Chapter 1: Evolution, Themes of Biology, and Scientific Inquiry

Biosphere

All life on Earth and all places where life exists

Camouflage

Adaptation allowing organisms to blend in with their environment.

Cell

Life's fundamental unit of structure and function.

Chemicals

Chemicals cycle within an ecosystem, being used and reused

Coat-Coloration Case Study

Color patterns of mice vary in species, beach vs. inland mouse, natural predators catch mice using sight, color patterns of mice based on their environment, using camouflage adaptation to hide from predators

Community

Many species and organisms inhabiting a particular ecosystem.

Controlled Experiment

Compares experimental group with a control group to test a hypothesis.

Darwin's Observations

1. Individuals in a population have different traits that seem to be heritable 2. Population can produce more offspring than can survive as competition is inevitable 3. Species are suited to their environment and adapt to circumstances 4. Evolution occurs as unequal reproductive success of individuals and leads to adaptation to environment, if the environment remains the same

Dependent Variable

Factor being measured, predicted to be affected by the independent variable.

Differences in Genetic Code

It shows us how species are related and also about the protein they encode for

DNA

structure and function demonstrates unity among organisms

Ecosystem

Living things in an area plus their nonliving environmental parts.

Emergent Properties

Properties arising from arrangement and interactions of parts as complexity increases, results from interactions in lower systems

Energy and Matter

One of the five unifying themes of biology; flow and cycling.

Energy in a System

Energy flows through an ecosystem, usually entering as light and leaving as heat.

Energy Transfer

Transformation of energy, making life possible; flows one direction.

Evolution

Accounts for unity and diversity of life, process of biological change in which species accumulate differences from their ancestors as they adapt to different environments over time

Feedback Regulation

The output or product of a process regulates that process.

5 Unifying Themes of Biology

Organization, Information, Energy and Matter, Interactions, and Evolution.

Four Kingdoms

Under Eukarya: Plantae, Fungi, Animalia, Protista, divided by nutrition nodes.

Genetic Code

All life uses the same code; sequence of nucleotides means same thing in all organisms, universal, strong piece of evidence that all life is connected

Genomics

Study of sets of genes or other DNA in one or more species.

Hypothesis

Testable explanation from observations or assumption based on data and reasoning, can never be proven

Independent Variable

Factor being manipulated or changed in an experiment.

Inductive Reasoning

Generalizing ideas from many specific observations and data.

Information

One of the five unifying themes of biology; genetic code.

Inquiry

Search for information and explanations of natural phenomena, no formula for perfect one

Interactions

One of the five unifying themes of biology; organism and environment.

Molecule

Chemical structure consisting of two or more atoms bonded together.

Natural Selection

Mechanism of evolutionary adaptation; unequal reproductive success.

Negative Feedback

Process output reduces the initial stimulus, regulating a system.

Negative Feedback Example

Insulin signaling: Insulin lowers blood glucose, which then reduces insulin secretion.

Organ

Body part made of multiple tissues contributing to function.

Organelle

Various functional components present within a cell.

Organism

A singular individual living thing.

Population

All individuals of a species living within a specified area.

Positive Feedback

Process output speeds up its own production, amplifying a stimulus.

Positive Feedback Example

Clotting of blood is an example where the response speeds up its own production.

Proteome

The entire set of proteins expressed by a cell, tissue, or organism.

Proteomics

Study of sets of proteins and their properties.

Protists

A diverse group of eukaryotic organisms, many of which are single-celled, some are more closely related to other plants, fungi, animals than other protists

Reductionism

Approach reducing complex systems to simpler components for study, provides incomplete view of life on Earth

Scientific Inquiry

Process of making observations and forming and testing hypotheses.

Scientific Method Steps

1. Observe: Notice something and ask a question. 2. Hypothesize: Form a testable explanation (prediction). 3. Experiment: Test your hypothesis with a controlled test. 4. Analyze: Look at the data and draw a conclusion. 5. Report: Share results (whether they proved you right or wrong).

Systems Biology

Exploring systems by analyzing interactions between their component parts.

Ten Levels of Organization

Biosphere, ecosystems, communities, populations, organisms, organs, tissues, cells, organelles, molecules.

Theory

Broad explanation, general enough for more hypotheses, well-supported by large body of evidence

Tissue

Group of cells working together performing a specialized function.

Variables

Features or quantities that vary in an experiment; independent and dependent.

Work

Activity or process requiring energy; moving, growing, reproducing, etc.