👉 Ancient biology, or more specifically, the biological sciences as they were understood in antiquity, focused on the study of life and living organisms through observation, reasoning, and the application of philosophical principles rather than modern scientific methods. Ancient biologists, influenced by thinkers like Aristotle, Galen, and Hippocrates, categorized living things based on observable characteristics such as form, function, and habitat. They developed early theories about the nature of life, including ideas about spontaneous generation (the belief that living organisms could arise from non-living matter) and the four humors (blood, phlegm, yellow bile, and black bile), which were thought to explain health and disease. These concepts laid the groundwork for later biological studies but were often intertwined with philosophical and medical practices, emphasizing a holistic view of health and the environment.
