Who Knew That There Was So Much Drawing Involved In Biology?
When I first elected to be a biology major I had no idea what I was getting into in terms of how much drawing I would be doing. Ever since I got into the major I have had at least one course a quarter in which my hand has been push to the limit both in its stamina and dexterity due to the sheer volume of drawings I had to produce just to stay afloat.
I wouldn't have pegged biologists as being particularly artistic individuals on average but my eyes have been opened and I stand corrected. Without fail I have had classes each quarter since I declared my major that have put me through the drawing gauntlet. The fact that I have even had more than one class that has forced me to draw organisms for points surprises me a great deal and in each class I have had the general consensus has been that most people are particularly adept at getting their point across using the visual arts. When looking back on the history of science in general it makes more sense as there was a length period of time in which people had to document their observations solely with the use of pen and paper and did not have the advantage of having a camera on their person 24/7 365. While I think this is a reasonable explanation, it is not to say that I think drawing is outmoded, but rather it is a remanent that can be used to our advantage to not have to rely on technology in the field.
Just the courses I can think of off the top of my head in which I had to do some number of illustrations, biol 311, biol 447, biol 450, biol 200, biol 220, biol 355 and the list probably goes on but those are the ones I can think of at the moment. Another reason for the use of illustrating is to better lock in key concepts and physiological features to better understand and observe similar features in the future. This is most certainly the case when trying to identify organisms from their remains as is the case in vertebrate paleontology as well as paleobotany, but it is most certainly important in all froms of modern species identification as well. Whether it is to be used in the field of to be used as a learning tool that allows students to remember pronounced components of something's anatomy it is clearly quite important given the amount that it has been emphasized in my biology education. The image from the thumb nail on the homepage is from biology 200 in which key concepts are drawn for greater understanding and the image above is from biology 311 in which drawing fish specimens during lab was a key part of learning.
"I got to admit its getting better, a little better all the time. It can't get no worse."