Chapter 1

Introduction to Biology
Life
 The Diversity of Life
 Biology is the study of living things
 Living things can be divided into five kingdoms

Bacteria Protista Fungi

Plantae Animalia
Branches Of Biology
 Molecular Biology: the branch of biology that deals with the structure
and function of the molecules (e.g. proteins and nucleic acids) essential to life
 Micro Biology: is the study of microscopic organisms, such as bacteria,
viruses, archaea, fungi and protozoa
 Marine Biology: is the study of marine organisms, their behaviors and
interactions with the environment
 Fresh Water Biology: is the scientific biological study of freshwater
ecosystem and is a branch of limnology
 Environmental Biology: Environmental science is an interdisciplinary
academic field that integrates physical & biological science
 Human Biology: Human biology is an academic field of biology which
focuses on humans; and a number of other fields like Anatomy, Physiology,
Histology, Evolution & Genetics etc
 Social Biology: Sociobiology is a field of scientific study that is based on
the hypothesis that social behavior has resulted from evolution and attempts to
examine and explain social behavior within that context
 Biotechnology: the exploitation of biological processes for industrial and
other purposes, especially the genetic manipulation of microorganisms for the
production of antibiotics, hormones, etc.
Properties of Life

 All living organisms share five basic properties

1. Cellular Organization
 All living organisms are composed of at least one cell

2. Metabolism
 All living organisms use energy

3. Homeostasis
 All living organisms maintain stable internal conditions

4. Growth and reproduction

 All living organisms grow and reproduce

5. Heredity
 All living organisms possess a genetic system that is based on DNA
(Deoxyribonucleic acid)
Levels of Organization
 Biosphere
 Biomes
 Ecosystem
 Community
 Population
 Organism
 Organ System
 Organ
 Tissue
 Cell
 Organelles
 Compound/Molecule
 Element
 Atom
The Biosphere

 Part of the earth in which life exists.

 Its range = 8 km. above surface to 8 km.
below surface of ocean.
 All living AND non-living things
 Divided into - Biomes.
 Biomes or Ecospheres
 Specialized regions of the
biosphere
 Tiaga, Desert, Tundra,
Grassland
 Biomes into Ecosystems
A biome is different from
an ecosystem.
An ecosystem is the
interaction of living and
nonliving things in an
environment. A biome is a
specific geographic area
notable for the species living
there. ... For example, an
aquatic biome can contain
ecosystems such as coral
reefs and kelp forests
Ecosystems

 All biotic (living) and abiotic (nonliving) factors that

INTERACT.
 Biotic factors: Living
 Abiotic factors: soil, water, temperature, elevation, and
location on the earth.
 Examples of ecosystems: forest, pond, lake, grassland, and
mountain.
Community
 Groups of many different species of organisms interacting
in a particular area
 Only biotic factors that interact between different species
of organisms
 Give me some examples
a forest of trees and undergrowth plants, inhabited by animals and rooted
in soil containing bacteria and fungi, constitutes a biological community
Population
 Group of organisms of ONE species that interbreed and
live in the same place at the same time.
 Give me some examples
Individual Organism

 Individual living thing

 You and I are considered individual organisms.
 Can you give me some more examples?
Organ Systems

 Groups of organs that work together to perform a specific

function
 Examples
 Nervous System
 Circulatory System
 Respiratory System
 Etc….
Organs

 Group of tissues that work together to perform closely

related functions
 Examples
 Heart
 Brain
 Lungs
 Etc…
Tissues

 Groups of similar cells that perform a particular function

 Examples
 Cardiac Tissue
 Skeletal Tissue
 Etc…
Cells

 The smallest functional unit of life.

 Two Kinds of cells
 Prokaryote
 Bacteria
 Eukaryote
 Animal
 Plant
Organelles

 Small “organs” in the cell

 Mitochondria
 Endoplasmic Reticulum
 Nucleus
Compounds/Molecules

 Cells are composed of many chemical compounds-

Two or more elements interacting
Elements

 Molecules are made up of element interacting with one

another
 Elements are what are found on the periodic table
 The elements C, O, N, and H make up 96% of all living
things
Finally the Atom

 The SMALLEST particle of an element that has the

characteristics of that element
 Levels of Organization
Section 1-3

Biosphere The part of Earth

that contains all
ecosystems

Biosphere
Ecosystem Community and
its nonliving
surroundings

Hawk, snake, bison, prairie dog, grass, stream, rocks, air

Community Populations that

live together in a
defined area

Hawk, snake, bison, prairie dog, grass

Population Group of
organisms of one
type that live in
the same area
Bison herd
Life is an Emergent Property

 Each higher level of organization contains novel properties

not present at the simpler level of organization
 Birth rate & death rate – populations NOT individuals
 Evolution – populations evolve biologically NOT individuals

 These properties are termed emergent properties

 They are a consequence of the structural organization that is the hallmark of
life
 They characterize many aspects of the living world
Science: Testing Our Patterns & Stories

 The scientific method, in which biological problems are

solved, is termed as biological method. It comprises the
steps a biologist adopts in order to solve a biological
problem.

STEPS:

 Recognition of biological problem

 Observations
 Hypothesis formulation
 Deductions
 Experimentation
 Summarization of results (create table, graphics etc)
 Reporting the results
Inductive Reasoning

Inductive Reasoning, involves going from a series of specific

cases to a general statement. The conclusion in an
inductive argument is never guaranteed.

Example: What is the next number in the sequence 6, 13, 20,

27,…
There is more than one correct answer.
Deductive Reasoning

 Deductive Reasoning – A
type of logic in which one
goes from a general
statement to a specific
instance.
Deductive Reasoning

Examples:
1. All students eat pizza.
Claire is a student at ASU.
Therefore, Claire eats pizza.

2. All athletes work out in the gym.

Barry Bonds is an athlete.
Therefore, Barry Bonds works out in the gym.
Antibiotics
Radiotherapy
Chemotherapy
Hydroponics

 The word, Hydroponic, comes from Latin and means working

water. Simply put, it is the art of growing plants without soil.
 The technique of growing terrestrial plants in an aerated
solution.
Why?????
Q. Why have scientists and
horticulturists experimented with
different methods of hydroponics?

A. It is a simple fact that some people

cannot grow in the soil in their area
(if there is even any soil at all).
Advantages

Faster Growth- Hydroponics works by

automatically getting the complete
nutrient mixture and water to the roots
without drowning the plant. Plants get
everything they need all the time, so they
do not waste growing a lot of roots or
searching for nutrients.
Advantages

No Weeds or Pests- Gardening without soil

eliminates the weeds do you do not need
weed sprays. Since most pests live and
breed in the soil, you do not need to use
pesticides or other toxic chemicals.
Advantages

Great Plant Quality and Taste- Since

the plants get everything it needs, all
the time, it will reward you with
great taste, strong and fast growth,
and overall plant quality.
Advantages

Grow in Any Condition- Systems may

be constructed and used in any
location from space to under water
exploration.
Smaller Growing Area
Disadvantages
 Cost of initial investment on hydroponic
systems is high.
 Hydroponic production is management, capital
and labor intensive.
 A high level of expertise is required.
 Daily attention is necessary.
 Specially formulated, soluble nutrients must
always be used.
 Pests and diseases remain a big risk.
 Some water born diseases can spread rapidly in
recirculation system.
 Cloning

 In biology, cloning is the process of producing similar

populations of genetically identical individuals that occurs in
nature when organisms such
as bacteria, insects or plants reproduce asexually. Cloning
in biotechnology refers to processes used to create copies
of DNA fragments (molecular cloning), cells (cell cloning),
or organisms
Cloning