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Section 2:
The Study of Life
How are the branches of life science
related?
What are some big ideas in life science?
What is Life Science?
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The study of living things
Aka “Biology”
Bio = life
-ology = the study of
Biology = the study of life
If –ologist = a person who studies, then what
would be the term for a person who studies
living things?
Organism
• The general term for a
living thing is an
organism.
• An organism may be an
animal, a plant, a
fungus, or a microbe.
• How many different
organisms can you
name in this picture?
Branches of Life Science
• Though life science can be divided into
branches,
• the different fields of study often overlap.
More branches of Life Science!
What do you think these branches study?
Microbiology
Small Organisms
Botany
Plants
Ornithology
Ichthyology
Birds
Fish
Big Ideas in Life Science
• Your book discusses four big ideas
in Biology…. Let’s look at them!
1) Diverse but similar
• Organisms are diverse, yet share similar
characteristics
• All organisms are made up of cells, some of one
cell, others of many
• All living things are mainly water, but with other
chemicals too, such as DNA
• All living things need energy, some make their
own, others must eat things
• All organisms grow and develop, some more
complex than others
• All living things reproduce, some sexually, some
asexually
2) Change over time
• Groups of organisms change over time
• This is a gradual process known as evolution
• This process is different from growth and
development, because now we are no longer
talking about individuals, but rather a species
as a whole. And evolution happens slowly
over many generations, not in one individual’s
lifetime.
3) Complementary Structure and
Function
• The structure and function of organisms is
complementary, this means the form of each
living thing is closely related to the way that is
lives.
• Example- owls have large eyes which allow
them to see better at night, which is when
they hunt.
• Example- Humans have opposable thumbs
which allow us to pick things up easily
4) Physical Principles
• Organisms operate on the same physical
principles as the rest of the natural world
• Example- the principles of chemistry explain
how plants use the sun to make food, and
how DNA carries genetic info from parents to
offspring.
• Example- the principles of physics help explain
how light makes eyes functions, similar to how
a camera uses a lens to focus light.