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Which branches of biology study the structure and functions of living things?

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A herd of African elephants stands at the edge of the Chobe River in Botswana, drinking water with a backdrop of dry hills and scattered green trees. — life A herd of African elephants (*Loxodonta africana*) drinking from the Chobe River, Botswana.

In biology, the study of living things is traditionally divided into branches that focus on structure and those that focus on function, though these fields are deeply interrelated.1

Morphology: This branch is dedicated to the study of the structure, shapes, and arrangement of the parts of organisms. It seeks to understand how these structures develop, their functions, and how they have been shaped by evolution.21
Physiology: This branch focuses on the study of the functions of living things. It examines the processes that keep organisms alive and working, ranging from the molecular and cellular levels to entire organ systems.134

While these fields are often categorized separately for convenience, modern biological research recognizes that structure and function are inseparable. For example, cell biology serves as a foundational field that studies cells as the fundamental units of both structure and function in all living organisms. Additionally, interdisciplinary fields like biochemistry and biophysics integrate principles from chemistry and physics to explain how biological structures perform their vital functions.14