The Ordem dos Biólogos is a professional body for biologist

Biologist

A biologist is a scientist devoted to and producing results in biology through the study of life. Typically biologists study organisms and their relationship to their environment. Biologists involved in basic research attempt to discover underlying mechanisms that govern how organisms work...

s, primarily those working in Portugal

Portugal

Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...

. The Ordem dos Biólogos is headquartered in Lisbon

Lisbon

Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...

, and has regional branches in several other cities across Portugal. It was founded in 1998 by the decree Decreto Lei número 183/98 de 1998 (DR nº 152/98 de 4 de Julho). Any citizen with accredited degree and professional activity in biology

Biology

Biology is a natural science concerned with the study of life and living organisms, including their structure, function, growth, origin, evolution, distribution, and taxonomy. Biology is a vast subject containing many subdivisions, topics, and disciplines...

 (or other specific related fields covered by its statutes) within Portugal, is required by law to be affiliated with the Ordem dos Biólogos.

History

The Ordem dos Biólogos is the successor of the Associação Portuguesa de Biólogos (APB) founded in Abril 20, 1987.

Role of the Ordem dos Biólogos

As the professional body representing biologists, the Ordem dos Biólogos is frequently consulted on biological issues by the Portuguese Government, Parliament of Portugal, higher education institutions, industry and other organisations.

Membership

There are several grades of membership, depending upon biological qualifications and experience. The main requirements include high level of attainment in biological experience, personal integrity, professional attributes and academic qualifications. In addition, there are student and associate membership grades.

The Member grade is the main professional grade. Members are professional biologists with a standard of academic attainment equivalent to the bachelor's degree

Bachelor's degree

A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...

 (Portugal's licenciatura) level in biological science and with post-graduate responsible experience in biological research or in the teaching or application of biological science. Members are entitled to use the professional title Biologist or related titles like Bioscientist or Biotechnologist.

Fellowship

Fellowship of the Ordem dos Biólogos is the senior professional grade. Bioscientists who have achieved distinction in biological research or the teaching or application of biological science are eligible.

Specialized societies

The Ordem dos Biólogos has four specialized professional biologists' societies divided in four major fields: environment

Environment (biophysical)

The biophysical environment is the combined modeling of the physical environment and the biological life forms within the environment, and includes all variables, parameters as well as conditions and modes inside the Earth's biosphere. The biophysical environment can be divided into two categories:...

, biotechnology

Biotechnology

Biotechnology is a field of applied biology that involves the use of living organisms and bioprocesses in engineering, technology, medicine and other fields requiring bioproducts. Biotechnology also utilizes these products for manufacturing purpose...

, education

Education

Education in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...

, and human biology and health.

• Colégio do Ambiente
• Colégio da Biotecnologia
• Colégio da Educação
• Colégio da Biologia Humana e Saúde