Biology 1408 - Intro

Adaptation

All living organisms exhibit a "fit" to their environment. Biologists refer to this fit as adaptation and it is a consequence of evolution by natural selection, which operates in every lineage of reproducing organisms.

Ecosystem

All living things in a particular area together with the abiotic, nonliving parts of that environment

Energy Processing

All organisms (such as the California condor shown in Figure) use a source of energy for their metabolic activities. Some organisms capture energy from the Sun and convert it into chemical energy in food; others use chemical energy from molecules they take in.

Hypothesis-Driven Science

Based on the Scientific Method, which is a series of guidelines for scientific investigations. 1. Observation 2. Question 3. Hypothesis 4. Prediction 5. Experiment

Ecology

Ecosystems living and nonliving organisms in a specific area Energy from the sun powers all life on earth Plants convert sunlight usable energy through photosynthesis

Order

Organisms are highly organized structures that consist of one or more cells. Even very simple, single-celled organisms are remarkably complex. Inside each cell, atoms make up molecules. These in turn make up cell components or organelles.

Growth and Development

Organisms grow and develop according to specific instructions coded for by their genes. These genes provide instructions that will direct cellular growth and development, ensuring that a species' young (Figure) will grow up to exhibit many of the same characteristics as its parents.

Atom

a basic unit of matter that cannot be broken down by normal chemical reactions

Organ system

the higher level of organization that consists of functionally related organs

Biology

the study of living organisms and their interactions with one another and their environments

Levels of Biology

1. Biosphere 2. Ecosystems 3.Communities 4. Populations 5. Organisms 6. Organ Systems and Organs 7. Tissues 8. Cells 9. Organelles 10. Molecules and Atoms

Seven Properties of Life

1. Order 2. Regulation 3. Growth and development 4. Energy utilization, 5. Response to environment 6. Reproduction 7. Evolution

Molecule

A chemical structure consisting of at least two atoms held together by a chemical bond

Organelle

A membrane-bound compartment or sac within a cell

What is Science?

Aims to explain the natural world Uses testable ideas Relies on evidence Involves the scientific community Leads to ongoing research

Eukaryote

An organism with cells that have nuclei and membrane-bound organelles.

Bioethics

Deciding what one should do as an individual and/or community as it relates to the life sciences

Categories of Life

Domain Bacteria Domain Archaea Domain Eukarya

Regulation

Even the smallest organisms are complex and require multiple regulatory mechanisms to coordinate internal functions, such as the transport of nutrients, response to stimuli, and coping with environmental stresses.

Principle Features of Science

Evidence-based rather than opinion or belief based 1. Testability, or the ability to develop a procedure for determining if there is evidence for a particular hypothesis (these tests are usually repeatable) 2. How does confusion about these two principles cause problems in society?

Domain Eukarya

Kingdom Plantae Kingdom Fungi Kingdom Animalia Protists (Multiple kingdoms) domain of all organisms whose cells have nuclei, including protists, plants, fungi, and animals

Sensitivity or Response to Stimuli

Organisms respond to diverse stimuli.

How Science Works

Science: search for information as an approach to understanding the natural world Discovery Science: describing nature Hypothesis Science: explaining nature Question: What are other ways to try to understand the natural world?

Reproduction

Single-celled organisms reproduce by first duplicating their DNA, which is the genetic material, and then dividing it equally as the cell prepares to divide to form two new cells. Many multicellular organisms (those made up of more than one cell) produce specialized reproductive cells that will form new individuals. When reproduction occurs, DNA containing genes is passed along to an organism's offspring. These genes are the reason that the offspring will belong to the same species and will have characteristics similar to the parent, such as fur color and blood type.

Biosphere

a collection of all ecosystems on Earth

Tissue

a group of similar cells carrying out the same function

Community

a set of populations inhabiting a particular area

Organ

a structure formed of tissues operating together to perform a common function

Prokaryote

a unicellular organism that lacks a nucleus or any other membrane-bound organelle

Population

all individuals within a species living within a specific area

Scientific Theory

an idea, supported by evidence, which provides a bigger picture than a hypothesis of how some part of nature works, often weaving together supporting evidence from several scientific fields

Organism

an individual living entity

Homeostasis

the ability of an organism to maintain constant internal conditions o function properly, cells require appropriate conditions such as proper temperature, pH, and concentrations of diverse chemicals. These conditions may, however, change from one moment to the next. Organisms are able to maintain internal conditions within a narrow range almost constantly, despite environmental changes, through a process called homeostasis or "steady state"—the ability of an organism to maintain constant internal conditions

Cells

the smallest fundamental unit of structure and function in living things Cell: smallest unit that can perform all activities required for life Every cell has a membrane that regulates the movement of materials in and out of the cell Every cell contains DNA, which is used to create genes Genes: material units of inheritance that pass on information from on generation to the next