1. Introduction into General Biology Dr. Cory L. Blackwell August 25, 2015

2. What is Biology???? Bio- (life)……..-ology (study of) Biology is the fundamental study of life and living organisms, including their structure, function, growth, origin, evolution, distribution, and taxonomy Biology is a broad field of science – Can you name some of these subdivisions?

3. Subdivisions of biology are recognized on the basis of the scale at which organisms are studied – Biochemistry examines the basic chemistry of life – Molecular Biology studies the interactions of the systems of biological molecules – Cellular Biology studies the basic building block of life, the cell. – Physiology examines the physical and chemical functions of tissues and organ systems – Ecology examines how various organisms interact with one another and with the environment *List is not all-inclusive*

4. Contributors to the Field of Biology Hippocrates (Greek Physician) – “Father of Western Medicine” Anton von Leeuwenhoek (Dutch Scientist) – “Father of Microbiology” Gregor Mendel (Moravian Monk/Scientist) – “Father of Genetics” Charles Darwin (English Geologist) – “Father of Evolution” Francis Crick and James Watson (Rosalind Franklin) – Deciphered the structure of DNA

5. Three States of Being Living Dead Non-living

6. Living, Dead or Non-Living????

8. Living, Dead, or Non-Living

9. Living, Dead or Non-Living????

10. Seven Characteristics of Life 1.Cellular Organization—all living organisms consist of one or more cells 2.Ordered Complexity—Living organisms contain many complex molecular structures and systems that are highly ordered 3.Sensitivity—living things all react or respond to stimuli.

11. 4.Growth, Development, and Reproduction— all organisms are capable growing and reproducing. Through reproducing they pass on genetic material to their offspring 5.Energy Utilization—all living things use energy to live and grow 6.Homeostasis—All organisms maintain relatively constant internal conditions that are different from their environment

12. 7.Evolutionary Adaptation—all organisms interact with other organisms and their environment in ways that influence their survival. – “Survival of the Fittest” or “Only the Strong Survive” – http://www.nature.com/scitable/topicpage/evolut ionary-adaptation-in-the-human-lineage-12397 http://www.nature.com/scitable/topicpage/evolut ionary-adaptation-in-the-human-lineage-12397 – “Survival of the Sickest” by Sharon Moalem

13. Living, Dead or Non-Living???? Influenza A Virus

14. Hierarchical Organization The organization of the biological world is arranged from smallest to largest. – Each level builds on the level below it (upside down pyramid) There are five levels of hierarchical organization

15. 1. Cellular Level At the cellular level, atoms interact to form molecules. Complex biological molecules are assembled into organelles. – Organs of a cell Organelles are contained within membrane- bound units called cells.

16. 2. The Organismal Level Cells, in complex multi-cellular organisms, exhibit different levels of organization – Tissues Groups of similar cells that acts as a functional unit – Organs Body structures composed of several different tissues – Organ systems Multiple organs that work together to complete a function – Organism Comprised of the different organ systems working together

18. 3. The Population Level Individual organisms can be categorized into several hierarchical levels in the living world – Species A particular kind of organism form a species (humans) – Population Group of organisms of the same species living in the same place (humans in Clermont) – Biological Community Consists of all the populations of DIFFERENT species living together in the same environment (all living organisms in Clermont)

19. 4. Ecosystem Level The biological community AND the physical habitat (non-living) that the community lives is known as an Ecosystem – Swamps – Deserts – Jungles

20. 5. The Biosphere The combination of all ecosystems The planet Earth is a Biosphere Reductionism—principle of trying to understand a complex system by examining its simple components

22. Classification and Identification of Life Diversity is the hallmark of life – 1.8 million species have been identified – Group organisms according to their similarities What drives this diversity???? DNA analysis divide all organisms into 3 domains – Eukaryotes, Bacteria, and Archaea Bacteria and Archaea make up the group Prokaryotes

23. Taxonomy Taxonomy—the science of classifying organisms (taxa—categories of organisms) Provides a reference for identifying organisms Carlos Linnaeus introduced a formal system of classification – Used Latin names to provide a “common” language for all organisms

24. Figure 10.1 The Three-Domain System. Bacteria Mitochondria Cyanobacteria Chloroplasts Thermotoga Gram-positive bacteria Proteobacteria Horizontal gene transfer occurred within the community of early cells. Nucleoplasm grows larger Mitochondrion degenerates Giardia Euglenozoa Diatoms Dinoflagellates Ciliates Animals Fungi Amebae Slime molds Plants Green algae Eukarya Extreme halophiles Methanogens Hyperthermophiles Origin of chloroplasts Origin of mitochondria Archaea Vertical Gene Transfer Lateral Gene Transfer

25. Scientific Nomenclature Common names – Vary with languages and with geography – Spanish Moss Tillandsia usneiodes Binomial nomenclature (genus + specific epithet) – Used worldwide – Genus capitalized and species lowercase Escherichia coli and Homo sapiens

26. Taxonomic Hierarchy Domain Kingdom Phylum Class Order Family Genus Species

27. What is Science? Science is concerned with developing an increasingly accurate understanding of the world around us using both observation and reasoning – Inquiry—search for information and explanations of natural phenomena – Data—recorded observations Qualitative or Quantitative Two types of reasoning 1.Deductive Reasoning 2.Inductive Reasoning

28. Deductive vs. Inductive Reasoning Deductive starts as a general statement and examines possibilities to reach a conclusion (general to specific) – All men are dogs. Dwayne Johnson is a man. Dwayne Johnson must be a dog. Inductive makes broad generalizations based on specific observations (specific to general) – Shakira is a great dancer. Shakira is Colombian. All Colombians are great dancers. – Also known as Inference

29. Scientific Method Every scientific discipline is governed by the scientific method. Defined as the body of techniques utilized in investigating phenomena, acquiring new knowledge, or correcting and integrating previous knowledge Five steps to the scientific method

30. 5 Steps of the Scientific Method 1.Present a question Why did my car not start this morning? 2.Form a hypothesis—a conjecture or belief based on already established information The car did not start because the battery is “dead”. 3.Make a prediction If I get a new battery the car will start.

31. 5 Steps of Scientific Method 4.Test your hypothesis (Experiment) Purchase a new battery from Autozone, replace the battery, turn the ignition. 5.Observe results and make an analysis Did the car start? If not, then form another hypothesis “Control vs. Experimental” Control Experiment have pre-established outcomesand are used to validate the experiment Independent vs. Dependent variable