HKDSE Bio logy (Notes)

Chapter 1 Studying Biology

Page 1

STUDYING BIOLOGY
STUDY OF BIOLOGY
Biology is the study of living things or organisms.
A. Branches of Biology
1. Molecular Biology: study of Biology at molecular level
2. Cytology: study of cells
3. Anatomy: study of body structures of organisms
4. Botany: study of plants
5. Zoology: study of animals
6. Taxonomy: study of the classification of organisms
7. Ecology: study of the interactions between organisms and their environment
8. Genetics: study of the passing of characteristics from parents to offspring
B. Importance of biology
1. To understand the nature of life and appreciate the wonders of the living world.
2. To learn the relationships between organisms and the environment and a respect for all
organisms. This increases our awareness of many social issues related to biology such as
pollution, genetically modified food, cloning and conservation of endangered species.
3. To apply the biological knowledge in daily life to improve our standard of living.
a. Food such as bread, wine, cheese and yoghurt are produced with the help of
microorganisms.
b. Antibiotics are produced with the help of microorganisms and vaccines are produced with
the application of biotechnology to protect humans against diseases.
4. To prepare for a future career working in the medical fields such as doctors, nurses and
dieticians and in the environmental protection needs basic knowledge in biology.
SCIENTIFIC METHOD USED TO STUDY BIOLOGY
A. Making observations
Biologists are curious about organisms in nature. They observe carefully at things of special
interest to them.
B. Asking questions
They ask questions about the observation particularly those that cannot be properly explained.
C. Proposing hypotheses
They suggest a reasonable answer to the question to explain their observation. This explanation
forms a hypothesis.
D. Designing and ding experiment
They design experiment to test for the predicted results of the hypothesis.
E. Analyzing results and drawing conclusion
They analyze the results and draw conclusion for the experiment.
1. If the results match with the prediction, they can make a conclusion to support the hypotheses.
If the results repeated experiments still support the hypothesis which will become a theory.
But a theory can be turned down once new evidence arises.
2. If the results do not match with the prediction, they will revise the hypothesis or even reject it.

HKDSE Bio logy (Notes)

Chapter 1 Studying Biology

Page 2

Draw a flow chart to show the basic steps used in a scientific investigation.

SEVEN CHARACTERISTICS OF ORGANISMS

A. Nutrition
By nutrition organisms obtain food by photosynthesis or feeding to get energy for maintaining
life.
B. Respiration
By respiration organisms break down food to release energy to support body activities.
C. Excretion
By excretion the harmful metabolic wastes produced from chemical reactions (carbon dioxide
and urea) are removed from the body.
D. Irritability (sensitivity)
By irritability organisms detect stimuli and respond to them that promote their survival.
E. Movement
By locomotion animals move from place to place. This helps them find food or escape from
enemies. As plant fix to soil, they show limited movement. For example, shoots grow towards
light.
F. Growth
By growth, organisms increase in size and complexity.
G. Reproduction
By reproduction organisms produce new individuals (offspring) which are similar to their parents.
This ensures the continuation of the species.
State the differences between plants and animals in nutrition, movement and irritability.
Animals
Plants
Nutrition

Movement

Irritability

HKDSE Bio logy (Notes)

Chapter 1 Studying Biology

Page 3

MAJOR BIOLOGICAL DISCOVERIES AND INVENTIONS

A. Before the 1900s
1. 1665: cells were first discovered by Robert Hooke with the microscope.
2. 1858: The theory of evolution was put forward in the book On the Origin of Species by
Charles Darwin.
3. 1862: Pasteurization, a method to sterilize milk, was developed by Louis Pasteur.
B. The 1900s
1. 1953: The 3-D structure of DNA was discovered by Watson and Crick.
2. 1978: The first test tube baby, Louise Brown, was born.
3. 1996: The first cloned sheep, Dolly, was born.
C. The 2000s
1. 2001: The first completely implanted artificial heart was made.
2. 2003: The Human Genome Project was completed.
3. 2007: The project YanHuang No.1 was completed in which the first Chinese genome map
was created.
BIOLOGICAL DRAWINGS
What you should do in biological drawings What you should NOT do in biological drawings