The Biology of a Website

Have you ever wondered how websites are made? What exactly is going on "under the hood" of a website to make it look and behave the way it does? These may be questions that those without a technical background may ask themselves. This article will provide a lay, non-technical audience with a brief introduction to how modern websites are built by relating to basic concepts in human biology.

Code - The Building Blocks of Websites

Code is simply written instructions for computers. These instructions come in the form of computer languages, which allow us to communicate with computers. Web developers write instruction manuals for computers, using code to tell computers how a website is supposed to look and function.

Although there are thousands of computer languages, in the case of websites, there are typically three that act as the foundation for every website you've ever visited. But before we get into technology, let's look at a couple of basic concepts you probably learned in high school biology.

Anatomy and Physiology

Anatomy can be defined as identifying and describing the various structures of living beings. For example, part of the anatomy of the human heart is that it has 4 chambers, is in the shape of an upside-down pear and is about the size of a fist. It's primarily red and situated between the left and right lungs.

Physiology, on the other hand, refers to the functions of these structures. The heart's primary functions are to move blood through the body, regulate blood pressure and control the rhythm and speed of your heart rate.

To simplify, anatomy refers to the structures of living things, and physiology refers to the functionality of these structures.

Now, what on earth does any of this have to do with the computer languages used to make websites? I'm glad you asked...

The Anatomy of a Website: HTML and CSS

HTML stands for "HyperText Markup Language" and is the computer language responsible for a website's contents. Think of the different kinds of text, images and graphics you see on websites; these contents, or "elements" in tech speak, appear because a web developer or designer used HTML to tell the computer what contents are to appear on the website.

Just as the structures of the human body are comprised of smaller structures, so too are websites comprised of smaller elements within larger elements. One section of a website's home page might include a large image near the top with some text in the middle, such as the company's name, and underneath a brief description of the company's role. Since HTML elements make up the content of a website, HTML can be thought of as the anatomy of a website.

But anatomy also has to do with the appearance of an organism's structures, which is where the computer language CSS comes in. CSS ("Cascading Style Sheets") is the language primarily responsible for the appearance of a website's contents. Web developers and designers can style a website in thousands of ways; the different colors, sizes and shapes of the text, images and background you see on a website are done with CSS. Even the way HTML elements are organized can be determined by CSS.

Since HTML and CSS are responsible for the content, organization and appearance of a website, they can be thought of as the anatomy of a website. But what about the physiology of a website?

The Physiology of a Website: Javascript

Just as the various structures of the human body have a specific functionality to them, so too do many of a website's elements. For most websites, Javascript is the main language responsible for the site's functionality. Javascript is a programming language - a computer language devoted primarily to how computers function and behave.

Programming languages like Javascript allow websites to have decision-making capabilities; they allow computers to simulate thinking. When you transfer money using online banking or check your available balance, you're asking your computer to carry out a specific function. Your computer "decides" which piece of information to retrieve, finds the information in a database and displays it to the user.

A web developer uses Javascript to make web apps like Netflix interactive; it allows you to search for movies or browse through shows and read what they're all about. In short, Javascript plays a huge role in helping you decide which new show you're going to binge-watch.

Although there are many different programming languages, when it comes to websites, Javascript is the most popular. In all likelihood, every website you've ever visited uses Javascript. It is also used to control a website's style, but since it is typically used to control a website's functionality, it can be thought of as the physiology of a website.

Putting It All Together

HTML and CSS comprise the anatomy of a website, as they determine a website's contents and how they are styled. Javascript and other programming languages make up the physiology of a website, as they implement a website's functionality by giving it decision-making capabilities. These three core languages comprise the foundation upon which the modern web is built.

Aaron Kenney
February, 2024