08-19-2010 at 12:27 PM
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#1
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Member
Real name: Connie
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Different sciences?
What is the difference between physical, biological and life science course? Would you also be able to give a few examples?
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08-19-2010 at 12:37 PM
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#2
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Senior Member
Real name: J
Program: Geography & Earth Sciences
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physical sciences = physics and chemistry
biological sciences = organic chemistry and biology
life sciences = biology and life
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08-19-2010 at 12:38 PM
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#3
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Senior Member
Real name: Amy
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Physical science is what people consider the "hard sciences", not hard as in hard vs easy, but hard as in hard vs soft. Anyways, examples are chemistry, physics and math.
Biological, self-explanatory.
Life sciences is pretty much everything. haha  |
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08-19-2010 at 02:17 PM
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#4
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Elite Member
Real name: Lauren
Program: Chemical Biology (Co-Op)
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Physical science includes chemistry and physics.
Biological science includes biochem, biology, etc
Life sciences include biological sciences and environmental sciences.
There is some overlap...for example, biophysics is primarily a physical science but deals with aspects from biological science. Chemical biology and medical physics are other examples of interdisciplinary sciences--both of those programs are listed under 'physical sciences', but they definitely incorporate biological sciences as well. To quote one of my high school chem teachers: "All biology is chemistry, all chemistry is physics, and all physics is math, so it's really all just math anyways"...it's a bit of a reductionist perspective, but there is some truth to it 
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biological sciences = organic chemistry and biology
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I would disagree...I don't think orgo falls under the 'biological sciences' category. It is chemistry and therefore falls under 'physical sciences', although it does have relevance to biological sciences.
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08-19-2010 at 02:22 PM
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#5
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Senior Member
Real name: Jelly
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Some school also consider geology a physical science.
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08-19-2010 at 02:41 PM
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#6
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Senior Member
Real name: J
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Quote:
Originally Posted by nerual
I would disagree...I don't think orgo falls under the 'biological sciences' category. It is chemistry and therefore falls under 'physical sciences', although it does have relevance to biological sciences.
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False.
Organic chemistry = organic molecules = molecules of life = hence bio
If this wasn't such then the biological sciences for the MCAT wouldn't include organic chemistry. |
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08-19-2010 at 02:46 PM
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#7
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Elite Member
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jordan19
False.
Organic chemistry = organic molecules = molecules of life = hence bio
If this wasn't such then the biological sciences for the MCAT wouldn't include organic chemistry.
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If you look at your equality, you say "Organic chemistry = bio" (by taking the first and last parts of the equality). Organic chemistry is CHEMISTRY, which is a physical science. If you had read the other part of my earlier post, I said that "all biology is chemistry", which means that in order to truly understand biology (or biological sciences) you must look at the physical science aspect of it (ie, chemistry--not just organic chemistry, but physical chemistry as well). That is where the overlap in disciplines comes in, and probably why it's under the 'biological science' section of the MCAT--because they want you to know organic chemistry as it pertains to biological systems. You can study pure organic chemistry without it having anything to do with biological systems, though. |
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08-19-2010 at 02:52 PM
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#8
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Elite Member
Real name: N
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and math's chillin' by itself, too concerned with its own problems to wonder about what parts of it are science and what parts aren't...
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08-19-2010 at 03:11 PM
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#9
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Moderator
Real name: Jeremy
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jordan19
False.
Organic chemistry = organic molecules = molecules of life = hence bio
If this wasn't such then the biological sciences for the MCAT wouldn't include organic chemistry.
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Organic chemistry isn't biology... Organic Chemistry is chemistry that involves the carbon atom. It does contain biology since life on earth is carbon based, but it does not mean that all chemistry that involves the carbon atom involves life.
Kind of confusing but it's the same thing as saying. All dogs are animals, but not all animals are dogs. dogs being life and animals being carbon-based chemistry.
That's why organic chemistry falls under the physical science and not under biological science.
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Jeremy Han
McMaster Alumni - Honours Molecular Biology and Genetics
Salus University First Year - Doctor of Optometry
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08-19-2010 at 03:21 PM
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#10
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Well, biology is applied chemistry...  |
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08-19-2010 at 03:24 PM
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#11
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Moderator
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mahratta
Well, biology is applied chemistry... |
Isn't there a joke about that where it goes on pretty far?
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Jeremy Han
McMaster Alumni - Honours Molecular Biology and Genetics
Salus University First Year - Doctor of Optometry
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08-19-2010 at 03:33 PM
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#12
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Elite Member
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jhan523
Isn't there a joke about that where it goes on pretty far?
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Haha, yep:
I have to admit, I did have this in mind when I brought up the bio / chemistry bit
Last edited by Mahratta : 08-19-2010 at 03:35 PM.
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08-19-2010 at 03:36 PM
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#13
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Elite Member
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mahratta
Haha, yep:
I have to admit, I did have this in mind when I brought up the bio / chemistry bit, haha |
haha yes!!! Love it...that definitely works with what I wrote before:
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Originally Posted by nerual
"All biology is chemistry, all chemistry is physics, and all physics is math, so it's really all just math anyways"
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Gotta love math
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08-19-2010 at 06:09 PM
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#14
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Moderator
Real name: Bushra
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Life science includes biology, biochemistry, biotechnology, life sciences
Physical sciences: Physics & Chemistry and any derivatives. I.e. Chemical Biology is chemistry based, and a physical science. Biochemistry is more bio based; it is a life science or a biological science.
They should really stop referring to "life" and "biological" sciences as two separate things - biology is the study of life.
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Bushra Habib
Biology III
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08-19-2010 at 08:55 PM
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#15
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Elite Member
Real name: MIKE
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so just to be clear - organic chemistry is a PHYSICAL science . Which is good cuz i dont wanna do it and i contacted a future employer n they said u need a strong biological science background
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