Studying Life After the lesson we will be able to identify the major branches of biology and identify some of the basic tools that biologists use to study biological organisms.

Studying Life Biology is the study of life! – Sub specialties could include botany, paleontology, marine biology, …All are biologists Sub-Specialties – Cell biologist – Molecular biologist – Conservation biologist – Bioinformatics – microbiologist – Biochemists…

Systems Approach to Biology Each system is part of a larger system. – Atoms make up Molecules – Molecules make up Cells (basic unit of life) – Cells make up Tissues (a group of cells serving a particular purpose) – Tissues make up organs (group of organs working together) – Organs make up the organism (multi-cellular) – A group of similar organisms make up a population (of the same species… can reproduce) – Groups of populations make up a community (interacting or affecting each other) – The community and its non-living surrounding make up the ecosystem – All living things on the Earth form the biosphere

Properties of Living Organisms – All living things MUST be able to reproduce and produce (convert) energy! They all share these other 3 characteristics to varying degrees – Cell is the basic unit of life – Genetic code is conserved (same) between species – Respond to environment » Maintain homeostasis or maintain a stable internal environment » Exhibit Evolution or change over time

Studying Biology Microscopes… study objects too small to be seen with the “naked” eye – Light Microscope… uses lenses and light (photons) to view object Can see objects as small as bacteria

– Electron Microscope… coats object with a reflective (metallic) surface to bounce electrons off of it producing a 3D image Can see cell surfaces and organelles Resolving power 0.2  m (organelles, viruses,…) – SEM (scanning electron microscope) allows the scientist see 3D structures – TEM (transmission) allows the scientist to see internal structures

Studying Biology – Cell culture… creating a cell line from an individual cell for study Used in biotechnology for the development and testing of biologics – Cell fractionation… splitting cells to study the contents Cell digestion using enzymes Broken cells are spun in a centrifuge to separate parts based on mass Used in biotechnology in the purification and validation process