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Biology Introduction. What is biology?. The study of life. It ranges from the smallest organisms like bacteria to the largest like elephants and whales. Biologists are studying new things everyday. For example, the foods that are good and bad for you. Biology and Society.
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What is biology? • The study of life. • It ranges from the smallest organisms like bacteria to the largest like elephants and whales. • Biologists are studying new things everyday. • For example, the foods that are good and bad for you.
Biology and Society • Think about the oil spill in the Gulf. Who were the ones called to help find a way to clean all of that oil up?
Characteristics of life • Organization and presence of one or more cells, response to stimuli, homeostasis, metabolism, growth and development, change through time.
Organization of cells • Cell- smallest unit of life. • One celled organisms are called- unicellular • If they have more than one cell they are multicellullar • Organs- structures that carry out specialized jobs within an organ system. • Tissues- groups of cells that have similar abilities and let the organ function.
Organelles- tiny structures that carry out functions necessary for the cell to stay alive. • Biological molecules- chemical compounds that provide physical structure and that bring about movement.
Response to stimuli • What happens to your pupils when someone shines a light in your eyes? • This is responding to stimuli. This must happen to be alive.
Cell- comes from the root word “cella” which means small room or hut.
Homeostasis • Being able to maintain a stable internal environment. • This is why you sweat when your hot and have “goose bumps” when you cold.
Metabolism • The sum of all chemical reactions that transforms energy from the environment. • Example- plants use the sun to transfer sugar molecules into food during photosynthesis.
Growth and development • The process in which an organism becomes a mature adult. • Cell division is the formation of 2 new cells from an existing cell.
Reproduction • The production of a new organism that is like the parent organism.
Change through time • This is where the word “evolution” gets tossed around like a hot potato. • Everything evolves and grows but it does NOT become a totally different organism. • WE DID NOT COME FROM MONKIES!
Review Questions • How does biology affect a persons everyday life? • Why is reproduction and important factor of life? • Crystals of salt grow and are highly organized. Why don’t biologists consider them to be alive?
3 Domains of life • Major divisions of organisms- domains • Bacteria, Archaea, Eukarya. • The largest and the most complex organisms are in the Eukarya domain. • This domain is also broken down into kingdoms.
Ecology- Study of how organisms react to each other and their environment. • Ecosystems- Communities of living species and their physical environment.
Evolution of life • Organisms change during their lifetime, however their basic genetic makeup does not. • Evolution- process in which the inherited characteristics within a population change over time.
Natural Selection • “Survival of the fittest”- the best will survive • Adaptations- traits that improve for survival.
Review Questions • Distinguish between EVOLUTION and NATURAL SELECTION.
Scientific Method • 1. Observation • 2. Hypothesis • 3. Prediction • 4. Experiment • 5. Collect Data • 6. Conclusions
Tools • Bunsen Burner
