Zoology
Zoology ( / z oʊ ˈ ɒ l ə dʒ i / ) [note 1] is the branch of biology that studies the animal kingdom , including the structure , embryology , classification , habits , and distribution of all animals, both living and extinct , and how they interact with their ecosystems . The term is derived from Ancient Greek ζῷον , zōion ('animal'), and λόγος , logos ('knowledge', 'study'). [1] Although humans have always been interested in the natural history of the animals they saw around them, and used this knowledge to domesticate certain species, the formal study of zoology can be said to have originated with Aristotle . He viewed animals as living organisms, studied their structure and development, and considered their adaptations to their surroundings and the function of their parts. The Greek physician Galen studied human anatomy and was one of the greatest surgeons of the ancient world, but after the fall of the Western Roman E