1. Biology

2. Chapter 1 The Study of Life I. Similarities Among Living Things
A. What is Life?
1. Biosphere – the thin layer of air, land, and water that is home to all
living things.
a. Makes up less than 1% of Earth’s mass.
2. Organism – any living thing.
3. Spontaneous Generation – belief that life can come from nonliving
things.
ex – Mice from rags, flies from meat, worms from mud, etc.
4. Biogenesis – Principle that life only comes from life.
a. Each organism can only produce more of it’s own kind or species.

3. B. Characteristics of Life
1. Organization
a. Cell – basic unit of organization in all living things.
1) Some living things are multicellular, some are unicellular.
2. Energy – all organisms are capable of using energy for their life processes.
3. Growth and Development
a. Growth – is an increase in matter.
b. Development – change in shape or form
ex – caterpillar to butterfly, beard/hair on body,

4. 4. Reproduction – process through which new living things are formed.
a. New cells in existing organism or making a new organism.
5. Response and Adaptation
a. Response – reaction to a change in the environment (stimulus)
ex – pupil size, migration, shivering, sneezing, etc.
b. Adaptation – can be short term or long term
1) Way for an entire population to respond to changes in the
environment.
ex – skin color, hair, other body features?

5. C. Organization of Life
1. Cells – basic unit that exhibits all of the characteristics of life.
ex –
2. Tissues – a group of cells working together to perform a specific function.
3. Organs – made of several tissues that function for a specific purpose.
4. Systems – Several organs working together to perform a major function.
5. Organism – any living thing.

6. II. Interdependence – organisms are connected with all things in their environment.
A. Predator–prey relationship
1. Predator – organism that kills and eats other organisms.
ex –
2. Prey – organism that gets eaten.
B. Symbiosis – organisms of different species depending on each other.
1. Mutualism – both partners benefit
2. Commensalism – one partner benefits and the other is unaffected.
3. Parasitism – one member benefits(parasite) and the other is
harmed(host)
ex -

7. C. Humans and the Web of Life
1. Food – can’t live without it.
2. Medicine – living things provide many solutions to illnesses.
3. Clothing
a. silk, wool, cotton
4. Additional Resources –
a. Paper, fuels, lumber, etc.

8. III. Doing the Science of Life
A. Scientific Method – common steps used to gather information to solve
problems.
1. Identify the Problem
a. Stated in the form of a question
2. Collect Information
a. Find out what is already known
3. Form an Hypothesis – testable explanation for a question or problem.
a. A possible explanation to the problem based on knowledge or
experience
4. Test Hypothesis
a. Experiment – procedure that tests a hypothesis by a process of
collecting information under controlled conditions.
b. Control – standard(or experiment) in which all things are kept the
same.
c. Variable – the condition in an experiment that is changed.

9. 5. Analyze & Record Data
a. Record of your procedures and experiment.
1) Write down everything that you did.
6. Draw a Conclusion
a. Determine if the experiment supported your hypothesis.
b. Theory – hypothesis that has been supported by statistical data
over a period of time.
c. Scientific Law – Theory that has been accepted to be true.

10. IV. Science and Society
A. Technology – application of scientific research to society’s needs
and problems
1. Used to make improvements in human life.
Ex –
B. Ethics – the study of what is right and what is wrong.
1. Social and moral issues.
Ex -