Exploring Science and Biology Introduction to Biology

What is Science? -An organized way of using evidence to learn about the natural world -How does science begin? Write down your thoughts on how science begins or terms that relate…

Thinking Like a Scientist To think like a scientist you must: 1.Ask questions and make OBSERVATIONS: 2. INFERRING and Forming a HYPOTHESIS: - INFERENCE – - HYPOTHESIS -

Observation vs. Inference Object A is a basketball. Object B is a table-tennis ball. Object C is a soccer ball. StatementObservation Inference Object A is round and orange. Object A is a basketball. Object C is round and black and white. Object C is larger than Object B. Object B is smooth. Object B is a table-tennis ball. Each object is used in a different sport.

Thinking Like a Scientist 3. Design CONTROLLED EXPERIMENTS: - MANIPULATED VARIABLE (aka INDEPENDENT) - RESPONDING VARIABLE (aka DEPENDENT)

Thinking Like a Scientist 4. Gather DATA from observations gathered. - QUALITATIVE DATA = -QUANTITATIVE DATA =

Thinking Like a Scientist - CONTROL : 5. Make a CONCLUSION:

Biology – The Study of Living Things All living things must have these characteristics: 1.Made up of units called CELLS. 2. REPRODUCE – asexual vs. sexual 3. Universal Genetic Code – DNA 4. Grow and Develop

Biology – The Study of Living Things 5. Obtain and Use Materials and Energy 6. Respond to their Environment 7. Maintain HOMEOSTASIS 8. EVOLUTION

Biological Levels of Organization At each new level there are emergent properties… Molecules – clusters of atoms Organelles – membrane bound structures with a specific purpose Cells – smallest unit of life Tissues – groups of cells Organism – individual living thing

Biological Levels of Organization Population – group of organisms living in the same area Community – populations that live together in a defined area Ecosystem – community and its nonliving components Biosphere – The part of Earth containing all ecosystems

Looking at the Smallest Unit of Life Microscopes - devices that produce magnified images of structures that are too small to see with the unaided eye.

Compound light microscopes allow light to pass through the specimen and use two lenses to form an image. To study even smaller objects, scientists use electron microscopes.

Light MicroscopeTransmission Electron Microscope Scanning Electron Microscope

Microscopes Which type of microscope (light, TEM, or SEM) will be used in each situation below? a.The feeding habits of unicellular protozoa b.The surface of a red blood cell c.The feeding habits of a house cat d.The interior structures of a cell