When physiological processes malfunction, the body tries to repair the damage. The process is similar in all living things and it is only when the process fails to contain the damage that disease can be recognised. Humans have long recognised the symptoms of disease both in themselves and the animals and plants around them. Since the beginnings of recorded history, they have noted the signs that reveal that the body is malfunctioning. Increasing understanding of the causes of disease together with accompanying advances in technology have changed approaches to treatment and management of disease. The search for measures to treat and manage diseases of humans and other organisms continues and this search is paralleled by continued refinements in technology. This module increases students’ understanding of the history, nature and practice of biology, the applications and uses of biology, and the implications of biology for society and the environment.