1. Biology: EXPLORING lIFE
Chapter 1
Biology: EXPLORING lIFE

2. Global warming
Why Biology?
Inquiry stems from natural curiosity about the world around us
Limited by what we can observe and measure
Biology is the study of life
Understand your world
Make informed decisions
Understand significance of accomplishments
Swine flu virus
Duck-billed platypus
Mimicry

3. The Case of the Missing Socks: A Case Study of the Scientific Process
Observation(s)
Natural phenomena detected by senses
Must be testable, reproducible, and falsifiable
Hypothesis
Educated guess to explain observation(s)
If … then statements
Testing/experimentation
Doesn’t prove correct, but not wrong
Requires: control and experimental groups, independent and dependent variables
Analysis/interpretation
Partial support
No support
Does support
Repetition
Larger samples
Change variables
Other scientists repeat results
Theory
Tested many times, but not yet disproved

4. Limits to the Scientific Process
No absolute truths
Can’t address supernatural phenomena
Limited by current knowledge and understanding
Can’t answer moral or ethical questions
Limited by our fallibility

5. Life Emerges As A Hierarchy
Emergent properties
Novel properties with each progression in the hierarchy
Reductionism
Reducing complex systems into simpler parts
Limited because life is an emergent property
Organelles

6. Life Interacts in the Environment
Producers convert sunlight & nutrients
Producers create energy
Consumers eat producers or other consumers
Consumer dies
Decomposers break down consumers & producers
Chemical nutrients are released
Multiple roles
Producers
Consumers
Decomposers
2 major processes
Transfer of nutrients
Transfer of energy
Some lost as heat

7. Cells are the Basic Units of Life
Prokaryotic Cell
Eukaryotic Cell
Smaller, less complex
No nucleus or membrane bound organelles
Bacteria
Larger, more complex
Nucleus and membrane bound organelles
Plants, animals, and fungi

8. Basics of All Cells All cells have DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid)
Inherited from parents
Directs proteins, the building blocks of life
Arrangement determines function
Similar to alphabet
Contributes to the diversity of life
All life forms use the same basic code
Can artificially create instructions when necessary

9. Characteristics that Define Life
All living things …
Have organization
Regulate themselves
Metabolize
Grow
Reproduce
Respond
Adapt
Limitations exist

10. Classifying Living Things
Life can have multiple types
Cats, fish, birds, trees, and bacteria
Taxonomy sorts and classifies
Nomenclature to identifiy specific organisms
Developed by Carolus Linnaeus
Binomial system- two parts to organisms name (Genus species)
Panthera pardus
Panthera leo
Panthera tigris
Homo sapiens
Canis familiaris
Canis lupus

11. Taxonomic Hierarchy Different Killer Penguins Crawl Over Frozen
Glacial
Shores
Subheadings exist for all taxons

12. Domains Bacteria Archaea Eukarya Prokaryotes
Most diverse and wide spread
Most are singled-celled
Archaea
Live in extreme environments (extremophiles)
Eukarya
Eukaryotes
Multiple kingdoms
Have a nucleus and membrane bound organelles

13. The Theory of Evolution
On the Origin of the Species by Means of Natural Selection, 1859
“Descent with Modification”
Evolution of ancestors into current species
Occurs through natural selection
Unequal reproductive fitness, not “survival of the fittest”
Facilitates evolutionary adaptation

14. Examples of Selection Natural selection Artificial selection
Peppered moth
Pre- and post-industrial England
Populations of light and dark moths changed
Antibiotic resistance
Importance of taking as prescribed and when necessary
Beta-lactams (penicillin and amoxicillin) are common examples
Artificial selection
Hybrid dogs
Humans are agents
Chosen for specific traits
Labradoodle

15. Types of Selection Natural Selection Artificial Selection
Peppered moth
Antibiotic resistance
Kill some bacteria, but not all
Resistant survive & reproduce
Proportion of antibiotic-resistant bacteria increase
Importance of taking antibiotics as perscribed
Importance of only taking when necessary
E.g. Penicillin, amoxicillin, etc.
Vegetables
Hybrid dogs
Humans are agents
Dog breeds
Human mating

16. Science and Technology
Goals
Science = understand natural phenomenas; create discoveries
Technology = apply science for a purpose; create inventions
Mutualistic relationship
Scientific discoveries lead to new technology development while technology helps scientists in research
Pros vs Cons
Advances in technology vs environmental effects
How much information is too much?
Need for everyone to have a level of scientific knowledge so they can make informed decisions