Quiz-ology: Can You Guess the Scientific Field From Its Official Name?

By: John Miller
Estimated Completion Time
4 min
Quiz-ology: Can You Guess the Scientific Field From Its Official Name?
Image: Colin Anderson Productions Pty Ltd/DigitalVision/Getty Images

About This Quiz

For centuries, humans have used the sciences to methodically and purposefully explore the world around them. As they’ve expanded their knowledge and scientific horizons, the sciences have branched into many different fields. Some of them – like “biology” – are common terms that most people learned in grade school. Others are a bit more esoteric. In this -ology heavy quiz, if we provide you with a clue about a field of study, do you think you can define it? You won't need a lab coat for this quiz, but a big vocabulary and knowledge of Latin roots might help.

A lot of people will already understand terms such as “botany” and “embryology” and “genetics.” Sometimes, even if you’re not familiar with a particular field, the word itself offers a significant clue as to the purpose of the discipline. Others, however, like cryobiology or evolutionary biology, might seem familiar in some ways … but still leave you grasping for a strong definition. 

Is it a physical science, chemistry or some strange life science that you’ve never heard of before? Experiment all you want with this scientific fields quiz! Let’s find out if you’re a devotee of the scientific method or if you’re just guessing your way through life.


You'll plunge into this one. What's the gist of oceanography?
It centers on climate.
It's research into floating mammals.
It is mostly about penguins.
It's the study of the seas.
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Oceanography is the study of the world's oceans and seas. It's also called marine biology, as it studies the interactions of many watery ecosystems.

Advertisement

Hopefully, their thumbs are green. Botanists spend their time with which subjects?
Plants
Small children
Mammals
Fish
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Botanists are obsessed with plants. They investigate all aspect's of plant's life cycle to better understand how they grow and adapt to their conditions.

Advertisement

Are you hungry yet? What issue does agrobiology tackle?
Whale health
Bird migration
Plant nutrition
Human liver issues
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Agrobiology digs deep into the soil of plant nutrition and crop yields. These scientists can help farmers improve their crop quality and provide a better product for market.

Advertisement

The word "zoology" gives it away. Which kind of person would mostly likely be a zoologist?
A computer scientist
A banker
An astronaut
A tiger conservationist
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Zoology is all about the animal kingdom, digging into all of the things that make animals tick. A tiger conservationist would definitely need to know a lot about zoology to do his or her job.

Advertisement

What subject does astronomy investigate?
Soil quality
Celestial bodies
Pond water
Human biology
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Astronomy relies on fancy technologies like huge telescopes in exploring celestial bodies. But astronomers use their naked eye to observe events, too.

Advertisement

If you're into meteorology, where will your mind constantly wander?
To mineral deposits
To the atmosphere
To motorcycle construction
To cooking techniques
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Meteorologists spend a lot of time with their head in the clouds. That's because they spend much of their time analyzing the atmosphere and its dynamics.

Advertisement

You'll see scales in your dreams. What do people study in herpetology?
Reptiles
Fuel production
Infant care
Motion
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Herpetology is the study of creatures like amphibians and reptiles. These scienstics are experts in many types of cold-blooded creatures.

Advertisement

Do you like heavy metal and rock? Then you might want to study _____.
Oceanography
Epidemiology
Geology
Evolutionary psychology
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Geology studies various aspects of solid rocks and minerals that make up Earth's crust and underlying layers. It can be a purely scientific endeavor or it can help humans mine for resources under the surface.

Advertisement

In hydrography, researchers really dive into the material. What are they studying?
Philosophy
Blood quality
Rubber manufacturing
Bodies of water
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Hydrography is the investigation into various bodies of water, from oceans to rivers. It also evaluates many of the dynamics as water interacts with other aspects of the physical environment.

Advertisement

It's truly a green profession. What's the purpose of ecology?
Study of organisms and their environment
Research regarding politics
Mostly corporate law
Bankers depend on it.
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Ecology is a sprawling enterprise that researches living creatures. And it does so in a way that takes the environment into account, too.

Advertisement

Grab your binoculars. Ornithology is the study of which sort of animal?
Livestock
Deer
Birds
Lions
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Ornithology is the study of birds. Scientists do everything they can to learn all about our feathered friends and the ways they survive in a variety of ecosystems.

Advertisement

It all makes sense. Audiology is the study of which human sense?
Sight
Smell
Hearing
Touch
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

In audiology, researchers delve into the specifics of human hearing. Many of these specialists work to improve hearing in the disabled.

Advertisement

Let's say you have a thing for tapeworms. You'd most likely get into which of the following fields?
Paleobiology
Sedimentology
Symbology
Parasitology
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Parasitic relationships are common in ecosystems all over the planet. In parasitology, researches try to better understand parasites and the way they operate in their hosts.

Advertisement

What will you research in the field of malacology?
Symptoms of diseases
Feet
Enyzmatic reactions
Squid
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Malacology dives right into various types of mollusks. That includes creatures like squid, clams and octopus, some of which have shells, as well as others that don’t.

Advertisement

You can survive with just one of these in your body. What do researchers study in nephrology?
Silicon chips
Numbers
Snails
Kidneys
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Nephrology is the study of the kidneys. Without your kidneys, your body won't last long, as these organs filter out many toxins that find their way into the human system.

Advertisement

In helminthology, you'll be dealing with parasites. What kind?
Worms
Canines
Insects
Humans
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Helminthology thoroughly investigates parasitic worms called helminths. Flukes and roundworms are just two of a variety of helminths.

Advertisement

It's something your doctor might investigate if you're sick. Adenology studies which part of the human body?
Glands
Eyes
Fingers
Hair
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Your body has various glands -- like the adrenal or pituitary -- that make vital chemicals. In adenology, researchers thoroughly investigate gland functions under a variety of conditions.

Advertisement

Some people think the slime is icky. What are you studying in ichthyology?
Fish
Plant matter
Saliva
Lagoon ecosystems
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Ichthyology is the study of fish and fish behavior. And it's by no means a settled field -- each year, scientists find hundreds of new fish species that still need plenty of research.

Advertisement

It's not a laughing matter when you're studying malariology. What tool do you need in this field?
Power drill
Flamethrower
Soft hands
Personal protective equipment
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Malariology is the study of malaria, a terrible disease that's spread by mosquitoes. Scientists who work with any sort of disease must take a lot of protective measures to keep themselves (and their co-workers) safe.

Advertisement

And yes, that steak qualifies. What do scientists explore in bromatology?
Flea biology
Cattle wrangling
Fish reproduction
Food science
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Bromatology is something to celebrate when you're devouring that large pizza. It's all about food science, the engineering, processing and transformation of raw materials into ever-improving consumer foods.

Advertisement

It happens to all of us at a very young age. What exactly are researchers doing in tokology?
Examining human childbirth
Investigating tree growth
Finding new specides of pachyderms
Creating digital currency
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Tokology researches all things involved in childbirth. Many of the improvements we see in women's health emerge from this field.

Advertisement

If a scientist specializes in spermology, he or she will be doing a lot of work with what, exactly?
Seeds
Rocket fuels
Historical fiction
Sheep
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Spermology is the study of various types of seeds. Plants produce all sorts of fascinating seeds that only produce new growth under certain conditions.

Advertisement

Time to squirm around in the dirt. In limacology, scientists get down and dirty with what sort of creature?
Slugs
Algae
Bats
Lichen
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Limacology is the study of slimy, squirming slugs. This is an older term that's now largely retired, but limacologists are definitely still a thing.

Advertisement

It might make you thirsty. Zythology is the study of what?
Seawater
Brackish lagoons
Beer
Mineral water springs
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

As one of humankind's oldest beverages, beer is a complicated drink that involves all sorts of chemical reactions. And zythology dives into the specifics of those processes.

Advertisement

If you're going to study cetology, you're going to need to be comfortable in what sort of environment?
Desert
Mountain
Ocean
Cornfield
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Be prepared to tackle a barnacle now and then. In cetology, scientists study dolphins and whales, trying to get a better understanding of their life cycles and habits.

Advertisement

But you might lose your appetite. What do people do in gastroenterology?
Dig into ancient history
Examine homicide victims
Locate mineral resources
Study the digestive system
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

In gastroenterology, researchers dig into the guts -- literally -- of humankind. They try to get a better understanding of how the stomach and digestive system work.

Advertisement

Hold onto your hats! Anemology is the study of what, exactly?
Iron ore
Blood
Logistics
Wind
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Gases of all kinds blow here, there and everywhere, even in outer space. In anemology, researchers try to better understand wind -- the movement of gases.

Advertisement

It makes werewolves very happy. Selenology is the study of what, exactly?
Prisoners
The moon
Erosion
Canines
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Selenology digs into the geology of the moon. The moon's overall structure is very different from Earth's, and its origins are of great interest to scientists.

Advertisement

It could one day save your life. Pharmacognosy is the study of drugs derived from what?
Specific petroleum deposits
Outer space
Sand
Plants and animals
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Over the centuries, humans have found many medicines in both plants and animals. Pharmacognosy is the study of drugs that come from those living sources.

Advertisement

In astrometeorology, researchers study the effects of what on climate?
Pluto
Nitrous oxide
Stars
Keratin
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Because they are huge flaming balls, astrometeorology investigates the impact that stars have on climate. Our sun is just one of those stars.

Advertisement

Photobiology is a revealing science. It wants to understand the effects of what, exactly, on various creatures?
Light
Pain
Oxygen
Trauma
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Light is a primal force on Earth, affecting most creatures in way or another. Photobiology examines the effects of light on plants and animals.

Advertisement

Farmers rely on these scientists. What does a person study in agrology?
Drone flying patterns
Organic seeds
Types of tractors
Farm soil
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Soil is one of a farm's most precious resources. Agrologists help farmers analyze soil characteristics and maximize them for better long-term yield potential.

Advertisement

They bring things together in the body. What's the point of desmology?
Research of glues
Investigation of stars
Study of ligaments
Study of history
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Any professional who delves into human anatomy needs some familiar with desmology. What is it? It is the study of ligaments.

Advertisement

Prepare to count way past 10. What's the story behind dendrochronology?
It's the study of tree growth rings.
It's the examination of birth rates.
It sifts through human remains.
It addresses ecological destruction.
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Tree growth varies substantially depend on weather from year to year. In dendrochronology, scientists study the growth rings that appear as a tree ages.

Advertisement

Think red. In areology, scientists particularly study the geology of what?
Arizona
Antarctica
Mars
Comets
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Mars fascinates and intrigues geologists. And those geologists who specifically study Mars are practicing areology. These men and women have made some of NASA's most striking discoveries in recent years.

Advertisement

You Got:
/35
Colin Anderson Productions Pty Ltd/DigitalVision/Getty Images