Various types of pathological conditions can be seen in the oral cavity. Oral lesions like oral malignancy can be fatal, but its fatality can be decreased if it is diagnosed properly and at the proper time. Biopsy is an important tool for the accurate diagnosis and thereby giving the patient its proper way of treatment. This can be achieved with the help of biopsy procedures performed by the dental surgeons with clinical judgment and appropriate methods. For which accurate knowledge of the principles of the biopsy procedures are essential. This review article focuses on the basic principles of the biopsy.