The Department of Biology was established in October of 1983, as a consequence of the merger between the Animal Biology, Botanical and Anthropology Institutes of the University of Padova, the Botanical Garden of Padova and the Marine Biology Station of Chioggia (Venice).

It is based within seven floors of the Vallisneri building, and consists in more than 5.000 squared metres of space, subdivided into more than 100 laboratories hosting research in many fields of Biology.