Biology 1 – Big Ideas

I. Organisms share common characteristics of life. (Chapter 1) Essential Question: How do we know if something is alive?

II. Life emerges due to the chemical organization of matter into cells. (Chapter 2) Essential Question: How does life result from chemical structure and function?

Characteristic #1 All living things are complex chemical systems Living things are made of molecules that interact Metabolism is the collective set of chemical processes & reactions in an organism –Molecules breaking apart (releasing energy) –Molecules forming (to store energy) Enzymes – molecules that help reactions occur

III. Cells have organized structures and systems necessary to support chemical reactions needed to maintain the living condition. (Chapter 7) Essential Question: How does life result from cellular structure and function?

IV. Structure is related to function at all biological levels of organization. (Chapter 7; Chapter 18) Essential Question: How is structure related to function at all biological levels of organization?

VIII. New cells arise from the division of pre-existing cells. (Chapter 10) Essential Question: How do cells grow and reproduce?

Characteristic #2 All living organisms are composed of cells Some have many cells Some have only one cell Humans have ~100 trillion cells

IX. Eukaryotic cells can differentiate and organize making it possible for multicellularity. (Chapter 10) Essential Question: What are the advantages of multicellularity?

Characteristic #5 All living organisms grow and develop Most change form and capabilities as they grow older Growth requires energy

V. Through a variety of mechanisms organisms seek to maintain a biological balance between their internal and external environments. (Chapter 7, Chapter 18) Essential Question: How do organisms maintain a biological balance between their internal and external environments?

Characteristic #6 All organisms respond to changes in external environment while maintaining constant internal environment. Inside is controlled chemically and physically. External responses: –Skin tans in response to sunlight –Roots change direction moving towards water –Dogs pant in the heat

VI. Organisms obtain and use energy to carry out their life processes. (Chapters 8 & 9) Essential Question: How do different organisms obtain and use energy to survive in their environment?

Characteristic #3 All life can obtain and use energy from the environment Energy = the ability to do work Organisms need energy to feed, grow, reproduce Plants get energy from sun (photosynthesis) Animals get energy from plants Some organisms get energy from chemicals in the earth

VII. DNA segments contain information for the production of proteins necessary for growth and function of cells. (Chapters 12 & 13) Essential Question: Why is DNA called the “blueprint of life”?

X. Hereditary information in genes is inherited and expressed. (Chapters 11, 14 (& 15)) Essential Question: How is the hereditary information in genes inherited and expressed?

Characteristic #4 All living things reproduce using the same genetic mechanism (code) Each organism reproduces its own species Offspring inherit genetic instructions from their parents through a molecule called DNA Offspring can differ from their parents (genetic variation)

XI. Evolution is the result of many random processes selecting for the survival and reproduction of a population. (Chapter 16) Essential Question: How do we scientifically explain the evidence and mechanisms for biological evolution?