Yeast Lab!

What makes something living? Consider the following questions… How big/complex must something be? What must it be able to do? Where must it come from? What are the essential components? How is it different from something nonliving? Is seeing believing?????? Is Yeast living?

So, what makes something living? 1. Living things are based on a universal genetic code. All organisms store the complex information they need to live, grow, and reproduce in a genetic code written in a molecule called DNA ! The information is copied and passed on from parent to offspring. With a few minor variations, life’s genetic code is almost identical in every organism on Earth.

2. Living things grow and develop. Every organism has a particular pattern of growth and development. During development, a single fertilized egg divides and divides again. As these cells divide, they differentiate, which means they begin to look different from one another and perform different functions.

3. Living things respond to their environment. Organisms detect and respond to stimuli from their environment. A stimulus is a signal to which an organism responds.

4. Living things reproduce. All organisms reproduce, which means that they produce new similar organisms. Most plants and animals engage in sexual reproduction. In sexual reproduction, cells from two parents unite to form the first cell of a new organism. Other organisms reproduce through asexual reproduction, in which a single organism produces offspring identical to itself.

5. Living things maintain a stable internal environment. Most organisms need to keep conditions inside their bodies as constant as possible, even when external conditions change dramatically. All living organisms expend energy to keep conditions inside their cells within certain limits. This process is called homeostasis.

6. Living things obtain and use materials and energy. All organisms must take in materials and energy to grow, develop, and reproduce. The combination of chemical reactions through which an organism builds up or breaks down materials is called metabolism.

7. Taken as a group, living things evolve. Over generations, groups of organisms evolve, or change over time. Evolutionary change links all forms of life to a common origin more than 3.5 billion years ago. Evidence of this shared history is found in all aspects of living and fossil organisms, from physical features to structures of proteins to sequences of information in DNA.

8. Living things are made up of cells. Organisms are composed of one or more cells- the smallest units considered fully alive. Cells can grow, respond to their surroundings, and reproduce. Despite their small size, cells are complex and highly organized.

Characteristics of life summary 1. Living things are based on a universal genetic code. 2. Living things grow and develop. 3. Living things respond to their environment. 4. Living things reproduce. 5. Living things maintain a stable internal environment (homeostasis). 6. Living things obtain and use materials and energy (metabolism). 7. Taken as a group, living things evolve. 8. Living things are made up of cells.

Scientific Method Summary: Make Observations and Ask Questions Form a Hypothesis Design an Investigation Test the Predictions Analyze the Results Conclusion

Make Observations and Ask Questions Describe what you can see, taste, smell, feel, etc! What is yeast? What would it need to be considered living? What will we be looking at in this experiment

Form a Hypothesis Hypothesis: is a possible explanation for an observation or a scientific problem that is given to you. Must include only one independent variable Example: If you increase the light intensity, then the plant growth rate will increase.

Design an Investigation Identify the variables: Independent variable Set by the person carrying out the investigation (ex. time, temperature, light intensity, pH) Dependent variable Measured during the investigation (ex. plant growth, heart rate etc) Controlled variable Factors that are kept the same or controlled. (ex. Amount of water, fertilizer, temperature)

Design an Investigation An experiment typically contains a: Control group Exposed to the same conditions as the experimental group except for one independent variable. Serves as a standard for comparison to the… Experimental group The group that the independent variable is applied to.

Test the Predictions Use step by step procedure to perform your experiment

Analyze the Results Discuss trends in the data you collected in your experiment You may have to perform calculations depending on the data you collect

Conclusion Does your data all0w you to support or reject your hypothesis? What did you learn from this experiment, and how does this connect to the knowledge you had going into the experiment? How would you do the experiment if you were to perform it again?

Scientific Method Summary: Make Observations and Ask Questions Form a Hypothesis Make Predictions Design an Investigation Test the Predictions Analyze the Results Conclusion