Why do biology people have to talk in their own language so no one else can understand?

Question

I had to attend this biology seminar at my college for some stupid class. Well my bf is a biology major and he attened with me. It was so fricken dumb these people talk their own fricken language so no one can understand them. It was on plants and the girl was like well if you take a look at the vascular tissue here........you will see how the sieve tubes do this......Then with secondary growth the xylem and pholem do this......... I was like wtf and I want to ask my bf what it meant and he was like be quiet I will tell you when its over with.

WTF he was like drooling over her I could tell. I was so pissed off. Then after it was done he explained everything to me. Why the h**l couldnt the girl just say that xylem cells are the cells that conduct water. She could of been like and the water conducting cells had this happen......... Wouldnt that be a whole lot easier?

Answer 1

Every occupation or field of study has something similar.  Every section of society does as well.  Listen to IT guys talk about programming for a few minutes and xylem and phloem will be peanuts.  You should not blame the individual for using the appropriate words for what she was describing.  It's simply the vocabulary of the subject and is used to reduce the confusion among the people involved in the debate.

As an experiment, try using "WTF" to someone who is (a) over 30 or (b) has actually finished school and is a functioning adult.  You boyfriend was probably not drooling over her so much as wishing he could have an intelligent conversation with someone who spoke his "language."

Answer 2

It is like anything else. Teenagers have a language not always understood by parents. Countries have languages not understood by other countries. Doctors, nurses, lawyers, mechanics, construction workers and so on ALL have a language interspersed with words we do understand because when you learn the language it is easier to communicate with fewer words to those who are using the language. Is it easier to say "stamens" or to explain how "they are the male reproductive parts of the flower"? Stamens is shorter and easier. If you take biology, learn the language. Good luck!

Answer 3

Each branch of science, or any field, has its own jargon that makes sence to the people who work in that field. The bio terms are confusing, but if they used normal language to express every idea, things would take longer and probably be less specific. Every part of everything in a field needs its own name to differentiate it from nearly identical things and to capture the simmilarity between vastly different things.

Answer 4

Critically read your own question (additional information part) and tell me that YOU aren't "talking your own language".

Answer 5

Take a look within your own major and notice that there are terms that are specific to your field. For instance, fashion majors have terms for how to do what they do; chefs use their own words when they could just say cut this into this shape. If we all used the same broken English, there would be no way to communicate effectively.

Also, a large number of terms used in the sciences are derived from another language such as Latin or Greek. Also, notice that by saying "cells that conduct water" it takes longer to write and speak than saying simply calling them "xylem."

Answer 6

when talking to another biology major they talk in their own language just as you talk in your own language when talking to your friends.

when talking to someone when i don't understand something i ask them to explain.  usually they do in simple language.

but from your explanation, i think you had more of a problem with your boyfriend talking to her.

Answer 7

She overestimated your knowledge on the subject. Since it's a lot quicker to use terms instead of definitions (like in every other field of science) it does make sense.