Ch 1: Biology in the 21st Century pt. 2 

4. Biologists’ Tools and Technology

Imaging technologies provide new views of life.

• The development of technology is important for the studies of science.

Microscopes

• Microscope: A tool that provides an enlarged image of an object.
  • Can provide clear images of small organisms like bacteria.
• Light microscopes uses light to magnify objects.
• Electron microscopes uses beams of electrons to magnify objects
• A scanning electron microscope (SEM) magnifies by scanning the surface of an object with electrons.
• A transmission electron microscope (TEM) magnifies by transmitting electrons through a slice of an object.

Medical Imaging

• Technology like x-rays and MRIs can be used to enhance the images of an object, especially in a medical setting.

Complex systems are modeled on computers.

• Computer technology expands biological research.
  • Computers can model complex systems within organisms.
  • Computer models can help study complex systems on a large scale.

The tools of molecular genetics give rise to new biological studies.

• Gene: A segment of DNA that stores genetic information.
• Molecular genetics: the study and manipulation of DNA on a molecular level.
  • Can be used to study evolution, biology, chemistry, and other sciences.
• Genomes are DNA sequences.
• Genomics: the study and comparison of genomes both within and across species.
  • Computers help to find and study genomes by storing information about all the different sequences.

5. Biology and Your Future

Your health and the health of the environment depend on your knowledge of biology.

Biology and Your Health

• Understanding biology can help you make lifestyle choices that affect your health.

• knowing the impacts of substances and actions to your body help you make good choices to keep healthy.

Biology and the World Around You

• Scientists research environmental issues to make conclusions on the effects of pollution, land conservation, natural resource use, and other concepts.

Biotechnology offers great promises but also raises many issues.

• Biotechnology: The use and application of living things and biological processes.
  • Biotechnology has advantages and risks.

Benefits and Biological Risks

• Transgenic Organisms: organisms that have genes from more than one species or have changed genes.
  • Ex. genetically modified foods.
• Genetically modified crops are easier to grow, but are they safe to eat?

Benefits and Ethical Considerations

• Human genetic screening is the analysis of a person’s genes to identify genetic variations.
  • Helps spot genetic disorders and diseases.
• Should genetic information be private? How can it be used?

Biology presents many unanswered questions.

• There are still many unknown mysteries about the world and the universe.
  • Sciences like biology will continue to uncover mysteries with progression of technology and theories.

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