Exploring_life__2_

Page 1: Biological Hierarchy

• Concepts: Biology involves multiple levels of organization including:

  • Organism

  • Population

  • System of organs

  • Biocenoses

  • Tissue

  • Cell

  • Ecosystem

  • Organelle

  • Molecule

  • Biomass

  • Atom

Page 2: Definition of Biology

• Etymology:

  • Bio: Life

  • Logy: Study of

• Description: The scientific study of living organisms and their interactions with the environment.

Page 3: Characteristics of Life

• All living things exhibit certain characteristics:

  1. Growth & Development: Increases in size and complexity over time.

  2. Energy Metabolism: Processes such as eating, breathing, and waste excretion contribute to energy usage.

  3. Homeostasis: Maintenance of a stable internal environment.

  4. Adaptation: Adjustments over time driven by mutation and natural selection to improve survival.

  5. Response to Stimuli: Reacting to environmental changes, often through movement.

  6. Organization: Composed of one or more cells with complex structures and processes.

  7. Reproduction: Ability to produce offspring, guided by genetic material (DNA).

Page 4: Summary of Biological Characteristics

• Key Concepts:

  • Growth and Development

  • Energy Processing

  • Order

  • Reproduction

  • Response to the Environment

  • Regulation

  • Evolutionary Adaptation

Page 5: Viruses - Living or Non-Living?

• Nature of Viruses:

  • Characterized as non-living because they cannot replicate without a host.

  • Debate among scientists regarding their classification as living organisms.

  • Viruses utilize the host's biological functions for replication.

Page 6: Exotic Organisms

• Question: Encourage thinking about the diversity of life.

• Examples: Various imaginative organisms stimulate curiosity.

Page 7: Biodiversity and Domains of Life

• Biodiversity: Variation among living organisms’ observable characteristics.

• Domains:

  • Bacteria: Simple cells, DNA not in nucleus, first to evolve.

  • Archaea: Similar to bacteria but with distinct genetics and biochemistry.

  • Eukaryotes: Complex cells with DNA contained in a nucleus and organelles.

Page 8: Classification of Life

• Domains:

  • Bacteria and Archaea: Simple, prokaryotic organisms.

  • Eukarya: Includes kingdoms such as Protista, Plantae, Fungi, and Animalia (complex eukaryotic organisms).

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Page 10: Taxonomy

• Taxonomy: Naming and classifying species.

• Species: A unique kind of organism, identified by a two-part name (genus and specific epithet).

• Taxon: A group of organisms sharing a set of traits.

Page 11: Taxonomic Hierarchy

• Levels:

  • Species: Ursus americanus (American black bear)

  • Genus: Ursus

  • Family: Ursidae

  • Order: Carnivora

  • Class: Mammalia

  • Phylum: Chordata

  • Kingdom: Animalia

  • Domain: Eukarya

Page 12: Scientific Names

• Examples of scientific nomenclature:

  • Alligator mississippiensis (American alligator)

  • Lutra canadensis (River otter)

  • Haliaeetus leucocephalus (Bald eagle)

  • Humans: Homo sapiens

Page 13: Understanding Life Organization

• Biologists study life across a vast scale, from molecules to entire ecosystems.

• Emergent Properties: New characteristics emerge from complex arrangements and interactions among components.

Page 14: Hierarchical Organization of Life

• Levels:

  • Biosphere: All ecosystems.

  • Ecosystem: Includes the physical environment (e.g., forests).

  • Community: All organisms within an ecosystem.

  • Population: Individuals of the same species.

  • Organism: An individual living being.

Page 15: Cellular Organization

• Examples using the Ring-tailed lemur:

  • Organism: Ring-tailed lemur

  • Organ System: Nervous system

  • Organ: Brain

  • Tissue: Nervous tissue

  • Cell: Nerve cell

  • Organelle: Nucleus

  • Molecule: DNA

  • Atom: Fundamental units of matter.

Page 16: Emergent Properties in Biology

• Definition: Characteristics that arise from the interaction of component parts, not present in individual parts.

• Life Emergence: Life appears at the cellular level, highlighting its foundational role.

Page 17: Understanding Science

• Process of Inquiry: Evidence-based investigation of the natural world.

• Components of Scientific Approach:

  • Observations

  • Hypotheses

  • Predictions

  • Testing

  • Data analysis

• Critical Thinking: Assessing information through questioning and bias evaluation.

Page 18: Types of Reasoning in Science

• Inductive Reasoning: Drawing general conclusions from specific observations. For example, seeing that all cats purr leads to the general conclusion that all cats purr.

• Deductive Reasoning: Using general principles to make specific predictions; for example, stating that all mammals (general) must have kidneys, and thereby concluding that dolphins, as mammals, have kidneys (specific).

Page 19: Scientific Method Steps

1. Observation: Noticing and studying a natural phenomenon.

2. Question: Formulating questions based on observations.

3. Hypothesis: Creating an explanation for observations.

4. Experiment: Testing hypotheses through controlled experiments.

5. Analysis: Interpreting results and data.

6. Conclusion: Drawing conclusions from analyzed data.

7. Report: Communicating findings to the broader scientific community.

Page 20: Hypothesis Examples

• If-Then Statements:

  1. If the water faucet is opened, then water flow will increase.

  2. If fenders are attached to a bicycle, then the rider will remain dry in puddles.

  3. If temperature increases, then the rate of metabolism in animals will also rise.

Page 21: Hypothesis Testing Framework

• Process:

  • Developing multiple hypotheses (e.g., Hypothesis 1 and Hypothesis 2).

  • Conducting tests and evaluating predictions to achieve results (hypothesis validation).

Page 22: Experimental Design and Variables

• Variables:

  • Independent Variable: Altered by the researcher.

  • Dependent Variable: Measured response affected by the independent variable.

• Groups:

  • Experimental Group: Receives treatment.

  • Control Group: Similar conditions without the treatment for comparison.

Page 23: Nature of Science

• Scientific Theory: Robust hypotheses that withstand testing over time and produce consistent data.

• Scientific Law: Describes invariable phenomena observed without exception.

Page 24: Limits of Science

• Recognizes that science operates within defined boundaries:

  • Team-based collaboration among scientists.

  • Focus on natural causes for natural phenomena.

  • Excludes supernatural elements which cannot be measured or tested.

  • Does not answer philosophical questions regarding existence.

Page 25: Five Themes of Biology

1. Evolution

2. Flow of Information

3. Structure and Function

4. Transfer of Energy

5. Interactions Within/Between Systems

Page 26: Evolution Theme

• Process: Change in organisms over generations.

• Natural Selection (Charles Darwin):

  • Individual variations exist within populations.

  • Overproduction of offspring leads to competition.

  • Some variations enhance survival leading to reproductive success.

Page 27: Tree of Life

• Concept: Visual representation where each species is a twig on a tree extending back in evolutionary history.

Page 28: Evolution's Relevance

• Applications: Used in medicine, conservation, and agriculture.

• Artificial Selection: Humans influence evolution through selective breeding which alters organisms significantly from their wild ancestors.

Page 29: Genetic Information Theme

• DNA: Blueprint of life, dictating structure and function of organisms.

• Information Storage: Genes provide information that regulates biological processes and gene expression.

Page 30: Theme of Energy Transfer

• Ecosystem Dynamics:

  • Energy flows one way:

    • Enters as sunlight,

    • Converted to chemical energy by producers,

    • Passed to consumers,

    • Exits as heat.

Page 31: System Interactions Theme

• Study Span: Covers microscopic (cells) to macroscopic (ecosystems).

• Emergent Properties: Characteristics arise from the interactions of components; e.g., a properly assembled set of bicycle parts functions as a bike.