Why do we have to

study BIOLOGY ?
 Why Study Biology?

• Two important reasons for studying Biology:

– Biology is relevant to our everyday experience
• Medical advances
• Addressing needs of growing human population
• Challenges of decreasing rate of biodiversity
• Biotechnology advances
 Why Study Biology?
– Biology can be
controversial Figure 1-1c
• Examples:
– Dealing with
endangered
species?
– Use of human fetal
tissue in biomedical
research?
– Safety of irradiated
foods?
 What is Biology?
• It is the study of life.
• Branch of science
– A way of understanding nature.
• A human endeavor
– An attempt to understand, explain, integrate
and describe the world of living things.
 What are the characteristics of
Life?
• Living organisms:
– Highly organized and
complex.
– Are composed of one
or more cells.
– Contain a blueprint of
their characteristics.
– Acquire and use
energy.
– Carry out and control
numerous reactions.
 What is Life?
• Living organisms:
– Grow. Insert F01_03b
– Maintain constant
internal environment.
– Produce offspring.
– Respond to
environmental
changes.
– May evolve.
 Fortunately, biologists have developed a list of
eight characteristics shared by all living
organisms. Characteristics are traits or qualities.
Here is the list of characteristics shared by living things:

 Cellular organization
 Reproduction
 Metabolism
 Homeostasis
 Heredity
 Response to stimuli
 Growth and development
 Adaptation through evolution
 Biology is a Branch of Science
• Both an activity and body of knowledge.
• A way of understanding the natural world.
– Scientists make predictions and test those
predictions.
How is Biology studied?
Insert F01-06
 Scientific Theory

• Is a body of interconnected concepts

• Is supported by much experimental evidence and
scientific reasoning
• Expresses ideas of which we are most certain
 Scientific Method
• Begins with
observations about
our surroundings.

• Next, ask questions

about the phenomena
we are observing.
 Scientific Method
• Followed by
generating a
hypothesis.
– Tentative explanation
to the question.
 Scientific Method
• Testing
– Scientists perform
tests to determine the
accuracy of their
hypothesis.
 Scientific Method
• Explanation
– It is a hypothesis that
has passed the widest
and most
comprehensive series
of tests.
– Still subject to review
and consideration.
– May be elevated to a
theory = well
demonstrated
principle.
BIOLOGY as a broad Science is
consist of branches.
• Zoology- the study of animals.
• Botany-study of plants.
• Microbiology-study of microorganisms.
• Cytology-study of cells.
• Genetics-study of heredity and variation.
• Ecology-study of ecosystem.
• Taxonomy-study of classification of org.
etc.
 These branches of study are
Natural Sciences.
• Living things on Earth share
common characteristics or
properties typically not found in
inanimate object, and are
clustered into themes called,
UNIFYING THEMES in the study
of life.
 UNIFYING Themes in Biology
1. Cellular Composition
2. Hierarchical Organization
3. Structure & Function
4. Evolution by Natural
Selection
5. Inheritance
6. Bioenergetics
7. Homeostasis
8. Ecosystems
1. Celluar Composition
According to the Cell theory…
– All organisms composed of
cells
– Cells are life’s basic units
– All cells come from
preexisting cells
2. Organizational Hierarchy

• Living systems show hierarchical organization

– Cellular level
•Atoms, molecules, organelles
•Cell is the basic unit of life
– Organismal level
•Tissues, organs, organ systems
– Populational level
•Population, community
3. Structure and Function
• The proper function of a molecule is
dependent on its structure
• The structure of a molecule can often tell
us about its function
• Four major classes of Biomolecules
1. Nucleic Acids
2. Amino Acids
3. Lipids
4. Carbohydrates

23
4.Reproduction and Inheritance
• All organisms produce new organisms
like themselves REPRODUCE
• Organisms transmit hereditary
information to their offspring
INHERITANCE

Copyright Cmassengale
24
5. Evolution by Natural Selection/
Evolutionary conservation
– All organisms today descended from a simple
creature 3.5 billion years ago
– Some characteristics preserved – use of DNA
– Conservation reflects that they have a fundamental
role
– “Survival of the fittest”. Those that are unfit are dis
selected against.
6. Ecosystem
-Interplaying of components in an ecosystem.
-Everything is connected with everything else.
7. Diversity of life arises by evolution
– Underlying unity of biochemistry and genetics
argues for life from the same origin event
– Diversity due to evolutionary change over time
– 3 domains
•Bacteria – single-celled prokaryote
•Archaea – single-celled prokaryote
•Eukarya – single-celled or multicellular eukaryote
8. Inheritance/Molecular basis of inheritance
– Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)
– Sequence of 4 nucleotides encode cell’s information
– Gene – discrete unit of information
– Genome – entire set of DNA instructions
– Continuity of life depends on faithful copying of DNA
into daughter cells
9. Homeostasis
-Maintaining balance in and out of the cell condition
* Cell transport
-hypotonic, isotonic and hypertonic solutions
-Achieving constant body temperature
 And many others….
FIND THEM OUT!!!!!!

STUDENT DELIVERABLE:

Collage of the Unifying Themes in

the STUDY OF LIFE