Mathematical biology

Mathematical biology is like playing with numbers and shapes to understand living things.

Imagine you have a puzzle with different pieces that you need to put together to see the full picture. In mathematical biology, scientists use different puzzles (mathematical models) to fit together the pieces of information they have about living things. They use math to explain how different organs in our body work together, how diseases spread, how animals move, and how plants grow.

For example, let's say you want to know how many strawberries you can pick in your garden. Instead of counting them one by one, you could use math to estimate the total number. You could use the area of your garden and how many plants you have to make an estimate. This is similar to how mathematical biologists use math to estimate things like the number of cells in a tissue or the spread of an infection in a population.

Mathematical biology helps us see patterns and make predictions about complex living systems. By using math to describe these systems, scientists can make discoveries and develop new medicines or treatments for diseases. We can learn more about our world by using math to help us understand it.