Download The Study of Life

WHAT IS BIOLOGY???
• BIOLOGY - defined as the study of life.
• Word Synthesis – Greek
– Bio – “Life”
– Logy – as in logic – “the study of…”
HOW DOES BIOLOGY IMPACT YOU???
• Biotechnology: the use of living things and technology to
help humans
• FOOD: The use of organisms to produce things that people
need is called CLOTHING: Wool, silk and leather come from
animal products. Polyester and nylon are made from
petroleum. (Fossil Fuels)
• SHELTER: Wood, but cutting down of the forest is
endangering other animals, i.e.; Spotted Owl and the
Kirkland's Warbler.
• HEALTH: Medicine, treatment of water, garbage disposal,
food handling.
• FUEL: Wood comes from plants, coal from the fossilized
remains of plants, Petroleum products (oil and gasoline)
from decaying remains of tiny organisms that lived millions
of years ago. Fossil Fuels.
HERE’S THE BEST PART!!!
• We haven’t learned or discovered everything
yet!!!!!!!
• Different scientists predict different values but it is
estimated that there are approximately 20 to 40
million species of organisms on the planet
• To date we have identified about 1.5 million species
WHAT WE ARE GOING TO STUDY…
• Since the term life compiles a lot of finer
details we will be focusing on a few themes
throughout the year
THEMES OF BIOLOGY
• Biologists have established that living things
share at least six characteristics of life. These
characteristics are:
1. Cell Structure and Function
2. Stability and Homeostasis
3. Reproduction and Inheritance
4. Evolution
5. Interdependence of Organisms
6. Matter, Energy, and Organization
Cell Structure and Function
• All living things are made of cells
• Cells are the basic unit of life
– The smallest organisms are made of only one cell
Stability and Homeostasis
• Organisms have to be able to respond to their
environment
• This response to a stimulus is what helps the
organism to survive
Reproduction and Inheritance
• Organisms grow with age and thus cells will
increase in size and divide to form more cells
• Reproduction involves passing certain
characteristics on to offspring in the form of
DNA
Evolution
• Over the history of life organisms have
changed and adapted to their surroundings
• Mechanism is natural selection which leads to
the famous “survival of the fittest”
Interdependence of Organisms
• Organisms interactions and combined with
the non-living factors in the environment is
ecology and the overall product of Biology
Matter, Energy, and Organization
• All organisms need energy to survive and
reproduce
• There are many different ways organisms gain
energy, some consume, some produce, some
do both.
THE BIOSPHERE
• BIOSPHERE – made of all living things and all the
places they are found on Earth
• All parts of the biosphere
are connected…
• Includes:
• Land environment
such as deserts,
grasslands, forests
• Saltwater and
freshwater
environments
• Plants, animals, and
other living things
BIODIVERSITY
• BIODIVERSITY – the variety of life around a
particular area.
• Greater biodiversity is found near the
equator…
WHY???
biosphere = everywhere life exists
BIODIVERSITY
WARM WEATHER!!!
• Is greater in areas with consistently warm
temperatures.
• More food supply available…
BIODIVERSITY
• SPECIES – a particular type of living things that
can reproduce by interbreeding among
themselves.
• Approx. 1.5 - 2 million different living things have
been identified
• Tens of millions remain undiscovered!!!
• Over half the species are insects…
ALL ORGANISMS SHARE CERTAIN
CHARACTERISTICS
• BIOLOGY – the scientific study of all forms of
life, or all types of organisms
• ORGANISM – any individual living thing
– All share certain characteristics, but not all
ALL ORGANISMS SHARE CERTAIN
CHARACTERISTICS
• CELL – the basic unit of life
– All organisms are made of one or more cells
– Unicellular – single-celled organisms
– Multicellular – multi-celled organisms
• Have specialized cells for specific functions
• Ex. Muscle cells, stomach cells, brain cells
ALL ORGANISMS SHARE CERTAIN
CHARACTERISTICS
• Need for Energy
– All organisms need a source of energy to survive
– ENERGY – the ability to cause a change or to do
work
• Chemical energy is form used by all living things
• HOW???
• METABOLISM – all of the chemical processes
that build up or break down materials
ALL ORGANISMS SHARE CERTAIN
CHARACTERISTICS
• Response to Environment
– All organisms must react to their environment in
order to survive
– Ex. Light, temperature, and touch
• Reproduction and Development
– Organisms reproduce and pass on genetic material
to offspring
– DNA – deoxyribonucleic acid, a molecule of
genetic material