essay on studying biology

Free Biology Essay Examples & Writing Tips

Don’t know what to write about in your essay on biology? Looking for good biology essay examples for inspiration? This article has all you need!

A biology essay is a type of academic paper that focuses on a particular topic of biology. It can discuss animal life, cycles in biology, or a botanic subject. You will need to demonstrate your critical thinking skills and provide relevant evidence to support your perspective.

On this page, you will find examples of biology essays. You will also find here tips and topics prepared by our experts . They can assist you in nailing your short or extended essay.

Areas of Research for Biology Essays

If you’ve been assigned to write a biology essay, you probably know which area of research you have to choose. However, it might be beneficial to explore other available scopes. It’s useful for both interdisciplinary study and the cases when you are free to pick your area of research. In this section, let’s figure out what you can study in biology.

Here are biological areas of research you should be familiar with:

• Cancer Biology studies this type of disease to prevent, detect, diagnose and cure it. The ultimate goal of such biologists is to eliminate cancer.
• Cell Biology is a branch that studies the structure, function, and behavior of cells. Here, biologists study healthy and sick cells to produce vaccines, medication, etc.
• Biochemistry is an application of chemistry to the study of biological processes on cell and molecular levels. It is a cross-discipline between chemistry and biology. The focus is on the chemical processes of living organisms.
• Computation Biology is a study of biological data that develops algorithms and models to understand biological systems. Here, scientists either work for institutions or research for private enterprises.
• Genetics is an area that focuses on the study of genes and genetic variations for health benefits. It looks at the way DNA affects certain diseases.
• Human Disease is an area within which scientists study different diseases. The field covers cancer, developmental disorders, disease genes, etc.
• Immunology is a branch of biology that focuses on immunity. Immunologists look at the way the body responds to viruses as a way to protect the organism.
• Microbiology studies all living organisms that are too small for our eye to see. It includes bacteria, viruses, fungi, and other microorganisms.
• Neurobiology is the study of the nervous system. Biologists examine the way the brain works and look into brain illnesses.
• Stem Cell and Developmental Biology seeks to examine how the processes behind stem cell’s ability transform cells. The biologists in this area use the power of stem cells to model human illnesses.

Essay on Biology: Writing Tips

Want to know how to start a biology essay? Wondering about the best way to write your essay on biology? Then check out the following tips.

When you’re writing about biology, pay attention to the following features:

• Introduction . Just as in any other form of academic writing, the first section of your paper introduces the subject. Here, explain why your ideas are relevant to biology as a science.
• Thesis Statement. The final one or two sentences of the first paragraph should include your original hypothesis and experiment. You will be proving them in the main body. You do not have to include the results as the reader will encounter them later. If you’re struggling with this part, try our thesis generator .
• Main Body. In this part, write about all the experiments in detail. Often, teachers require to include visual aid to prove your point. For Zoology, Anatomy, Botany, it is pretty easy to find some photos and illustrations.
• Conclusion. Here, restate your thesis. Reemphasize the most critical aspects described in the main body. You can do it by using our summarizing tool . The goal of this last paragraph is to leave an everlasting impression on the reader.

Thank you for reading our article. We hope you found it helpful. Share it with your class peers who also study biology. Additionally, have a look at the biological essay examples below.

807 Best Essay Examples on Biology

Grass and its importance, the benefits of animals to humans essay.

• Words: 1166

The Effect of Temperature on Amylase Activity

• Words: 1293

Biology of Grasses: Description and Importance

Ubiquity of microorganisms.

• Words: 2210

Effects of Vinegar on the Germination Rate of Mung Beans Seeds

• Words: 1750

Anaerobic Respiration and Its Applications

• Words: 1274

Seed Germination Experiment: Results and Discussion

Bronfenbrenner’s bioecological system theory.

• Words: 1827

Mung Seed Germination Patterns under Varying pH Values

Pets and people, similarities and differences of photosynthesis and cellular respiration, strawberries history.

• Words: 1484

Botany and Taxonomy of the Onion

• Words: 2414

Dark or Light Skin: Advantages and Disadvantages

Nanobiotechnology, its advantages and disadvantages, characteristics of adult development.

• Words: 1311

Osmosis Through a Potato Slice Dipped in Solutions of Varying Concentrations

• Words: 1075

The C-Fern Plant Laboratory Experiment

• Words: 1101

Microbiology: Zygomycota, Ascomycota and Basidiomycota

Mitosis and meiosis in onion root tip.

• Words: 1691

Lemon, Its Origin and Production

• Words: 1115

Rabbit Muscular System Dissection Report

Eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells: key differences, transpiration process in plants, vitamin a: description and usage, mitosis in onion root and whitefish blastula, botany and zoology in the classroom.

• Words: 1631

The Function and Structures of the Human Heart

Importance of the brain in human body, different ecosystems and living things, browning reactions explained, a study of the brine shrimps and their natural environment.

• Words: 1937

Substrate Concentration and Rate of Enzyme Reactions

• Words: 1730

Pollutants Effects on Cellular Respiration Rate

• Words: 1434

Cane Toad: Introduction and Threat

• Words: 1018

The Insect Effect on Human Life

A brief discussion of animal and plant cells, aspects, importance and issues of biodiversity, cells, tissues, and major organs systems.

• Words: 2269

Marine Life in United Arab Emirates

• Words: 1474

The Thermoregulation Is and Its Importance

The anatomy and physiology of the nervous system of a rat.

• Words: 1612

Forensic Procedures: Hairs and Fibres

• Words: 2067

The Digestive System in the Human Body

The effect of different shampoos on the bacteria growth.

• Words: 1737

Molecular Biology. Production of pET28b and EGFP Clones

• Words: 4609

Cell Organelles, Their Functions, and Disease

• Words: 1195

Consequences of Orange Juice on the Germination of Mung Bean Seeds

Ethnobotanical uses of plants.

• Words: 1938

A Light Microscope: Function and Usage

The characteristics and importance of nervous system.

• Words: 1705

How SCOBY Changes Its Environment: Lab Experiment

• Words: 1214

Description of Mitosis and Meiosis

Human circulatory system and evolution, archaea and bacteria prokaryotes dichotomous keys, lipids: fatty acids and glycerols, vertical stratification, falling in love as part of natural selection.

• Words: 1085

Microbiology and Its Role in Healthcare

Dugesia, a planarian with its peculiar characteristics.

• Words: 3207

Photosynthesis As A Biological Process

Biology: photosynthesis and respiration, the euphorbia plant modification and adaptation, olfactics and its importance for living beings.

• Words: 1446

Pros and Cons of Use of Pesticides

Ubiquity of bacteria: laboratory activity.

• Words: 1496

Seed Germination and Osmosis

• Words: 1127

Life in the Bottom of the Ocean and Its Protection

• Words: 1529

Vaquita – Endangered Species

• Words: 1367

The Importance of Sleeping and Dreaming

Researching the physiology of the eye.

• Words: 1122

Microbiological Studies, Applications, and Current Discoveries

Brine shrimp habitat, invertase enzyme: description and role.

• Words: 1151

Natural Sciences. The Phenol Red Broth Test Experiment

• Words: 1156

“The Egg and the Sperm” by Emily Martin Critique

• Words: 2577

A Study of “Escherichia Coli”

Cell culture and biomedical applications.

• Words: 1485

Soil Impact on the Growth of Plants

• Words: 1227

Introduction to the Nervous System

Rosalind franklin: the discovery of the dna structure, food macromolecules – lipids, carbohydrates, and proteins, first reptiles adaptation: amniotic egg evolution, climate change and threat to animals, how the human eye works analogous to a camera, the characteristics and importance of chickpeas.

• Words: 3665

Physiology of Uromastyx Aegyptia

• Words: 1340

Corn Plant’s Developmental Stages

Reproductive isolation and its potential effects, melanin theory as a pseudoscientific claim.

• Words: 1645

Domesticated, Cultivated, and Wild Species

Biology: analysis of egg experiment, non-trophic interaction in marine species, microbial growth and effect of ph on it.

• Words: 1330

Biodiversity, Interdependency: Threatened and Endhangered Species

What enzymes are and how do they work, the dna extraction procedure: scientific experiment, shapes of cells and their functions, pfiesteria piscicida: classification and analysis.

• Words: 1704

Microbial Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Impact

Plant growth and development with music, venomous snakes: the importance of the antidotes, the human family tree development, biowarfare and bioterrorism: history and origin, responsible house plant keeping.

• Words: 2262

The Kingdom Fungi: The Structure, Characteristics

Green fluorescent protein – applications in biochemistry, the brain: structure and functions, psychophysics: definition & fundamentals.

• Words: 1606

Sleep May Be Nature’s Time Management Tool by Carey

Venus flytraps and arthropods: plant-animal interactions.

• Words: 2088

Gekkonidae: Biological Characteristics

• Words: 1121

Human Reproductive Biology: Organs, Structure, Functions

• Words: 2909

Biology. Cell Analogy – Nucleus + Nucleolus

Photosynthesis, fermentation, and enzyme activity, the biological basis of sleep.

• Words: 2220

16S and 18S Ribonucleic Acids: The Key Differences

Escherichia coli-related articles review, stress & health: “why zebras don’t get ulcers” book by sapolsky.

Tips on How to Write a Biology Essay: Learn from the Example of Jellyfish Essay

How to Write a Biology Essay

In this article, we will guide you on how to write a perfect biology essay from scratch. You’ll find various tips to help you excel in writing your essay and creating a paper worth the highest grades. We also prepared a jellyfish essay example for you, so it can be easier to enhance all the specifics and structure of this kind of paper.

What is Biology Essay

A biology essay is a student-written work where you present arguments and ideas about a particular biological topic. The essay on biology can take different forms like argumentative, cause-and-effect, descriptive, detailed analysis, or ‘how-to’ instruction, depending on the professor’s guidelines and writer’s preferences. 

A descriptive paper can explain a biological subject, while an argumentative one provides evidence to support a point of view. It’s up to you to choose which type is more suitable for the topic you’re writing about. The most common type is a cause-and-effect essay explaining an event’s reasons and consequences. 

How to Craft a Perfect Essay About Biology

Writing is an art form that requires time and effort. But if you prefer someone else to write the paper for you, you can just text the experts, ‘ do my homework for me ,’ and consider it done. 

Here is the step by step instruction to organize the process for desired results. 

Choose Your Biology Essay Topic

To get a good grade:

• make your paper informative and enjoyable by choosing a topic you wish to explore. 
• Use a brainstorming technique to generate 30-50 options for biology essay topics and research to create a shortlist. 
• Keep a notebook to jot down your ideas.

Choose a Question for Research

When writing a biology essay, use a scientific approach by selecting a research question related to your topic. Always avoid overly complex or apparent questions. You can also text our profs ‘ write my research paper ,’ and it can be done in a blink.

Create an Outline

Always have a clear plan when writing biology essays while starting a paper. Use a 5-paragraph structure with an outline to keep your main idea and arguments organized. Use any format that works best for you and adjust as needed. Discard any ideas that don’t fit your research question.

Use a Strong Thesis Statement

The introduction should end with a strong thesis statement synthesizing the overall essay, conveying the research question and your point of view. The paper is ineffective without a clear thesis, as readers may not understand your position.

Use Citation and References

Include a list of references in your academic papers, such as biology essays, to avoid plagiarism and provide data sources. Use the appropriate citation style, like APA or CSE, and consult a guide for requirements.

How to Structure a Biology Essay

Ensure your essay has an attention-grabbing introduction, a detailed body, and a solid conclusion with distinct sections. Use around seven paragraphs for the main body, adjusting as needed for the required word count.

Biology Essay Introduction

In the introduction of your essay about biology, showcase your expertise by providing a brief background of the topic and stating the essay’s objective. For a research paper, explain why the study is relevant. Make sure the reader understands the essence of your subject.

The body section of your essay on biology should focus on supporting and defending your thesis statement. To achieve this, make a list of essential points to cover and address each one step by step. Starting a new paragraph for each point ensures neatness and a continuous flow. 

In conclusion, restate your thesis statement and summarize supporting points to solidify your arguments. Avoid introducing new concepts, and leave a lasting impression on your instructor.

Jellyfish Essay - Example of a Biology Essay About a Fascinating Creature of the Ocean

Jellyfish, also known as jellies, are incredible creatures of the ocean. They’re members of the phylum Cnidaria, including corals and sea anemones. You can find jellyfish in every ocean around the globe, from the surface to the depths of the sea. 

Do you know what shape the jellyfish body has?! It’s one of their most unique features. Their bell-shaped body comprises a soft, jelly-like substance called mesoglea, found between two cellular layers. The outer layer of cells, the epidermis, is thin and flexible, while the inner layer, the gastrodermis, contains the jellyfish’s digestive system. At the bottom of the bell is the mouth, surrounded by tentacles armed with stinging cells called nematocysts. 

The jellyfish tentacles consist of venom-filled sacs, which can be potentially dangerous and life-threatening. Considering the severity of its sting, researchers have gathered information on how to treat it effectively. Use thick clothing, tweezers, sticks, or gloves to alleviate the sting. It’s crucial to avoid touching the sting with bare skin since the venom can cause severe harm. Always dispose of the tool used for removing the sting to prevent re-stinging. 

Jellyfish are creatures that feed on small fish and other tiny marine organisms. They capture their prey using the tentacles and bring it to their mouth. Once the food is inside the jellyfish, it’s broken down by digestive enzymes and absorbed into the gastrovascular cavity. 

An exciting thing about jelly is its life cycle. They go through several stages of development, starting as a tiny, free-swimming larva and then growing into a polyp. The polyp stage is stationary, and the jellyfish attaches itself to a surface using a sticky pad. During this stage, the jellyfish reproduces asexually, creating clones of itself. These clones then break off from the polyp and develop into the familiar bell-shaped body of the adult jellyfish. 

Jellyfish play an essential role in the ocean’s ecosystem too. They’re a food source for many marine creatures, including sea turtles and some fish species. They also help to control the population of tiny marine animals by feeding on them, and their waste products contribute to the nutrient cycle in the ocean.

However, jellyfish populations can sometimes explode and become a nuisance. This phenomenon mostly occurs when their natural predators are eliminated from the ecosystem or when water conditions, like temperature and salinity, are conducive for jellyfish growth. In cases where jellyfish populations reach excessive levels, they can clog fishing nets and interfere with other human activities in the ocean.

Jellyfish really are stunning creatures of the ocean. They’re diverse, with many different species, and are essential to the marine ecosystem. While they can sometimes become a nuisance, they’re vital to the ocean’s food web and nutrient cycle. Studying jellyfish can give us a greater understanding of the complex and interconnected systems that make up our oceans.

Practical Tips for Creating Perfect Academic Papers

Developing writing skills is crucial for your academic success regardless of your major. Check out these tips we provided for improving your writing. But if you aren't fond of writing, you can easily hand it to professionals by saying, ‘ do homework for me .’

Search for Samples or Examples

To improve your writing, analyze examples of well-written biology essays or research papers. Although not all online samples are perfect, they can still provide insights into what works and what doesn’t. However, avoid plagiarism and ensure your paper is original by presenting fresh ideas and a unique perspective. 

Read Whenever You Can

Develop your writing skills by reading widely and extensively. Look for biology papers in scientific journals, websites, or books. Don’t forget to take notes on interesting points that you can use in your papers later.

Practice Makes Perfect

Don’t expect to write a perfect paper on your first try, so take every opportunity to practice your writing. Find a mentor if needed and use online resources to learn from your mistakes and improve your skills.

Always Organize Your Writing Process

Organize your work process instead of waiting for inspiration by defining stages, scheduling time for each task, and eliminating distractions. Don’t wait for mood to write an essay about biology; use different strategies to overcome writer’s block.

Proofread and Get Other Feedback

It’s hard to assess your own work accurately. Seek feedback from peers or instructors to identify strengths and weaknesses to improve upon. Don’t wait for your professor’s feedback to know if your biology essay is good. 

Interesting Biology Essay Topics from Our Experts to Practice Your Writing

In this paragraph, we listed different biology essay topics from which you can choose your preferred one and practice writing to excel in your academic papers.

• A jellyfish - my favorite creature
• Facts about animal behavior
• Biodiversity conservation
• Chemical Ecology
• Impacts of air pollution
• Acid Rain’s impact on wildlife
• The greenhouse effect
• Causes of global warming
• Effects of climate change on nature
• Ways to avoid water pollution

These are interesting topics and also some of the most significant environmental problems. Choose the one you like and practice.

Final Thoughts

This article provides tips that will definitely make your writing process easier and more effective. Adjust these tips while writing your biology paper and structure it as we did in the jellyfish essay example. But if you still prefer a professional to do it for you, contact us by writing ‘ do my research paper ,’ and our experts will handle it.

• Plagiarism Report
• Unlimited Revisions
• 24/7 Support

Essays About Biology: Top 5 Best Examples and 6 Prompts

Writing essays about biology can be difficult because it’s composed of many subtopics. Check out this article for our top essay examples and writing prompts.

Biology came from the Greek words “bios” (life) and “logos” (study). It’s why biology is the study of life or living organisms. Aside from being a natural science, it also has consolidated themes, such as cells making all organisms. Because it’s a broad topic, biology is divided into specialized fields such as botany, genetics, zoology, microbiology, medicine, and ecology. 

Biologists consider living beings’ origin, evolution, growth, function, structure, and distribution. It’s a comprehensive subject, so there are many things you can write about in your essay. However, at the same time, you might find it challenging to focus on just one area. 

Below are examples to give you an idea of how to write your essays about biology:

1. Essay About Biology by Kelli Wilkins

2. my interests in biology by anonymous on essaywriting.expert, 3. essay on the importance of study of biology by akhila mol, 4. what biology means to me by anonymous on studymode.com, 5. how my biology teacher changed my perspective of learning the subject by sankalan bhattacharya, 1. biology in my everyday life, 2. something i realized because of biology, 3. my memorable biology class experience, 4. genetics’ role in people’s diseases, 5. my experience during the pandemic, 6. biology and health.

“Studying Biology is important for a number of reasons, but in particular because it is used in every field. If we did not have a good understanding of Biology then nobody would be able to understand how bodies work, and how life on earth functions.”

Wilkins shares her desire to study anatomy, a branch of biology, and expounds on what makes biology an essential field. Because biology lets people know more about the world, she digs into why she’s interested in anatomy, specifically to find ways to cure illnesses and develop technologies to discover new treatments. She ends her essay by relating biology to the existence of doctors and hospitals. 

“It is known that education plays an important role in the life of any individual. It gives an opportunity to develop personality and gain specific skills, to get profound knowledge and experience in order to apply them practically in the future. As for me, my major goal is to study Biology in order to get appropriate knowledge and skills required for my future profession.”

The author shares why they want to study biology, referring to the human body as the “perfect machine” and curious about how it performs each of its systems’ functions. The writer also mentions how biology is critical to their future profession. They aim to help people with their health problems and relay their desire to research the brain to find more data on it. 

“The study of biology owes great significance in human life, because man for its day-to-day requirements is dependent on plants and animals either directly or indirectly.”

Mol lists seven reasons why humans need biology in their daily lives. Her list includes health, diseases, agriculture, horticulture, food, animal breeding, and entertainment. She expounds on each point and how they affect a man during his time on Earth. She explains each relationship in a simple manner that’s easy to understand for the readers.

“Without biology, we would have no idea about an organism’s makeup, or the most basic unit of life, a cell… Biology influences me in many ways. Biology influences me by teaching me why to take care of the environment, why I am to take care of my body, and by giving me a better overall view of all scientific areas of study.”

In this short essay, the writer lists down reasons why biology is essential. These reasons include taking care of the environment, one’s body, and others. The author also expounds on their reasons by presenting facts supporting biology’s importance to the world and human lives.

“He told that the syllabus may be a good way to prepare for an exam but our knowledge should not be limited to any syllabus and the questions that were asked in the examination were related to the topic only. He told that if we try to know things in detail and understand them properly then the interest in the subject will develop, otherwise, students will not treat the subject as a subject of their choice. 

Bhattacharya shares his experience with a teacher with a unique teaching style. His Biology teacher from Class 7, before the era of the internet, don’t just carry one book to get all his lessons from. Instead, he has a notebook with the collated information from many books to teach his class. 

Bhattacharya’s teacher taught them things that were not in the curriculum, even if following the curriculum would give him higher points in his evaluation. He only wanted his students to learn more and share with them why learning differs from just knowing. 

Do you want to be sure you have an excellent essay? See our round-up of the best essay writing apps to help you check your output.

6 Prompts for Essays About Biology

You don’t have to be a biology student to write an essay about the subject. If you’re looking for easy prompts to write about, here are some to get you started:

If mitochondria are the powerhouse of the cell, who is the powerhouse of your classroom? Your home? Relate a biology topic to a similar structure in your life, then explain why you think they are the same. 

For instance, you can compare your mother to mitochondria which generate the energy needed to power a cell. The cell being you. You can say that she gives you energy every day by being there and supporting you in whatever way she can. This prompt bodes for a creative and intriguing essay.

Relay a lesson you learned from biology and how it perfectly explained something you were once hesitant about. Such as being insecure about your big ears – only to know from a biology trivia that ears never stop growing. You can then share how this help lessen your insecurity because you now know large ears are normal. 

Do you have a memory you won’t forget that happened during biology class? Narrate this story and explain why it’s something that left an impression on you. To give you an idea, you can talk about the first time you dissected an animal, where you first realized how complex organisms are and that they are made of many systems to function, no matter how small.

Gene action and heredity are evolving. If you have a genetic illness or know someone who has it, you can share your experience. Then explain what your genes have to do with the disease. Is it something you got from your parents? Did they inherit it from your grandparents? Finally, you can add what your parents’ and grandparents’ lives were like because of the disease.

Virology, another branch of biology, studies viruses and viral diseases. A recent example is the coronavirus pandemic, where more people realized the importance of knowing a virus’ origin, structure, and how they work. Write an essay where you explain how the pandemic operates, such as why people should wear masks, social distance, etc.

For this essay, you can write about how biology helps you care for your health. For example, you can include how biology helped doctors give you the appropriate diagnosis, how you had the opportunity to have the proper treatment, etc. 

If you want to write on a related topic, here are essay topics about nature you can consider for your next essay. 

Maria Caballero is a freelance writer who has been writing since high school. She believes that to be a writer doesn't only refer to excellent syntax and semantics but also knowing how to weave words together to communicate to any reader effectively.

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Your chance of acceptance, your chancing factors, extracurriculars, how to write a 'why biology' major essay.

I'm a high school junior applying to college soon, and I'm working on my application essays. One question asks me to explain why I'm interested in majoring in Biology. Can you guys suggest some elements I should include in the essay? How can I make my passion for biology stand out?

When writing a 'Why Biology' major essay, it's essential to focus on your personal experiences, passion, and future goals related to the subject. Here are some elements you can include in the essay to make it stand out:

1. Personal exposure: Highlight any experiences that sparked your interest in biology. Did you have a inspiring biology teacher or an exciting lab experiment? Maybe you joined a biology club or participated in a science fair project? Connect these experiences to your passion for the subject.

2. Academic achievements: Reflect on any notable academic accomplishments you have had in biology, such as high grades, taking AP or advanced level courses, or receiving awards/recognitions for your work in the subject. This shows your dedication and success within the field.

3. Extracurricular activities: Discuss any relevant extracurricular activities showcasing your involvement and commitment to biology, such as internships, volunteering, research projects, or summer programs related to the subject. Elaborate on how these experiences deepened your passion and understanding of biology.

4. Specific topics of interest: Describe the areas within biology that you find particularly fascinating or captivating, such as genetics, molecular biology, neuroscience, or ecology. By narrowing the focus, you demonstrate a clear understanding of the discipline and its subfields.

5. How your passion has evolved: Explain how your interest in biology started and the ways it has grown over time. This shows your commitment to understanding the subject on a deeper level, and it will allow the admissions committee to see how you've continued to explore and expand your passion for biology.

6. Future plans and goals: Talk about your long-term career aspirations or academic goals in biology and how majoring in the subject will help you achieve them. For example, you could mention your desire to pursue research, medicine, biotechnology, or conservation. Connecting your major to future plans showcases your motivation and seriousness about studying biology.

7. College-specific resources: Mention specific programs, faculty, research opportunities, or facilities that the college you're applying to offers within the biology department. Explain how these resources will help you reach your academic goals and deepen your passion for the subject.

For more details on writing a "Why This Major?" essay, check out this CollegeVine article: https://blog.collegevine.com/why-this-major-college-essay

In conclusion, make sure to focus on your personal experiences, achievements, and aspirations regarding biology, and convey your genuine enthusiasm and dedication to the subject. By incorporating these various elements into your essay, you'll demonstrate a well-rounded understanding of and passion for biology, which will make your essay stand out.

About CollegeVine’s Expert FAQ

CollegeVine’s Q&A seeks to offer informed perspectives on commonly asked admissions questions. Every answer is refined and validated by our team of admissions experts to ensure it resonates with trusted knowledge in the field.

160 Biology Essay Topics

For most science courses, assignments are generally lab-based and rarely require much writing. However, all of that changes in biology courses when detailed essays must be written to highlight a student’s understanding of the subject. These essays are highly technical, with specific comments required to meet the factual nature of the subject.

In addition to meeting the factual requirements needed to complete the assignment, biology essays must also be written in a writing style that is informative and authoritative rather than subjective and personal.

These detailed specifics of writing a biology essay can make completing the writing difficult from the very beginning. Fortunately, we’ve created this guide to help students learn how to write a biology essay. In addition, we’ve also included 160 biology essay topics to help inspire the creative writing process.

How to Write a Biology Essay?

Writing a biology essay starts with choosing a topic. If your teacher has not already assigned a specific topic, then students must choose one that is broad enough to find credible resources and specific enough that the research won’t overtake the writing process.

To select a suitable topic for a biology essay, consider the type of biology class you are taking, the current and previous chapters studied, and the overall context of the course. These factors will help you select a topic that is likely to be relevant to your teacher’s needs and to the passing of your course.

Once students have selected a suitable topic, it’s time to research credible resources that will support the subject. To do this successfully, students need to consider the following:

• What information is already known about this topic?
• What topics are related or similar to this topic?
• Who are credible authors that can explain this topic?
• What additional sources will provide me with the information needed to complete this assignment successfully?

For example, if you want to write a biology essay on protein synthesis and its regulation at the transcriptional level, research material would include books, articles, and other written works published by credible authors or publishers. While important, this material isn’t the only type of research that should be completed.

Students may also consider consulting medical and biology dictionaries, textbooks, online research databases such as PubMed or Medline, and professional organizations for biologists to find additional sources. Once the research has been completed, it’s time to create the first draft of the biology essay.

Biology Essay Introduction

Starting an essay is always the same. Students should open with a catchy hook statement that introduces an interesting fact, presents a unique perspective, or raises a thought-provoking question.

Once that sentence has been created, students can use the middle part of the introduction to introduce fundamental concepts and provide background details about the topic.

Once that information has been laid out, and the reader knows the necessary details to make the reading interesting and worthwhile, students should move into the final portion of the introduction that answers the question: WHY is this essay important? This question is answered in the form of a thesis statement that details the essay’s overall purpose.

Biology Essay Body Paragraphs

The body paragraphs of your essay will contain the bulk of your research. Be sure that each body paragraph meets the following requirements:

• One clear idea represented per paragraph or section
• Examples that back up the point of the paragraph
• A clear and logical flow between paragraphs with transition words

Make sure that the body paragraphs only contain information pertinent to the subject or topic. Avoid fluff or filler words and phrases that don’t add any substance or value to the writing.

The number of paragraphs in the body may vary depending on the assignment parameters and the essay style. For example, an essay with a 1000 word limit won’t have as many body paragraphs as an essay with a high word count.

Additionally, a compare and contrast essay that examines the similarities and differences between two or more biology concepts may have more body paragraphs than an argumentative essay.

Biology Essay Conclusion

The final section of a biology essay is the conclusion. In this section, students need to summarize the major points of the essay and the overall purpose for writing it. The thesis should also be re-stated to recap what has been learned from the writing.

In addition to these sentences, students should include a final remark about their research and findings. This might be a thought that ties into the intro or another interesting angle that presents a new way of looking at your topic.

Once the conclusion is completed, students should edit and review their work. Make sure that the essay is free of grammar and spelling mistakes before submitting it for grading.

When it comes to choosing a biology essay topic, it is not always as easy as it seems. For students looking for help with writing a biology essay, we have compiled a list of 160 biology essay topics that will hopefully give you some great ideas.

Biology Essay Topics About Animals

• What is the importance of bats in our ecosystem?
• What is the difference between a domesticated cat and a wildcat?
• How do animals adapt to their environments?
• What are the various types of symbiotic relationships found in nature?
• Which animals have been known to show altruism towards other species?
• What impact does human activity have on animal behavior?
• What are some of the advantages and disadvantages of zoos?
• How do animal brains work?
• What is an animal’s anatomical structure like?
• What are some symbiotic relationships between humans and animals?
• What is the difference between herbivores, carnivores, omnivores, and insectivores?
• Why are having pets important to humans?
• What are the positive and negative impacts of commercial farming on animals?
• Do you think it is acceptable to keep pets in zoos? Why or why not?
• What are some common misconceptions about cats, dogs, rodents, cows, sheep, horses, reptiles/fish/insects?
• How do animal bones support their body structure?
• What are the effects of humans on the natural habitats of animals?
• What are some ways in which animal anatomy is similar to human biology?
• What are some symbiotic relationships found in the animal kingdom?
• Can humans and animals communicate with each other?
• How do different types of animal cells function differently than human cells?
• Why do some animals see better in the dark?
• Explain the circulatory system of cold-blooded animals and how it differs from that of warm-blooded animals.
• What are some examples of mimicry in nature?

Biology Essay Topics About Cellular Biology

• How does cell theory apply to cellular biology?
• What is mitosis, and where does it take place?
• What are the different parts of a cell?
• What is a nucleolus?
• What are the differences between prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells?
• How do viruses affect our cells?
• How does photosynthesis work?
• Why is it important to study cellular biology as a foundation for other disciplines of biology?
• What are the functions of organelles in cells?
• What is anabolism and catabolism?
• How do plants use photosynthesis to produce sugar while animals break down food for energy?
• Describe the process of homeostasis and explain how the human body maintains its internal environment.
• What are the important parts of a cell?
• How do cells reproduce?
• What is the difference between mitosis and meiosis?
• What is the importance of cellular research to humans?
• Explain mitochondria, chloroplasts, and vacuoles in plant cells.
• What are some of the problems with using stem cells in medical research?
• What are the differences between eukaryotic and prokaryotic organisms?
• How do humans reproduce sexually?
• Why is it different to clone plants than animals?
• What are some important functions of membranes in cells?
• What is the significance of mass spectrometry to molecular biology and genetics?
• How do viruses reproduce?
• What are mitochondria responsible for in eukaryotic cells?
• What is the difference between a plasmid and a virus?
• Do you think cloning animals should be allowed? Why or why not?
• What is a cell cycle?
• How do diseases affect the structure and function of cells?
• What are some ethical issues with genetic engineering?
• What is cell division, and how does it work?
• Where does meiosis occur in the body, and what does it accomplish?
• Explain the structure and function of ribosomes in eukaryotic cells.
• What is a cell membrane made up of, and what are its important structural components?
• How do antibiotics affect bacterial cells?
• Do you think cloning humans should be allowed? Why or why not?
• What makes up the cytoskeleton?
• How are molecular structures related to the functions of cells?
• What are some examples of biomolecules necessary for cell function and survival?
• What types of molecules make up an organism’s genome?

Biology Essay Topics About the Ecosystem

• What does the term food web mean?
• Why is it important to study population dynamics in an ecosystem?
• How do humans affect other species and their environments?
• How can we prevent and control invasive species, and why are they so dangerous?
• What effects does pollution have on animals and their habitats?
• How do global warming and climate change affect the ecosystem?
• What are the different types of animals found in ecosystems?
• What happens to an ecosystem when one species becomes extinct?
• What is the difference between biotic and abiotic components of an ecosystem?
• How do humans feed off other species to survive?
• Describe how the r-selected life strategy works.
• What are some examples of symbiosis found in nature?
• How does biodiversity affect the structure, function, and survival of ecosystems?
• How does the stability of an ecosystem depend on biodiversity?
• What are trophic levels, and how do they function to maintain the structure of ecosystems?
• Why are invasive species dangerous?
• How do global climate changes and human activities affect the biodiversity of ecosystems?
• What types of organisms thrive in wetlands?
• How do humans benefit from studying ecosystems?
• What ecosystems are best suited to rapid climate change?

Biology Essay Topics About Evolution

• Is evolution strictly a scientific theory, or is it also valid spiritually?
• Why is research about the evolution of life important to our understanding of the past?
• What are some examples of convergent evolution?
• How does natural selection contribute to evolution?
• Why is it important for people to understand evolution and its role in biology?
• What are some benefits that humans enjoy thanks to evolution?
• How do mass extinctions impact the evolution of different species?
• How does a mutation affect a population’s gene pool and diversity?
• Explain the core principles of Darwin’s theory of evolution.
• How does an organism’s ability to respond to environmental changes contribute to its rate of evolution?
• What is polyphyletic evolution?
• What are some examples of vestigial traits in humans and other species?
• How do eco-evolutionary dynamics play a role in evolution?
• Do you think that past mass extinction events had an impact on evolution? Why or why not?
• What are some benefits humans enjoy thanks to evolution by natural selection?
• How could modern-day diets affect the evolutionary growth of humans?
• What animals have had evolutionary changes based on threats to their diets?
• What evolutionary response makes for the best camouflage?
• What types of traits can be used to differentiate between closely related species?
• What are the main factors that prevent a population from evolving?
• How is artificial selection different from natural selection?
• Why do scientists still debate about evolutionary theory despite overwhelming evidence supporting it?
• What are some examples of convergent evolution in nature, and how do they function as an adaptation?
• Why is research about the evolution of life important to understanding the past?

Biology Essay Topics About Genetics

• What is genetic drift, and how can it lead to changes in a population over time?
• How do the different parts of DNA interact with each other?
• How are dominant and recessive traits identified?
• What are some examples of genetic disorders?
• What causes Down syndrome, and how is it diagnosed in children?
• How does natural selection act on mutations to create variation in a population?
• Can scientists use DNA testing to learn about our ancestors’ migratory patterns and where they lived?
• How can animal migration help us to better understand genetics?
• Define molecular genetics and explain how it relates to classical and Mendelian genetics.
• What is the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, and why is it important in population genetics?
• Do you believe that scientists should clone human beings? Why or why not?
• Why are dominant traits sometimes called masking genes?
• Why is genetic diversity important for long-term species survival?
• How are epigenetic changes related to evolution?
• What is the difference between gene expression and gene activity with regards to genetics?
• How do developmental genes affect the appearance of an organism throughout its life cycle?
• How have animal and plant breeders used genetic engineering to produce certain types of hybrids?
• What are the ethical implications of human cloning?
• What are the latest technologies in genetic engineering?
• What new technologies are needed to make human cloning a reality?
• How are living organisms adapting to the presence of plastics in our environment?
• Why are some individuals resistant to certain genetically programmed diseases?
• What are three common misconceptions about genetic engineering?
• What is transgenic technology, and how can it be used for disease prevention or treatment?
• How do microorganisms impact human health and the environment?
• What are some examples of a genetically modified organism?
• How does natural selection impact microorganisms?
• What is DNA profiling, and how can it help to solve crimes or return missing persons to their families?
• Why do scientists need more research surrounding epigenetics before drawing conclusions on its effects on evolution?

Biology Essay Topics About the Human Body

• What is the purpose of skeletal and respiratory systems?
• How do hormones affect our body on a daily basis?
• How does the endocrine system work as part of an overall regulatory system in the human body?
• What are some different types of cells found in the human body?
• What are the differences between exocrine and endocrine glands?
• What are stem cells, and why are they important to biological research?
• How do muscles work together to create movement in our bodies?
• How do bones help us to maintain balance while walking, standing up straight, and running?
• What are some ways that human behavior can impact our bodies?
• How do foods with high sugar content affect the digestive system?
• What organs are no longer necessary in the human body, and why?
• What blood types offer better protection from the elements?
• What are mosquitoes attracted to some humans and not to others?
• What pheromones do humans give off?
• What are the different types of blood cells?
• How does healthy eating help to maintain digestive health?
• Why do some people get migraines that others don’t seem to be bothered by?
• What is the pH level of human blood, and how can it be carefully regulated?
• How does altitude affect respiration in humans?
• What is the most complicated system in the human body?
• Explain the biological purposes of “Fight or Flight.”
• What role does the immune system play in human health?
• What is the difference between human anatomy and physiology?

Choosing any of these 160 biology essay topics will help students craft an informative and authoritative essay that is sure to earn them a passing grade.

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Why Study Biology & Why is Biology Important?

Nov 12, 2021

Why study biology and why is biology important?

Why study biology? Let’s answer that question with another question. Have you ever been sitting in class and wondered, “Why do I have to know this? What does it matter?” Biology is one subject for which that answer is easy.

Biological science is literally everywhere and everything. As a living being, you are part of biology. So if you want to know how a human body functions, as well as every other living organism, biology is how you find out. It’s the best and truest way to understand the world around you.

More than just that, though, biologists serve a really important function in helping us live, thrive, and survive, and there are tremendous benefits to working in biology. Read on to find out more about why this could be the subject and career path for you.

What is biology?

Hopefully, you have some idea how to answer this question since your high school general biology class was likely required to graduate. But in case you were asleep that day, how about a definition?

Alane Lim, writing on LiveScience , puts it this way: “Biology is the study of life. In general, biologists study the structure, function, growth, origin, evolution, and distribution of living organisms.”

Biology is one of the big subjects that form the building blocks of everything we understand when it comes to natural science, along with chemistry and physics. Since we have established that modern biology covers every living organism, you can imagine it’s an expansive field with many subdisciplines.

There are numerous ways to break down the different areas of biology, but Lim gives us a good place to start with four major branches: 

• “Biochemistry: The study of the chemical processes that take place in or are related to living things;
• Ecology: The study of how organisms interact with their environment;
• Genetics: The study of how genes are passed down by parents to their offspring, and how they vary from person to person;
• Physiology: The study of biological processes, such as how a particular organ works, what its function is, and how it's affected by outside stimuli.” 

Other key areas within biology include cell biology, environmental biology, evolutionary biology, marine biology, molecular biology, and of course, medical biology.

If you do plan to study biology, you likely have some other big questions about how it looks in a college setting. Be sure to check out our guides, “ Is biology hard as a major ?” and “Biology BA vs BS: What's the Difference?”

Why study biology? Why is biology important?

If telling you that this is the study of ALL LIFE isn’t enough to convince you that biology is important, it may not be entirely possible. But let’s keep going, just to make it a little more manageable to think about.

In his blog on Medium , James Right helpfully gives six of what he says are the most important reasons to study biology:

• “Biology helps us know, understand nature
• Benefits to humans
• Role in medicine
• The life of biology is research
• Environment and biology
• Biology helps us understand our bodies and the changes occurring in them”

Biology is also a key connection point for the other sciences. Knowing general biology is more than just useful, it’s vital to understanding the other scientific disciplines.

Jonathan Visick , professor of biology at North Central College, said, “Science majors, of course, need to know biology (because) there are many overlaps with biology in other science fields. For example, students in other science majors could wind up working in neuroscience (which combines psychology and biology, bioinformatics and medical informatics (biology and computer science), ecological modeling or epidemiology (math and biology), biophysics, biomedical engineering, or pharmacology (biology and chemistry).”

One similar field to biology is physiology, but there are key differences between them. If you’re trying to choose between biology and another field, you can read our guides “Physiology vs Biology” and “ Biology vs Chemistry Majors ” for help.

Learning in biology opens up career opportunities

The truth is that the subject of biology itself isn’t nearly as important as what you can do with it. The applications for biology are nearly endless, which makes it a great field to get into. Whether you are motivated by getting a great, lucrative job, or doing work that will have a positive impact on a great number of people, biology will give you a good chance to find that.

Alane Lim provides some prominent examples of the fields you can work in with a biology major:

• Research, whether in the lab, the field or both
• Healthcare, as doctors, nurses, veterinarians, or developing drugs and vaccines for pharmaceutical companies 
• Conservation, by studying endangered species and finding out what causes their extinction and/or advocating to protect them and their environments
• Art, by finding ways to depict biological systems that help us understand how they’re composed and how they function

Writing on After School Africa , Danjuma Musa provides another good example of how thinking about the cycle of life can have applications for farming, agriculture, food production, and other systems we depend on every day: “We consume an infinite number of biological products for our survival. Livestock is an important source of food for humans, and we use them as raw materials for certain products. For example, dairy farms produce milk, beef, skin, oil, and other products.

“Even as we feed on livestock, the animals, in turn, feed on other living things, particularly plants. Then, the plants, in turn, need some elements and living organisms to survive. A biologist actively explores these vast areas in a way that enables us to understand them better. With a deep knowledge of plants and animals, we can improve their productivity and learn better ways to manage and take care of them.”

Biology is at the heart of many social and economic issues

Biology courses frequently get into matters outside and beyond the laboratory. The link between biology and vital issues like food distribution, commerce, and public health means that you can’t ignore biology and still be a properly informed and active member of society.

When asked about implications for biology in important issues and why you should pay attention whether you’re a biology student or not, Visick said, “We don't have to look much farther than the current events of right now, do we? A small handful of individuals have successfully spread so much misinformation about COVID-19, the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, and the anti-COVID vaccine (movement) that half our country remains unvaccinated. An important reason why such efforts can succeed is that not enough people know enough basic biology that they can distinguish misinformation and disinformation from good information.”

He went on to say, “Of course, COVID is far from the only biological issue of today. Environmental policy, healthcare issues, nutrition, and diet, agriculture, reproductive issues, personal health, drugs ... many, many questions today require some understanding of biology.”

So while we all have a responsibility to know something about biology, there is a great opportunity for any biology graduate with skills in communication and education to inform the public and help us make decisions that will have a huge impact on our lives.

Satisfy your curiosity with a biology degree

If you are convinced that studying biology is important and worth it to you to study, you need to make sure you find a place that will give you a complete understanding of the subject. Look for a bachelor’s degree program like the biology program at North Central College.

The North Central program emphasizes research and will likely start you off on a research project from your first day of class. Talented, experienced faculty will give you the chance to do extensive scientific investigation into areas you are passionate about and lead you on fieldwork excursions from Costa Rica to Arizona with study away opportunities at world-class facilities right in the area, like the Shedd Aquarium and Morton Arboretum. Find out more about North Central College and what they can do for your career in biology today.

Jacob Imm is a communications specialist in the North Central College Office of Marketing and Communications. He has 11 years of collegiate communications experience and has worked with hundreds of college students. He has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Notre Dame and a master’s degree from Northern Illinois University.

https://www.livescience.com/44549-what-is-biology.html

https://medium.com/@JamesRightCom/the-importance-of-biology-564d1b1deed3

https://www.afterschoolafrica.com/53030/10-reasons-why-you-should-study-biology/  

https://www.northcentralcollege.edu/program/biology

More North Central News & Stories

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Student stories, our courses, policy and campaigns, lifelong learning, home schooling, guest blogs, results day, guest blogs , our courses, why i love biology tuesday, 18 october 2016.

For Biology Week, we thought we’d feature our Biology Tutor – Josie Briggs who writes about how fascinating Biology is and why she loves it so much.

Biology is inherently fascinating. From a very young age I have always loved reading and learning about science. Biology is unique because of the complexity of living things and how they interact with each other and the environment. It’s intriguing to think that many rocks and minerals on Earth originated from living things. It is well known that chalk and limestone are the remains of small aquatic creatures – especially shellfish, which died and fell onto the seabed and were buried and pressurised to turn them into rock. Also, marble is metamorphosed limestone or chalk which has been subjected to high temperatures and pressures. Less well known is that flints began as sponges. If it wasn’t for living things, the mineralogy and geology of Earth would be completely different.

When you look at a single cell under a microscope or in a micrograph, remember that this cell is awesomely complex. Nessa Carey’s book ‘ The Epigenetics Revolution ‘ describes how genes are activated and deactivated to cause cells to become specialised. Biologists have found that some of these epigenetic changes may be passed even to the fourth and fifth generations. This means that some behaviour or living conditions experienced by your great great grandparents may be affecting the way you are today.

I’ve now started on her second book, ‘ Junk DNA ‘, and biologists are finding that more and more of the non-protein coding bits of DNA have important functions, and a mutation in ‘junk’ DNA may cause a devastating inherited disease. Fascinating, and I’ll put a review on the forums when I’ve finished it.

A student once asked me if we knew everything about cells and I replied no, we know almost nothing. I think there is a lot more to discover about biology and I like to keep an eye on the scientific news to learn about the latest findings.

If, like Josie, you’re fascinated by Biology, why not find out about our A level and IGCSE science courses? You can even download a free sample to give you a taste of what it’s like to study in depth, or simply to learn more from at your leisure.

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Biology Personal Statement Examples

What is a biology personal statement?

Your biology personal statement should tell the university all about your strengths, skills, experience and career plans.

It should also convey your enthusiasm for the subject, and what aspects of it you enjoy and why.

How do I write a biology personal statement?

It’s a good idea to start your statement with why you want to study biology at university.

Try to talk about what drew you to biology initially - was it a childhood experience, or were you inspired by a family member or a television documentary? Pin this down if you can, as admissions tutors always want to know about your motivations for wanting to study their subject.

Make sure you back up everything with examples, as you need to convince the university that you they should offer you a place on their biology degree over anyone else.

A great biology personal statement should be written clearly and concisely, with a good introduction, middle, and a conclusion. After all, your statement has to stand out from the crowd if your UCAS application is going to be successful.

For inspiration on how to write your own unique statement, take a look at some of our engineering personal statement examples above, as well as our collection of top rated personal statement examples .

What should I include in my biology personal statement?

It’s important to include skills and experience from all areas of your life and try to relate them to hobbies or extracurricular activities if they helped you to build on certain strengths.

Think about how any work experience you have completed might be useful in your degree, e.g. what skills did you learn? were there any parts of it you particularly enjoyed? if so, why?

Make sure you include everything that is relevant to your course, which means you may want to leave off your Grade 6 in piano, or your swimming certificates.

University admissions tutors want to know what you can bring to their department and what value you can add, so every sentence of your personal statement needs to earn its place.

You need to sell yourself as a well-rounded individual in terms of academic knowledge, work experience and extracurricular activities in order to have a chance of being successful with your biology UCAS application (although this doesn't mean lying or embellishing the truth!).

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What to Do If You’re Undecided

The “Why This Major?” essay is a common prompt that nearly every college applicant will have to answer at least once. In this post, we’ll go over the purpose of this essay, examples of real prompts, sample responses, and expert tips for writing your own essay. If one of the colleges on your list asks you to respond to this prompt, you’ll be well-prepared after reading this post. 

What is the “Why This Major” Essay? 

In the college admissions process, you’ll need to submit two main types of essays: the personal statement and supplemental essays. The personal statement is your main application essay that goes to every school you apply to. The goal of this essay is to share more about who you are and your development. 

On the other hand, supplemental essays only go to specific schools, and each school requests their own essays. The goal of these essays is to showcase your fit with the school. Common prompts include “ Why This College? ”, “ Describe an Extracurricular ,” and “Why This Major?” 

The “Why This Major?” prompt in particular asks you, unsurprisingly, to explain your interest in your intended major. Colleges want to understand where you’re coming from academically, what your intellectual passions are, and what you plan to do professionally (at least roughly). If you aren’t 100% sure about what you want to study, that’s totally fine, but you do want to show that you’re an overall curious, engaged student.

It’s also meant to gauge your academic fit with the college, so you should be sure to cover school-specific resources related to your intended major that will help you achieve your goals. In other words, this prompt should actually be considered “Why This Major at This School?” 

Examples of “Why This Major?” Essay Prompts 

Before we dive in, let’s first take a look at some real-life examples of these prompts. 

For example, Yale requests that students write a 200-word supplemental essay based on the following prompt: 

Similarly, Purdue asks applicants to write 250 words in response to the below statement:

Carnegie Mellon , another top college, requires students to discuss the evolution of their proposed field of study, in 300 words or less: 

Finally, the University of Michigan asks students to craft a slightly longer essay, up to 500 words, about the qualities that attracted them to the college or school they’re applying to and how the curriculum will support their interests.

Tips for Writing the “Why This Major?” Essay 

Answering the “Why This Major?” prompt may seem like a difficult task. However, there are tips to help simplify the process and ensure your response addresses the question fully and effectively. Here are three steps for writing a standout essay about your major of choice: 

1. Share how your academic interest developed.  

The first step in crafting an effective “Why This Major?” essay is explaining your emotional resonance with the subject, and your background in it. While you might be tempted to write about your passion for the subject in flowery language, it’s better to share specific experiences that show how your interest developed. You should cover both the coursework that you’ve done in the field and any relevant extracurricular experiences. If you have space, you can also add in the specific subtopics that interest you within the major (i.e. analyzing gender relations or racism within the broader topic of sociology). 

You might also consider sharing a short anecdote related to your interest in the major. This strategy is especially effective at the beginning of the essay, as telling a story will both draw in the reader and provide context for your academic interest. For example, if you’re interested in studying English at Yale, you could start your essay by describing a childhood ritual in which you and your dad went to the library every Saturday.  

However, while anecdotes are crucial components of a college essay, students should choose what details to include with care. The most impactful essays tell a story, so you should refrain from listing all of your extracurricular activities that relate to your chosen major. This is not a resume! Instead, find ways of connecting your initial anecdote with your desire to pursue your major. For example, perhaps your early experiences at the library led you to get a job at a local bookstore and organize author readings for the community.

2. Detail your reasoning and goals.  

It’s not enough to express your passion for a particular subject. You also want to describe your goals and explain how majoring in your chosen field will help you achieve them. Perhaps your early experiences with authors inspired you to start a novel. You can further explain how majoring in English will enable you to study the great works of literature, thereby providing you with the background and foundation needed to find success as a writer.  

3. Explain your school choice.  

Finally, a “Why This Major?” essay should reveal how the college in question will help you achieve your goals. Your reasons should extend beyond “the college is highly ranked for this major,” as no matter how excellent the school’s reputation is, there are assuredly other colleges out there that are also strong in this department. Instead, dive into the curriculum, teaching methodology, specific classes, professors who are doing work in your area of interest, or other resources that can be found only at that school. 

For example, if you’re passionate about becoming a writer one day, take time to explain how Yale’s English program will set you on the road to success. Perhaps you’re interested in studying British greats through the famed Yale in London study abroad program. Or, maybe you plan on pursuing the Creative Writing Concentration as a senior to further refine your abilities to craft engaging narratives with compelling characters. 

You could also mention a desire to take a particular course, study with a certain professor, or work on the school newspaper. Just be careful not to “name-drop” professors⁠—only mention a specific faculty member if their work is highly relevant to your interests. Otherwise, your interest will look disingenuous.

“Why This Major?” Essay Examples 

To give you a better idea of what these essays should look like, below are a few example responses to the “Why This Major?” prompt.

One Christmas morning, when I was nine, I opened a snap circuit set from my grandmother. Although I had always loved math and science, I didn’t realize my passion for engineering until I spent the rest of winter break creating different circuits to power various lights, alarms, and sensors. Even after I outgrew the toy, I kept the set in my bedroom at home and knew I wanted to study engineering. Later, in a high school biology class, I learned that engineering didn’t only apply to circuits, but also to medical devices that could improve people’s quality of life. Biomedical engineering allows me to pursue my academic passions and help people at the same time.

Just as biology and engineering interact in biomedical engineering, I am fascinated by interdisciplinary research in my chosen career path. Duke offers unmatched resources, such as DUhatch and The Foundry, that will enrich my engineering education and help me practice creative problem-solving skills. The emphasis on entrepreneurship within these resources will also help me to make a helpful product. Duke’s Bass Connections program also interests me; I firmly believe that the most creative and necessary problem-solving comes by bringing people together from different backgrounds. Through this program, I can use my engineering education to solve complicated societal problems such as creating sustainable surgical tools for low-income countries. Along the way, I can learn alongside experts in the field. Duke’s openness and collaborative culture span across its academic disciplines, making Duke the best place for me to grow both as an engineer and as a social advocate. 

This student does a great job of sharing how their interest in biomedical engineering developed. They begin the essay with an anecdote, which is more engaging and personal than simply stating “I want to study X major because…” and then smoothly take us into the present, and show how their understanding of the field has become more sophisticated over time. It’s also clear this student has done their research on how Duke specifically can help them achieve their goal of being an engineer and social advocate, as they’re able to name several relevant resources at Duke, such as DUhatch, The Foundry, and the Bass Connections program. 

I woke up. The curtains filtered the sun’s rays, hitting my face directly. I got up, looked from the bathroom to the kitchen, but my dad wasn’t there. I plopped on the couch, then the door opened. My dad walked in, clutching a brown paper bag with ninety-nine cent breakfast tacos. After eating, we drove to a customer’s house. He sat me in a chair, lifted the floorboard, and crawled under the house to fix the pipes. As he emerged, he talked, but my mind drifted to the weight of the eleven-millimeter hex wrench in my hand. My interest in mechanical engineering originates from my dad, who was a plumber. When I was fifteen, my dad passed away from cancer that constricted his throat. Holding his calloused hand on his deathbed, I wanted to prevent the suffering of others from cancer. Two years later, when I was given a topic of choice for my chemistry research paper, I stumbled upon an article about gold nanoparticles used for HIV treatment. I decided to steer the topic of gold nanoparticles used for cancer treatment instead, entering the field of nanotechnology. After reading numerous articles and watching college lectures on YouTube, I was utterly captivated by topics like using minuscule devices to induce hyperthermia as a safe method of cancer treatment. Nanotechnology is multi-disciplinary, reinforcing my interest in pursuing mechanical engineering as a gateway to participate in nanoscience and nanotechnology research at the University of Texas at Austin. I have learned that nanotechnology is not limited to stories like mine, but to other issues such as sustainable energy and water development that I hope to work towards. It is important for me to continue helping others without forfeiting my interest in nanotechnology, working in collaboration with both engineering and the medical field.

The narrative style of this essay engages readers and keeps us eager to know what’s going to happen next. In terms of content, the student does a great job of sharing personal and specific details about themselves, the roots of their academic interests, and their motivation to pursue them in college. While this essay is very strong overall, it is missing the “Why nanotechnology at UT Austin?” element of this kind of prompt, and would be even more successful if the student mentioned a particular professor at UT Austin doing research in their area of interest, or a lab dedicated to work in the field of nanotechnology.

I held my breath and hit RUN. Yes! A plump white cat jumped out and began to catch the falling pizzas. Although my Fat Cat project seems simple now, it was the beginning of an enthusiastic passion for computer science. Four years and thousands of hours of programming later, that passion has grown into an intense desire to explore how computer science can serve society. Every day, surrounded by technology that can recognize my face and recommend scarily-specific ads, I’m reminded of Uncle Ben’s advice to a young Spiderman: “With great power comes great responsibility”. Likewise, the need to ensure digital equality has skyrocketed with AI’s far-reaching presence in society; and I believe that digital fairness starts with equality in education. 

The unique use of threads at the College of Computing perfectly matches my interests in AI and its potential use in education; the path of combined threads on Intelligence and People gives me the rare opportunity to delve deep into both areas. I’m particularly intrigued by the rich sets of both knowledge-based and data-driven intelligence courses, as I believe AI should not only show correlation of events, but also provide insight into why they occur. 

In my four years as an enthusiastic online English tutor, I’ve worked hard to help students overcome both financial and technological obstacles in hopes of bringing quality education to people from diverse backgrounds. For this reason, I’m extremely excited by the many courses in the People thread that focus on education and human-centered technology. I’d love to explore how to integrate AI technology into the teaching process to make education more available, affordable, and effective for people everywhere. And with the innumerable opportunities that Georgia Tech has to offer, I know that I will be able to go further here than anywhere else.

This essay has a great hook—it captures the reader’s attention and draws them into the story right away. Through this anecdote, the student shows their personality and interests, and then deftly transitions into talking about why Georgia Tech’s computer science program is the right match for them. The student explains how the College of Computing at Georgia Tech fits into their future by referencing “threads,” which are unique to the College of Computing’s curriculum and allow students to apply their CS coursework to particular areas. 

Just because you haven’t decided on a concentration doesn’t mean you’re out of luck when it comes to writing the “Why This Major?” essay. Ultimately, schools care less about knowing that you have your whole academic career planned out, and more about seeing that you are a genuinely curious, engaged student who does have intellectual passions, even if you’re still figuring out which one you want to pursue as a major. 

If you’re still undecided, you can opt to write about 1-3 potential majors (depending on the word count), while detailing how the school can help you choose one, as well as meet your broader academic goals. For best results, include personal anecdotes about a few academic subjects or courses that have inspired you, and share some potential career paths stemming from them. For more tips, see our post on how to write the “Why this major?” essay if you’re undecided . 

Where to Get Your “Why This Major?” Essay Edited 

Do you want feedback on your “Why This Major?” essay? After rereading your essays countless times, it can be difficult to evaluate your writing objectively. That’s why we created our free Peer Essay Review tool , where you can get a free review of your essay from another student. You can also improve your own writing skills by reviewing other students’ essays.  

If you want a college admissions expert to review your essay, advisors on CollegeVine have helped students refine their writing and submit successful applications to top schools. Find the right advisor for you to improve your chances of getting into your dream school!

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6 Reasons Why You Should Love Biology

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• Why should you love biology?

Did you know that rocks and minerals are the remains of living creatures? Or that your mouth produces one litre of saliva each day? That a pineapple is a kind of berry? 

Biology isn’t just a fascinating subject to study, it can also set you up for success in your future career and personal wellbeing. 

Biology is truly fascinating ! From what causes the tectonic shifting of the Earth’s plates, the intricacies of the way food is digested in the body to the products of cross pollination, the world of Biology never fails to intrigue. 

Want to get excited about Biology but don’t know where to start? Keep on reading to discover 6 reasons why you should love Biology. 

Biology opens up the mysteries of the natural world that surrounds us. So understanding it makes life more meaningful and purposeful. Moreover, GoStudent discovered that loving Biology can also set you up for success! 💪 

How can Biology help you with your future? 🤔 

Having a love for Biology and pursuing it through higher education means opening up a host of successful career options . From being a zoologist, plant pathologist, biochemist, and science teacher, to even a cheese production supervisor, the work possibilities are endless. 

Certain branches of Biology, such as evolutionary Biology, can also give you important insights into people management. This is a great basis for success when it comes to professions like Human Resources, holding key leadership positions or even becoming an entrepreneur. ✊ 

Like other sciences, Biology is investigative in nature. Studying science equips you with a range of skills like curiosity and critical thinking so that you’re able to investigate the mysteries of the natural world. 

All these qualities are highly valued by universities and employers alike!

Why should you love Biology? 🤔

#1 life is fascinating.

From studying the beating of the human heart, learning how caterpillars transform into butterflies, to seed germination, Biology traces life in a way that excites curiosity. 🤓

Biology mixes the magic of nature’s creations with scientific explanations that appeal to inquisitive minds.

#2 Diverse Learning

Whether you’re interested in the big cats of the wild, rare bird species of the amazon, cell activity in the human body or the way seahorses camouflage, Biology has something for everyone! It’s only a matter of exploration to see what kind of Biology piques your interest!   

#3 Hands-On Study

Nature resides outside the four walls of the traditional classroom. So Biology allows you to step-out and experience the benefits of outdoor learning.   

Whether that’s collecting leaves to study plants or visiting the aquarium to observe fish, there’s always a way of making a Biology textbook come to life! 🐟 🧠 🍁

This kind of hands-on study helps engage all five senses and makes learning an immersive experience.

#4 Healthy Living 

Biology can also motivate you to take care of your health and mental wellbeing. Through studying Biology, you’ll learn about the intricate ways in which the human body functions. This is likely to make you more conscious about your own exercise, diet and other activities which contribute to overall happiness . 

#5  Protection Of The Earth 

Biology gives an insight into the diversity of life on the planet and the legacy of human civilization. So it strengthens your relationship w ith nature. 

Only by being aware of and appreciating nature can you help protect the natural world - something we urgently need in the era of global warming and climate change.

#6 Understanding The World 

From the increase of genetically modified food to the outbreak of a pandemic, Biology is at the core of many world issues. Knowledge of Biology can help us make sustainable and ethical choices to secure our future on Earth.  🌍

At GoStudent , we want everyone to better understand the world around them. That’s why we offer one-to-one sessions with our expert Biology tutors who will help you grow your love for the subject. Ask a parent to book a free trial with one of them here! 🚀 

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Essay on Biology

Students are often asked to write an essay on Biology in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on Biology

Biology: the study of life.

Biology is a science that studies life and living organisms. It explores various aspects of life, like growth, function, structure, and evolution.

Branches of Biology

Biology has many branches, such as zoology (study of animals), botany (study of plants), and microbiology (study of microorganisms).

The Role of Biology

Biology helps us understand the world around us. It explains how plants make food, how animals adapt, and how we humans function.

Biology’s Impact

Biology has a significant impact on our lives. It contributes to medicine, agriculture, and environmental conservation.

Also check:

• 10 Lines on Biology

250 Words Essay on Biology

Introduction to biology.

Biology, derived from the Greek words ‘bios’ meaning life, and ‘logos’ meaning study, is the scientific exploration of life and living organisms. It is a broad field encompassing numerous sub-disciplines, all centered around the quest to understand the intricate mechanisms of life.

Cellular and Molecular Biology

Cellular and molecular biology delve into the microscopic world, studying life at the most basic level. Here, the focus is on understanding cell structure, function, and the complex molecular interactions that direct biological processes. This knowledge is fundamental to advancements in medicine and biotechnology.

Ecology and Evolution

Ecology and evolution, on the other hand, examine life on a macroscopic scale. Ecology assesses the interplay between organisms and their environment, while evolutionary biology explores the origins and development of species over time. These disciplines provide critical insights into biodiversity conservation and climate change.

Genetics is another pivotal facet of biology. It studies heredity and the variation of inherited characteristics. The advent of genetic engineering and genomics has revolutionized this field, opening new avenues in personalized medicine and gene therapy.

Importance and Future Perspective

Biology, as a discipline, is integral to our understanding of life and our place within it. It informs our approaches to pressing global challenges, from disease outbreaks to environmental degradation. As our knowledge expands, so too does the potential for innovative solutions to these problems. The future of biology, therefore, holds immense promise.

In conclusion, biology is a diverse and dynamic field that offers an in-depth understanding of the natural world, from microscopic cells to vast ecosystems. It holds the key to addressing many of the challenges we face today and in the future.

500 Words Essay on Biology

Biology, a derivative from the Greek words “bios” (life) and “logos” (study), is the scientific study of life and living organisms. This multifaceted discipline encompasses various fields, including botany, zoology, microbiology, and genetics, each exploring life from different perspectives.

The Scope of Biology

The spectrum of biology is vast, ranging from the molecular level, where it intersects with chemistry in biochemistry, to the cellular level, where it overlaps with physics in biophysics. At the organism level, biology intersects with the earth sciences in ecology, providing a complete picture of life and its interactions with the environment.

The Cellular Basis of Life

At the heart of biology lies the cell, the basic unit of life. All organisms, from simple bacteria to complex human beings, consist of cells. Understanding the structure and function of cells, including the biochemical reactions that take place within them, is fundamental to understanding life itself. Cellular biology also explores how cells communicate with each other, replicate, and differentiate to form complex organisms.

Genetics and Evolution

Genetics, a critical branch of biology, studies how traits are passed from parents to offspring through genes. This field has been revolutionized by the discovery of DNA and the subsequent development of genetic engineering and genomics.

Evolution, on the other hand, is the process by which species change over time. The theory of evolution by natural selection, proposed by Charles Darwin, is a central concept in biology. It explains the diversity of life on Earth and how organisms adapt to their environment.

Ecology and the Environment

Ecology is the study of how organisms interact with each other and their environment. It provides insights into the complex web of interactions that shape the natural world. This field is particularly relevant in the current era of climate change and biodiversity loss, as it helps us understand the impact of human activities on the environment and develop strategies for conservation.

Biotechnology and the Future

Biotechnology, a rapidly advancing field, applies biological principles to develop technologies that improve human life. From genetically modified crops that increase food production to gene therapy that can potentially cure genetic disorders, biotechnology holds immense potential for the future.

Biology, in essence, is the study of life in all its complexity and diversity. It helps us understand the fundamental processes that govern life, the intricate interplay between organisms and their environment, and the genetic blueprint that shapes every organism. In the face of global challenges such as climate change, pandemics, and food security, the importance of biology is more pronounced than ever. It is the key to unlocking solutions to these challenges and paving the way for a sustainable future.

That’s it! I hope the essay helped you.

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Extended Essay Writers

Biology EE Topics | 40 Ideas

Luke MacQuoid

There are many potential topics for a biology Extended Essay (EE) in the International Baccalaureate (IB) program.

Topic Ideas

Some possibilities include the following:

• The effects of pollution on a particular species or ecosystem.
• The genetic basis of a specific disease or trait.
• The comparative physiology of a specific mammal and bird.
• The effects of climate change on a particular species or ecosystem.
• The impact of human activity on the evolution of a species.
• The physiology of a specific plant species.
• The efficacy of a specific medicinal plant.
• The comparison of the anatomy and physiology of a specific animal species in captivity and in the wild.
• The impact of a specific invasive species on an ecosystem.
• The effect of different fertilizers on the growth and development of a specific plant species.
• The study of the symbiotic relationship between specific species.
• The effect of different light conditions on the growth and development of a specific plant species.
• The impact of different temperature conditions on the physiology of a specific microorganism.
• The study of the genetic diversity within a specific species.
• The study of the effects of different pH levels on the growth and development of a specific plant species.
• The impact of human activity on the population dynamics of a specific species.
• The study of the effects of different soil types on the growth and development of a specific plant species.
• The study of the impacts of different pesticides on the physiology of a specific species.
• The study of the effects of different water conditions on the growth and development of a specific plant species.
• The study of the impact of ocean acidification on the physiology of a specific marine species.
• Studying the Effects of Acid Rain on Local Flora.
• The Role of Gut Microbiota in Obesity.
• Influence of Insecticides on Honey Bee Population Decline.
• The Effects of Microplastics on Aquatic Food Chains.
• The Role of Genetics in Determining Human Lifespan.
• Influence of Habitat Loss on the Genetic Diversity of a Specific Species.
• The Effects of Light Pollution on Nocturnal Animals.
• A Comparative Study of Photosynthesis Rates in Different Plant Species.
• The Impact of Noise Pollution on Avian Communication.
• Analysis of Biological Controls for Invasive Species.
• The Effects of Diet on the Gut Microbiota.
• Understanding the Effect of Climate Change on Disease Vectors.
• Exploring the Role of Genetics in Athletic Performance.
• Effects of Pharmaceuticals on Aquatic Ecosystems.
• The Impact of Urbanization on Local Bird Species.
• Understanding the Relationship Between Sleep and Immune Function.
• Studying the Effects of Air Pollution on Lichen Species.
• The Role of Epigenetics in Aging.
• The Effect of Vegan and Vegetarian Diets on the Human Body.
• Investigating the Biological Mechanisms of Meditation and Mindfulness.

It’s important to note that these are just examples of topics for your IB EE in Biology . You should choose a topic that interests you and that you can find enough information on.

Need help with your Biology extended essay?

From research and analysis to structuring and editing, our skilled mentors will be by your side, helping you craft an exceptional extended essay that not only meets the stringent IB criteria but also reflects your passion for Biology studies.

Additionally, it’s essential to consult with your supervisor to make sure the topic meets the requirements of the Extended Essay and that you have access to the necessary resources to complete the research.

Students can use these themes in their essays by researching and analyzing the specific topic, providing evidence and examples to support their claims, and discussing the implications and potential solutions to the issue at hand.

For example, in an essay on the effects of pollution on a particular species or ecosystem, a student could research the specific pollutants that are affecting the species or ecosystem, analyze the effects those pollutants are having, and discuss potential solutions to mitigate the pollution and its effects.

These are experiments students can use for Biology EE topics:

• Looking at how pollution impacts a certain type of animal or plant: This would involve checking out pollution levels in a specific place, then watching to see how it affects your chosen species.
• Understanding how certain genes affect a disease or characteristic: This would mean doing genetic tests to identify the genes involved, and potentially using genetic engineering techniques to change those genes and see what happens.
• Comparing how a mammal and a bird work: You’d do experiments to see how your chosen mammal and bird are similar or different. You could look at things like brain structure, behaviour, and thinking abilities.
• Exploring how climate change impacts a certain animal, plant, or ecosystem: This could involve experiments to see how changes in temperature, rain patterns, or CO2 levels affect your chosen species or ecosystem.
• Studying how people’s actions affect how a species evolves: This might mean looking at how things like habitat destruction, hunting, or pollution impact a species’ genetic diversity and population.
• Looking at how a certain plant works: You’d do experiments to see how the plant responds to things like light, temperature, or water.
• Studying how well a medicinal plant works: You’d do experiments to see how good the plant is at killing or slowing the growth of microbes, or reducing pain or inflammation.
• Comparing a certain animal in captivity and in the wild: You’d look at how being in captivity affects the animal’s body and how it works, and how it behaves.
• Seeing how an invasive species affects an ecosystem: You’d study how your chosen invasive species impacts the growth, reproduction, and health of native species.
• Studying how different fertilizers affect a plant: This could involve testing different types of fertilizers to see how they affect the plant’s growth rate, leaf size, and health.
• Looking at how certain species interact: You’d do experiments to understand the relationship between the species. This could involve seeing what happens when you remove one species, or how different environments affect the relationship.
• Studying how light affects a plant: This might mean doing experiments to see how different light conditions affect the plant’s growth, leaf size, and health.
• Looking at how temperature affects a microorganism: You’d do experiments to see how different temperatures impact the microorganism’s growth rate, metabolism, and health.
• Studying genetic diversity in a species: This could involve using genetic markers to identify genetic variations in the species, and then seeing how these variations affect the organism.
• Looking at how pH levels affect a plant: You’d do experiments to see how different pH levels impact the plant’s growth, leaf size, and health.
• Studying how people’s actions affect a species’ population: This might mean looking at how things like habitat destruction, hunting, or pollution impact the species’ population size, growth rate, and health.
• Looking at how soil types affect a plant: This could involve doing experiments to see how different types of soil affect the plant’s growth, leaf size, and health.
• Studying how pesticides affect a species: This might mean doing experiments to see how different pesticides impact the species’ growth, reproduction, and health.
• Looking at how water conditions affect a plant: You’d do experiments to see how different water conditions (like availability, salt levels, or temperature) affect the plant’s growth, leaf size, and health.
• Studying how ocean acidification affects a marine species: This could involve doing experiments to see how increasing acidity levels impact the species’ growth, reproduction, and health.

Additionally, in an essay on the comparative psychiatry of a specific mammal and bird, a student could research and compare the brain structures, behaviors, and cognitive abilities of the two species and discuss any similarities and differences found.

A student can ask for help from a writing service if they need assistance with their essay. This can bring several benefits to the student, such as:

• Professional guidance . Writing services often have experienced writers and editors who can provide guidance on the essay topic and structure, as well as help with research and editing.
• Improved quality . A writing service can help improve the overall quality of the essay, including grammar, punctuation, and formatting.
• Better grades . With the help of a writing service, a student’s essay is likely to be of higher quality, which can lead to better grades.
• Time-saving . A writing service can help save time as the student can focus on other responsibilities while the writing service works on the essay.
• Customization . Writing services can also provide a customized service that can be tailored to the student’s specific needs and requirements.
• Originality . Professional writers will provide original work that is free from plagiarism, which is important in academic writing.

It is important to note, however, that a student should always ensure that the writing service they use is reputable and that they review and understand the work they receive before submitting it as their own.

Luke MacQuoid has extensive experience teaching English as a foreign language in Japan, having worked with students of all ages for over 12 years. Currently, he is teaching at the tertiary level. Luke holds a BA from the University of Sussex and an MA in TESOL from Lancaster University, both located in England. As well to his work as an IB Examiner and Master Tutor, Luke also enjoys sharing his experiences and insights with others through writing articles for various websites, including extendedessaywriters.com blog

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Defining and Measuring Students’ Interest in Biology: An Analysis of the Biology Education Literature

• Ashley A. Rowland
• Lisa A. Corwin

Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309

Search for more papers by this author

Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International University, Miami, FL 33199

Department of Science and Mathematics Education, Umeå University, 901 87 Umeå, Sweden

*Address correspondence to: Lisa A. Corwin ( E-mail Address: [email protected] ).

Understanding how students develop biology interests and the roles interest plays in biology contexts could help instructors and researchers to increase science, technology, engineering, and mathematics students’ motivation and persistence. However, it is currently unclear how interest has been defined or measured in the biology education research literature. We analyzed this body of literature to determine how interest has been defined and used by the biology education research community. Specifically, we determined the extent to which previously published work drew on theories that conceptualize interest. Further, we identified studies that measured student interest in biology and characterized the types of measures used. Our findings indicate that biology education researchers typically describe interest as a relationship involving positive feelings between an individual and a physical object, activity, or topic of focus. We also found that interest is often not defined, theories involving interest are not often consulted, and the most common measures of interest only assess a single aspect of the construct. On the basis of these results, we make suggestions for future research seeking to examine biology students’ interest. We hope that this analysis can serve as tool for biology educators to improve their own investigations of students’ interest and measure outcomes of interest-generating educational activities.

INTRODUCTION

Interest has been valued as a key component of academic achievement for more than a century ( Dewey, 1913 ; Thorndike, 1935 ). Interest is also considered by many social cognitive psychologists to be an important component of motivation ( Ryan and Deci, 2000 ; Krapp, 2002 ; Eccles et al. , 2015 ; Renninger and Hidi, 2015 ), which leads to persistence in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM; Graham et al. , 2013 ). As such, it has been seen as a vital part of science education as well as biology education specifically ( Renninger et al. , 2015 ).

Evidence suggests that biology education, particularly undergraduate biology education, may face a unique challenge when it comes to building students’ interest in biology content. Because undergraduate biology courses train students for a wide variety of careers, from medical doctors to conservation biologists to academic or industry researchers, students may be drawn to the subject not because of their interest in biology per se, but because of other peripheral interests or career goals. For example, Pacifici and Thomson (2011) showed that pre–medical school students are motivated more by helping others than by learning science. This suggests a potential lack of interest in biology content and perhaps stronger interests outside the discipline itself ( Pacifici and Thomson, 2011 ). Low disciplinary interest poses a potential threat to motivation ( Ryan and Deci, 2000 ; Renninger, 2000 ; Renninger and Hidi, 2015 ; Krapp, 2002 ; Glynn et al. , 2015 ) and, ultimately, students’ persistence in STEM ( Graham et al. , 2013 ). Indeed, one of the most commonly cited reasons for leaving a STEM major during college is lack of interest in the major itself ( Seymour and Hewitt, 1997 ). Thus, we as biology educators must consider our students’ interest in biology as a key factor for their motivation, persistence, and success. Yet the extent to which interest has been considered within the biology education literature is currently unclear.

To better comprehend the role of interest in biology education and understand how interest influences student success, we must first understand how the term has been defined and measured in biology education practice and research. For a term like “interest,” which has varied colloquial and theoretical meanings, determining a definition from the literature is not straightforward. As a construct (i.e., an explanatory variable that is not directly observable), interest is complex. Motivational and learning theories have described interest as a multidimensional construct comprising affective (e.g., liking), cognitive (e.g., assigning value, storing knowledge), and behavioral (e.g., reengaging with specific content) components ( Schiefele and Csikszentmihalyi, 1994 ; Krapp, 2002 ; Renninger and Hidi, 2015 ). Likewise, the meaning of interest may vary based on the colloquial uses of the term ( Valsiner, 1992 ). Interest is also often confused with engagement, attention, and curiosity ( Renninger and Hidi, 2011 , 2015 ), further complicating our understanding. A precise definition of interest is crucial, as it adds clarity to the authors’ meaning and intent and informs the measurements used in a research study. Measurement, in turn, affects the results and interpretations that we draw from data, giving rise to the claims we make about interest. These claims ultimately impact our understanding and reinforce our definition. Each step in this process can inform or be informed by theory ( Figure 1 ). Using a vetted theory that aligns with the study’s purpose informs the definitions and measures of interest used in research. The use of theory also serves to situate results and claims in a broader understanding of students’ psychological and motivational states. However, we currently do not know the extent to which interest studies are theory driven in the biology education research literature. Thus, we investigate what is meant by “interest” in biology education in order to situate our knowledge within the context of existing studies, execute practices aimed at increasing interest in biology, and further elucidate the role interest plays in student success.

FIGURE 1. Theory impacts several components that contribute to the overall understanding of a construct. A researcher’s understanding of the construct will inform how it is defined and the form of measurement selected. Measurements, in turn, impact the results and interpretations that form the overall understanding of the construct.

Here, we analyzed education research articles that discuss student interest in biology. We aimed to determine 1) whether and how interest was defined in order to form an understanding of what interest means to the biology education research community, 2) whether interest research in biology education drew from theories of interest or motivation in order to identify the theories that have shaped the field’s understanding of the construct, and 3) whether interest was systematically measured in the field of biology education research and what types of measurements were used. Following our investigation of aims 1–3, we analyzed the common definitions and interest measurements to 4) inductively identify emergent themes that shed light on how interest has been broadly conceptualized by the biology education research community. We hope the results of our analysis will serve to form an understanding of what interest in biology means to the community and improve future interest research within biology classrooms and undergraduate education.

To conduct a thorough analysis of the literature and determine how points 1–4 were addressed, we used a systematic literature review methodology to guide the process ( Cacciotti, 2015 ). This process involved describing research objectives, defining conceptual boundaries, establishing inclusion criteria, and applying exclusion criteria.

Research Objectives of the Literature Analysis

Determine whether and how interest was defined by the biology education research literature and describe the most commonly referenced definitions.

Determine whether past biology education research referenced theories of interest or motivation and describe commonly referenced theories.

Determine whether interest was measured systematically when interest was reported and characterize the structures and common topics of measurement.

Identify emergent themes and commonalities across commonly used definitions and interest measures.

Defining the Conceptual Boundaries of the Literature Analysis

Conceptual boundaries define the topic(s) under discussion to limit the scope to relevant foci ( Cacciotti, 2015 ). For this analysis, we investigated the topics “interest” and “biology” within the educational literature.

To fully capture interest as a topic, we relied on the conceptualization of interest selected by the authors of the literature returned in the database search. Valsiner (1992) explains that the word “interest” is embedded in our common language, and as such, interest may be operationally defined less frequently. Terms such as “curiosity,” “attitude,” “liking,” “attention,” or “engagement” may be conflated in the literature with “interest,” despite having distinct definitions and meanings. Thus, some articles addressing interest may have labeled it with a different term, making it difficult to identify relevant studies to analyze, an issue that others have acknowledged ( Schiefele et al. , 1992 ). Although we recognize this limitation, we chose to not include these terms (e.g., “curiosity”) in our search in order to carefully consider how biology educators and researchers use the term “interest” specifically.

By designating biology as a topic, we broadly captured literature from all of the life sciences, including subdisciplines of biology, such as molecular biology, anatomy, and ecology, and hybrid disciplines, such as biochemistry and biotechnology. We did not specify a context for biology education literature and thus included formal and informal learning environments (e.g., classrooms vs. museums) and various ages (K–16). Thus, our conceptual boundaries were broad for both topics, which allowed us to summarize how “interest” is used in the existing biology education literature and capture the many contexts and age groups that have been investigated with respect to building interest in biology, including its many subfields.

Establishing the Inclusion Criteria of the Literature Analysis

Inclusion criteria consist of 1) search boundaries, which can include literature databases, conference proceedings, and other sources of information; 2) precise search terms; and 3) the period of time covered in the search ( Cacciotti, 2015 ).

To capture literature focused on both biology and education, we performed a literature search using the Education Resources Information Center (ERIC), an online library of education research and information sponsored by the Institute of Education Sciences of the U.S. Department of Education ( https://eric.ed.gov ). ERIC indexes a wide variety of journal sources, including many prominent science education and biology education journals. Searching ERIC allowed us to target only education research for analysis, which served our purpose of understanding specifically how educators and education researchers conceptualize interest in biology education.

We performed the search of the ERIC database using “descriptor: interests AND descriptor: biology” as the precise search terms. The descriptor “interests” was described in ERIC as activities, avocations, objects, and so on that have special worth or significance for individuals or groups and are given special attention. Related terms identified included activities, affective behavior, attitudes, cognitive structures, interest inventories, interest research, motivation, and participation. The use of the descriptor “biology” narrowed the search results to sources that emphasized the field of biology and encompassed a wide variety of biology subdisciplines (e.g., ecology) and hybrid disciplines (e.g., biochemistry). These search terms in the ERIC database returned 255 sources.

We then chose to limit the search years to when the modern conceptualizations of interest first arose in social cognitive psychology (1988–2018). While interest was first considered important for motivation in an educational context in the early 1900s ( Dewey, 1913 ; Thorndike, 1935 ), it was not until the late 1980s and early 1990s that interest was conceptualized and incorporated into larger theories of motivation. In 1986, Hidi and Baird examined situational interest, first suggesting that there were two stages, triggered interest and maintained interest ( Hidi and Baird, 1986 ). Then, in 1990, Hidi described situational interest as an affective reaction that may not last and is generated by particular conditions and/or objects in the environment that focus attention ( Hidi, 1990 ). The conceptualization of individual interest has evolved over time to describe the relationship between a person and a particular subject area or object. The distinction between situational and individual interest was first suggested by Hidi (1990) , and evidence for the distinction was made clear by Renninger (2000) . Because an explicit definition of interest arose and was available for reference by the biology education literature in the late 1980s and early 1990s, literature from the past 30 years (1988–2018) was selected for analysis. In addition to the availability of a clear definition, evidence began accumulating in the 1990s that empirically demonstrated the critical role that interest plays in student motivation. Of the 255 articles returned in the search, 200 were published during the time period from 1988 to 2018.

Applying Exclusion Criteria to the Literature Analysis

Exclusion criteria for a literature analysis describe the filters used to determine whether literature returned in the search is relevant to the research objectives ( Cacciotti, 2015 ). Here, our exclusion criteria ensured that sources identified in the search were related to both biology education and student interest.

First, as described earlier, papers were excluded from the analysis if they were published before 1988. Furthermore, papers and other materials were excluded if they were not vetted by members of the field through peer review. For example, materials published by an organization, dissertations, or conference proceedings were not included. The initial inclusion and exclusion criteria returned 177 sources ( Table 1 ).

To ensure that the literature returned in the search was relevant to our investigation, we excluded papers if they were not specifically related to students’ interest in a biology education context. Thus, we excluded sources that measured variables outside student educational contexts, such as Dunkerton’s (2007) study that explored how teachers’ confidence in teaching techniques influenced their exploration of biology outside the classroom. We also excluded papers that mentioned students’ interests more generally, but not in biology content specifically, and instead refer to biological characteristics of students as predictors of various interests. For example, Hansen et al. (2011) predicted students’ interests broadly speaking based on neurobiological studies. We included biology education in informal contexts such as museums or after-school programs and formal contexts such as classrooms or lectures, because both contexts involve biology learning and can tell us about how the biology education community views interest. Of the 177 peer-reviewed, post-1987 papers, 161 were determined to be related to biology education content ( Table 1 ).

Finally, to ensure that the literature returned in the search was relevant to our analysis with respect to students’ interest, we excluded papers if they did not either 1) emphasize the importance of interest within the manuscript and/or 2) report on student interest in biology, including students’ existing interests, intensity of interest, or changes in interest. This often excluded articles that were purely lesson plans, which emphasized the classroom activities rather than interest and made only peripheral comments regarding interest. Of the 161 papers relevant to biology education, 125 emphasized interest, and 109 reported on student interest, including topics of interest to students, interest intensity, or changes in interest ( Table 1 ). Note that there is overlap in papers across these two categories, because some papers both emphasized interest and reported on students’ interest in biology, resulting in a total of 139 analyzed articles.

Analysis of Identified Relevant Literature

Our identification strategy resulted in an analysis of 139 empirical articles that concerned students’ interest in biology (see Appendix 1 in the Supplemental Material for a list of analyzed literature). We created a catalogue containing citation information for each article to facilitate our analysis and address the four research objectives.

First, to identify definitions of interest, we searched each paper for instances of the word “interest” ( Table 2 ). Each time the word “interest” appeared, two authors (A.A.R. and E.K.) read the surrounding sentence or paragraph for context and to identify definitions. For example, definitions frequently appeared in the context of “Interest is…” or “Interest has been defined as…” The sentences containing the definition and the citation referenced in the paper, when present, were copied into the catalogue of articles. The definitions were then further analyzed and classified into groups based on similarity and origin ( Table 3 and Supplemental Table 1).

Second, we analyzed each paper to catalogue the mention of theory(ies) focused on interest or motivation ( Table 2 ). Two authors (A.A.R. and E.K.) with expertise in interest theories read the introductory and theoretical framework sections of the publications in addition to paragraphs containing the word “interest” to identify mentions of theory. These authors applied their expertise to recognize and categorize references and passages that referred to specific theories. Unfamiliar references were examined to determine whether they were related to a theory. When present, we copied the implicitly or explicitly referenced theories and citations into the catalogue mentioned earlier. As with the catalogued definitions of interest, we analyzed the theories for shared origin and further classified papers referencing theory into groups ( Table 4 and Supplemental Table 2).

Third, two authors (A.A.R. and E.K.) determined whether interest was systematically measured ( Table 2 ). We defined systematic interest measurement as a methodical approach in which the authors planned to employ a tool to measure interest at a specific time and place for a specific population and reported on the data gathered. Our definition of a systematic measurement was inclusive and did not take into account the quality of the measurement since we wanted to analyze every paper that measured interest. Also, we interpret the term “measure” broadly to include both qualitative and quantitative means of data collection. To identify systematic interest measures, we analyzed the methods and results sections of each paper and identified items or methods that the researcher described as being indicative of interest. We looked for the application of a single question or series of questions in the form of either a questionnaire or an interview protocol that targeted interest. We also included regular, planned observations of participants’ behaviors or interactions as interest measures if they explicitly targeted interest. Examples of nonsystematic interest measurement included publications that reported changes in interest as a result of some educational program, but in which interest measurement was not initially planned or intentionally executed. In many of these papers, interest was anecdotally reported as a result of informal observations. We excluded these instances from our measurement analysis as well as those that reported interest as an inductively identified theme in an exploratory or ethnographic study rather than as a targeted objective of the study. Instances of systematic interest measurement were recorded in the catalogue, as were the items measuring interest when present.

Next, we examined the catalogued measures and inductively classified them by type, which gave rise to three initial categories: 1) measures collecting qualitative data, including open-ended written-response questions, student works (e.g., essays), interviews, and observations; 2) measures collecting quantitative data, including multiple-choice items, and Likert-type items (i.e., any question that generated numeric data as opposed to text, observations, or audio data); and 3) measures that used mixed methods to collect both qualitative and quantitative data ( Table 5 ). We then further classified the quantitative measures based the origin of measurement, measurement structure, and specific aspects addressed (e.g., positive affect) ( Tables 5 – 7 ). To determine the origin of the measurement, we examined whether the measure was 1) author developed, including instances when an author completely developed the questionnaire from scratch, questionnaire items were assembled from several different existing questionnaires, or major changes were made to an existing questionnaire; or 2) an existing measurement published elsewhere, including instances when minor adaptations were made (e.g., changing the word “physics” to “biology”; Table 5 ). We then inductively identified five types of interest measures, including single item, single aspect, multi-aspect, multidimensional scale, and unknown (see Results and Table 6 for complete descriptions of each category). Because the single-item and single-aspect measures examined only one aspect (defined as a single specific component of a construct), we further classified them by the type of items they used. We classified single-item and single-aspect measures into three categories: interest-­focused measures, affect-focused measures, and measures that probe students’ desire to learn ( Table 7 ). Supplemental Table 3 contains complete information on how the 93 papers that contained quantitative measures were classified.

a Holstermann et al. , 2010 .

b Nyberg and Sanders, 2014 .

c Kitchen et al. , 2007 .

d Kubiatko et al. , 2017 .

e Linnenbrink-Garcia et al. , 2010 ; Heddy and Sinatra, 2017 .

a Strgar, 2007 .

b Paris et al. , 1998 .

c Schreiner and Sjøberg, 2004 . Referenced by three papers in our review.

Overall, the catalogue of analyzed literature grew into a detailed archive of the relevant literature that we then mined for trends and commonalties in interest conceptualization. For our final step in the analysis, two authors (A.A.R. and L.A.C.) examined the analyzed set of definitions and measurements to inductively identify emergent themes that shed light on how biology education researchers understood interest as a concept (i.e., their conceptualization of interest). These authors described and reached consensus on only those themes that were present in both the definitions and measurements sections of analyzed literature. We chose this criterion because the definitions and measures reflect the understanding of the biology education research community regarding interest ( Figure 1 ). After theme identification, A.A.R. and L.A.C. conferred with E.K., and S.E. to confirm theme presence, which constituted a second check on theme identification. We then made final adjustments to theme descriptions.

To address our core research objectives, we analyzed each of the relevant sources identified in our search to determine whether they 1) offered a precise definition of interest or cited another source’s definition of interest, 2) referenced any theory(ies) of interest or motivation, and 3) measured interest. Finally, we examined our analyzed results regarding definitions and measures and 4) characterized broad themes spanning the literature.

Approximately One-Fourth of Papers That Reported or Emphasized Interest Provided a Definition of Interest

Of the 139 articles that reported interest or emphasized the importance of interest in the biology education literature, 36 (26%) offered a definition of interest ( Table 2 ). Table 3 paraphrases the definitions of interest referenced in the literature and notes the foundational publications (publications that describe the referenced definition in detail). Many of the commonly referenced definitions cite authors who have contributed significantly to the conceptualization of interest and to theories of interest development and motivation, described in the next section. Interest also had different meanings and played different roles in the biology education literature depending on the definition cited. For example, Ryan and Deci’s (2000) conceptualization focuses primarily on whether a task is enjoyable, while Schiefele (1991) describes multiple dimensions of interest, including enjoyment and value. These definitions inform the claims that can be made based on different studies. Several papers analyzed mentioned more than one definition of interest and cited multiple authors. Thus, a single paper might be tallied for more than one definition in Table 3 . Specific papers that reference each definition are detailed in Supplemental Table 1.

Slightly More Than One-Third of Papers Referenced Theories Relating to Interest

Fifty-one articles (37%) mentioned a theory concerning interest or motivation ( Table 2 ). Some sources cited and mentioned theories of interest or motivation but did not define interest as a component of that theory or elaborate on the meaning of interest for the study under investigation. We recorded each instance when a theory was cited or mentioned, not whether that theory was actually applied as a framework for the study, because it was often difficult to tell whether (or not) the theory was actually applied. As with the definitions of interest, many of the papers analyzed mentioned more than one theory relating to interest. Table 4 lists commonly referenced theories and includes a foundational publication (a publication that describes the referenced theory in detail and was published early and cited frequently in the history of the theory) and a brief description of each theory. Despite our choice of foundational publications, theories often represent a culmination of evidence and publication from several contributing authors. Publications referencing theory and the papers they cite are listed in Supplemental Table 2.

A Majority of Papers Systematically Measured Interest, and There Are Multiple and Diverse Ways That Interest Was Measured

Ninety-three articles (67%) applied a systematic form of interest measurement ( Tables 2 and 5 ). The majority of papers analyzed (53% of measures papers) collected quantitative data using questionnaires including multiple-choice or Likert-type questions. Some of the papers applying systematic measurement collected qualitative data (24%) using open-ended survey questions, interviews, observations, or student artifacts to assess student interest. Likewise, some papers used mixed methods to collect both qualitative and quantitative data (24%; Table 5 ). Of the papers that used quantitative questionnaires, most were written by authors (67%) who developed their own measurement items ( Table 5 ), while others (38%) used previously published questionnaires. There were occasions when authors used two scales to assess interest, including an existing, published questionnaire and one they developed, so the last two rows in Table 5 sum to more than 100%.

We further characterized papers collecting quantitative data by inductively grouping them based on similarities in the measurement approach used ( Table 6 ). Although measures of interest varied greatly overall, we were able to categorize all measures into five categories based on how the questionnaire items were assembled.

Before describing these categories, we define the terms used for the categories to clarify our descriptions. An “item” is a single question to which a respondent provides an answer. For example, “Biology classes are fun for me” with a Likert-type response scale constitutes a single item. A “dimension” is an underlying feature or component of a psychological construct, such as interest. A questionnaire measuring one underlying dimension is called a unidimensional scale, and a questionnaire measuring several distinctly different underlying dimensions is called a multidimensional scale. For example, “feelings-related valences” is considered to be one of three dimensions in Schiefele’s (1991) conceptualization of interest (see Table 4 ). Importantly, when interpreting a number of items as representing similar or separate dimensions, one must test them using psychometric testing methods such as exploratory factor analysis. We used the term “aspects” as a nonstatistical term simply describing whether a scale theoretically included items representing one (single aspect) or several (multi-aspect) components of interest. Thus, the term “aspect” is nearly synonymous with “dimension,” except that it has no statistical meaning. Just like a dimension, an aspect is not delineated by biology topic or subtopic, but rather by the psychological feature that is addressed (e.g., positive affect, knowledge, or value). We use these terms in our categorization of measures.

The most frequent type of measures used were single-item measures, wherein one item was used to probe students’ interest ( Table 6 , see single item). In some cases, there were multiple single-item measures in one questionnaire. If the authors did not combine these items into a sum score, but instead reported results from each item separately, the measures were still characterized as single item. For example, if authors asked multiple questions about interest in different topics (e.g., interest in anatomy and interest in biochemistry) but did not combine these responses into a single sum score (i.e., overall interest in biology), then the questionnaire was characterized as “single item.”

Single-aspect measures were common. Single-aspect measures used multiple items to explore one aspect of interest, such as affect or value (see Table 6 , single aspect). Unlike single-item measures, single-aspect measures use the combined scores of multiple items to create a sum score or mean score. Single-­aspect measures also included instances when researchers asked questions about interest in different biology topics and summed the responses to indicate interest in a broader topic.

Another common strategy was to use a mix of items that asked about a variety of interest aspects and sum or average them to represent interest (see Table 6 , multi-aspect). In many cases, these items were assembled without a clear underlying rationale for why they could be combined (i.e., theory was not used to inform the assembly and/or psychometric testing was absent). Taken together, the mix of items in these measures was treated like a latent variable measuring interest broadly.

A less common strategy was to use multiple items that draw on theory or previous findings to specifically measure different dimensions of interest (see Table 6 , multidimensional scales). For example, separate sets of items targeting affect, values, and behavior might be measured. The items measuring each separate dimension could then be summed or averaged to provide a separate value for each dimension. Finally, researchers could look across these three scores to draw conclusions about the general construct of “interest.” This type of measurement, which seeks to ask questions related to various component parts (i.e., dimensions) of a construct, is a considered a best practice among psychometricians ( Bandalos, 2018 ).

It is important for us to note that some of the papers that measured interest reported it as one component of another larger construct, such as motivation. These papers included subscales to measure interest, which we then categorized into one of the four main categories ( Table 6 ). Although these papers might be multidimensional overall, in their measure of interest, they might fall into single aspect, single item, or multi-aspect.

We further classified the single-item and single-aspect measures based on the aspect of interest measured. The most frequently employed single-item or single-aspect measures used only the word “interest” in their items, which relies on the participants’ own definitions and understandings of interest when answering the question (see Table 7 , interest-focused). Many other single-item and single-aspect measures asked only about students’ affect, such as liking, enjoyment, boredom, and so on (see Table 7 , affect only). A third, less frequent category of measures asked about topics that students wanted to learn more about or topics they felt should be taught (see Table 7 , want to learn). Overall, our categorization highlights the wide variation in the way interest is measured and the aspects commonly considered to be part of interest. Supplemental Table 3 lists the papers that measured interest and the measurement approaches they used.

Two Broad Themes Emerged from Analysis of the Literature across Categories

First, interest was always described in relation to an object within the analyzed set of biology education research papers. An “object” for our purposes is defined as an external entity toward which a specific action or feeling can be directed and can include a physical object, activity, or topic. All common definitions referred to an object ( Table 3 ). Two cited definitions referred to an “object” specifically ( Schiefele, 1991 ; Hidi and Renninger, 2006 ), while others referred to an activity ( Gardner and Tamir, 1989 ; Ryan and Deci, 2000 ) or external stimuli ( Csikszentmihalyi and Hemanson, 1995 ). This pattern was echoed in the analyzed measures in which an “object” (e.g., biology, one’s major, pea plants, an assignment) was always related to a student’s interest. Notably, all of the theories referenced in Table 4 also refer to “objects” using terms such as “class of content” ( Hidi and Renninger, 2006 ), “object” ( Schiefele, 1991 ; Krapp, 1993 ), or “activities” and “tasks” ( Davis and Csikszentmihalyi, 1977 ; Wigfield and Eccles, 2000 ). We can conclude that the biology education research community largely views interest as connected to a specific external entity, such as the topic or study of biology. This is in contrast to viewing interest as a disposition of an individual that is applied regardless of external stimuli (i.e., one is simply “interested” as description of one’s character).

Second, positive affect associated with the object of interest is a broad theme. All five commonly referenced definitions of interest referred to affect as a component of interest and reference positive affect using terms such as “preference” (e.g., Gardner and Tamir, 1989 ; Hidi and Renninger, 2006 ) and “enjoyment” (e.g., Csikszentmihalyi and Hemanson, 1995 ; Ryan and Deci, 2000 ). Positive affect was also the sole subject of 10 measures ( Table 7 ), and items that assess positive affect associated with an object are consistently present in multi-aspect and multidimensional scales (e.g., “I find working on biology assignments very fun,” “Being in a biology major puts me in a good mood”; Table 6 and Supplemental Table 3). Similarly, all commonly referenced theories referred to positive affect as a component of interest ( Table 4 ). Considering these results, it is clear that biology education researchers consistently view positive affect directed toward an object as an aspect constituting at least part (if not all) of interest.

In this work, we aimed to investigate how students’ interest in biology has been defined and measured and whether previously published work investigating students’ biology interest draws from theories of interest or motivation. The analysis and the synthesis that follows reveals what researchers have considered when reporting on interest in biology education contexts and helps us to better interpret results regarding interest in these contexts. This analysis also highlights how we, as a field, can move forward and further develop the generalizability, utility, and depth of our research on interest within biology education.

Conclusion 1: Interest Was Not Often Defined, but When Interest Was Defined, Definitions Were Based on a Range of Published Theories

When investigating any construct, it is recommended that one clearly express how the construct is defined ( American Educational Research Association [AERA], American Psychological Association [APA], and National Council on Measurement in Education [NCME], 2014 ). As mentioned in the Introduction and seen in the Results ( Table 3 ), interest can be defined in many different ways. There is no one accepted or “right” definition of interest. For example, Wigfield and Eccles (2000) define interest as doing something because it is inherently enjoyable, while Hidi and Renninger (2006) and Schiefele (1991) include more dimensions in their definitions, such as experiencing positive affect, holding value for a topic, and being predisposed to reengage. Because there are multiple ways to define interest, presenting a clear definition is important, as the results and interpretation of studies will differ depending on the construct’s definition and measurement ( Figure 1 ). The absence of a definition makes it challenging to select appropriate methods to investigate the construct and to compare one’s results with other studies.

In our analysis, studies that presented a definition of interest (26% of all studies) drew definitions from published theories originating in the fields of psychology and education ( Table 4 ). This aligns with calls for use of theory to ground studies in biology education research ( Dolan, 2015 ). However, the majority of studies (74%) did not present a definition of interest in the introduction or methods ( Table 2 ). Furthermore, 24 (34%) of the quantitative measures used the word “interest” in measurement items without providing a definition of interest to respondents ( Table 7 ). For example, a question may have asked “How interested are you in biology?” or offered Likert-type response options that ranged from “Not at all interested” to “Very interested.” The absence of definitions in these two locations is problematic, because it is likely that different people hold slightly different ideas about what the word “interest” means ( Krapp, 2002 ). Lacking a definition in the introduction and methods sections creates ambiguity for readers, allowing them to apply their own definitions of interest to the research, which may not align with that of the paper’s author. For instance, if a reader interprets a reported increase in interest as a lasting desire to reengage with a topic, but the author intended only to express that students “enjoyed” the introduced activity, the reader might overextend the results to conclude that that activity is more impactful than it actually is. In the case of interest measures, researchers are relying on participants’ own interpretation of the word “interest” to inform their responses, which could result in different respondents applying different understandings of the term “interest” to inform their responses. Indeed, different interpretations of what interest means may unintentionally introduce bias into a study and consequently make results difficult to interpret. This can be avoided, however, if the author defines interest and makes his or her understanding transparent when choosing measures and reporting results.

Conclusion 2: Theoretical Frameworks Were Not Often Described, but among Papers That Described a Theory, the Theories Referenced Varied

The biology education research community has called for increased use of theory in education research and integration of biology education research with other fields such as cognitive science and social psychology ( Dolan, 2015 ). Use of theory in research enables a researcher to 1) position their research questions within an existing, vetted framework; 2) justify the importance and significance of their research; and 3) ground the research results in a larger body of prior work, which allows comparisons to be made between current and previous studies ( Creswell, 2014 ). While detailed descriptions of the theory that informs the research are often not necessary, a brief reference to a guiding theory can help readers to interpret the results in the way the author intended. Owing to the variation in interest conceptualizations, use of theory can quickly and efficiently clarify how interest is being discussed and situated within a research context.

Thirty-seven percent of papers analyzed referenced theory with respect to interest. Among these papers, seven different theories were commonly referenced ( Table 4 ), leading us to conclude that a variety of theoretical frameworks can be used to understand interest in biology education contexts. The most commonly referenced theories and definitions draw from the work of Hidi and Renninger (2006) , authors of the four-phase model of interest development; Krapp (1993) , author of the person–object theory of interest; and Ryan and Deci (2000) , authors of self-determination theory ( Table 4 ). Eighty-eight percent of papers that referenced theory referred to at least one of these theories (Supplemental Table 2). All of these theories draw upon multiple dimensions to describe interest and how it affects an individual’s thoughts and behavior. Furthermore, both the four-phase model and self-determination theory focus on how interest develops over time. These findings suggest that biology education researchers who reference theory most often use multidimensional and developmental theories to ground their work. This is not surprising, because developmental theories lend themselves to studies aimed at enhancing students’ interest in an academic topic. Papers that reference these theories provide a starting point for researchers wanting to explore interest as developmental, multifaceted, and behavioral.

The results from papers referencing theory are informative; yet overall, few papers referenced theory (37%; Table 2 ). While this is not always problematic, because interest could be described without using theory (i.e., providing a definition or describing the researcher’s own idea of interest), it represents a missed opportunity to relate the results of a study to prior work and knowledge. Furthermore, papers lacking both an interest definition and theoretical grounding present a challenge to accurate interpretation for the reasons described in the previous section. As such, the call for integration of theory into biology education research ( Dolan, 2015 ) is pertinent, especially in the case of interest.

Conclusion 3: The Methods Used to Measure Interest Varied Greatly and Often Consisted of One Item or Measured Only One Aspect of Interest

Understanding how a psychological construct, such as interest, has been measured is essential for accurately interpreting the results, claims, and implications of a research study ( Bandalos, 2018 ). Measurement should be tailored to address the research questions asked, the theory or definitions drawn upon, and the context of the study ( AERA, APA, and NCME, 2014 ; Knekta et al. , 2019 ). Ninety-three studies (67% of all studies analyzed) measured interest systematically, and of those, 71 studies used quantitative questionnaires that we could classify into measurement types ( Tables 6 and 7 ). Questionnaire structures and items varied greatly. Much of this variation can be explained by differences in the theories and definitions driving each study, but another portion of variation is likely due to lack of knowledge and use of measurement best practices.

The choice of different conceptualizations, definitions, or theories across studies often results in the use of different items and questionnaire structures. This variation in measurement does not necessarily constitute a limitation to the interpretation of any one paper as long as that paper is grounded in a clear conceptualization of interest. However, the broad variation we observed in interest measurement means that careful consideration is needed when comparing results across studies. Single-aspect scales that measure positive affect can illustrate why care should be taken. Ten analyzed studies probed only students’ positive affect, such as their “enjoyment” or “liking,” when measuring interest ( Table 7 ). Some theories of interest, such as expectancy-value theory ( Wigfield and Eccles, 2000 ), view positive affect as the sole dimension that constitutes interest. For papers drawing on these theories, it is appropriate to use a measure that only addresses positive affect. However, according to other theories, positive affect is only one dimension of interest; interest is also cognitive, behavioral, and related to one’s values (e.g., the four-phase model [ Hidi and Renninger, 2006 ], valence beliefs [ Schiefele, 1991 ], flow [ Dewey, 1913 ; Davis and Csikszentmihalyi, 1977 ]). The four-phase model of interest development even recognizes that  negative  affect may be at play in early stages of interest development ( Ainley and Hidi, 2014 ). Thus, a reader needs to understand how the author conceptualizes interest before drawing conclusions. For example, it would be a mistake for a reader to apply theories that view interest as multidimensional to interpret papers measuring only positive affect. Additionally, as a researcher, it would be a mistake to reference a theory that conceptualizes interest as multidimensional, but only measure positive affect. Perhaps most importantly, comparison of studies that use different frameworks to define and measure interest is not appropriate when interest conceptualizations differ. The take-home message is that a study’s purpose and theory should drive the choice of measures used, and readers should strive to understand how different studies conceptualized and measured interest before making cross-study comparisons.

While measuring a single aspect of interest is not necessarily a bad practice, we observed two other measurement structures that did not follow psychometric best practices. The first was the use of a single item to represent the construct of interest. Interest is not directly observable (unlike height, monthly salary, or percent of international students in a class). Therefore, interest cannot be measured directly using a single item ( Knekta et al. , 2019 ). Instead, using students’ scores from several items measuring interest in slightly different ways and combining them into a sum or mean score is preferred. For example, if interest is defined as positive affect in relation to an object, one could include a number of items asking students about positive affect in their measure, such as how enjoyable they found the task, whether they liked to do the task, and how happy they were while completing the task. Students’ answers on these questions would be combined to represent interest as a whole, a common best practice in measuring psychological constructs ( Knekta et al. , 2019 ).

The second questionable measurement structure involved the combination of items representing multiple aspects of interest into one sum or mean score, often without theoretical and/or empirical grounding (such scales were classified as “multi-aspect”; see Table 6 ). A foundational assumption in measurement theory is that the psychological construct in question, in this case interest, is what drives respondents to answer similarly on all items that one intends to combine into a sum or mean score. In the case of many multi-aspect measures, this assumption is not established theoretically or empirically. For example, one study asked students to rate their agreement with the following statements as part of an interest scale: “I had fun while handling the laboratory instruments,” “Doing experiments helped me to understand the topic better,” and “Conducting the experiments increased my interest in the topic” ( Glowinski and Bayrhuber, 2011 ). It is easy to imagine a student who did not enjoy handling lab equipment (first item) but did find the experiment interesting (third item). These differences in question responses indicate that additional constructs, other than interest, or different aspects of interest are represented in these items. This makes the sum score challenging to interpret at best and meaningless at worst (for a detailed explanation, see Knekta et al. , 2019 ). Similarly, if the theory of interest being used is multidimensional, one would not want to sum across dimensions, because they represent different aspects of interest and students may respond to them differently. Thus, multi-aspect measures should be avoided or theoretical and empirical evidence that the items can be summed should be provided.

Conclusion 4: The Biology Education Community Largely Views Interest as a Person–Object Relationship and Affect Focused

Despite the broad variation across these studies, we can still glean information from themes present in the literature that did define, measure, or use theory to explore interest. These themes provide insights into how the broader biology education research community conceptualizes interest. The first theme identified a person–object relationship as a critical characteristic of interest in biology education contexts. Researchers consistently refer to interest as describing the relationship between a person and a specific “object,” such as a topic of study (i.e., biology), an activity, or other external stimuli. These results indicate that the community generally does not view interest as a stable disposition of the student that could relate to any content area (i.e., a student is not inherently “interested” in general; instead they are “interested” in something specific). This view is consistent with interest theories that are both referenced (e.g., Davis and Csikszentmihalyi, 1977 ; Schiefele, 1991 ; Krapp, 1993 ; Ryan and Deci, 2000 ; Wigfield and Eccles, 2000 ; Hidi and Renninger, 2006 ) and not referenced (e.g., social cognitive career theory; Lent et al. , 2002 ) within the analyzed literature. This finding highlights the view that interest is context dependent and implies that development of a specific biology or STEM interest could be an outcome in educational environments.

A second theme present throughout the literature is the centrality of positive affect in the research on interest in biology contexts. Both studies that included theory and those that did not expressed the view that positive affect is an aspect of interest via either their definition or measurement of interest. Positive affect in connection with interest was expressed using words and phrases such as “enjoyment,” “liking,” “fun,” and “good mood.” Again, this is consistent with many interest theories, which view positive affect as an indication of interest ( Davis and Csikszentmihalyi, 1977 ; Schiefele, 1991 ; Krapp, 1993 ; Ryan and Deci, 2000 ; Wigfield and Eccles, 2000 ; Lent et al. , 2002 ; Hidi and Renninger, 2006 ). However, much of the analyzed literature described positive affect as the sole dimension constituting interest, while a majority of theories recognize and describe how other dimensions contribute to interest (e.g., stored value; Schiefele, 1991 ). Uncovering this conceptualization is helpful, because it can be used to better understand past studies, frame future work, and lend clarity to our understanding of interest within the biology education research literature.

We advocate for clarity in interest definitions.

a. A definition should be agreed upon by all researchers at the start of the project and revisited to ensure construct fidelity throughout the study.

b. Researchers should confirm alignment between the definition of interest and the method selected to measure it (i.e., that the items on a questionnaire represent the aims of measurement).

c. If questionnaires or interview prompts use the term “interest,” the term should be defined in the measure before the question to help study participants use the conception of interest the researcher intended rather than one they may already hold.

d. A definition should be included in all reports of results from interest studies.

These four uses of a definition can help clarify what is meant by results regarding student interest and how results relate to prior work.

We advocate for the use of theory to ground studies of interest in biology education contexts.

a. Define a construct.

Theory can generate a broadly applied definition of interest for use in research. Even when a study does not seek to inform theory or explore a theory’s application to a certain context, theories can help researchers to define interest, which grounds the research in vetted descriptions of the construct.

b. Test new contexts.

Researchers can test theories in different educational contexts. Theories are meant to guide hypotheses and explain general patterns, but they may not apply to all situations. Understanding when theories do and do not apply is useful for understanding the roles of interest in educational settings.

c. Ground and compare results.

Researchers can use a guiding theory to ground their research in prior work and relate their results to other studies. For example, if two researchers are using the same theory, they can compare their findings regarding how interest fits into frameworks used to understand motivation or interest development.

d. Extend future work.

Researchers can use theories to extend their work and generate future directions. For example, a theory might suggest different mediators or moderators of interest that could be measured to more fully understand an educational system.

We advocate for a careful selection of measures and cautious comparison of results.

The quality of the results and conclusions from a study is inherently dependent on the method and measures used to collect data. The validity—simply defined as the ability of a measure to accurately measure what it purports to measure—of any measure is specific to the research question being asked and the context in which it is asked. Thus, if a measure is invalid for the context in question, then the inferences drawn from its use are also not valid. We strongly recommend using existing interest measures and providing information on the degree to which evidence and theory support the interpretations of the scores for the context in question (for examples, see Creswell, 2014 , p. 201; AERA, APA, and NCME, 2014 , pp. 11–22). A starting point for this could be papers listed in Supplemental Table 3 in the “use existing questionnaire” category. Also, we recommend that authors who seek to compare their results with others’ results first consider how interest was measured by the other researchers. Making broad comparisons across the literature without first considering the nuances of interest measurement could lead to inaccurate and confusing results. After all, measuring interest can mean so many different things.

The diversity of definitions, measures, and theories that address interest are a benefit to biology education researchers, because researchers can choose among many available options to find those most applicable to their research context. However, choosing among interest measures or theories and finding other literature that uses similar frameworks can be daunting. To help readers of this paper navigate the biology education research that examines interest, we have included three supplemental Excel tables describing our work (Supplemental Tables 1–3). The first table consists of papers that define interest and lists publications they cite for their definitions. The second table lists papers that cite theories and lists the papers that were cited in reference to the theory. The third table lists papers that measured interest and describes the origin and categorization of each measure. Each table is presented as a matrix of ones and zeros and can be sorted using Microsoft Excel or other programs to view which theories, definitions, and types of measures various publications used and which publications have definitions, theories, or measures in common. We hope that these supplemental tables are useful for readers who would like to explore biology education research related to interest.

In closing, we urge biology education researchers studying interest to carefully consider this construct and its measurement. While we recognize that it may not always be practical to include lengthy measures or discussions of theory in every publication, defining the term “interest” for readers and study participants can go a long way toward alleviating ambiguities and adding clarity and utility to a study. Building students’ interest in biology has implications for their persistence in biology classes and beyond. We hope that this analysis will contribute to future research on students’ biology interest and, ultimately, further the goal of increasing biology graduates’ enthusiasm for the field.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

We are grateful for useful input on this article by Dr. Jennifer Avena and Dr. Betsy McIntosh. This material is based on work supported by the National Science Foundation under grant no. 1615143.

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Submitted: 11 February 2019 Revised: 30 April 2019 Accepted: 6 May 2019

© 2019 A. A. Rowland et al. CBE—Life Sciences Education © 2019 The American Society for Cell Biology. This article is distributed by The American Society for Cell Biology under license from the author(s). It is available to the public under an Attribution–Noncommercial–Share Alike 3.0 Unported Creative Commons License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0).

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Where the Wild Things Went During the Pandemic

A new study of camera-trap images complicates the idea that all wildlife thrived during the Covid lockdowns.

By Emily Anthes

In the early months of the Covid pandemic, when every bit of news seemed bleak, there was one heartwarming narrative that took hold: With humans stuck in their homes, the world was safe again for wild animals, which could now wander freely through cities, parking lots or fields that once might have been crowded with people.

But a new global study , which used wildlife cameras to track human and animal activity during the Covid lockdowns, suggests that the story was not that simple.

“We went in with a somewhat simplistic notion,” said Cole Burton, a wildlife ecologist and conservation biologist at the University of British Columbia, who led the research. “You know, humans stop, animals are going to breathe a sigh of relief and move around more naturally. And what we saw was quite different.”

Although humans disappeared from some places during the lockdowns, they surged into others, like parks that remained open when little else was, the researchers found. And there was enormous variability in how wild mammals responded to changes in human behavior. Carnivores and animals living in remote, rural places, for instance, were more active when people faded from the landscape, while the opposite was generally true for large herbivores and urban animals.

The study, which was published in Nature Ecology & Evolution on Monday, deepens and complicates scientists’ understanding of what has been called the “anthropause,” when pandemic lockdowns radically altered human behavior. It also highlights the nuanced ways in which humans affect the lives of wild animals, as well as the need for varied and multifaceted conservation efforts, the authors said.

“There’s no ‘one size fits all’ solution when it comes to mitigating the impacts of human activity on wildlife,” said Kaitlyn Gaynor, a wildlife ecologist and conservation biologist at the University of British Columbia. “Because we see that not all species are responding similarly to people.”

Camera traps, which automatically snap photos of wild animals when they detect motion and body heat, have become key research tools for wildlife biologists. The new study is based on data from 102 different camera trapping projects in 21 countries. (Most were based in North America or Europe, but South America, Africa and Asia were also included.) The data allowed the scientists to study the activity patterns of 163 different species of wild mammals — and to keep tabs on how often humans were showing up at the same locations.

“One of the core strengths of this paper is that you get information on both humans and animals,” said Marlee Tucker, an ecologist at Radboud University in the Netherlands, who was not involved in the new research.

During the pandemic lockdown period, human activity decreased at some project sites while increasing at others. At each study location, the researchers compared how often wild animals were detected during a period of high human activity and a period of low human activity, regardless of whether the decreased activity came during the lockdown period.

Carnivores, such as wolves and bobcats, appeared to be highly sensitive to people, showing the largest drop-off in activity when human activity ramped up. “Carnivores, especially larger carnivores, have this long history of, you can say, antagonism with people,” Dr. Burton said. “The consequences for a carnivore of bumping into people or getting too close to people often has meant death.”

On the flip side, the activity of large herbivores, such as deer and moose, increased when humans were out and about. That could be because the animals simply had to move more to avoid the throngs of people. But if people help keep the carnivores at bay, that could also make it safer for the herbivores to come out and play.

“Herbivores tend to be a little less fearful of people, and they may actually use them as a shield from carnivores,” said Dr. Tucker, who praised the study’s authors for being “able to disentangle all these different human impacts.”

Location mattered, too. In rural and undeveloped areas, where the landscape had not been heavily modified by humans, animals generally became less active as human activity increased. But in cities and other developed areas, wild mammals tended to become more active when humans did.

“That was a bit counterintuitive and surprising,” Dr. Gaynor said. “We took a closer look, and a lot of that activity was actually happening at night. Animals were becoming more nocturnal.”

The researchers suggest that several phenomena could support these trends. Perhaps the species and individuals that have persisted in these landscapes are the ones that are most tolerant of and habituated to humans. (Wolverines, for instance, were only present in places with a small human footprint.)

And the animals that have stuck around might be attracted to human resources, such as food and trash, and become more active when these resources are plentiful, but shift their foraging expeditions into the evening hours to reduce the odds of encountering people.

“That seems to be an adaptation by animals to coexist with people,” Dr. Burton said. “It’s animals working to do their part for coexistence.”

Still, there were exceptions. In the most developed places, large omnivores, such as bears and wild boars, were detected less frequently when human activity ramped up. Although they are also attracted to human resources, including garbage bins and fruit trees, it might simply be too risky for large animals to go after those goods when lots of people are around.

“We’re much more tolerant of a possum in our backyard than we are of a bear in our backyard,” Dr. Gaynor said.

Many studies on the effects of humans on wild animals focus on a small number of species and locations, but teasing out some of these general patterns is a real contribution to the scientific literature, said Jerrold Belant, a wildlife conservation scientist at Michigan State University who was not involved in the study.

“It’s important to see some 30,000-foot views that can provide us with broad insights and the ability to make generalizations,” he said. “To put it all together in a single package is really helpful and really moves the needle.”

Emily Anthes is a science reporter, writing primarily about animal health and science. She also covered the coronavirus pandemic. More about Emily Anthes

Explore the Animal Kingdom

A selection of quirky, intriguing and surprising discoveries about animal life..

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According to a common narrative that male mammals tend to be larger than female ones. A new study paints a more complex picture .

Daddy longlegs, the group of splendidly leggy arachnids also known as harvestmen, have been thought to have just two eyes. New research has uncovered four more vestigial ones .

The means by which some whales sing underwater has long been a mystery. A contraption that forced air through the larynxes of three carcasses puts forth an explanation .

Here’s how a male elephant seal, not usually possessed with a paternal instinct, prevented a younger animal from drowning in an unlikely act of altruism .

Florida Field Course benefits biology students, study finds

Life Sciences

By | Kate Blackwood , Cornell Chronicle

Nearly every spring break since 1968, Cornell graduate students have traveled south for the Florida Field Course (FFC), an immersion in life science at the Archbold Biological Station , learning firsthand in the scrubland of south-central Florida how to collect data, pursue a specific research question and work in teams.

They’ve also, through the years, contributed to an extensive dataset themselves.

Cornell researchers conducted a longitudinal study of FFC participants to learn about the impact of field courses for graduate students. Analyzing more than 50 years of data and surveying alumni, the researchers connected participation in the field course with positive professional outcomes, higher rates of publications and faculty positions at research institutions.

“ A Half Century of Student Data Reveals the Professional Impacts of a Biology Field Course ” published Nov. 30 in BioScience.

Lina Arcila Hernández, Ph.D.’19, and Cinnamon Mittan-Moreau, Ph.D. ’21, are co-first authors, with contributions from longtime FFC instructor Kelly Zamudio , professor emerita in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, in the College of Arts and Sciences.

The goal of FFC is to immerse the students in an ecological system where they can discover opportunities for exploration and address biological questions, the researchers wrote. Each year, 10-20 students travel to the Archbold field station, where they develop independent research projects, collaborate and engage in professional development.

Continuity in the structure and curriculum of FFC, as well as its longevity, allowed for a comparison of student outcomes over the course’s history.

The researchers analyzed quantitative data collected over five decades to measure graduation rates and progress of alumni within the field. They also collected data from 131 former students to identify the activities and experiences most useful during the field course.

They found that FFC students, while they were in graduate school, published 27% more papers than their peers who did not attend the course. Ten years after graduation, this boost in publishing persisted; the FFC graduates published about 14% more papers than their non-FFC peers.

Focusing on post-graduation careers, the researchers found that FFC graduates held a higher number of faculty positions in research institutions.

From surveying 131 FFC alumni, the researchers found the most commonly reported learning experiences or skill that graduate students gained from their field experience: carrying out research (nearly 40%); thinking broadly about science (28%); and learning/observing from nature (25%).

With graduate-level programs in ecology and evolutionary biology among the least racially diverse in STEM, evaluating the potential impact of field courses on retention of historically underserved groups in graduate education is an important gap in education literature, the researchers wrote.

“We often hear about how academia is a leaky pipeline because students from marginalized identities tend to leave it at a higher rate, and this is also true for science in general,” Arcila Hernández said. “Figuring out pedagogical tools, such as field courses, that can support participation, retention and inclusion of a more diverse body of scientists is paramount. Understanding whether past field experiences have had an effect on students careers is a first important step.”

“As a student, one thing I really appreciated about the course was its ‘structured un-structuredness,’” said Mittan-Moreau, who took FCC as a graduate student. “Coming up with a novel idea, and being able to see it through data collection, analysis and writing, was a confidence boost early in my graduate career.”

FFC and other field courses also build community and teach ecological concepts through active learning, Mittan-Moreau said. “I think learning an ecological concept by seeing it out in the field sticks in your memory much more than reading about it in a textbook,” she said.

Arcila Hernández said that well-designed and intentional field courses might play an important role in supporting diversity in the sciences.

“We are just starting to learn the effects of field courses,” Arcila Hernández said. “Our paper gives us an insight into some of the areas that might be important to study further, such as the role of independent projects and peer-feedback opportunities.”

“Being able to use a half-century of data made this study unique,” said contributing author Cissy Ballen, a former postdoctoral research associate in the Zamudio lab. “Our results highlight the critical need to promote equitable fieldwork conditions for all students, suggesting that institutions and field educators need to embrace new strategies that broaden participation in field biology at all levels of education.”

Also contributing were Katherine D. Holmes, Ph.D ’22; Coby McDonald, Ph.D. ’21; and Ballen, now an assistant professor of biological sciences at Auburn University.

This work was supported by the National Science Foundation and by a Cornell Active Learning Initiative award.

Read the story in the Cornell Chronicle .

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