1. Core Concepts – 2 Lecture 9
Unifying Principles
Core Concepts – 2
Lecture 9

2. review BIOLOGY is the science that deals with living things
the science of life and living organisms
What are livings things?
Features common to ALL livings things
What does it mean to be alive?
“Only simpletons believe everything they are told! The prudent carefully consider their steps” Prov 14:15

3. Characteristics of Life.
1.Cells.
All organisms/living matter are made up of simple units called cells.
2.Nutrition.
It's the process by which organisms take in food and convert it into new protoplasm/living matter.
3.Respiration.
It's the oxidation of food substances to release energy for cell activities.)

4. Characteristics of Life.
4.Excretion.
Removal metabolic waste products.
5.Homeostasis.
The maintenance of a constant internal environment of cells.
6.Growth and Development.
Increase in the mass, volume and complexity

5. Characteristics of Life
7.Movement.
Movement independent of external forces such as wind or water currents
8.Reproduction.
All living things reproduce own kind.
9.Sensitivity.
Organisms react to stimuli)
10.Adaptability.
Ability to improve chances of surviving in their environment

6. Unifying Principles
principles that can be said to be the fundamental “truths” of modern biology
Other “details” may differ but built on the same principles
The same kind of bricks will be used to produce different kinds of houses/buildings depending on the design
Unifying principles are the basic frame of biological sciences/biological thought

7. 5 unifying principles? cell theory evolution genetics homeostasis
energy

8. 7 unifying principles? Cells Energy Metabolism Reproduction Heredity
Response to environment
Homeostasis

9. 8 unifying principles? Cells Energy Metabolism Reproduction Heredity
Response to environment
Homeostasis
Interact with the environment

10. Cell theory states that
the cell is the fundamental unit of life, and that
all living things are composed of one or more cells
All cells arise from other cells through cell division.
cells contain hereditary information (DNA) which is passed from cell to cell during cell division

11. Homeostasis the ability to regulate the internal environment
to maintain stable conditions by means of multiple dynamic equilibrium adjustments controlled by interrelated regulation mechanisms.
All living organisms, whether unicellular or multicellular, plant or animal, exhibit homeostasis.

12. Energy
The survival of a living organism depends on the continuous input of energy.
Some organisms are responsible for the introduction of energy into an ecosystem = producers or autotrophs.
Others can only use energy made by autotrophs = consumers or heterotrophs

13. Energy
All need energy

14. METABOLISM The total of all chemical reactions in an organism
Anabolism + Catabolism = Metabolism

15. Genetics/heredity
Genes are the primary units of inheritance in all organisms.
A gene is a unit of heredity and corresponds to a region of DNA that influences the form or function of an organism in specific ways.
Genes are passed from parent to offspring through reproduction
All organisms, from bacteria to animals, share the same basic machinery that copies and translates DNA into proteins.

16. Reproduction
All livings things produce their own kind in their likeness

17. Evolution Some /many biologists believe that
life changes and develops through evolution
all life-forms known have a common origin
all organisms on the Earth, both living and extinct, have descended from a common ancestor or an ancestral gene pool.
species and breeds developed through the processes of natural selection and artificial selection or selective breeding

18. ALL interact
With each other
With the environment

19. Therefore?
All living things must have these characteristics for them to be called “living”
Non-living livings do not have these characteristics
Next steps
Each of these principles will be further investigated starting with
the CHEMISTRY of LIFE