What it means
بیولوژی (biyolozhi) means biology, the science of living things. Persian borrowed it from French biologie, coined in the early nineteenth century from Greek roots meaning life and study. You will also hear the term زیستشناسی (zist-shenasi) in more formal or purist Persian usage. Both words are understood and accepted, but بیولوژی is the more common term in everyday speech and school contexts, while زیستشناسی appears more in official textbooks and university course names.
How to use it
- بیولوژی درباره موجودات زندهست. (biyolozhi darbare-ye mojudat-e zende-st.) “Biology is about living organisms.”
- استادم توی بیولوژی سلولی تخصص داره. (ostadam tu-ye biyolozhi-ye seluli takhassos dare.) “My professor specializes in cell biology.”
- بیولوژی دریا رشتهایه که دوست دارم بخونم. (biyolozhi-ye darya reshte-iye ke dust daram bekhunam.) “Marine biology is the field I want to study.”
- ژنتیک یه شاخه مهم از بیولوژیه. (zhenetik ye shakhe-ye mohemm az biyolozhi-e.) “Genetics is an important branch of biology.”
Cultural note
In Iranian high schools, biology is taught under the official name زیستشناسی (zist-shenasi), a compound of native Persian roots. This reflects a broader effort by Iranian language authorities to create Persian equivalents for imported scientific terms. However, بیولوژی remains the word most students and teachers use in conversation. The study of biology in Iran has expanded significantly since the 1990s, particularly in areas like biotechnology and genetics, which align with national research priorities.