What is Biological & Biomedical Sciences?
Biological and Biomedical science is all about the study of life and the processes of life. Biological science is the broad term for any animal or plant biology whereas biomedical science specifically refers to human health and disease.
Biomedical science is generally comprised of research, testing, and analysis in the field of medical science. It covers a wide range of subject matter, including organs, bodily fluids, cells, human tissues, the immune system, and viruses. There is also a focus on disease-causing micro-organisms and the possible treatments for their effects.
Biology is the study of living things and the properties that characterize living organisms, how life forms are generated, how organisms reproduce themselves, and how they interact both with each other and with the environment. Biology is fundamental to understanding the world we live in and plays a huge role in medicine.
What 3rd level courses are available?
Universities and colleges in Ireland are offering Biological & Biomedical Sciences courses in the following subject areas:
- Investigative Biology – Gain the knowledge and practical scientific skills in investigative biology.
- Human Biology – The study of human biology concerning health and disease and how systems of the body interact.
- Biology: Uniformity and Diversity – An introduction into modern biology, looking at the common features underlying the enormous diversity of life forms.
- Biomedical Science: Medical Microbiology – Gain the knowledge and skills in methods of medical microbiology
- Microbiology of Environmental Contaminants – The study of the detection, characterization and
- Microbiology for the Pharmaceutical & Medical Devices Industries – The study of pharmaceutical and medical devices and the use of microbiology.
- Industrial Microbiology & Biopharmaceuticals – Study the principles of pharmaceutical microbiology, aseptic processing, and biopharmaceutical as applied in an industrial context.
- Molecular and Cell Biology – Gain the knowledge and skills to examine the processes common to all life forms and learn about molecular biology and cell functions.
- Developing Food Science Skills: Food Microbiology and Hygiene – Explore the basic aspects of food microbiology and food hygiene.
- Researching Biology and Health Science – The study of research into biology and health science within a range of defined topics.
Studying Biological & Biomedical Sciences in college
Many full-time Biological & Biomedical Sciences courses run anywhere from 1 year to 4 years depending on the course and modules selected. There are also part-time courses and night courses available so you can be sure to fit in your studies no matter what your schedule is like.
Courses will cover all theory work through lectures, assignments, tutorials, and taught modules. Assessments will take place continuously with written examinations and practical assignments combined to achieve a qualification.
You could also consider work experience or work shadowing in laboratories and other industry-specific environments. Candidates typically need to be able to demonstrate high levels of competency in the laboratory environment, as well as familiarity with technical and analytical processes and systems so the more practice and experience you can receive the better. Work Experience will not only allow you to obtain a deeper knowledge and understanding of the industry, but it will also give you a chance to do some essential networking with other industry professionals and gain valuable contacts within the industry.
Career options
After completing a course in Biological & Biomedical Sciences you will be able to get started in a career that uses specific knowledge of Biology and Biomedicine in a variety of organizations such as private and public sector hospitals, forensic and medical research institutes, local and central government health authorities, and academic institutions.
As a Biologist or Biomedical Scientist, you will likely work predominantly in the lab using advanced medical equipment and automated systems to grow, test, and analyze cultures from affected samples. For those employed in hospitals or large healthcare facilities, you may need to work in shifts to handle the incoming emergency and critical case sample-testing.
While most of a biomedical scientist’s work is lab-based, with little or no patient interaction, some employers may require their biomedical specialists to work closely with patients and other members of the medical team. However, biomedical scientists are not qualified to be allowed to provide medical advice.
Working hours will depend on whether you are employed by a company with set business hours or if you are contracted for specific hours only.
Related jobs include:
- Anatomist
- Analytic chemist
- Animal biochemist
- Animal ecologist
- Biomedical Researcher
- Biologist
- Biophysicist
- Botanist
- Biochemistry
- Biological photographer
- Environmental Scientist
- Forensic Technologist
- Toxicologist
- Zoologist
- Geneticist
- Immunologist
- Microbiologist
Further study
After completing a course in Biological & Biomedical Sciences you may choose to pursue further study in a specialist field to increase your knowledge base and skillset. Postgraduate study can also be used as a means to change career focus or to gain professional qualifications required to practice in certain career areas such as Healthcare or Higher Education.
FAQ
What is the difference between biomedicine and medicine?
Medicine is the study of diseases in living beings and how to treat them. Biomedicine studies everything about the human body and the organic processes in any living being and allows us to look at how things work in any species with a much greater depth of detail.
Why is biomedicine important?
Studying biomedical science allows for a greater understanding of the human body which in turn gives us access to research that can be at the heart of great medical breakthroughs in healthcare.
Where can I study Biological & Biomedical Sciences?
Explore your options here
Did You Know?
· An adult is made up of around 7,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 (7 octillion) atoms.
· Goosebumps occur when tiny muscles around the base of each hair tense, pulling the hair into a more upright position. With a decent covering of hair as our ancestors would have had, this would fluff up the coat, getting more air into it and making it a better insulator. But with the thin body hair, humans have today, it just makes our skin look strange.
· Your brain is sometimes more active when you’re asleep than when you’re awake.
· The average person has 67 different species of bacteria in their belly button.
· Humans are the only species known to blush.
· Your blood makes up about 8% of your body weight.
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