What is Biology? Section 1.1 East Islip High School

Objectives Vocabulary Recognize some possible benefits from studying biology. Summarize the characteristics of living things. Adaptation Biology Development Evolution Growth Homeostasis Organisms Organization Reproduction Response Stimulus

What is Biology? Biology is the study of living things

What is Biology? Biologists still have lots to learn about the living world. For example: Medical advancements Undiscovered species Human impact on the environment Relationships between living organisms and the nonliving things they depend upon for survival

What is Biology? Biologists ask what, why, and how questions Watson & Crick Charles Darwin Marie Curie Jane Goodall Gregor Mendel

What is Biology? It is not always easy to identify an object as living or nonliving Biologists identified a list of characteristics that describe living things, although some nonliving things display some of these characteristics

What is Biology? Objects must display all 5 of the following characteristics to be considered living things:

What is Biology? 1. Organization Have an orderly structure made up of cells containing DNA

What is Biology? 2. Reproduction Survival of the species depends on producing offspring

What is Biology? 3. Growth and development Changes during lifetime

What is Biology? 4. Stimulus causing a response to adjust to changes in the environment Internal and external changes to maintain homeostasis

What is Biology? 5. Adaptation and evolution Well-suited objects will survive and reproduce

What is Biology? Living things that possess these characteristics are known as organisms

Summary & Evaluation 1. How does society benefit from the study of biology? Benefits include advances in medical treatments and disease prevention, learning more about how the human body functions, increasing knowledge of human relationships and better understanding of how to sustain the web of life on Earth.

Summary & Evaluation 2. What are some characteristics of living things? All living things have an orderly structure, produce offspring, grow and develop, and adjust to changes in the environment. Sometimes nonliving things have one or more of these characteristics, but unless something has all of them it is not considered to be a living thing.

Summary & Evaluation 3. What is a group of organisms that can interbreed and produce fertile offspring? A group of organisms that can interbreed and produce fertile offspring is a species.

Summary & Evaluation 4. What is the importance of homeostasis? Homeostasis is the regulation of an organism's internal environment to maintain conditions suitable for survival. Without the ability to make such adjustments, an organism will die.

Summary & Evaluation 5. Which of the following is an example of an adaptation? A. the gradual change in a species over time B. changing only one condition at a time during an experiment C. possessing large eyes for efficient night vision D. all the changes that take place during the lifetime of an organism The answer is C.

Homework Read pages 3 – 10. Do # 1-6 on page 10. Remember: On your homework assignment, you must include: 1st Line Name Date Assigned Period 2nd Line Description of assignment Write your answers in informative complete sentences.