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Biologist

Biologist

Description

A biologist is a scientist who studies life, specifically organisms and their connection  to the environment or their habitat. Generally speaking, biologists study humans, animals and bacteria to understand how the body works and how other external factors can influence each organism.

A biologist uses basic methods of research to collect data, in order to prove or disprove theories about how organisms function, as well as to help improve advancement in medicine. They work with agriculture, developing new fruits and vegetables less susceptible to nuisances and pests, and make other agricultural improvements. Biological scientists can also work to help upgrade various industrial processes.

There are many types of biologists but the two main subsections in the science are macroscopic and microscopic.

  • Macroscopic biology considers specimens that are measurable and visible by the naked eye.
  • Microscopic biology on the other hand requires microscopes to view the objects being studied.

Most biologists usually have to specialise in both types of research at one point or another, so it is important to classify biologists by their topic of specialization.

Common Duties/Routines

Studying life in all its forms is the key to our understanding of the vast variety of elements of the world around us. Biologists research and analyse the living world around us. Darwin's Theory of Evolution by Natural Selection is mostly the core of their work whether they work in researching treatments for diseases - map, track and understand the spread of epidemics, research the effects of polluting substances on life. They also examine the symbiotic relationship between life and its environment and study things such as adaptability, population change, famine and ecological change.

A biological scientist studies all of these elements too but may also spend more time working with data in order to prove or disprove a theory about a particular scientific hypothesis.

Required/Trained Skills

Those who study biology or biological sciences have the advantage of broad employment options available to them. In reality, their careers will be determined by the specialization area they choose at the beginning of their academic study. Students are expected to choose early on, most definitely in their first or second year.

The majority of graduates work for government organizations. Biologists with a specialty in epidemiology may work for the CDC or in healthcare research. They can also find employment working for the EPA or state environmental protection bodies in research or advisory roles. Teaching is also a major option for many biology graduates. Biology is one of the STEM subjects, and is also an area where there is a shortage of graduates, so employment opportunities are often broad and vast, especially in government and university research. In law enforcement, they have the tools and the knowledge to work in forensic biology, examining evidence from crime scenes in order to build a picture of what took place.

Salary/Compensation

Much depends on the area of expertise. According to the BLS in 2015, microbiologists earned a mean salary of $67,550 or $32 per hour. Biochemists can expect a better salary - around $82,150 or $39.50. The overall median salary for everybody employed in biological science roles (approximately 32,000 individuals) is $77,190 or $37.11ph. The range is incredibly vast. For all roles, the 10th percentile earns a median of $41,740 or $20.07ph. The 90th percentile recorded data of $112,840 and $54.24 respectively. Technical consulting and medical equipment and supplies paid the highest median: around $95k. The lowest median pay is schooling including colleges and universities with a figure of $65,650 and $31.56ph.

Work Atmosphere

In the private industry, they may work in labs to research treatments for diseases through botany, or in agriculture developing herbicides and pesticides. They are also at the forefront of biotechnology, researching genetic modification and future agritech. There is simply no end to the options available – as long as studying biological life is involved, there will be an opening.

Most biologists are employed by the government, a university or a private industry laboratory. Many biologists at universities are also professors, so they spend part of their time teaching students research methods, assisting with the development of the students' projects, as well as work on their own projects.

Biological scientists who are employed in the private industry and by the government are able to focus more on their projects and those assigned by their superiors. Some examples of biologists likely to be working in private industry are zoologists and ecologists, who could be employed by zoos and environmental agencies.

As for the physical workplace, depending on the type of biology, scientists can spend all of their time in the lab, or most of their time in the field. Botanists, ecologists, and zoologists, for example, spend a lot of their time in the field, studying plants and animals in various climates and habitats while often living in primitive conditions. Marine biologists usually have to spend a lot of time on or in the water.

In general, most biological scientists do not experience much in the way of dangerous situations. Those studying dangerous or toxic organisms have a series of special precautions they take to prevent contamination and any possibility of spreading the virus or bacteria.

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