Biology Exploring Life (Reading: Chapter 1 of text)

Outline

Lifes levels of organization

Living organisms interact with their environment
Common features of all life forms
Evolution explains the unity and diversity of life
The process of science

What is Science? (derived from the Latin verb to know)

Science is a way of knowing. A process of observing, experimenting and explaining

what we see in the world. Scientists seek natural causes to explain natural
phenomena (as opposed to supernatural).
Study of science often leads to theories or laws or a general set of principles
that can explain or describe how things work in the natural world.
A theory or law is supported by evidence and is not to be taken as fact. A theory
or law can be falsified when there are new observations that are inconsistent.
Chemistry and Physics: Study of the chemical and physical world (inanimate or
non-living objects)
Biology: Study of Life - study of all living things

Lifes levels of organization:

Life is organized at different levels: from the simplest to the most complex, from the
microscopic level of cells and molecules to the level of all life on earth. This kind of
organization at progressively higher levels is called organizational hierarchy (Fig. 1.1)
o Biosphere: all environments on earth that support life
o Ecosystem: all organisms living in a particular area and the non-living
environment with which they interact (soil, air, water, sunlight)
o Community: different organisms inhabiting an ecosystem
o Population: interacting group of individuals of one species
o Organism: an individual living thing
o Organ system: has several organs that work together for a specific function
o Organ: made of several different tissues; ex. brain, part of the nervous system
o Tissue: a group of similar cells, with a specific function
o Cell: smallest unit of life, enclosed by a membrane
o Organelle: structure that performs a specific function in a cell
o Molecule: cluster of atoms held together by chemical bonds (ex. DNA)
o Atom: smallest particle of matter
These levels of organization define the scope of biology. Biologists study life at each of
these different levels.

Living organisms interact with their environment

Organisms in an ecosystem interact with living and non-living parts of the environment to
form a web of relationships (Fig. 1.2)
o Plants & other photosynthetic organisms provide food for the other organisms
and are the producers they take in CO2 and H2O and make O2 and sugar
o Organisms that eat plants and other animals are the consumers they take in
O2 and return CO2
o Bacteria, fungi and other small animals that decompose the dead remains of

organisms and recycle mineral nutrients are the decomposers

Two major processes occur in an ecosystem:

1) recycling of chemical nutrients flow from the air and soil to plants, then to
animals and decomposers, and back to the air and soil.
2) flow of energy energy flows into an ecosystem when plants use the suns
energy for photosynthesis light energy is converted to chemical energy of food
(sugar) - passed on to consumers - energy is lost as heat and not recycled.

All of life has some common features

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Cells are the structural and functional units of life - cell is the lowest level of
structure that can perform all activities required for life
Has DNA as genetic material genes are inherited
Order: Shows complex organization (more than inanimate objects)
Regulation: Maintains a constant internal environment in spite of
drastic changes in the external environment
Growth and Development of organisms are controlled by their genes
Takes in energy and uses it to perform all of lifes activities
Responds to environmental stimuli
Reproduces their own kind
Evolves or has the ability to change over time

Diversity of Life can be arranged into 3 domains: (See Fig. 1.5 A C)

1) Bacteria: prokaryotes, unicellular, oldest life forms
2) Archaea: prokaryotes, live in extreme habitats
3) Eukarya: eukaryotes, include protists, fungi, plants and animals

Evolution
- a process by which organisms change over time (over many generations) to adapt
better to their environment heritable changes are passed on to offspring
- occurs by natural selection (Fig. 1.6B)
- is the central unifying feature of life: this means it explains the common features of all
living things.
- has given rise to the incredible diversity of species we see today

The Process of Science

Two main approaches used by scientists who study biology

1) Discovery science: involves descriptive, detailed observation.
Leads to conclusions based on inductive reasoning derives general principles
from a large number of specific observations
2) Hypothesis-based science: involves asking questions and seeking explanations for
what we observe
Propose a hypothesis that can be tested (Fig. 1.8A). A hypothesis is a tentative
answer to a specific question deductive reasoning is used (if-then logic) here to
come up with ways to test the hypothesis with experiments.
Scientists follow an objective process of observing and then evaluating what they
observe. This process has many steps:
1. Observation
2. Ask a Question

3. Hypothesis: a tentative explanation of the observed phenomenon that can be

tested to see if it is true or false.
4. Experiment: Design an experiment to test the Hypothesis. An experiment must
have a Control and a Variable. Or use existing evidence as supportive evidence.
5. Conclusion: Explain why you got the results or Interpret the results.
Sometimes scientists come up with a model to explain the results. The model can
be tested again by more experiments.
Another scientist should be able to reproduce the results when they use the same
materials and method to perform the experiment.
Scientific Theory and Law
A hypothesis that is supported by many different experiments is called a scientific theory.
A law is much more certain than a theory - a scientific principle that stands the test of
time has been tested repeatedly.

Biology is connected to our daily lives in many ways

Biology is a discovery science while technology (ex. biotechnology) is an applied science
(inventions)
The goal of science to understand natural phenomena
The goal of technology to apply scientific knowledge for a specific purpose ex. health
What are some of the ways in which biology affects your daily life? What topics and
issues are relevant to you?