Chapter 1

The Nature of Life

Mr. Raucci

The Fallacy

• “Post Hoc, Ergo Propter Hoc”• “________________________________” • A logical fallacy stating, "Since that event

followed this one, ___________________________________________________________.”

The Truth• Sequential occurrence _____________________________________________

SAT BoxLatin

Post – afterErgo – therefore

VocabSequential – in a row

How to Out a WitchBound Submersion

There was no favorable result in this

test; essentially the alleged witch would be bound at the hands and feet – with heavy rocked attached – and

thrown into a body of water. If the body floated to the surface, that was proof, along some kind of whimsical lines, that the accused was indeed a witch (at which point they’d execute her by

some other means). If she sank to the bottom – and inevitably drowned – she was innocent. Given that none of these

girls had received any proper Navy Seals training – inhale, hold your

breath, don’t panic – about 100% of them drowned, with apathetic

standers-by shrugging it off, thinking ‘Oh well. Now we know.”

SAT BoxVocab

Whimsical – spontaneously playfulSubmerse – be belowImmerse – surround withAllege – suggestInevitable – guaranteed

• “Cum Hoc Ergo Propter Hoc” • A logical fallacy stating "with this, therefore

because of this“ – implying that correlation implies causation

The Fallacy

• a correlation between _____________________________________________________________________________

The TruthSAT Box

LatinCum – with

VocabFallacy – false ideaImplying – suggestingCorrelation - relationship

Print out

• http://www.jdenuno.com/PDFfiles/RootWords.pdf

Chapter 1 Vocabulary

• Growth• Homeostasis• Metabolism• Nutrition• Organism• Reproduction• Respiration• Transport

Is Life Common?

• What is Life?• What are the characteristics of life?• Why is there life?

The Drake Equation

• Neil deGrasse Tyson explanation• Big Bang explanation

N = the number of civilizations in our galaxy with which communication might be possible (i.e. which are on our current past light cone)R* = the average number of star formation per year in our galaxyfp = the fraction of those stars that have planetsne = the average number of planets that can potentially support life per star that has planetsfl = the fraction of planets that could support life that actually develop life at some pointfi = the fraction of planets with life that actually go on to develop intelligent life (civilizations)fc = the fraction of civilizations that develop a technology that releases detectable signs of their existence into spaceL = the length of time for which such civilizations release detectable signals into space

N = 10 x .5 x 2 x 1 x .1 x .01 x 40,000

= 400 intelligent alien civilizations with the technology to transmit and potentially contact us.

Next question: If SETI does receive a message, what then?

Characteristics of Life

Biology – the study of living things

1. Living things are highly __________________________________________________________________

2. … are made up ___________________________.3. … use ________________________________4. … have a definite ____________________________5. … have a limited ____________________________6. … grow7. … respond ________________________________8. …are able ___________________________________9. Groups of living things ________________________________

What about a virus?

Viruses are small portions of DNA or RNA surrounded _________________. They are only capable of __________________________________.

Are viruses alive?

What if life is discovered elsewhere? Will we need to refine our definitions?

Flu virus through an electron microscope

SAT BoxVocab

Refine – purify or make distinctions

SAT BoxLatin

Adeno - glandRhino - nose

VocabMosaic – made of many diverse partsEpidemic - widespread

Homeostasis

• Defn: the maintenance ____________________________________________

• The key to understanding life

• Temperature, hormones, hydration, ________________________________________________, …

SAT BoxLatin

Homeo – sameStasis – state ofVaso – blood vessel

VocabMaintenance – continuanceHydration – infuse waterDilation – expansionConstriction - shrinking

Nutrition• Defn: the taking of materials from

_________________________________________________________• Nutrients – substances an organism

__________________________________________________________ (can come in the form of solids, liquids or gases)

• Ingestion – taking in __________ but usually not in a usable form

• Digestion – the ___________________________________ materials into simpler forms

Transport• Defn: the process by which _______________________________________________________

SAT BoxLatin

Extra – outsideIntra - inside

(Cellular) Respiration• The obtaining of __________________________________________________________.

– Aerobic – while utilizing ______________– _________ – without utilizing oxygen

SAT BoxLatin

Aer – airAn - without

VocabUtilizing - using

Synthesis

• Defn: combining simple substances ________________

_________________ _________________.

SAT BoxLatin

Syn – withThesis – put

VocabComplementary – fitting together

Growth• Increasing size

– Unicellular – _________________– Multicellular – ____________________________

• specialization

• Animal growth is time defined• Some Plants & some other organisms can

grow indefinitely

SAT BoxLatin

Uni – oneMulti - many

VocabIndefinitely – without end

Excretion• The process of

_________________________

• Differs from secretion

SAT BoxLatin

Ex – out or fromphoto - light

Regulation• The process of __________________________• In animals performed by __________________________________________________________

– Endocrine – hormones = chemical messengers (also used by plants)

– Nervous – neuro-chemical impulses Demo 1 – kidneys

Demo 2 - temperature

SAT BoxLatin

Endo –withinExo – outside of

Reproduction• Necessary for continuation of a species but not an

individual organism• Sexual – _______________________________• Asexual – ______________________________

SAT BoxLatin

A - notVocab

Clone – exact copyTrait - characterisitc

Metabolism

• The sum total of ____________________________________________________________________

• Anabolism• Catabolism

SAT BoxLatin

Ana – up or repeatingCata – down

VocabAnabolism – building upCatabolism – breaking down