To expand my global perspective through education, I always thought that a greater understanding of global history would be the best thing to invest my time in. I was wrong. To clarify, history is essential in understanding the world, but what is also essential is the understanding of the biological systems of the world. Why is biology essential for a global perspective, you might ask? Because it explains how interconnected our planet truly is.
In AP biology I studied cell structures and functions, genetics, evolution, ecology, kingdoms of organisms, and plant and animal physiology. The course consisted of extensive reading and research, field and lab work, and independent and group projects. Our unit on ecology particularly interested me. We were taught 4 informal laws of ecology; one of which is that everything is connected to everything else. For example, if a non-native species is introduced into a healthy ecosystem (healthy ecosystems have the ability to maintain structure and function over time even when facing external stress), the food web and taxonomic structure within the system are then altered or even destroyed. Simply put, the introduction of a non-native species to an existing ecosystem can result in altered habitats, contribute to limited resources, and even cause the extinction of native species. The reason for this is that each species depends on and contributes to one another.
What role does this have in global perspective and citizenship? Well, the role of most biotic organisms in an ecosystem is to depend on other organisms in order to beneficially influence the overall health of the ecosystem and therefore their own. Humans are not exempt from this concept. We need to rely on and communicate with the people around us in order to create the best functioning ecosystem that we can. Our industrialized human world is interconnected through technology, international relations, and supply chains. We all need each other to function productively, just like any other biotic factor. This science class showed me the responsibility of a global citizen is to contribute to exactly this. I was able to deepen my understanding of my own role as a global citizen, not through just a history class, but through a biology class.