Some Thoughts on Zoology

Contrary to what some people think, zoology isn't the study of zoo animals. It's the study of all animals.

Zoology is a sub-discipline of biology. And biology is the study of life. The earth contains about 1.75 million known species of living things. We are probably a very long way from being able to classify and name every type of living thing this way. Species come and go all the time, further complicating the problem.

Biologists organize the various species into three major groups:

1. Archaea: Very ancient prokaryotic microbes.
2. Eubacteria: More recent (advanced) prokaryotic microbes.
3. Eukaryota: All life forms with eukaryotic cells. This group includes plants, animals, protists, and fungi. Yes, it also includes members of Congress.

Obviously, zoologists, who study animals, are interested in that third group.

So, what's a eukaryotic cell? First, understand that the scientific definition of life includes several conditions. One of those is that the thing in question consists of one or more cells. Thus, a cell is a basic unit of life. And cells always come from other cells.

Cells may be prokaryotic or eukaryotic.

• If they are prokaryotic, they don't have a nucleus or organelles enclosed in membranes.
• If they are eukaryotic, they do have a nucleus and organelles enclosed in membranes

Each organelle does a specific function for the cell. For example, disposing of waste.

You can approach zoology from the viewpoint of the catalogger or taxonomist. Your interest is in being able to name and categorize the various living things that are in the animal kingdom (as opposed to one of the other three kingdoms in the eukaryota domain, such as the plant kingdom). This approach can quickly become discouraging, as it doesn't provide any real information or intellectual stimulation. In the real world of zoology, this kind of work is carried out but in areas of specialty. For example, a zoologist who specializes in cetaceans knows all the names of the species in that group but probably can't tell you much about butterfly species. This same person can, however, tell you quite a bit about how dolphins socialize and where blue whales go to find food.

While an introductory zoology class might focus on this classification perspective and in a wide sense, working zoologists tend to specialize, sometimes very narrowly, in certain species. They may study the behavior and diet of related species. Their interest might be on where the species live and how their habitat is or will be affected by development, mineral extraction, petroleum operations, dam building, or other intrusions. They may study how a species has evolved or is evolving.

Sometimes, it's hard to tell a zoologist from some other kind of scientist. For example, is Jane Goodall a zoologist or an anthropologist? She has spoken authoritatively in both fields. While few people would ask her about where blue whales go to find food, people are keenly interested in her views on how chimpanzees use tools and weapons.

As you may have guessed by now, getting a zoology degree requires some coursework in ecosystems. It's interesting to look at the zoology programs that colleges and universities offer. These are very similar to the biological sciences programs. As you might expect, however, the zoology programs emphasize animals. These programs require courses in animal anatomy and physiology. They also require a course animal phylogeny, which is basically the study of evolutionary development.

Who employs zoologists? Obviously, zoos and aquariums do. But they are far from the only ones. Getting a zoology degree prepares you for employment in various government agencies, such as the EPA. Private industry employs many zoologists also, especially where their activities concern land use or habitat impact. And there's a long list of nonprofits that zoologists call home.

However, the zoology degree is, like an engineering degree, a "rigorous" degree. Thus, it prepares the student quite well for pursuing an advanced degree. While MBAs are certainly attractive to those with a BS in zoology, the more typical path is to go into another area of biology. An MS in zoology is one choice, but others include marine science and cell biology. Zoologists are also well-prepared to pursue advanced degrees in a variety of biomedical fields.

The biomedical fields include dentistry, medicine, and veterinary medicine. But, as noted earlier, it's a rigorous degree. So as they say, "The sky's the limit." Someone who can graduate from a zoology program has shown not just smarts, but grit. That's the kind of person any good employer wants to hire.