BIOLOGY 110:

GENERAL BIOLOGY
Lesson 1

Specific Objectives
Understand the tenants of Biology as a field of science

Know the properties of living and non-living things

Understand that there is diversity in living organisms
Understand the concept of a species and hierarchical classification
Describe the highest levels of classification, including the 6 kingdoms and 3
domains
Know the basic theories of evolution, including Darwins natural selection

Understand the process of scientific investigation and some basic

history of scientific thought
Understand and apply scientific methods and study design in
research

What is Science?
Science (Latin scientia: meaning "knowledge" or "knowing)
the effort to discover, and increase human understanding of
how the physical world works.
systematic observation of natural events and
conditions in order to discover facts about them and to
formulate laws and principles based on these facts.
the organized body of knowledge derived from
systematic observations and that can be verified or
tested by further investigation.

Many branches or general bodies of knowledge

What is Biology
Greek: bio= life, logy= study of

The scientific study of life and of living

organisms.
Some branches; botany, zoology, and
ecology etc.

Unifying Themes in Biology

OVERVIEW
Information transfer:~ hereditary
information is passed from on
generation to the next, and it controls
the development and life of each cell

Energy for life~ energy from the sun is

converted to chemical energy which is
used to drive chemical processes within
cells
Evolution~ biologys core theme;
differential reproductive success ;
POPULATIONS CHANGE OVER TIME

Characteristics of Life
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

Organisms are organized

Grow and develop
Respond to stimuli
Capture and use energy (metabolism)
Regulate their internal environment
Reproduce
Evolve and become adapted

Characteristics of Life
1. Organisms are organized
Composed of cells
Cell theory: new cells originate only from pre-existing cells
Prokaryotic vs. eukaryotic cells
Single celled vs. multicellular organisms

Prokaryotes and Eukaryotes

Monerans (bacteria) have

prokaryotic cells. All are
unicellular organisms.

Protists, Fungi, Plants and

Animals have eukaryotic
cells. These may be
unicellular or multicellular

Living Things are ORGANIZED

Hierarchy of Organization

Atom
Molecule
Cells (single cell organisms)
Tissues
Organs
Organ Systems

Multicellular Organisms

Characteristics of Life
(continued)

2. Organisms grow and develop

a) Growth- an increase in cell size, cell
number or both.
b) Development- All the changes that
take happen during an organisms
lifespan

Characteristics of Life contd

3. Organisms
-

a)

respond to stimuli

Living things react to stimuli (physical and

chemical changes in their internal and external
environments).
Responding typically involves some form of
movement
Movement may be created by
a)

Cilia & Flagella; Bones and Muscles; Expansion of

certain cells to orient leaves to sunlight

Characteristics of Life
(continued)

4. Organisms capture and use energy

a) Metabolism- the sum of all the chemical

reactions within an organism
- Energy producing pathways (eg. photosynthesis)
- Energy releasing pathways (eg. cellular respiration)

Characteristics of Life
(continued)

5. Regulate their internal environment

a) via Homeostasis- maintaining a constant
internal environment

a) Regulated by feedback systems

- Negative

vs. positive feedback systems

Feedback Regulation: Negative

counteract the stimulus
that is disrupting
homeostasis
Typically accumulation of
an end product of a
process slows that process
Example: sugar
breakdown generates ATP;
excess ATP inhibits an
enzyme near the
beginning of the pathway

Feedback Regulation: Positive

When the original
stimulus enhances the
response
An end product speeds
up its production
Examples: blood clotting in
response to injury; uterine
contractions

Characteristics of Life
(continued)

5. Organisms reproduce
a. Asexual reproduction
(One gives rise to two or more)

b. Sexual reproduction:
(gametes fuse to form a zygote)

Characteristics of Life
(continued)

6. Populations evolve and adapt

- Evolution- changes in population over
time
-

Adaptations- inherited characteristics that

increases an organisms chance of survive in
a particular environment

Adaptations may be
structural, physiological,
and/or behavioural

Upper Levels of the

Hierarchy

Population
Community
Ecosystem
Biosphere

Information Transfer
Information transfer occurs
a. Within organisms
i. Cell to cell chemical signals
a.

Nerve cells; Hormones

b. Between organisms
i. Behaviour; Chemical communication (pheromones)

c. Among generations
i. Information encoding the instructions for the sustenance of life is
transferred from one generation to the next
ii. DNA is the

hereditary molecule

Classification of organisms by
Evolutionary Relationship
Most biologists now recognize six (6) kingdoms

1.

Early biologists only recognized the plant and animal kingdoms

2.
-

Some biologists split the bacteria into 2 separate kingdoms

Kingdom Archaebacteria (unique group of organisms recently
have split off from the bacterial kingdom)

Kingdom Eubacteria (bacteria)

Kingdom Protista (protozoans and algae, molds)

Kingdom Fungi (mushrooms, molds, and yeasts)

The animals are in kingdom Animalia

Plants belong to kingdom Plantae

Classification of organisms by
Evolutionary Relationship

The diversity of the world today is extremely vast

Biologists use a binomial system for classifying

organisms

Developed by Carolus Linnaeus

Binomial nomenclature describes the genus and

species of the organism (genus + specific epithet

Taxonomy (the science of classification) is

hierarchical
a. Kingdoms- phyla- classes- orders- families- genera-

species

Classification of organisms by
Evolutionary Relationship
3 Domains have been recently
recognized into which the 6 kingdoms
have been placed
Archaea
Bacteria
Eukarya

Classification of organisms by
Evolutionary Relationship

Energy & Life

Life depends on a continuous input of
energy from the sun
Energy flows through individual cells and
organisms
Cellular respiration produces energy (ATP)
for most cells

Energy & Life

Energy flows through ecosystems
1. Energy flows from producers to consumers to decomposers
2. Producers manufacture their own food
a. Producers (autotrophs) are typically photosynthetic

3. Consumers (heterotrophs) obtain energy by eating

producers
4. Decomposers obtain energy from wastes and
dead organisms (eg. various bacteria and fungi)

Energy Flow
through
Ecosystem

The Process of Science

- Biology is studied using the scientific method
- Like other sciences it is based on systematic thought
processes including both deductive and inductive reasoning
- Deductive reasoning works from the more general to the more
specific. ("top-down" approach); Theory- hypothesis- observation- confirmation
- Inductive reasoning works the other way, moving from specific
observations to broader generalizations and theories. ( "bottom up"
approach); Observation- pattern- tentative-hypothesis- theory

Scientists make careful observations and recognize

problems

The Process of Science

The Process of Science

-

A hypothesis is a proposed explanation which is testable

A prediction is a logical consequence of a hypothesis

Predictions can be tested by experimentation

Scientific experiments include experimental and control groups

Scientists draw conclusions from the results of experiments

A well-supported hypothesis may lead to a theory

A theory which is nearly universally accepted is a principle

Laws are principles of the greatest importance

Science has ethical dimensions