What is Biology?
The prefix “bio” means “life”.
The suffix “logy” means “the study of”.
Biology, therefore, is the study of life. All living things
share certain characteristics that non-living things lack.
Characteristics of Living
Organisms
7 Properties of Life
– Cellular Organization
– Reproduction
– Metabolism
– Homeostasis
– Heredity
– Responsiveness
– Growth and Development
Dononliving things have any of these
characteristics in common?
– Answer:
No
Unifying Themes of Biology
Theme 1: Cellular Structure and Function
– Cells are highly organized, tiny structures with
thin coverings called membranes.
– All living things are made up of cells, which:
Are the smallest units capable of all life
functions
Can be single or multi-celled
The human body contains more than 100
trillion cells!
Unifying Themes of Biology
Theme 2: Reproduction
– What is reproduction?
The process by which organisms make more
of their own kind from one generation to the
next.
– ALL living things can reproduce
– Reproduction is an essential part of living
Example: Bacteria reproduce every 15 minutes
Unifying Themes of Biology
Theme 3: Metabolism
– The sum of all the chemical reactions carried
out in an organism.
– Almost all energy used by organisms is
originally captured from sunlight
How?
Unifying Themes of Biology
Theme 3: Metabolism continued
– The energy flows from:
The sun to plants
From the plants to plant-eating organisms,
From plant-eating organisms to meat eating
organisms
– How do humans obtain energy?
From eating a varied diet.
Unifying Themes of Biology
Theme 4: Homeostasis
– The maintenance of internal conditions in spite
of changes in the external environment.
– What do we do to maintain homeostasis of body
temperature?
• We shiver, sweat, or change our behavior.
Unifying Themes of Biology
Theme 5: Heredity
– The passing of traits from parent to offspring
– All living things are able to pass on traits to
their offspring through genes that transfer from
parent to offspring each generation.
Unifying Themes of Biology
– What is a gene?
The basic unit of heredity
Are coded in molecules called DNA
(Deoxyribonucleic acid)
– Mutations are caused by damage to a gene.
Not all mutations are bad!
Unifying Themes of Biology
Harmful Mutations Helpful Mutations
– Sickle Cell anemia – Malaria Resistance
– Cancer – Crop growth and insect
– Down syndrome repellant
– Diabetes
Unifying Themes of Biology
Theme 6: Evolution
– Change in the inherited characteristics of
species over generations.
– A species is a group of genetically similar
organisms that can produce fertile offspring.
Unifying Themes of Biology
Theme 6: Evolution continued
– Charles Darwin was a British naturalist who
supported the theory of natural selection.
– Natural selection states that organisms with
favorable traits are more likely to survive and
reproduce. Think “Survival of the Fittest.”
Unifying Themes of Biology
Theme 7: Interdependence
– When organisms in a biological community
live and interact with other organisms.
– Ecology is the branch of science that studies
the interactions of organisms with each other
and their physical environment.
The Scientific Method
Steps to the Scientific Method:
- Ask a question
- Make observations / research
- Make a hypothesis
- Design and perform an experiment
- Analyze results and draw conclusions
- Communicate results
What is an Experiment?
A planned procedure to test a hypothesis.
All experiments have a control group and
an experimental group.
Control group receives no treatment
Experimental group receives the treatment
under investigation
Everything that is not specifically under
investigation is held constant
What is an Experiment?
All experiments have an independent
variable and a dependent variable.
Independent variable is changed by YOU
during the experiment.
Dependent variable changes in response to
the independent variable.
What is an Experiment?
Use these sentences to help you tell them apart:
1. In my experiment, ____ depends on ____.
The first blank is your dependent variable, and
the second blank is your independent variable.
2. I am studying the effect of ____ on ______.
The first blank is your independent variable, and
the second blank is your dependent variable.
Stages of Scientific
Investigations
Drawing Conclusions and Communicating
Results
– After collecting and analyzing all data, a
conclusion is made and shared.
– It will either support or reject the hypothesis
Hypotheses can only be supported, never
proven.
Stages of Scientific
Investigations
In order for your results to be accepted on a
wide scale, they will need to be replicated
by others…so make sure you write down
your exact procedure very clearly! It’s
harder to do than you would think,
especially if it’s complicated!
Let’s practice