In biology a substrate is the surface a plant or animal lives upon. The substrate can include biotic or abiotic materials. For example, encrusting algae that lives on a rock can be substrate for another animal that lives above the algae on the rock. See also substrate (marine biology). Look up substrate in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Biology studies the variety of life (clockwise from top-left) E. coli, tree fern, gazelle, Goliath beetle Biology (from Greek: βίοÏ, bio, life; and λÏγοÏ, logos, knowledge), also referred to as the biological sciences, is the study of living organisms utilizing the scientific method. ... Stream substrate (sediment) is the material that rests at the bottom of a stream. ...