CHAPTER 1 BIOLOGY: THE STUDY OF LIFE

Section 1.1

What is biology? Bio = “life” Biology is the study of life How do living things interact with the environment? How do living things interact with other living things?

Biologists also find solutions to ecological, environmental, medical problems.

Where have all the bees gone? Farming industry relies on bees to pollinate their crops to generate fruits & vegetables Farming communities in the U.S. have dropped by 50-70%, colony collapse disorder Why? Fungus, weather changes, predation Radiation

 Characteristics of Living Things Organism = something that displays the characteristics of life, something that’s living

Why isn’t a car considered living? All living things: Have an orderly structure Produce offspring Grow and develop Adjust to changes in the environment Why isn’t a car considered living?

Living Things Are Organized Organization occurs inside and outside an organism Cells = smallest unit that can perform life processes Unicellular = single celled organism Multi-cellular = more than one cell

Organization goes from simple to complex Start with the (1) Atom

Atoms make up (2) Biomolecules like proteins, fats, carbohydrates, DNA, RNA

Biomolecules make up (3) Organelles which make up a (4) Cell

Cells come together to form the (5) Tissues of different (6) Organs

Organs work together in an (7) Organ System to allow an (8) Organism to function.

Living Things Reproduce Reproduction = production of offspring, necessary for the continuation of a species Species = a group of organisms that can interbreed and produce offspring that can also breed

But what about a mule? But what about a liger?

Living Things Grow and Develop Offspring grow and mature to also be able to reproduce

Living Things Can Adjust to Their Surroundings Homeostasis = organisms can maintain a stable internal environment even though the outside environment is changing Including obtaining and using energy, gas exchange with the environment, temperature control, and water balance Stimulus = something that causes the organism to react Response = the reaction to a stimulus

Examples (try to identify the stimulus): The body shivers when the temperature gets cold When you turn the lights off your pupils dilate to allow in more light Your body produces more insulin when there’s more glucose in the bloodstream

Baby Akbar grew to 19 pounds at birth b/c mom had gestational diabetes and didn’t have access to medical care. Baby A was exposed to high levels of glucose in the womb which led to his large size.