Biology - study of life.
Biology is a science .
Although, science is often misunderstood and mystified, it is merely a systematic way of learning from one's own observations . The authority in science is neither textbook, professor, nor mystical Scientist. The authority is the real world . If your observations disagree with the textbook, the text should be questioned. If you want to learn something about Chico Creek, you make careful observations and draw inferences from the observations .