Properties of Living Things

Biological OrganizationBiology is the study of life (living

things)

Biosphere Ecosystem

Community Population Organism

Organ SystemOrganTissueCell

Molecules/Atoms/Ions

Hierarchy of Life activity

At your lab tables, work to complete the pyramid activity given to you by your teacher

The main idea: life is organized into levels of organization and study from small (cell) to big (biosphere)

Three Domains of Life p. 9

Prokaryotic cells

Contain no nucleus

Are divided into two subgroups:

Archaea (the ancient bacteria, now found near deep sea vents, volcanoes)

Bacteria (those that live in the same places we do now)

Eukaryotic cells Contain a

nucleus to protect their DNA

Are bigger and more complex than prokaryotic cells

Include plants, animals, fungus, and protists

Domains of Life review

Now its your turn: in your Science Sketchbook (SSB), draw a Venn diagram outlining the similarities and differences between the three domains

Domain Archae

aDoma

in Bacteria

Domain

Eukarya

Characteristics of Living Things

Cellular OrganizationMetabolismHomeostasis

Reproduction Heredity

Cellular Organization

All living things are made up of cells.

One celled organisms are known as unicellular

Organisms that contain more than one cell are called multicellular.

Cells with a nucleus are called eukaryotes

Cells without a nucleus are called prokaryotes

Metabolism

This term refers to the total number of chemical reactions that take place in an organism.

All chemical reactions require energy. They include breaking down food, building muscle and bone, and making enzymes and other things the body needs to function

All fuel comes from the sun’s energy, which is converted into sugar compounds by plants (and some bacteria) which we then eat as food.

Homeostasis

This term refers to a “steady state.” All living things strive to maintain a balanced state for optimum health and growth.

Temperature regulation is a good example of how living things have developed mechanisms to maintain a steady state (sweating when we are hot, shivering when we are cold, etc.).

Reproduction

Living things produce offspring in order to ensure the survival of the species (more on this later!).

Reproduction can either be sexual (requiring a partner’s DNA) or asexual (no partner DNA needed)

Heredity

All living things pass on their genes to their offspring

Genes are made up of short sections DNA and make up the directions that determine our traits

Think of genes as recipes in a cookbook. We each have our own set of recipes to make our specific traits

Themes in Biology

Biological SystemsCells

Form & FunctionReproduction & Inheritance

Interaction with the EnvironmentEnergy & Life

RegulationAdaptation & Evolution

Biology & SocietyScientific Inquiry

Biological Systems Biological systems

describe how life is organized

It can refer to organ systems in our bodies or a variety of other systems in which individual parts work together toward a collective whole

Systems thinking and research involves studying the parts as they work together rather than isolating a part to see how it functions in isolation

For example, researchers now know that your genes alone do not determine traits; their expression is dependent upon the role of many other parts

Cells Cells are the smallest

form of living organism and are the basis for complex multicellular systems

The basic cell structure is universal throughout the living world

As our technology has improved, so has our understanding of the microscopic world

Form & Function

Form refers to the physical structures in an organism/cell

Function refers to the job that physical structure does

As the shape of a structure changes, so does its function

Reproduction & Inheritance

We inherit genes that direct our traits from our parents

The process of inheritance and gene expression is complex and has multiple and diverse pathways

This theme is one we will study in depth later on in the class

Energy & Life

The energy in the food we eat comes from the sun

Plants and other organisms with chloroplasts convert sunlight into sugar

We take that sugar and convert into ATP, the energy currency of our cells

Regulation

Regulation refers to the way in which organisms maintain homeostasis

Homeostasis is the ‘steady state’ that allows systems to work at their optimum level

Regulation is an essential part of all living systems

Adaptation & Evolution

The qualities of organisms that allow them to survive and reproduce in their environments are called adaptations

Evolution is a major theme in biology and one that we will study in depth later in the year

Biology and Society

This theme deals with how biology relates to our everyday life Ethical decisions Legal cases Political issues

We will explore a variety of issues related to this theme throughout the year

Some examples: Global warming

and our ‘carbon footprints’

Recycling Genetic testing and

confidentiality (insurance, law enforcement)

Reproductive science ethics issues

Scientific Inquiry

Scientific Inquiry is another way of describing the Scientific Method This is the system

scientists use and the approach scientists take when studying a biological question/issue

Research a Subject Pose a Questions Propose a feasible answer

(the hypothesis) Create an experimental

protocol Do an experiment Collect data Analyze data Confirm/refute hypothesis Draw broader conclusions Investigate a

related/addition question

Themes Activity

Your Ch. 1 Hwk sheet is due Friday, the day of our Ch. 1 exam. On it, be sure you are comfortable with the definition and examples for each theme (hwk question #3)

Review your SSB for your comments on the Mark Dion tree large-scale installation and how the themes of biology relate to his work