The Science of Biology Section 3: Studying Life

Characteristics of Living Things ALL living things share the following characteristics: Made up of basic units called cells Based on a universal genetic code Obtain and use materials and energy – metabolism (rate of chemical reactions in the body) Grow and develop

Characteristics of Living Things (cont’d) Reproduce Respond to their environment; stimulus = anything that causes a response Maintain a stable internal environment – homeostasis Change over time - evolve

Big Ideas of Biology Cellular Basis of Life Information and heredity Matter and energy Growth, development, and reproduction Homeostasis Evolution Structure and function Unity and diversity of life Interdependence in nature Science as a way of knowing

Cellular Basis of Life Living things are made of cells Can be single cell or many cells Can be different shapes, sizes, and functions

Information and Heredity Living things have DNA or a code Code for proteins We found DNA in living things back 3.5 billion years

Matter and Energy Matter serves as nutrients Nutrients are the “building blocks” of structure and provide energy Energy = fuel Need for matter and energy connects all living things in a web

Growth, Development, Reproduction Growth = change in size Development = change in structure Reproduction = more of the individual; continuity of life

Homeostasis Stable internal environment Body temperature Amount of water Regulate use of energy - metabolism Function correctly

Evolution All living things come from a single common ancestor about 3.5 BILLION years ago All living things are related…some closer than others Man is NOT from monkeys

Structure and Function Each group of living things have their own unique structure Structures allow unique function Structures allow survival = adaptation

Unity and Diversity of Life All living things are similar at the molecular level All made of common set of molecules – DNA – Water – Proteins

Interdependence in Nature All living things are “connected” within the biosphere Living things are connected to land, water and air Interdependent on cycling of matter and flow of energy

Science as a Way of Knowing Not just memorizing list of facts Process of observations, questions, experimentations Discovery of rules and patterns Prediction of events in nature

Performing Biological Investigations Biologists rely on a common system of measurement Practice safety procedures when conducting studies – experiments and investigations You will become familiar with scientific measurement and safety procedures

American Units of Measurement Length - inch, foot, yard, mile, fathom, rod, furlong, league, mil, pole, perch, hand, link, chain Mass - pound, ounce, dram, grain, pennyweight, hundredweight, ton Volume – teaspoon, tablespoon, fluid ounce, cup, pint, quart, gallon, minim, fluid dram, gill, peck, bushel, barrel Temperature – degrees Fahrenheit

The Metric System Length – meter Mass – gram Volume – liter (cubic meter) Temperature – degrees Celcius (Kelvin) There’s much less to learn/remember!!

Metric Prefixes When using the metric system, we use prefixes in front of the base units (meters, grams, liters... etc.) Kilo – (1,000 x base unit) Hecta – (100 x base unit) Deka – (10 x base unit) base unit (meters, grams, liters... etc.) deci – (1/10 of base unit) centi – (1/100 of base unit) milli – (1/1,000 of base unit) Based on units of ten!!!

Conversions within American Standard Unit There’s no rhyme or reason for conversions. Length: 12 inches = 1 foot; 3 feet = 1 yard; 5,280 feet = 1 mile Volume: 3 teaspoons = 1 Tablespoon; 2 cups = 1 pint; 2 pints = 1 quart; 4 quarts = 1 gallon Mass: 16 ounces = 1 pound; 2,000 pounds = 1 ton

Arbitrary Values Make Conversions Difficult How many feet are there in 45 yards? How many yards are in 160 miles? How many gallons are in 18 quarts? How many cups are in 5 gallons? How many ounces are in 16 pounds? How many pounds are in 4.35 tons? Whip out the ole calculators!!

Based on Units of Ten; Therefore, Just Move Decimals If there are 1000 meters in 1 kilometer, then how many meters are in 3 kilometers? If there are meters in 1 millimeter, then how many meters are in 3,000 millimeters? Decimals are a cinch too! How many meters are in kilometers?

Everyone Is Using It!!! The world uses the metric system of measurement There are three countries (the United States being one of them) that still uses the confusing English system Because the U.S. is such a superpower, we force the world to convert our units to the metric and we have to convert metric to ours!

USA Liberia Myanmar

3 Simple Reasons Why the U.S. Should Use the Metric Less units of measurement to learn/remember Easy to convert and calculate because it’s based on units of ten The rest of the world is using it – Makes products more compatible – Less confusing when travelling to foreign countries

Scientific Measurement Scientists need a common system of measurement – Researchers need to replicate other’s experiments – Many experiments involve gathering quantitative data Most scientists use the metric system when collecting data and performing experiments – Units are based on multiples of TEN – Revised version is called the International System of Units or SI

The Metric System The common or base unit of measurement in the metric system for length, mass, and volume are the following: – Length = meter (m) – Mass = gram (g) – Volume = liter (l)

Safety Scientists are trained to be safe when performing scientific experiments and investigations. Careful preparation is key to staying safe. Most important safety rule in class is to always follow the instructions of your teacher.