Module 2: LIVING SYSTEMS FROM THEBIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE

elements
interconnections
function

systems, that is consisting of three kinds of things:
______________ or structures,
___________ or interactions that hold the elements together, and a
__________ or purpose that produce their own pattern or behavior over time

oral traditions
written word
environmental consciousness

World views on Living Systems have evolved from _______, to the creation of _________, up to the present day _________

law of specialization

the “____________”, one of the important systems principles first observed in the field of biology explaining that the more highly adapted an organism is to a specific environment, the more difficult it is for the organism to adapt to a different environment.

system-ness

When a living creature dies, it loses its “_________” according to Meadow (2008)

parts

Any other system for that matter will collapse or lose its system-ness when all the _____ are gone or are no longer functioning

Living systems are organized into hierarchies with progressive specialization of functions and complexity emerging from lower level to higher levels of organization also known as emergent properties
Living systems are open systems with purposes and goals

characteristics of living systems from a biological perspective

Oftentimes, the biological level of organization starts with ______ being the fundamental units of all substances, living or not

molecules

Atoms join other atoms to form _________.

molecules of life
organelles
cells

In today’s natural world, only living things make the “__________”, which are lipids, proteins, DNA, RNA, and complex carbohydrates organized into _______, which are membrane enclosed structure that perform specific functions to form the _____

population

Groups of interbreeding individuals of the same type or species living in a given area constitute the __________

community.

All populations occupying a given area form a ____________

ecosystem

The community and the non-living environment function together as an ecological system or ____________

ecosphere

The most inclusive level encompassing all regions of Earth’s crust, waters, and atmosphere in which organisms live is designated as the biosphere or _________

cell
tissue
organ
organ system
organism
population
community
ecosystem
landscape
biome
ecosphere

The eleven ecological levels-of-organization of living systems

energetics
development
evolution
behavior
integration
diversity
regulation

seven basic functions/ transcending functions

Energetics

study involving energy and matter conversion. Living systems need specific types of matter-energy in adequate amounts to keep it stable.

ecosystem development

Development at the level of the ecosystem is known as _____________ or succession, an often-predictable way or pattern by which plant and animal communities develop following disturbances

evolution

plays an important role in bringing about diversity

integration and regulation

The intricate processes of _____________ that bring separate components or subsystems into a unified and stable unit

Living systems are open systems with purposes and goals

Another important property of a living system is that it continues indefinitely within the natural cycles to attain sustainability

open system
input

This makes a living system an _______ because during photosynthesis, plants convert energy from sunlight (______) to chemical energy (stored in food molecules such as sugars),which is used by plants to do work.

output

This energy is then transferred to the higher trophic levels (consumers)and is eventually lost from the ecosystem as heat (____)

closed system

The cycling of matter from plant to animals through consumption and the breakdown of these matter back to it selemental form through decomposition mostly driven by microorganisms to become utilized again by the plants somehow make the livingsystem a relatively_______ .

feedback mechanism

living system forms a “_________” with the purpose or goal of keeping this cycle in control.

negative feedback

an increase in the population of grazers will exert an increase in grazing pressures on plants. This will lead to the decrease in the quality and quantity of the plants that eventually causes starvation and decrease in the population of grazers to alleviate the grazing pressure. This is known as “________”

positive feedback

“________” happens when humans depart from this natural cycle. For example, grazing becomes unregulated because the humans who own these grazers get a reward or profit by increasing the number of grazers (a _______) that they raise and sell.

tragedy of the commons
commons

This is a hypothetical example to explain the “_________”, an economic theory related to sustainability. The “_________” is taken to mean any shared and unregulated resource such as water, fish stocks, trees and so on