Since its inception in 1947, the Revue d’histoire des sciences has published numerous articles devoted to the life sciences. Diverse methodological approaches have prevailed in the historical treatment of the topics tackled in this area. The analysis focuses first on the way these trends developed over time and their respective epistemological styles. A representative sample of the more significant contributions, covering the period from the 17th to the 20th century included, are then surveyed and analyzed.