Chapter 1 & 14 Biology

Biology

The science of life.

Characteristics of Life

1. Made of one or more cells, 2. Displays organization, 3. Grows and develops, 4. Reproduces, 5. Responds to stimuli, 6. Requires energy, 7. Maintains homeostasis, 8. Adaptations evolve over time.

Cells

The basic unit of structure and function in all living things.

Organization

Living things are arranged in an orderly way, with specialized cells organized into tissues, tissues into organs, and organ systems working together.

Growth

Results in the addition of mass to an organism and, in many organisms, the formation of new cells and new structures.

Development

The process of natural changes that take place during the life of an organism.

Reproduction

Not essential for the survival of an individual, but essential for the continuation of the species.

Species

A group of organisms that can breed with one another and produce fertile offspring.

Scientific Inquiry

A process based on inquiry that develops explanations.

Methods of Science

Specific methods biologists use when conducting research.

Scientific Literacy

The ability to understand and engage with scientific concepts and processes.

Observation

The act of noting and recording something with instruments or the senses.

Inference

A conclusion reached based on evidence and reasoning.

Control Variable

A variable that is kept constant during an experiment.

Independent Variable

The variable that is changed or controlled in a scientific experiment.

Dependent Variable

The variable that is measured and affected in an experiment.

Metric System

A system of measurement based on meters, liters, and grams.

SI (International System of Units)

A standardized system of measurement used in science.

Technological Impact on Life

How advancements in technology have changed our definition of life.

Infertility

A condition where an individual cannot reproduce, but does not affect their status as alive.

Robots and Life

Robots perform functions but are not considered alive.

Stimulus

Anything that is part of the internal or external environments and causes a reaction by the organism.

Response

The reaction to a stimulus.

Homeostasis

Regulation of an organism's internal conditions to maintain life.

Adaptation

Any inherited characteristic that results from changes to a species over time.

Viruses

A nucleic acid surrounded by a protein coat that is not composed of cells but possesses all the other characteristics of living things.

Interconnectedness

The central theme that everything in the universe is connected.

Sacred Circle of Life

The interconnected relationships with all living things.

Scientific Theory

An explanation of a natural phenomenon supported by many observations and experiments over time.

Scientific Law

Describes relationships under certain conditions in nature, but does not explain why the relationship is the way it is.

Energy in Living Things

Living things get their energy from food; most plants and some unicellular organisms use light energy from the Sun to make their own food.

Biologists

Professionals who study the diversity of life, research diseases, develop technologies, improve agriculture, and preserve the environment.

Adaptations and Survival

Adaptations enable organisms to survive and pass on their genes to the next generation.

Living Organisms Characteristics

Table 1.1 Characteristics of Living Organism.

Indigenous Philosophies

Beliefs that the human relationship to the earth is primarily one of partnership.

Ecological Awareness

Indigenous traditional practices that boast amazing sustainability and strong scientific understanding of the earth.

Purpose of Life

Everyone and everything has a purpose, is worthy of respect and caring, and has a place in the grand scheme of life.

Observation in Science

A key process skill in biology that involves making observations.

Research Diseases

One of the roles of biologists, focusing on understanding and finding solutions for diseases.

Develop Technologies

A role of biologists that involves creating new technologies to improve life.

Improve Agriculture

A focus area for biologists aimed at enhancing agricultural practices.

Preserve the Environment

A key responsibility of biologists to protect natural ecosystems.

Supporting Evidence

Have extensive supporting evidence

Accurate Predictions

Enable biologists to make accurate predictions

Theory of Evolution

An example of a scientific theory

Cell Theory

An example of a scientific theory

Law of Conservation of Matter

An example of a scientific law

Law of Gravity

An example of a scientific law

Nature of Science

Makes observations and draws conclusions

Pseudosciences

Imitate science, but do not provide science-based explanations.

Challenges Accepted Theories

Scientists welcome debate about one another's ideas.

Metabolic Syndrome in Athletes

Scientific research has dramatically increased understanding of this condition.

Questions Results

Observations or data that are not consistent with current scientific understanding are of interest to scientists.

Tests Claims

Science-based information makes claims based on a large amount of data and observations.

Peer Review

A process by which the procedures used during an experiment and the results are evaluated by other scientists.

Scientifically Literate

A person who combines a basic understanding of science and its processes with reasoning and thinking skills.

Ethical Issues

Must be addressed by society based on the values it holds important.

Environmental Issues

Include global warming, pollution, and deforestation.

Health Related Issues

Include drugs, alcohol, tobacco, AIDS, mental illness, cancer, heart disease, and eating disorders.

Hypothesis

A testable explanation of a situation.

Controlled Experiments

A control group in an experiment is a group used for comparison.

Data

Information gained from observations.

Quantitative data

Measurements of time, temperature, length, mass, area, volume, density, or other factors.

Qualitative data

Descriptions of what our senses detect.

Length

Meter (m)

Spontaneous generation by Francesco Redi

The idea that life arises from nonlife.

Biogenesis by Louis Pasteur

The theory that only living organisms can produce other living organisms.

Francesco Redi

An Italian scientist who tested the idea that flies arose spontaneously from rotting meat.

Primordial soup hypothesis

An early hypothesis about the origin of life suggesting organic molecules could have been synthesized from simple reactions.

Stanley Miller and Harold Urey

The first to show that simple organic molecules could be made from inorganic compounds in 1953.

Hydrogen cyanide

Can react with itself to eventually form adenine, one of the nucleotide bases in the genetic code.

Prokaryotes

Modern prokaryotes, Archaea, are the closest relatives to Earth's first cells.

Cyanobacteria

Fossil evidence has been found in rocks as old as 3.5 billion years.

Ozone layer

Formed due to the oxygen produced by cyanobacteria.

Endosymbiont Theory

Proposed by Lynn Margulis in 1966, stating that ancestors of eukaryotic cells lived in association with prokaryotic cells.

Mitochondria

Organelles that contain their own DNA, arranged in a circular pattern, resembling prokaryotic cells.

Ribosomes in Mitochondria and Chloroplasts

Ribosomes that more closely resemble those in prokaryotic cells.

Reproduction of Mitochondria and Chloroplasts

They reproduce by fission, independent from the rest of the cell.

Observation vs Inference

An observation is a direct measurement or description, while an inference is a conclusion drawn from observations.

Control, Independent Variable, and Dependent Variable

A control is a standard for comparison, the independent variable is manipulated, and the dependent variable is measured.

Scientific Methods

The systematic approaches biologists use for research, including observation, hypothesis, experimentation, and analysis.

Scientific Knowledge Evolution

The process by which scientific understanding changes and improves over time based on new evidence.

Impact of Past Knowledge

Past scientific discoveries influence and guide future advancements in research and technology.

Technology's Impact on Life Definition

Technological advancements have changed how we define and understand life.

Infertility and Life

The question of whether being infertile affects one's status as being alive.

Characteristic of All Organisms

All organisms are made of one or more cells.

Application of Scientific Knowledge

The area of science that applies scientific knowledge to meet human needs is technology.

Plants Responding to Sunlight

The characteristic of living things that represents plants opening flowers in response to sunlight is responding to stimuli.

Regulation of Internal Conditions

The process that regulates an organism's internal conditions and keeps them stable is called homeostasis.

Control Group

The group in an experiment that does not receive the experimental treatment.

Experimental Group

The group in an experiment that receives the treatment.

Constant

A factor that remains unchanged in an experiment.

Amoeba

A unicellular organism.

Benefit of studying plants in the rain forest

The plants may hold medicines to treat human diseases.

Purpose of science

to explain the nature of things

Scientist's response to conflicting information

evaluate the new information

Which of these is evidence for the endosymbiont theory?

Mitochondria and chloroplasts contain their own circular DNA

The fact that experiments mimicking conditions on early Earth create organic molecules but not living cells disproves Oparin's primordial soup hypothesis.

No

Fossil evidence proves that cyanobacteria were thriving as long as 3.5 million years ago. Integrating this evidence and your own knowledge of cyanobacteria, identify the most significant effect these organisms had on the ecosystem of the planet as a whole.

Cyanobacteria were some of the first photosynthetic prokaryotes. The oxygen they produced formed the protective ozone layer

Which is an accurate statement of the differences between spontaneous generation and biogenesis?

Spontaneous generation is the idea that life can come from nonliving components, while biogenesis is the more modern concept that life can only arise from another living organism.