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2. 2 Sylvia S. Mader Concepts of Biology © Zanichelli editore, 2012 Immagini e concetti della biologia Sylvia S. Mader

3. 3 A1 – Biology: Studying Life Sylvia S. Mader Concepts of Biology © Zanichelli editore, 2012

4. 4 Life is diversified, abundant and world wide diffused, from microscopic bacteria to giant plants. Living Organisms share Common Characteristics

5. 5 Sylvia S. Mader Concepts of Biology © Zanichelli editore, 2012 More complex organisms, such as fungi, animals and plants, are characterized by how they acquire food. Living Organisms share Common Characteristics HeterotrophicAutotrophic

6. 6 Sylvia S. Mader Concepts of Biology © Zanichelli editore, 2012 Atoms are composed of subatomic particles. Two or more atoms compose molecules. Cells are the smallest functional units of life. A tissue is a group of cells with similar functions. Organs combine several tissues that function together. Atoms Molecules Cells Tissues Organs Living Organisms share Common Characteristics Life is well organized into several levels

7. 7 Sylvia S. Mader Concepts of Biology © Zanichelli editore, 2012 Organ systems are composed of several organs working together. An organism is a recognizable, self-contained individual. A population is a group of many individuals of the same species living in the same area. Organs Organ Systems Organisms Population Living Organisms share Common Characteristics Life is well organized into several levels

8. 8 Sylvia S. Mader Concepts of Biology © Zanichelli editore, 2012 Population Community Ecosystem Biosphere Biological communities are composed by different populations. Together with the physical environment, biological communities form an ecosystem. The biosphere is the sum of all ecological systems. 8 Living Organisms share Common Characteristics Life is well organized into several levels

9. 9 Sylvia S. Mader Concepts of Biology © Zanichelli editore, 2012 The following characteristics are common to all living organisms: Order Response to stimuli Can regulate their internal environment Acquire and use energy Reproduce Use genetic material Evolve Adapt to the environment Living Organisms share Common Characteristics

10. 10 Sylvia S. Mader Concepts of Biology © Zanichelli editore, 2012 Taxonomy classifies organisms into taxa TaxonHumanSweet corn DomainEukarya KingdomAnimaliaPlantae PhylumChordataAntophyta ClassMammaliaMonocotyledones OrderPrimatesCommelinales FamilyHominidaePoaceae GenusHomoZea Species*Homo sapiensZea mays *Taxonomy uses the two-part binomial system of categorizing organisms according to genus and species. The Classification of Life on Earth to Understand Diversity

11. 11 Sylvia S. Mader Concepts of Biology © Zanichelli editore, 2012 All the organisms descended from a single-celled ancestor and evolved into more and more complex organisms. The Classification of Life on Earth to Understand Diversity Three domains

12. 12 Sylvia S. Mader Concepts of Biology © Zanichelli editore, 2012 Bacteria and Archaea are also called Prokaryotes, unicellular organisms lacking a nucleus. The domain Eukarya contains more complex organisms with a membrane-bounded nucleus called Eukaryotes. The Classification of Life on Earth to Understand Diversity

13. 13 Sylvia S. Mader Concepts of Biology © Zanichelli editore, 2012 Protista: unicellular to multicellular organisms. Fungi: molds, yeasts and mushrooms. Plantae: multicellular photo-synthesizer. The Classification of Life on Earth to Understand Diversity The domain Eukarya contains four kingdoms: Animalia: multicellular complex organisms.

14. 14 Sylvia S. Mader Concepts of Biology © Zanichelli editore, 2012 The scientific name has two elements: 1. Name of the genus; 2. Name of the “specific epithet”. For example the scientific name for the Eastern Mistletoe is Phoradendron tomentosum. The Classification of Life on Earth to Understand Diversity Two-parts binomial scientific names

15. 15 Sylvia S. Mader Concepts of Biology © Zanichelli editore, 2012 The Biosphere is divided into ecosystems and comprises the lower part of the atmosphere, the hydrosphere and the lithosphere where organisms live. How is the Biosphere Organized?

16. 16 Sylvia S. Mader Concepts of Biology © Zanichelli editore, 2012 Grassland Ecosystem Plants transform energy from the sun into organic molecules. Animals use those nutrients. Waste materials are used by decomposers. How is the Biosphere Organized?

17. 17 Sylvia S. Mader Concepts of Biology © Zanichelli editore, 2012 Within the ecosystem chemical substances cycle, while energy flows but does not cycle. How is the Biosphere Organized? Normally the energy of an ecosystem is provided by the sun as solar energy and is transformed by the organisms into chemical energy. Most of the energy is lost in the form of heat.

18. 18 Sylvia S. Mader Concepts of Biology © Zanichelli editore, 2012 Biologists use the scientific method to expand our understanding of life. The Scientific Method

19. 19 Sylvia S. Mader Concepts of Biology © Zanichelli editore, 2012 The scientific method includes all the following steps: Observations of the phenomenon Questions Hypothesis (Inductive logic) and Predictions (Deductive logic) Testing and experiments Conclusions The Scientific Method

20. 20 Sylvia S. Mader Concepts of Biology © Zanichelli editore, 2012 The most important theories in Biology are: The Theory of the Cell The Theory of Genes The Theory of Evolution The Theory of Homeostasis The Theory of Ecosystems The final aim for all scientific disciplines is to understand the natural environment and to provide Scientific Theories. The Scientific Method