<descriptor thcode="61"><thesaurus thcode="61" name="Marine Realms Information Bank (MRIB) keywords" scope="Theme keywords from the former Marine Realms Information Bank, focusing on characteristics of coasts and oceans, processes acting on them, and human concerns about them." creator="U.S. Geological Survey" rights="Public domain" date="2016-09-07" codetype="number" prefix="mrib" tblname="mrib" nonpref="mribnp" relterm="mribrt" root_code="1" contact="aallwardt"><category><term thcode="25" code="27" name="types" parent="26" scope="Terms are types of things rather than named instances"/><term thcode="25" code="16" name="hierarchical" parent="11" scope="Substantive broader-narrower relationships exist among the terms."/><term thcode="25" code="13" name="transitive" parent="12" scope="Narrower terms have an &quot;is a&quot; relationship with their broader terms, and generally can be described as part-of, type-of, or instance-of the broader term."/><term thcode="25" code="5" name="theme" parent="2" scope="Terms indicate domains of human concern, such as scientific discipline, societal problems, or characteristics of earth, space, oceans, and living things."/><term thcode="25" code="21" name="disciplines" parent="2" scope="Broad categories of human inquiry or activity, such as scientific disciplines."/><term thcode="25" code="20" name="methods" parent="2" scope="Actions taken to obtain or analyze information"/><term thcode="25" code="27" name="types" parent="26" scope="Terms are types of things rather than named instances"/><term thcode="25" code="16" name="hierarchical" parent="11" scope="Substantive broader-narrower relationships exist among the terms."/><term thcode="25" code="13" name="transitive" parent="12" scope="Narrower terms have an &quot;is a&quot; relationship with their broader terms, and generally can be described as part-of, type-of, or instance-of the broader term."/><term thcode="25" code="5" name="theme" parent="2" scope="Terms indicate domains of human concern, such as scientific discipline, societal problems, or characteristics of earth, space, oceans, and living things."/><term thcode="25" code="21" name="disciplines" parent="2" scope="Broad categories of human inquiry or activity, such as scientific disciplines."/><term thcode="25" code="20" name="methods" parent="2" scope="Actions taken to obtain or analyze information"/></category><altlabel><altlabel>MRIB keywords</altlabel><altlabel>MRIB keywords</altlabel><altlabel>Marine Realms Information Bank keywords</altlabel><altlabel>Marine Realms Information Bank keywords</altlabel></altlabel></thesaurus><term thcode="61" code="651" name="biology" parent="639" scope="the study of living organisms."/><uf><usefor name="life sciences"/></uf><bt><term thcode="61" code="639" name="discipline" parent="1"/><term thcode="61" code="1" name="Marine Realms Information Bank (MRIB) keyword categories"/></bt><nt><term thcode="61" code="652" name="anatomy" parent="651" scope="the study of the structure of living organisms."/><term thcode="61" code="653" name="botany" parent="651" scope="the study of plants."/><term thcode="61" code="654" name="cytology" parent="651" scope="the study of cell processes and structures."/><term thcode="61" code="655" name="dendrochronology" parent="651" scope="analysis of the annual growth rings in a tree trunk to 1) date the tree and 2) establish a chronology of climatic events that affected the tree's rate of growth."/><term thcode="61" code="656" name="developmental biology" parent="651" scope="the study of differentiation, growth, and morphogenesis in living organisms."/><term thcode="61" code="657" name="ecology" parent="651" scope="the study of the interactions of organisms with each other and their environment."/><term thcode="61" code="658" name="ethology" parent="651" scope="the study of animal behavior in response to outside stimuli."/><term thcode="61" code="659" name="evolutionary biology" parent="651" scope="the study of the genetic, ecological, and biogeographic processes contributing to the diversity of life, past and present."/><term thcode="61" code="660" name="fisheries biology" parent="651" scope="biological studies applied to the management of fisheries resources."/><term thcode="61" code="661" name="functional morphology" parent="651" scope="the study of the relationship between form and function in organisms, often from an evolutionary perspective."/><term thcode="61" code="662" name="genetics" parent="651" scope="the study of heredity and variability in organisms as dictated by genes."/><term thcode="61" code="663" name="marine biology" parent="651" scope="the study of organisms in oceanic environments; typically used in conjunction other terms describing traditional biological disciplines."/><term thcode="61" code="664" name="microbiology" parent="651" scope="the study of organisms too small to be seen with the unaided eye."/><term thcode="61" code="665" name="molecular biology" parent="651" scope="the study of biological processes at the molecular level; overlaps in scope with genetics and biochemistry."/><term thcode="61" code="666" name="paleobiology" parent="651" scope="the study of ancient life and evolutionary history from a biological perspective."/><term thcode="61" code="667" name="palynology" parent="651" scope="the study and identification of pollen and spores, often in service of paleoenvironmental reconstructions."/><term thcode="61" code="668" name="parasitology" parent="651" scope="the study of parasites and their relationships to their hosts."/><term thcode="61" code="669" name="pathology" parent="651" scope="the study of diseases and their effects."/><term thcode="61" code="670" name="phycology" parent="651" scope="the study of algae"/><term thcode="61" code="671" name="physiology" parent="651" scope="the study of the function of living organisms."/><term thcode="61" code="672" name="systematics and taxonomy" parent="651" scope="the description and arrangement of organisms in a hierarchical classification."/><term thcode="61" code="673" name="toxicology" parent="651" scope="the study of toxic substances and their effects on organisms."/><term thcode="61" code="674" name="wildlife biology" parent="651" scope="the study of wild animals and their habitats; often restricted to studies of terrestrial vertebrates"/><term thcode="61" code="675" name="zoology" parent="651" scope="the study of animals."/></nt><rt><term thcode="61" code="405" name="biological observations" parent="400" scope="scientific investigation of organisms in a natural setting."/></rt></descriptor>