What Is Life?

BIO/101 Version 3
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University of Phoenix Material
What Is Life?
Read each statement. Write a 100-word summary explaining how that media piece supports that
statement and include reference citations.
1. Find a media piecearticle, video, presentation, song, or otherrelated to the scientific
method, creating hypotheses, or designing experiments. nclude the lin! or reference citation
for the piece and descri"e how it helped you "etter understand how the scientific method is
used to create hypotheses and experiments.
The mass media is in fact, replete with articles explaining life from a scientific
perspective. Even a few television programs have touched on the topic. One of the
most helpful in illuminating the scientific method is the hit television program
Myth Busters Minor !"#. $osts %amie $yneman and &dam 'avage wal( through
the scientific method in finding answers to some of life)s most interesting *uestions.
They have +lown a lot of things up +ut they have also explored topics involving
+ody physiology. The *uestion of whether a sleeping person will wet the +ed if you
dip your hand in water is an excellent example Minor !"#.
,n most of their exploits, $yneman and 'avage actually wal( through the five step
scientific method using the processes of induction and deduction where o+servations
are made and conclusions reached. They present a hypothesis delineating the
materials and affect of the procedure that will +e used to explore the hypothesis.
They also o+serve what happens and, finally, draw a conclusion. This is, in effect,
the scientific method and. -o, a sleeping person does not wet the +ed when you put
your hand in water Minor !"#. Once understanding the five step scientific method,
, reali.e /ust how much this +asic principle in life is used everyday in our decision
ma(ing process, we /ust are not aware that we are.
http011news2+usiness.vlex.com1vid1+using2myth+usters2hyneman2curiosity2method
#. Find a media piecearticle, video, presentation, song, or otherthat recogni$es the
fundamental concepts of chemistry in "iology. nclude the lin! or reference citation for the
piece and descri"e how it helped you "etter understand how fundamental concepts of
chemistry affect "iology.
What Is Life?
BIO/101 Version 3
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The popular media can also provide useful insight into how chemistry affects
+iology. 3onsider, for example, the film My 4ather, My Brother and Me
produced +y 5ave ,verson. ,n addition to the humanistic insight the film
provides, it provides an introduction to the chemistry of 6ar(inson)s disease,
specifically how the disease adversely affects +rain chemistry. The loss of the
chemical dopamine is one of the primary reasons for the physical and mental
impacts of this devastating disease that the pu+lic has grown most familiar
with. The film also provides the incredi+le insight that exercise has proven effective
in +eneficially altering the +rain chemistry of some 6ar(inson)s patients.
http011wpt.org1outreach1par(insons.cfm
%. Find a media piecearticle, video, presentation, song, or otherthat descri"es the energy
meta"olism of cells. nclude the lin! or reference citation for the piece and descri"e how it
helped you "etter understand the energy meta"olism of cells.
The mass media is helpful, therefore, in illuminating some very complex topics when it
comes to +ody chemistry and physiology. 3onsider, for example, how chemistry
affects the energy meta+olism of cells and this, in turn, can affect such things as our
weight.
&n article in the -ovem+er 7"88 issue of Environmental -utrition elucidates on this
point and on the potential downfalls of trying to stic( to a very strict diet. 9hether you
are strictly limiting calories, car+ohydrates, or some particular type of food such as
glutens, strict diets can +e discouragingly difficult to stic( to. Tsang :# contends that
while these diets are good for short term weight loss, it is too easy to give up and go
+ac( to unhealthy eating ha+its out of pure frustration. Tsang has du++ed her approach
to losing weight and (eeping it off the undiet and contends that our cellular
meta+olism, and thus what we need to consume to maintain a healthy weight, should
+e modified according not only to our age +ut our particular meta+olism and dietary
goals. &n appropriate serving si.e for one type of food and one individual may +e
completely inappropriate in another set of circumstances. One cup of green +eans
might +e considered a serving +ut a cup of chocolate candies would +e an entirely
different matter in regard to how our cells meta+oli.e it.
4. Find a media piecearticle, video, presentation, song, or otherthat
compares structures and functions of diferent cell tpes. Include the lin!
or reference citation for the piece and descri"e ho# it helped ou "etter
compare structures and functions of diferent cell tpes.
What Is Life?
BIO/101 Version 3
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;ife of course, is composed of a diversity of different cell types. -ot only are
these cell types distinguished +y structure, +ut are distinguished +y function.
&n epithelial cell is very different than a heart muscle cell. -atural cell
division occurs during em+ryonic growth <niversity of Technology#. The
cells naturally align to form the walls and length of the vessel. 'cientists have
now +een a+le to inspire this cellular division in a la+oratory setting
<niversity of Technology#.
One means of doing so employs chained muscle tissue development, a
techni*ue where tension is exerted on the cells so that the muscle tissues align
themselves in a manner that provides strength <niversity of Technology#.
'uch accomplishments not only ma(e us marvel at the wonders of life +ut also
at the wonders of science. They can even ma(e us *uestion our understanding
of the meaning of life=
%. &iscuss #hat life means to ou after completing 'uestions 1(4.
;ife is, of course, scientifically *uantifia+le. ,t is something that can +e po(ed
and prodded and this is often done for no other reason than to satisfy our
curiosity a+out it.
;ife is much more than something to entertain us, however. ,t is something
that must +e credited to a divine intervention. 9ithout that intervention the
amino acids and other +asic +uilding +loc(s that ma(e up our +odies and the
+odies of other life forms around us would +e floating unconnected in the
universe. >od created us and $e created us in such a way that it is li(ely we
will never fully understand our function. 9e will li(ely never fully understand
why some people are afflicted with horri+le diseases and others are not. 9e
will never +e a+le to recreate the miracle we call life. ?es, even as the popular
literature attests, we can recreate parts and pieces of it +ut we are dependent on
living organism to donate those +asic +uilding +loc(s.
What Is Life?
BIO/101 Version 3
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9or(s 3ited
,verson, 5ave producer#. 7""@, %an 7@#. My 4ather, My Brother and Me. 7@
%an 7""@. 9e+. 7A May 7"87.
http011www.p+s.org1wg+h1pages1frontline1par(insons1view1
Minor, Emily %. BBusing myths and other +usiness0 MythBustersC Minor $yneman
and &dam 'avage create a hit TD show +y com+ining curiosity, scientific method
and a lot of explosives.B 'uccess Mar. 7"870 !"E. >eneral One4ile. 9e+. 7F May
7"87.
Tsang, >loria. B>o CundietC to lose weight.B Environmental -utrition -ov. 7"880
:. >eneral One 4ile. 9e+. 7A May 7"87.
<niversity of Technology. 3hained muscle tissue culture develops +lood vessels
and aligned structure. 8F &ug 7"88. 9e+. 7A May 7"87.
http011www.tue.nl1en1university1news2and2press1news1chained2muscle2tissue2
culture2develops2+lood2vessels2and2aligned2structure1