Biology 207 Introductory 1.1-1.5

5 fundamental characteristics of living organisms

1. contains cells
2. replication
3. information processing
4. energy
5. evolution

explain replication characteristic

capable of reproduction, cell division

explain information processing characteristic

process genes and information from environment

explain energy

acquire and use energy to live

is a virus a cell?

* no
* cannot reproduce by itself

what makes something a cell

ability to reproduce by itself

evolution

genetic variation resulting in change in characteristic of a population over time

define theory

explanation or observation supported by wide body of evidence

what are 3 theories that form framework for biological science

* cell theory
* theory of evolution by natural selection
* chromosome theory of inheritance

who first discovered cells

* 1660s
* Robert Hooke and Anton van Leeuwenhoek

explain cells

* Highly organized compartments
* Separated from their environment by membrane barrier

explain cell theory

* cell is the fundamental structural unit in all organisms.
* All species are related by common ancestry and have changed over time in response to natural selection.

explain relationship between cell theory and spontaenous generation

* Cell theory challenged spontaneous generation
* All-cells-from-cells vs spontaneous generation

what is All-cells-from-cells

cells are produced when pre-existing cells grow and divide

what is spontaneous generation

belief that organisms could arise spontaneously under certain conditions

louis pasteur’s experiment hypothesis

* concluded all cells theory was correct, cells come from cells
* hypothesis: microbes (bacteria) come from cells of organisms on dust particles in the air, **not the air**

Chromosomal theory of inheritance

* proposed by Sutton and Boveri:
* Hereditary or genetic information is encoded in genes
* Genes are units located on chromosomes

Explain Louis Pasteur’s Classical Experiment

* 2 flasks, straight neck and swan neck flask
* both flasks boiled
* cells appeared in straight flask from ==air== and not in swan neck because air lack of air

Explain chromosomes

* 1950s
* molecules of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)

explain DNA

* contains info for growth and reproduction
* hereditary material
* genes are segments of DNA, code for cell products
* double helix

what are the 4 building blocks of DNA

* A
* T
* C
* G

Explain RNA

* molecules that perform specialized functions in cells

Ex: mRNA (messenger RNA) is read to make proteins

Explain proteins

* required for cells to function
* determine physical traits

Tree of life

* depicts evolutionary history
* family tree of organisms
* describes genealogical relationships between species

phylogeny

genealogical relationship among all organism

3 domains of life

* Eukaryotes
* archaea
* bacteria

Eukaryotes

* 4 kingdoms
* membrane-bound nucleous

4 kingdoms of eukaroytes

* protists
* fungi
* plants
* animals

2 types of prokaryotes

* archaea
* bacteria
* no membrane-bound nucleous

How are species grouped?

taxonomy based on common ancestry