UNIF YING

THEMES OF LIFE
 THEMES OF LIFE
- basic ideas that apply to all
organisms

- connects many things in

the exploration of life
 1. BIOLOGICAL SYSTEMS
• SYSTEM
– has properties/ functions based on the arrangement
and interactions of its parts
– together, the parts of our body enables us to move

Example: Organ System

• contraction of muscles
attached to bones causes
movement

• blood vessels then supply

these parts with oxygen and
food
 1. BIOLOGICAL SYSTEMS
• Ecosystem
– organisms in the ecosystem require a steady supply
of certain chemicals to live

plants obtain most of animals acquire most of chemicals are returned to

their necessary the chemicals they need the soil by bacteria and
chemicals from the by eating plants or other fungi that decompose the
soil, water and air animals wastes and remains of
 1. BIOLOGICAL SYSTEMS
• Interaction of organisms with each other and
with the nonliving environment put the
system in ecosystem

*The biological systems theme applies to all

levels of life from the biosphere all the way
down to the molecules in cells
 2. THE CELLULAR BASIS OF LIFE
• All organisms are
made of cells
• Levels of organization:
- cell
- tissue
- organ
- system
- organism
 2. THE CELLULAR BASIS OF LIFE
• Most multicellular organisms have cells that
are specialized for different functions
Muscle cells
Contract and enable us to move

Nerve cells
Transmit impulses that control our muscles
 2. THE CELLULAR BASIS OF LIFE
• A multicellular organism’s development and
survival are based on the functions and
interactions of its many cells

* The cellular basis of life is a theme you will

encounter often as you explore the living world
 3. STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION
• The relationship between structure and
function is apparent in the entire organism
and the physiological systems that serve
them
• The structure determines function, function
reflects structure
– Technically, they are inseparable
 3. STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION
The aerodynamic shape of the bird’s wing
Elliptical Wings
Birds that must maneuver in forested habitats have
elliptical wings.
Elliptical wings are slotted between primary feathers
to prevent stalling at low speeds
The small chickadee can change its course within
0.03 seconds.
Elliptical Wings
(Fly catcher) High-Aspect Ratio
Birds that feed on the wing or make long migrations
have high-speed wings.
These wings sweep back and taper to a slender tip;
High Aspect Ratio
this reduces turbulence.
(Swallow)
They are flat in section and lack wing-tip slotting.
 3. STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION
The aerodynamic shape of the bird’s wing
Dynamic Soaring wings
Albatrosses, gannets and other oceanic soaring birds
have long, narrow wings.
They have the highest aerodynamic efficiency of any
design, but are less maneuverable.
These birds exploit the highly reliable sea winds and
air currents of different velocities.

Dynamic Soaring High-Lift Wings

Wings Vultures, hawks, eagles, owls and other birds of prey
(Albatross) that carry heavy loads have wings with slotting, alulas
and pronounced camber. This produces high lift at slow
speed.
High- Lift Wings Wings of these birds have an aspect ratio
(Hawk) intermediate between elliptical wings and high aspect
ratio wings. Many are land soarers; broad, slotted wings
allow sensitive response for static
 3. STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION
• The structure of the bird’s bones contributes to the bird’s
ability to fly

Inside the bones, an open, honeycomb-

like structure provides great strength
with little weight

Birds have long extensions of nerve cells

that control their flight muscles

These fibers make it possible for the

bird’s brain to coordinate flying
movements
 4. REPRODUCTION AND INHERITANCE
• “Like begets like”
– The offspring inherits units of
information called genes from
their parents
• Genes:
– Responsible for family
resemblance
– Made up of information-rich
molecules called DNA
 4. REPRODUCTION AND INHERITANCE
• Each cell in the body
contains a copy of all DNA
that were inherited from
our mother and father
– When a cell divides, it
copies its DNA and passes
this genetic information on
to each of the two cells it
produces
 4. REPRODUCTION AND INHERITANCE
• In humans, an egg cell from the mother
fuses with a sperm cell from the father
– This results in a fertilized cell containing a
combination of DNA from both parents
– The inherited DNA directs the transformation of the
fertilized egg into a person with his/her own eye color,
facial features and other characteristics
• *The inherited information in the form of DNA
enables organisms to produce their own kind
5. ENVIRONMENTAL INTERACTIONS
• No organism is completely isolated from its
surroundings
• As part of an ecosystem, each organism
interacts continuously with its environment
– The plants obtain water and nutrients from the
soil, carbon dioxide from the air and energy
from sunlight
5. ENVIRONMENTAL INTERACTIONS
• The transfer of chemicals between
organisms and their environments is a key
process in any ecosystem
– Breathing air, drinking water, eating food and
getting rid of wastes are chemical exchanges
with the environment
5. ENVIRONMENTAL INTERACTIONS
• There is a constant sensing and responding to changes in
the environment

The specialized leaf of the

Venus flytrap senses the
light footsteps of a soon-to-
be-digested fly

The plant responses by

rapidly folding the leaf
together
5. ENVIRONMENTAL INTERACTIONS
• There is a constant sensing and responding to changes in
the environment

The sun may cause

organism to squint

The bark of an
approaching dog causes
you to turn your head
quickly
 6. ENERGY AND LIFE
• Moving, growing, reproducing and other activities
of life require energy
• Energy is obtained
from chemical
reactions
– Sugars, fats and
other “fuel-like”
molecules in the
food produce energy
 6. ENERGY AND LIFE
• Energy enters the ecosystem as sunlight

Plants are producers that convert

light energy to chemical energy
stored in food

Animals and other consumers

obtain their energy in chemical
form by eating

Energy exist in the ecosystem as

heat, which all organisms generate
as they perform work
 6. ENERGY AND LIFE
• Because all organisms lose energy in the
form of heat, an ecosystem cannot recycle
energy

*Life on Earth depends on a continuous supply

of energy from the sun
 7. REGULATION
• Organisms have the ability to regulate their internal
conditions
The thermostat of the brain reacts
whenever your body temperature
varies slightly from 37◦C

It then sends signals to the skin to

produce sweat. Sweating helps cool
the body

Panting is another example of

cooling mechanism. It causes
moisture from the surface of the
lungs to evaporate
 7. REGULATION
• The ability of mammals and birds to
regulate body temperature is another
example of homeostasis or “steady-state”
• Different mechanisms enable organisms to
regulate their internal environment despite
changes in their external environment
 8. EVOLUTION AND DIVERSITY
• Explains changes in organisms over long periods
of time
– Adaptation allows life forms to acquire new
characteristics in response to their environment
through the process of natural selection

Some animals
make their coats
lightened to
facilitate hiding
from predators
 8. EVOLUTION AND DIVERSITY
• The study of evolution is helping health professionals
understand how disease-causing bacteria become
resistant to antibiotic drugs
• Environmental issues such as water and air pollution are
changing how people think about their relationship with
the biosphere
• The population then evolves with its need for survival
 8. EVOLUTION AND DIVERSITY
Darker beetles are more likely to survive longer and
reproduce, passing their genes on to more offsprings
 8. EVOLUTION AND DIVERSITY
• Great diversity exists among the three domains of living
things:
– Bacteria, Archea and Eukarya
• Evolution explains this diversity

• Charles Darwin and

Alfred Wallace
– Worked on the idea of
evolution by natural
selection
 9. SCIENTIFIC INQUIRY
• Involves asking questions about nature and then using
observations or experiments to find possible answers to
those questions
By fitting a radio transmitter
onto an Atlantic turtle,
researchers can monitor its
movement

This can help researchers

determine how large a nature
preserve must be to support a
population
 9. SCIENTIFIC INQUIRY
• Modern biology is changing humans’ everyday lives
– New findings about the DNA affect medicine and agriculture
– Research on the nervous system is improving the treatment of
certain mental illnesses
– The result of stem cell research, animal cloning, environmental
issues, genetically modified crops or new ways to treat diseases
show the impact of biology
 10. SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND
SOCIETY
• Technology applies scientific knowledge in new ways

In 2013, Australia
developers created a
prototype for a bionic eye.

It sends an image to a
microchip in the brain,
allowing the user to “see”
the image
 10. SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND
SOCIETY
• Through science, humans learn about the solution to
various problems

• The scientific method is able to give direction and pace

for every inquiry

• Technology produced machinery to lengthen the life of

perishable goods