Introduction to Biology
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Transcript of Introduction to Biology
Biology in the 21st Century
The Study of Life
Biologists study life in all its forms
Earth is Home to an Incredible Diversity of Life!
The Biosphere
All living things and all the places they are found on earth
Biodiversity
The variety of life
Why is biodiversity greater closer to the equator? More living things are able to survive in
consistently warm temperatures than in areas that have changes in temperature
Species
A particular type of living things that can reproduce by interbreeding among themselves About 2 million species have been identified,
but biologists estimate that over 10 million remain to be discovered
Every year about 10,000 new species are identified!
Organism
Any individual
living thing
All organisms share certain characteristics
Characteristics of Life
Cells
Need for energy
Response to environment
Reproduction and development
Cells
All organisms are made up of one or more cells
A cell is the basic unit of life
Need for Energy
Energy is the ability to cause a change or to do work
The form of energy used by all living things is chemical energy
Animals get their energy by eating other organisms
Metabolism – the chemical processes that build up or break down materials
Response to Environment
Light, temperature, and touch are just a few of the physical factors to which organisms must respond.
These factors are called stimuli
Reproduction & Development
Members of a species must have the ability to produce new individuals.
In all organisms, the genetic material is DNA
The process of development allows organisms to mature and gain the ability to reproduce
Unifying Themes of Biology
All Levels of Life Have Systems of Related Parts
A system is an organized group of related parts that interact to form a whole
Two organisms that interact can also be a system
Structure & Function are Related in Biology
What something does (function) in an organism is directly related to its shape or form (structure)
Example: You bite with your sharp front teeth and chew with your molars
Organisms Must Maintain Homeostasis to Survive in Diverse Environments While environmental conditions change,
the conditions inside organisms usually stay stable
Homeostasis is usually maintained through negative feedback, a change in a system causes a response that tends to return that system to its original state
Evolution Explains the Unity and Diversity of Life
Evolution is the change in the genetic makeup of a subgroup of a species over time
It occurs through natural selection of adaptations.
Science is a way of thinking, questioning, and gathering evidence
There is no single “scientific method” but investigations tend to have common stages:
Collecting Observations
Asking Questions
Forming Hypotheses and Making Predictions
Confirming Predictions
Drawing Conclusions
Viewing Conclusions in Context
Observation
the act of noting or perceiving objects or events using the senses
Forming a Hypothesis
HYPOTHESIS – an educated guess based on what is already known
Must be backed up by fact
PREDICTION – expected outcome of a test, assuming the hypothesis is correct
EXPERIMENT – a planned procedure to test a hypothesis
CONTROL GROUP – a group in an experiment that receives no experimental treatment
EXPERIMENTAL GROUP – a group that receives experimental treatment
Control and experimental groups are identical except for one variable!
Variables in an Experiment
INDEPENDENT VARIABLE – the one factor that is changed in an experiment
DEPENDENT VARIABLE – the variable that is measured as a result of the change in the independent variable
Drawing Conclusions
• Once data are collected and analyzed, a conclusion is made as to whether the data support the hypothesis.
• The hypothesis may be supported or rejected.
• A hypothesis can be supported, but never proven because another experiment with new data and new information may alter the conclusion.
• Many experiments must be performed in order for a hypothesis to be proven correct.