Biology Ch.1 

  • Biology is the study of life. It unifies much of natural science.
  • Life is constrained by the properties of chemistry and physics
  • science is becoming more interdisciplinary
  • Characteristics of all Living things

  

  1. Cellular Organization (prokaryote and eukaryote)
  2. Ordered Complexity (metabolic pathways)
  3. Sensitivity to Environment (react/adapt)
  4. Growth, Development, and Reproduction (fission)
  5. Energy Utilization (reactions in a cell- exergonic)
  6. Homeostasis (physiological responses that regulate normal conditions)
  7. Evolutionary Adaptation (change overtime)
  • Hierarchical organization of living systems
    • cellular level is the smallest
    • cell-tissue-organ-organ system-organism-population-community -ecosystem-biosphere
    • Population: particular species in a particular place
    • Community: interacting population
    • Ecosystem: community plus physical environment
    • Biosphere: all ecosystems together (Earth)Biosphere: all ecosystems together (Earth)
  • Nature of Science
    • aims to understand the world through observation and reasoning.
    • As Specific as possible
    • Inductive Reasoning: from specific ideas to general ideas

    ex: establishing a cell theory

  • Deductive Reasoning: from general to specific ideas
    • Independent Variable: the one that we change
    • Dependent Variable: result or what you measure
    • Scientific Theory- elevating conclusions to a level of theory
    • Evolution Theory: common ancestor an adapted
    • Biogenesis Theory: life only comes from life
    • Gene Theory: organisms have coded info that determine form, function and to some extent behavior
    • Darwin was not the first to propose evolution
    • Darwins contribution was a mechanism
    • Natural selection: is a mechanism for evolution; variation of a feature, certain versions are advantageous; it is heritable
    • We must have energy to exist
    • humans- food- sun- photosyntesis
    • Genome: entire set of DNA instructions
    • Gene: particular segment of DNA or discrete unit of inheritance
    • CENTRAL DOGMA
    • Reductionism: the general approach of biochemistry
    • Basic Research:
    • Applied Research
    • Taxonomy: The discipline of classifying organisms
    • Taxonomy Order: Kingdom, Phylum Class Order Family Genus Species
    • King Philip Came Over For Great Soup
    • Domain: Archae, Bacteria, Eukarya
    • Archae and Bacteria: prokaryotic
    • Eukarya: Eukaryotic