1. Welcome to CP-Biology!!!
- Mr. Elliott

2. Chapter 1 – Intro to Biology
What is Biology?
Biology- the study of living things(organisms)
Organism- any living thing
ex: plants, animals, bacteria, fungi, protists

3. What are the Characteristics of Living Things?

4. Characteristics of Living Things
1) All living things are made of cells
Cells are the basic unit of life
Unicellular- having only one cell
ex: paramecium or amoeba
Multicellular- having many cells
ex: plants and animals

5. 2) Reproduction- All living things can reproduce
Reproduction is when organisms make more of their own kind, passing DNA one generation to the next
Asexual- reproduction involving only one organism
ex: bacteria simply divide into 2 new cells
Sexual- reproduction involving 2 parents
ex: sperm & egg(animals), pollen & egg(plants)

6. 3) Metabolism- all living things use energy to grow and move
Metabolism is the sum of all chemical reactions carried out by an organism
Photosynthesis- plants & some bacteria use solar energy to make their own food
Respiration- ALL Organisms use respiration to break down food to produce needed energy
*Photosynthesis-makes food vs. Respiration- produces energy*

7. 4) Homeostasis- all organisms must maintain a stable internal environment
Homeostasis is the ability to stabilize internal body conditions
ex: body temperature
breathing rate
heart rate
- automatic in humans, but not in all organisms
* Reptiles must lay in the sun to warm their bodies

8. 5) Growth & Development- all living. things grow(increase in size) and
5) Growth & Development- all living things grow(increase in size) and develop(increase in complexity)

9. The Scientific Method
The scientific method is a logical approach to problem solving (6 steps)
1) Make Observations & Identify a Problem
Use all your senses(sight, sound, touch, smell, taste)
2) Gather Background Information
Find out what is already know about the question you have

10. 3) Form a Hypothesis & Make Predictions
Hypothesis: If __________, then _________
explains what you are going to do and what you expect to happen
ex: If radish seeds are exposed to aspirin, then they will not germinate properly.

11. 4) Conduct an Experiment
Experiment- a planned procedure to test a hypothesis
Variables- a good experiment only has 2 variables
Independent Variable- the variable that the experimenter is controlling
ex: aspirin
Dependent Variable- the variable that changes based on the independent variable
ex: germination of radish seeds
Controls- factors that remain constant in an experiment
ex: # of seeds used, amount of water, room temp

12. 5) Collect and Analyze Data
Use tables, charts and graphs to collect and display data
6) Form Conclusions Based on the Data
Decide of the data supports your hypothesis
Explain what errors may have occurred
Explain what your data tells about your experiment