SCI110 Flashcards 1

Microbiology, Botany, Zoology

3 Major Divisions of Biology

Microbiology

Study of microscopic organisms - viruses, bacteria, algae, fungi, slime molds, and protozoa.

Botany

Study of plants, including their structure, properties, and biochemical processes. Also the plant classification and plant diseases and interactions with the environment.

Zoology

Study of all animals -- shapes and sizes, from tiny insects to large mammals. What animals eat, how they live, and how they interact with their habitats.

Taxonomy

Science of naming, describing and classifying organisms and includes all plants, animals and microorganisms of the world.

Cytology

Study of the microscopic appearance of cells and cell structures, especially for the diagnosis of abnormalities and malignancies. dealing with the morphology, structure, ultrastructure, life cycle, and pathology of cells

Embryology

Study of development of an embryo from the stage of ovum fertilization through to the fetal stage.

Anatomy

Study of a specific biological branch in science that deals with the structure and identification of organism’s bodies and their different sections

Physiology

Study of how the human body works. It describes the chemistry and physics behind basic body functions, from how molecules behave in cells to how systems of organs work together.

Biochemistry

Both life science and chemical science - explore the chemistry of living organisms and the molecular basis for the changes occurring in living cells.

Genetics

Study of inheritance, including the interplay of genes, DNA variation, and their interactions with environmental factors.

Evolution

Study of the origin and differentiation of various organisms. It reflects the adaptations of organisms to their changing environments and can result in altered genes, novel traits, and new species.

Ecology

Study of the relationships between living organisms, including humans, and their physical environment; it seeks to understand the vital connections between plants and animals and the world around them.

Molecular Biology

Molecules that make up or influence the cells of a living organism.

Genomics

Genetic materials (genome) of an organism.

Immunology

Immune system and process of immunity

Proteomics

Proteins in a living organism.

Bioinformatics

Biological data using computer programs.

Scientific Process

It is a systematic approach to investigate and understand the natural world. It involves a series of steps designed to gather empirical evidence, formulate hypotheses, conduct experiments or observations, analyze data, and draw conclusions

Spontaneous Generation

The idea that life could appear from non-living material. Proposed by Aristotle-- primary belief on the origin of life until 17th century

BIOGENESIS

It is the belief that life originates or comes from pre-existing life. Several experiments have been conducted to prove these contradicting beliefs to know how life came about.

Francesco Redi

aimed to disprove spontaneous generation (the idea that life arises from non-living matter. He placed meat in three types of jars—open, sealed, and covered with gauze.

John Needham (1745)

Boiled mutton broth to kill microorganisms, then sealed it with corks in a container. Flaw: He did NOT heat it long enough to kill all the microbes in the broth.

Lazzaro Spallanzani (1767)

improved Needham’s experiment by boiling broth longer and sealing it better, disproving Needham’s conclusion. Both thoroughly Boiled broth in two flasks—one sealed and one left open—to kill microorganisms.

Louis Pasteur (1861)

Aimed to disprove the theory of spontaneous generation.

Boiled sugar solution with yeast in swan-neck flasks to kill microorganisms.

DIVINE CREATION

life and the universe were created by a divine being thru supernatural power.

Creationism

The belief that life arose from nothing but the power of divine beings

TIDAL POOLS

Life may have originated in ancient Earth's tide pools, where volcanic gases, UV light, and lightning provided energy to form prebiotic molecules.

UNDER THE SEA THERMAL VENT

Life may have originated from undersea vents or smokers, where gases, energy, and catalysts interacted to form prebiotic compounds.

SPONTANEOUS ORIGIN

• Life evolved from inanimate matter through chemical processes.

• Energy sources like lightning or geothermal activity may have driven the formation of early cells.

• Experiments suggest electric sparks could create amino acids and sugars from simple atmospheric molecules.

• Possible origins of life include underwater volcanic vents, clay surfaces, Earth's crust, or frozen oceans.

PANSPERMIA  (Cosmic Ancestry)

• suggesting that life originated outside Earth.

• Life may have been seeded on Earth by comets, meteorites, or cosmic dust.

• Organic molecules from space could have initiated the evolution of life.

In 1966, a meteorite found in Antarctica, possibly from Mars, contained complex molecules and globules similar to those on Earth, supporting this theory.

• Svante Arrhenius

PANSPERMIA  (Cosmic Ancestry) is proposed by