CHAPTER 1

BIOLOGY: EXPLORING
LIFE

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Figure 1.0-2

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Chapter 1: Big Ideas

Themes in the Study

of Biology

Evolution, the Core

Theme of Biology

The Process
of Science

Biology and
Everyday Life

THEMES IN THE
STUDY OF BIOLOGY

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How would you define life?

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1.1 All forms of life share common properties

Biology is the scientific study of ______.
Seven properties and processes that we associate with
life include
1. Orderthe highly ordered structure that is made
up of living cells.

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2. Reproductionthe ability of organisms to

reproduce their own kind.

3. Growth and developmentInherited information

in the form of _____controls the pattern of growth
and development of all organisms.

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4. Energy processingthe use of chemical energy to

power an organisms activities and chemical reactions.

5. Regulationan ability to control an organisms

___________environment, keeping it within limits that
sustain life.

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6. Response to the environmentAll organisms

respond to environmental stimuli.

7. Evolutionary adaptationadaptations evolve over

many generations, as individuals with traits best
suited to their environments have greater reproductive
success and pass their traits to offspring.
Why do so many animals match their
surroundings?
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Stop and Practice

A cell phone is not alive. List 3 characteristics of
life that a cell phone does not perform.

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Stop and Practice

Does your car fulfill any of the characteristics of
life? If so, which one?

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1.2 In lifes hierarchy of organization, new

properties emerge at each level
Biological organization unfolds as follows:
Biosphereall of the environments on Earth that support
life. These include most regions of land, water bodies, and
lower atmosphere.
Ecosystemall the organisms living in a particular area
and the physical components with which the organisms
interact, such as air, water, soil, and sunlight.
Communitythe entire array of organisms living in a
particular ecosystem.
Populationall the individuals of a particular species
living in an area.
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Figure 1.2-1

Biosphere
Florida

Ecosystem
Florida
Everglades

Community
All organisms in this
wetland ecosystem

Population
All alligators living
in the wetlands

Organism
an American alligator

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Organisman individual living thing.

Organ systemconsist of several organs that
cooperate in a specific function. For instance, the
organs of the nervous system are the brain, the
spinal cord, and the nerves.
Organa structure that is made up of several
different tissues. Example: brain
Tissuemade up of a group of similar cells that
perform a specific function. Example: nervous tissue
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Figure 1.2-2

Organism
an American alligator

Nerve

Spinal
cord

Brain

Organ system
Nervous system

Organ
Brain

Tissue
Nervous tissue

Cell
Nerve cell

Atom

Nucleus
Organelle
Nucleus

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Molecule
DNA

Cellthe fundamental unit of life.

Organellea membrane-enclosed structure that
performs a specific function within a cell.
Moleculeatoms held together by chemical bonds.
Cell

Nucleus
organelles

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Stop and Practice

Biosphere
Ecosystem
Community
Population
Organism
Organ system
Organ
Tissue
Cell
Organelle
Molecule
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Stop and Practice

All the organisms on your campus make up
A. An ecosystem
B. A community
C. A population
D. The biosphere
E. An organism

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Stop and Practice

Which of the following is considered a
population?
A. The kidney of a rabbit
B. All the organisms in a forest
C. A lion
D. All Catfish in a river

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Stop and Practice

Which of these levels of biological organization
includes all others in the list: cell, molecule,
organ, tissue?

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Emergent properties:
Novel properties that arise at each higher level
through interaction among smaller parts that alone
do not exhibit such properties.

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1.3 Cells are the structural and functional

units of life
Cells are considered the basic units of life because
they are the lowest level in the hierarchy of biological
organization that can perform all activities of life.
A cell can
regulate its internal environment,
take in and use energy,
respond to its environment,
Build and maintain its complex organization, and
Cells can give rise to new cells (basis for all
reproduction, growth and repair of multicellular
organisms).

 All organisms are composed of cells.

Organisms are classified into 2 categories based
on the number of cells they contain.
1) Unicellular organisms
2) Multicellular organisms

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Examples are most

bacteria and amoebas.
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Examples are trees, animals,

and humans.

There are two main forms of cells1. Prokaryotic cells (Pro=prior, Kary=nucleus)
2. Eukaryotic cells (Eu=True, Kary=nucleus)

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Figure 1.3

Prokaryotic cell
Eukaryotic cell

DNA
(no nucleus)
Membrane

Organelles
Nucleus
(membraneenclosed)
DNA (throughout
nucleus)

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All cells share certain characteristics Every cell is enclosed by a membrane (cell
membrane) that regulates the passage of materials
between the cell and its surroundings and
Every cell uses DNA as its genetic information.
Every cell has cytoplasm, which is the gelatinous
fluid inside the cell.

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Prokaryotic cell
1) do not contain nucleus
and other membrane
bound organelles
2) DNA is dispersed in the
cytoplasm
3) Unicellular
4) are simpler and smaller
than eukaryotic cells.
5) Example: Bacteria and
Archaea
6) were the first to evolve.

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Eukaryotic cell
1) Contain nucleus and
other membrane bound
organelles
2) DNA is found inside the
nucleus
3) Unicellular or multicellular
4) Larger in size and more
complex than prokaryotic
cells
5) Example: plants, animals,
fungi, and protists
6) Fossil evidence indicates
that eukaryotic cells
evolved from prokaryotic
cells

Stop and Practice

Match the following cell types to their characteristics.
Some may be characteristics of both.

A. Prokaryotic cell
B. Eukaryotic cell
Has a nucleus _____
Has DNA _____
Structurally simple _____
Structurally complex ______
Generally large ______
Evolved from the other one _______
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Stop and Practice

Which cellular components do all cells have?

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1.4 Organisms interact with their

environment, exchanging matter and energy
Living organisms interact with their environments,
which include
other organisms and
physical factors.

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Figure 1.4-0

ENERGY FLOW
Sun
Inflow of
light energy

Outflow of
heat

Consumers
(animals)

Producers
(plants)

Leaves take up
CO2 from air; roots
absorb H2O and
minerals from soil
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Chemical energy
in food

Decomposers such
as worms, fungi,
and bacteria return
chemicals to soil

The dynamics of ecosystems include two major

processes:
1) Flow of energy through an ecosystem: An
ecosystem gains and loses energy constantly.
Energy flows through the ecosystem, entering as
sunlight and exits as heat.
2) Recycling of chemicals within an ecosystem: The
most basic chemicals necessary for life-carbon
dioxide, oxygen, water, and various minerals-cycle
within an ecosystem from the air and soil to plants,
to animals and decomposers, and back to the air
and soil.
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Comparing the roles of consumers,

producers, and decomposers
Producers

Consumers

Decomposers

Plants produce food in Eat plants and other

the form of sugars by a animals
process called
photosynthesis.

Decompose wastes
and remains of other
animals

Help to cycle oxygen

and carbon through
the ecosystem as a
result of
photosynthesis

Act as recyclers,
changing complex
organic matter into
simpler chemicals that
plants can absorb and
use.

Example: Plants

Help to cycle oxygen

and carbon through
the ecosystem

Example: Animals

Example: small
animals, bacteria, and
fungi in the soil

Stop and Practice

_________ are the producers that provide the
food for a typical ecosystem.
During ______________, a trees leaves use
the energy of sunlight to convert carbon
dioxide and water to sugar and oxygen.

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EVOLUTION, THE
CORE THEME OF
BIOLOGY
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1.5 The unity of life is based on DNA and a

common genetic code
All cells have _____, the chemical substance of
genes.
Genes
are the units of inheritance that transmit
information from parents to offspring.
control the activities of a cell.

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a gene is a specific sequence

of the DNA that encodes for
a specific protein.

Genes are grouped into

very long DNA molecules
called chromosomes.
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 Genes are typically

hundreds or
thousands
nucleotides long.

G
A

Figure 1.5-0

The DNA of genes

provides the
blueprints for making
proteins which build
and maintain the cell
and carry out its
activities.
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T
A

C
G

A
A
G

T
T
T

 Each DNA molecule

is made up of two
long strands, coiled
together into a
double helix.

C
A

T
C
G
T

A
A
G

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Figure 1.5-0
A

The strands are

made up of four
kinds of chemical
building blocks,
called nucleotides.

T
T
T

 The diversity of life arises from differences in

DNA sequences. Click here to watch a video on
DNA structure.
Think of the four building blocks as the alphabets
of inheritance.
The genetic code is universal. All forms of life use
essentially the same code to translate the
information stored in DNA into proteins.

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 The universality of the genetic code makes it

possible to engineer cells to produce proteins
normally found only in some other organism.
Click here to see a video on insulin production
using bacteria.
Bacteria and humans are different because they
have different genes. But both sets of instruction
are written in the same language.

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Concept-Check
Briefly describe how the genetic code is
analogous to the letters of the alphabet?
Bacteria can be used to produce human
proteins, such as insulin and human growth
hormone. What property about hereditary
information makes this possible?

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 The entire library of genetic instructions that an

organism inherits is called its genome.

A typical human cell has two sets of
chromosomes, and each set contains about 3
billion nucleotide pairs.

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 In recent years, scientists have determined the

entire sequence of nucleotides in the human
genome, as well as the genome of thousands of
other species.
The benefits of DNA sequencing are identifying genes that may be implicated in human
cancers
revealing the evolutionary relationships among
diverse organisms based on similarities in their
genomes.

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1.6 The diversity of life can be arranged

into three domains
The diversity of life can be arranged into three levels
called domains.
1. Bacteria
2. Archaea
3. Eukarya

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Three domains of life

Bacteria

Archaea

Consists of
prokaryotes
(organisms with
prokaryotic cells)

Consists of
prokaryotes
(organisms with
prokaryotic cells)

Unicellular

Unicellular

Most diverse and

wide spread
prokaryotes.

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Eukarya
Consists of
eukaryotes
(organisms with
eukaryotic cells)

Unicellular or
multicellular
live in Earths
Examples:
extreme
single-celled
environments, such protists, and
as boiling hot
multicellular fungi,
springs and salty
animals, and plants.
lakes.

Figure 1.6

Domain Bacteria

Domain Eukarya

Bacteria
Domain Archaea

Protists
(multiple kingdoms)

Kingdom Plantae

Kingdom Fungi

Kingdom Animalia

Archaea

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Stop and Practice

To which domain of life do animals belong?

To which domain of life do we belong?

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1.7 Evolution explains the unity and

diversity of life
Evolution can be defined as the process of change
that has transformed life on Earth from its earliest
beginnings to the diversity of organisms living today.

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In 1859, Charles Darwin published

the book On the Origin of Species
by Means of Natural Selection,
which articulated two main points.
1) Species living today arose from a
successor of ancestors that
differed from them. Darwin called
this process descent with
modification
2) Natural selection is a
mechanism for evolution.
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Descent with modification

Darwins observations and inferences1) Individual variation: Individuals in a population

vary in their traits, many of which are passed
on from parents to offspring.
2) Overproduction of offspring: All species can
produce far more offspring than the environment
can support.
3) Inferences: Offsprings with traits suited to the
local environment survive and reproduce and
over many generations majority of individual in
the population will have advantageous traits.

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Figure 1.7d-1

1 Population with varied

inherited traits.

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Figure 1.7d-2

1 Population with varied

inherited traits.

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2 Elimination of

individuals with certain

traits and reproduction
of survivors.

Figure 1.7d-3

1 Population with varied

inherited traits.

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2 Elimination of

individuals with certain

traits and reproduction
of survivors.

3 Increasing frequency

of traits that enhance

survival and
reproductive success.

Figure 1.7c-0

Unity of life (descent from a

common ancestor) and the
diversity of life (modifications
that evolved as species
diverged from their
ancestors).

Stop and Practice

Darwin proposed the theory
of natural selection. For the
most part, natural selection
acts as
a filtering agent at the
___________ level of lifes
hierarchy.
A. community
B. population
C. individual
D. organ

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Stop and Practice

Darwin proposed the theory of
natural selection. What do you think
will happen to the population of
orange and green beetles after
many generations?
A. Orange beetles will be all dead
B. Orange beetles will survive and
reproduce
C. Green beetles will be all dead
D. Green beetles will survive and
reproduce
E. Both green and orange beetles
will survive and reproduce
equally

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THE PROCESS OF
SCIENCE

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1.8 In studying nature, scientists make

observations and form and test hypotheses
At the heart of science is the process of inquiry,

the search for information and explanations of

natural phenomena.
Scientific enquiry involves making observations,
forming hypotheses, and testing them.
Scientists typically
make observations,
form hypotheses, proposed explanations for a
set of observations, and
test them.
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Figure 1.8-3

Observation:
Flashlight doesnt work.

Question:
Why doesnt the
flashlight work?

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Hypothesis #1:
Batteries are dead.

Hypothesis #2:
Bulb is burned out.

Prediction:
Replacing batteries
will fix problem.

Prediction:
Replacing bulb
will fix problem.

Test of prediction:
Replace batteries.

Test of prediction:
Replace bulb.

Results:
Flashlight doesnt work.
Hypothesis is contradicted.

Results:
Flashlight works.
Hypothesis is supported.

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Hypotheses
Proposed explanation/Tentative explanation for
a set of observations.
Hypotheses should be a testable statement.
The results may agree or conflict with the
hypotheses.

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Scientific theory
much broader in scope than a hypothesis and is
supported by a large and usually growing body of
evidence.
For example, the theory of evolution explains a great
diversity of observations and is supported by multiples lines
of evidence. In addition, the theory of evolution has not been
contradicted by any scientific data.

Science is a social activity in which scientists

work in teams,
share information through peer-reviewed publications,

meetings, and personal communication, and

build on and confirm each others work.
click here for scientific method explanation
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Independent and Dependent variables

Independent variable: the variable deliberately
changed in an experiment.
Dependent variable: the variable that may
change as a result of changes in the independent
variable. In other words, its the variable that is
being measured.

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Scientific Method
Click here for video part 1
Click here for video part 2
Click here for video part 3
Click here for video part 4
Click here for video part 5
Click here for video part 6

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1.9 SCIENTIFIC THINKING: Hypotheses can

be tested using controlled field studies
Observation: Many animals match their
environment: white snowy owls in their arctic
habitat, toads the color of dead leaves, flounders
that blend in the sandy sea floor.
Hypothesis: color patterns have evolved as
adaptations that protect animals from predation.

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 Scientists conducted a controlled experiment to

test this camouflage hypothesis
What is a controlled experiment?
In a controlled experiment, an experimental group
is compared to a control group and the two groups
differ by only one variable.

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Figure 1.9-0

What is the variable in this controlled experiment?

Beach population: Beach mice
living on sparsely vegetated
sand dunes along the Florida
seashore have light tan,
dappled coats

Control group:
Experimental group:
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Inland population: Members of the

same species living on darker soil
about 30 km inland are darker
in color

Control group:
Experimental group:

Table 1.9

(control)

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(experimental)

(white mice)

(brown mice)

(brown mice)

(brown mice)

(white mice)

(white mice)

Stop and Practice

Is the hypothesis that if camouflage coloration protects mice
from predation, then mice with coloration that did not match
their habitat would be preyed upon more heavily than the
native mice in that habitat supported?
A. Yes, the hypothesis is supported
B. No, the hypothesis is not supported.
C. There is not enough information to determine whether the
hypothesis was supported

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Stop and Practice

Which of the following is best described as a
tentative explanation to a set of observations?
A. Prediction
B. Theory
C. Results
D. Hypothesis
E. Law

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Concept-Check
What is the difference between hypothesis
and theory?

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BIOLOGY AND
EVERYDAY LIFE

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1.10 Evolution is connected to our

everyday lives
Natural selection is the primary mechanism of
evolution.
Natural selection is a process in which the
environment selects for adaptive traits when
organisms with such traits are better able to
survive and reproduce.

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 Through the selectively breeding of plants and

animals, humans are also an agent of evolution.
Artificial selection is used to produce
more productive crops
better livestock

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Figure 1.10

Genes for such traits as drought, or flood resistance, improved

growth, and increased nutrition have been engineered into
rice plants.
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Humans also effect evolution unintentionally.

the loss of species through habitat loss and global
climate change.
Our actions are driving evolutionary changes in
species- evolution of antibiotic-resistant bacteria
and pesticide resistant insects.

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1.11 Biology, technology, and society are

connected in important ways
The basic goals of science and technology differ.
The goal of science is to understand the world we
live in.
The goal of technology is to apply scientific
knowledge for some specific purpose.

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Although their goals differ, science and technology

are interdependent.
Scientific advances leads to the design of new
technologies.
New technologies enable new observations or
tests that advance scientific knowledge.
For example, the discovery of DNA and advances
in DNA science have led to the technologies of
DNA manipulation that today are transforming the
fields of medicine, agriculture, and forensics.
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 Global climate change, toxic wastes,

deforestation, and nuclear accidents are just some
repercussions of using more and more technology.
Every citizen has the responsibility to develop a
reasonable amount of scientific literacy to be able
to understand how science and technology affects
their lives.

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You should now be able to

1.1 Describe seven properties common to all life.
1.2 Describe the levels of biological organization.
1.3 Explain why cells have a special place in the
hierarchy of biological organization.
1.3 Compare prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells.
1.4 Describe the interactions taking place in an
ecosystem and the cycling of chemicals and flow of
energy.

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You should now be able to

1.5 Explain how DNA encodes a cells information.
1.6 Compare the three domains of life.
1.7 Describe the process and products of natural selection.
1.8 Distinguish between a hypothesis and a scientific
theory.
1.9 Describe the structure of a controlled experiment and
give an example.
1.10 Explain how evolution impacts the lives of all humans.
1.11 Compare the goals of science and technology.
Explain why an understanding of science is essential to
our lives.
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