What Is Biology?

Biology is the science that

deals with life.

What Makes Something

Alive?
Living things show five
characteristics that nonliving things
do not:
(1)unique structural organization
(2) metabolic processes
(3) Generative processes
(4) responsive processes, and
(5) control processes.

(1): Unique Structural Organization

The unique structural organization of living
things can be seen at the molecular, cellular,
and organism levels.
(2): Metabolic Processes
All the chemical reactions involving molecules
required for a cell to grow, reproduce and make
repairs are referred to as its metabolism.
Metabolic properties keep a cell alive.
(3): Generative Processes
Generative processes are activities that result
in an increase in the size of an organism
growth or an increase in the number of
individuals in a population reproduction

(4): Responsive Processes

Responsive processes allow
organisms to react to changes in
their surroundings in a meaningful
way.
(5): Control Processes
Control processes are mechanisms
that ensure an organism will carry
out all metabolic activities in the
proper sequence (coordination) and
at the proper rate (regulation) .

The Levels of Biological

Organization
Atoms : The fundamental units of
matter such as hydrogen, oxygen,
and nitrogen.
Molecules: Specific arrangements of
atoms such as proteins,
carbohydrates, water and DNA
Cell: The smallest unit that displays
the characteristics of life such as
nerve cells, white blood cells.

 Tissue: Groups of cells that work

together to perform particular
functions such as Blood, muscle cells.
Organ: A group of tissues that work
together to perform a particular
function such as stomach
Organ system: A group of organs
that work together to perform a
particular function such as the
circulatory system consists of a heart,
arteries, veins, and capillaries, all of
which are involved in moving blood
from place to place.

 Organism : An independent living unit

such as Amoeba.
Population: A group of individual
organisms of a particular kind (same
species) occupying a particular
geographic area such as The human
population in a class room.
Community: Populations of different
kinds of organisms that interact with
one another in a particular place such as
the populations of trees, insects, birds,
mammals, fungi, bacteria, and many
other organisms interact in any location.

 Ecosystem: Communities (groups of

populations) that interact with the
physical world in a particular place.
Biosphere: The worldwide
ecosystem or The regions of the
surface and atmosphere of the earth
or other planet occupied by living
organisms.