QUiz 1

Exobiologist

Biologist who swear he’s for extraterrestrial life

Definition of life

A self-sustainable chemical system capable of Darwinian evolution

We recognize life by what living things do

Manifestations of life

1. Order

2. Energy processing

3. Growth and development

4. Evolutionary adaptation

5. Response to environment

6. Regulation

7. Reproduction

Order

Living organisms show a high degree of o____ (ex: symmetry, life cycle)

Energy processing

How an organism uses energy (metabolism)

Catabolism

Complex to simple (breaking down, ex: digestion)

Anabolism

Simple to complex (building up, ex: repairing wounds)

Growth and development

Instructions encoded into DNA

Growth

Virus multiplying

Development

Changing sensitivities and senses

Evolutionary adaptation

Populations endure over time through natural selection

Response to environment

Responds to light, temperature, and sound

Regulation

Maintains homeostasis

Reproduction

Pass genetic material onto next generation

Unifying themes in biology

1. Organization

2. Information

3. Energy and matter

4. Interactions

5. Evolution

Organization

Biosphere → ecosystem → community → population → organism → organ system → organ → tissue cell → organelle → molecule → atom

Ability to organize/be more complex through interactions

Ecosystem

Includes non-living things

Community

Multiple populations

Information

Central dogma of molecular biology

• genetic info is in the dna and passed on from parent to offspring

• This information drives protein production, dna → rna → protein

Eukaryotic

Has nucleus

Prokaryotic

No nucleus

Genomics

Study of genetics

Bioinformatics

The tools to manage and analyze vast amounts of genetic data

Energy and matter

Energy flows through ecosystems and all ecosystems require energy

Energy is eventually lost as heat

Producers

Need sunlight and photosynthesis

Consumers

Rely on producers for their life processes (ex: deer who eat the grass, or lions who eat the deer)

Interaction

Feedback regulation is essential for maintaining stability

this refers to the different reactions in out body

Positive interactions

Amplifies processes in the body (ex: blood clotting or oxytocin in pregnancy)

Negative interactions

Slows down processes for balance (ex: sweating for body temp or insulin for blood sugar)

Evolution

Process where life on earth changes over time

Natural selection

Advantageous traits get chosen

Three types of domains

Eukarya, bacteria and archaea

Eukarya

Contains plants, animals, protists and fungi

Monera

An old kingdom that was split to form domain bacteria and domain archaea, contains all prokaryotes

Domain bacteria

Contains most modern single-celled organisms like e.coli and cyanobacteria

Domain archaea

Contains ancient prokaryotes that often live in extreme environments

Detrivore

Eats decomposing matter

Decomposer

Breaks down at a biological level

Saprophyte

Fungi

Incorporates decaying matter into themselves

Algae

Has plant and animal properties but still part of kingdom plantae (ex: breathes underwater, moves → shows that classifications can be varied)

What is alive

An entity can be considered alive when it exhibits all manifestations of life, though not necessarily at the same time

Bioethics

Interdisciplinary study of moral issues in biology, medicine and environmental science

Balances technological advances with ethical responsibility

• ex; organ transplants, genetic engineering, end of life decisions, allocation of scarce resources

Why is bioethics important

It provides limitations on what we can do, “Just because we can doesn’t mean we shoudld”

Values

Personal beliefs about what is important (eg. honesty and compassion)

Morals

Socially accepted right and wrong by a group (eg. stealing is wrong)

Ethics

Reasoned application of moral principles to actions

• written by experts

• Has corresponding sanctions

• Based for laws

  • Laws are ethical but not always moral (can be based in morals of one group but not of all groups)

Principles of bioethics

1. Principle of autonomy

2. Principle of beneficence

3. Principle of non-maleficence

4. Principle of justice

Principle of autonomy

Every competent patient has the right to make informed choices for their life and care

REQUIRES: competence/right state of mind (minors are not yet considered competent), full disclosure etc.

Principle of beneficence

Ethical duty to act for the good of others by promoting well-being and preventing/reducing harm

• obligation to act for the benefit of others

• Think about long term consequences

• PREVENT harm, REMOVE harm, PROMOTE wellbeing

Principle of non-maleficence

Ethical duty to avoid causing harm to minimize potential risks in a victim

• if harm is needed in any way, keep it to a MINIMUM

• Overrides beneficence when risk is too high

Principle of justice

Fair distribution of resources, etc.

No discrimination