, and are distributed.

  1. Entomology

How insects are classified and categorized.

  1. Mamma logy

How mammals are characterized including anatomy, taxonomy, and natural history.

  1. Ornithology

How bird species are distributed, behave, and described with a focus on conservation.

  1. Phenology

How seasons and cyclical climate patterns influence plant and animal species.

  1. Biogeography

How ecosystems are distributed in geographic space.

  1. Zoogeography

How animals are distributed in geographic space.

  1. Botany

How plants are classified, grow, and are managed in nature. Botany is synonymous with plant science or phytology.

  1. Forestry

How trees are managed, planted, conserved, and cut down.

  1. Dendrology

How woody plants and tree species are identified.

  1. Phytogeography

How plants are distributed in geographic space.

  1. Arboriculture

How individual trees, shrubs, vines, and other perennial woody plants are cultivated, grow and respond to cultural practices in an environment

  1. Agrobiology

How crop production can be improved through plant nutrition.

  1. Climatology

How climate (long-term weather patterns) has varied in the past and how climate change will affect the future.

  1. Atmospheric Chemistry

How atmosphere chemistry and physics relate to weather and climate patterns.

  1. Topo climatology

How topographic relief influences the local climate in the lower air layer.

  1. Barometry

How atmospheric pressure is measured and relates to weather and climate.

  1. Paleoclimatology

How prehistoric climates have changed on a geologic time scale.

  1. Paleotempestology

How tropical cyclones have changed on a geologic time scale.

  1. Aeronomy

How chemical and physical properties are composed in the upper region of Earth and planets.

  1. Radiometry

How electromagnetic radiation in the atmosphere is observed and measured.

  1. Aerodynamics

How air circulates in the atmosphere.

  1. Hydrometeorology

How water and energy are transferred between the land surface and atmosphere (hydrologic cycle).

  1. Geomagnetism

How Earth’s magnetic field changes at different time scales including pole reversals.

  1. Geophysics

How physical processes and properties relate to Earth and its surrounding space.

  1. Bioclimatology

How long-term climate patterns interact and affect living things.

  1. Geobiology

How the biosphere relates to the lithosphere and atmosphere.

  1. Biometeorology

How atmospheric conditions and short-term weather patterns impact living things. For example, it may examine photosynthesis in plants or evapotranspiration rates in different seasons.

  1. Limnology

How biological, chemical and physical properties of lakes and ponds relate (often) to their terrestrial surroundings.

  1. Ocean Chemistry

How chemical properties of oceans interact including marine ecosystems, ocean currents, and fluid dynamics.

  1. Hydrology

How water travels in relation to land.

  1. Bathymetry

How deep oceans, seas, and lakes are relative to mean sea level. If you want to understand ocean depth, you’d perform a bathymetric survey with sonar instruments.

  1. Marine Physics

How ocean currents circulate including water column structure and fluid dynamics.

Quick Links

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