Module 01 What Is Biology

Module 1: What is biology?
What is Science?
Latin scientia = knowledge
A systematic enterprise that builds

and organizes knowledge in the form
of testable explanations and
predictions about the universe.
Science is a process
Scientific Method
Biology is the study of living

things.
Bio = life
-logy = study of
The Organization of Life
Living things function and interact with each

other on many levels.
The organization of life is a hierarchy of

levels of increasing complexity.
Cellular
Organismal
Populational
Levels of organization: cellular level
Levels of organization: organismal

level
Levels of organization: populational

level
The Diversity of Life
Living things are

diverse.
Therefore, we divide
them into groups:
sapiens
Homo
Hominidae
Primates
Mammalia
Chordata
Animalia
Eukarya
Biology Hierarchy
Domain
Kingdom
Phylum
Class
Order
Family
Genus
Species
Properties of Life
Cells
Organization
Metabolism
Homeostasis
Growth
Reproduction
Responsiveness
Heredity
Properties of Life: Cells
All living things are

comprised of at least
one cell.
Properties of Life: Organization
Both molecular and cellular organization.

Living things must be able to organize simple
substances into complex ones.
Properties of Life: Metabolism
Living things take in energy and use it for

maintenance and growth.
Metabolism = All chemical reactions in an
organism
Properties of Life: Homeostasis

Maintaining a stable state of conditions
Body temperature
Blood volume
pH balance
Water balance
Properties of Life: Growth
Cell division - the orderly formation of new cells.

Cell enlargement - the increase in size of a cell. Cells
grow to a certain size and then divide.
An organism gets larger as the number of its cells
increases.
Properties of Life: Reproduction
Reproduction is not
essential for the survival
of individual organisms,
but must occur for a
species to survive.
Properties of Life: Responsiveness
Living things will make changes in response to

a stimulus in their environment.
Light
Temperature
Gravity
Odor
Sound
Water
Properties of Life: Heredity
Traits are passed on to

the next generation in
Nucleic Acid.
Properties of Life
Is a virus alive?
Cells
Organization
Metabolism
Homeostasis
Growth
Reproduction
Responsiveness
Heredity
Properties of Life
Is a machine alive?
Cells
Organization
Metabolism
Homeostasis
Growth
Reproduction
Responsiveness
Heredity
Properties of Life
Is a city alive?
Cells
Organization
Metabolism
Homeostasis
Growth
Reproduction
Responsiveness
Heredity
The Scientific Method
Stages of a Scientific Investigation
Biology is a dynamic science with new ideas

appearing and replacing old ones.
Scientific Method
Observation
Senses / Lit search
Hypothesis
Testable and Repeatable
Null hypothesis No significant difference
Alternative hypothesis significant difference
Prediction
If a hypothesis is correct, then specific consequences can be expected
Experiment
Sample Size = 30
Control, change one variable
Analysis of Results
Quantitative (Statistical testing)
Conclusion
Scientific Method
Control
Parallel design to
minimize effect of
variables other than
the independent
variable being tested.
Placebo
Blind study
Louis Pasteur
Experimentation
disproved the widelyheld notion that life
could arise from nothing
19th century France
Louis Pasteur
Observation: Broth contaminated with microbes
Question: Do microbes spontaneously appear?
Hypothesis: Microbes come from the air
Experiment:
Collect results:
Conclusion:
Louis Pasteur
Louis Pasteur
Observation: Broth contaminated with microbes
Question: Do microbes spontaneously appear?
Hypothesis: Microbes come from the air
Experiment: Broth left exposed or unexposed
Collect results: S-neck flask remains sterile
Conclusion: Microbes come from the air. Life does
not arise from nothing.
Correlation v Causation
A correlation between two variables does not

necessarily imply that one causes the other.
Are Mexican
lemons
making our
roads safer?
Is Internet
Explorer
responsible
for murder?
Theory and Certainty
The term theory means different things to

different audiences
To scientists
A theory represents certainty and is a unifying

explanation for a broad range of observations.
To the general public
A theory implies a lack of knowledge or guess.
Theory and Certainty
A Theory is a complicated result of many separate

experiments that all suggest a similar thing.
Scientists acceptance of theory is provisional.
The possibility always remains that future evidence will

cause a theory to be revised.
The process of science is not just trial-and-error but

involves judgment and intuition.
Four Theories Unify Biology as a

Science
1. The Cell Theory
2. The Gene Theory
3. The Theory of Heredity
4. The Theory of Evolution
The Cell Theory
All organisms are

composed of at least one
cell.
The cell is the most basic

unit of life.
All cells come from preexisting cells.
The Gene Theory
Genetic information is encoded in molecules of

deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA).
Genes encode specific proteins or RNA or act to

regulate other genes.
The proteins and RNA encoded by an organisms

genes determine what it will be like in terms of form
and function.
The Theory of Heredity
Genes are passed down from generation to

generation.
Mendels theory of heredity gave rise to the field

of genetics.
Chromosomal theory of inheritance located
Mendelian genes on chromosomes.
The Theory of Evolution
All living organisms are related to one another

in a common tree of descent.
Charles Darwins theory of evolution explains
the unity and diversity of life as descent with
modification.
Scientists have been able to identify changes in

individual genes that are responsible for
differences among individuals.
Evolution

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Module 1: What is biology?

Latin scientia = knowledge

A systematic enterprise that builds

Biology is the study of living

The Organization of Life

Living things function and interact with each

The organization of life is a hierarchy of

Levels of organization: cellular level

Levels of organization: organismal

Levels of organization: populational

The Diversity of Life

Living things are

Properties of Life: Cells

All living things are

Properties of Life: Organization

Both molecular and cellular organization.

Properties of Life: Metabolism

Living things take in energy and use it for

Properties of Life: Homeostasis

Properties of Life: Growth

Cell division - the orderly formation of new cells.

Properties of Life: Reproduction

Properties of Life: Responsiveness

Living things will make changes in response to

Properties of Life: Heredity

Traits are passed on to

The Scientific Method

Stages of a Scientific Investigation

Biology is a dynamic science with new ideas

A correlation between two variables does not

Theory and Certainty

The term theory means different things to

A theory represents certainty and is a unifying

To the general public

A theory implies a lack of knowledge or guess.

Theory and Certainty

A Theory is a complicated result of many separate

The possibility always remains that future evidence will

The process of science is not just trial-and-error but

Four Theories Unify Biology as a

1. The Cell Theory

2. The Gene Theory

3. The Theory of Heredity

4. The Theory of Evolution

The Cell Theory

All organisms are

The cell is the most basic

All cells come from preexisting cells.

The Gene Theory

Genetic information is encoded in molecules of

Genes encode specific proteins or RNA or act to

The proteins and RNA encoded by an organisms

The Theory of Heredity

Genes are passed down from generation to

Mendels theory of heredity gave rise to the field

The Theory of Evolution

All living organisms are related to one another

Scientists have been able to identify changes in