THE BASIC CONCEPTS of

INTRODUCTION
WHAT IS
LIFE?
SERIOUSLY……life is
 Merriam-Webster dictionary,
the sum total of all bodily
 the quality that distinguishes a vital and

activities
functional beingof an
from organism
a dead body
 a principle or force that is considered to
and
sometimes
underlie it isquality
the distinctive a force from
of animate
beings
which all different worlds of
 an organismic state characterized by capacity
activities
for metabolism,could
growth, be expressed
reaction to stimuli,
and reproduction
CHARACTERISTICS OF LIVING
ORGANISMS
 All forms of life share common properties –
 ORDER
 REPRODUCTION
 GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT
 ENERGY PROCESSING - METABOLISM
 HOMEOSTASIS
 IRRITABILITY
 MOVEMENT
 ADAPTATION,EVOLUTION,SURVIVAL
ORDER
Biological organization unfolds as follows:
• Biosphere—all of the environments on Earth that support life,
• Ecosystem—all the organisms living in a particular area and the physical
components with which the organisms interact,
• Community—the entire array of organisms living in a particular
ecosystem,
• Population—all the individuals of a species living in a specific area,
• Organism—an individual living thing,
• Organ system—several organs that cooperate in a specific function
• Organ—a structure that is composed of tissues and that provides a
specific function for the organism,
• Tissues—a group of similar cells that perform a specific function,
• Cells—the fundamental unit of life,
• Organelle—a membrane-bound structure that performs a specific
function in a cell, and
• Molecule—a cluster of small chemical units called atoms held together by
chemical bonds.
 ECOSYSTEM
BIOSPHERE
BIOSPECTRUM COMMUNITY
POPULATION

ORGANISM
ORGAN SYSTEM
ORGAN

TISSUE

CELL

PROTOPLASM
REPRODUCTION

t is the ability of
i

organisms to
reproduce their
own kind
Two Types of Reproduction
Sexual Reproduction

 Involves 2 parents
– OPPOSITE SEXES

 Egg and sperm  zygote

(fertilized egg)

 Zygote contains hereditary

information from both parents
Asexual Reproduction

 Involves a single organism

 Cell divides by binary fission
 Offspring IDENTICAL to parent
GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT

 Growth is defined as the increase in mass

brought by increase in size proportionally and
uniformly.

 ACCRETION – GROWTH FROM WITHOUT

 INTUSSUSCEPTION- GROWTH FROM WITHIN
ENERGY PROCESSING

 Energy is the ability to do work.

 Metabolism— the use of chemical energy to
power an organism’s activities and chemical
reactions
 involves exchange of chemical matter with the
external environment and extensive
transformations of organic matter within the cells
of living organism
…. All living organisms require a
food source for energy.
 Autotrophs can make
their own food
(aka producers)
 Heterotrophs can NOT make their
own food (aka consumers)
HOMEOSTASIS
HOMEOSTASIS
When will you get irritated?
IIRITABILITY

 an ability to respond a stimuli from the

environment
 Positive or negative effect.
 as a short term responses.
 living organism have complex senses
regulated and controlled by a complex
nervous system.
EVOLUTION
MOVEMENT :
 Movement
where an animal can
move parts of its body.
Locomotion
is the movement of an
animal as a whole from
one place to another.
summary
- All organisms are made of cells.

 Cellsare the smallest living unit of an

organism
 Simplest cells are called Prokaryotes
 Complex cells are called Eukaryotes
.. All living organisms reproduce.
Organisms reproduce to pass on genetic
traits to their offspring, producing new
organisms like themselves.
All living organisms contain DNA.

 DNA (deoxyribose
nucleic acid) contains
genetic material passed
from one generation to
the next.
…All living organisms grow &
develop.
• Organisms grow as the result of
cell enlargement and cell division
• Cell division is the formation of two
cells from a preexisting cell
…. All living organisms must
maintain homeostasis.

 Homeostasis – maintaining a stable

steady state both internally and
externally
 example: pH, temperature, water
balance, adaptations to environment
7. All living things respond to stimuli

 Ex. light, heat, chemical and mechanical

changes
Results in adaptations - changes in the
structure or functioning of an organism that
makes it better suited to its environment
  
 Difference between Plants and Animals

Basis of Comparison Animals Plants

     
1. Form and Structure  In variable  Variable in form
7. Adaptation  Have abilities to adjust to 
 organs are mostly  Have abilities to adjust to 
 Organs are mostly external
  environmental conditions 
internal environmental conditions easily
 walls/ cell wall is thick and rigid  with 
  easily
 Cell membrane is thin    presence of cellulose
  and delicate
2. Growth Growth is different and  Growth is terminal and  or is at the edge 
  changes to body parts are  or tip of organs and is continuous 
  proportion to age throughout life
   
3. Presence of NaCl
8. Life cycle Tissue bathe in NaCl solution with definite life cycle
Definite life cycle NaCl  is toxic to most plants
   
   
4. Metabolism 
9. Movement Mostly Catabolic and depend 
Can move from one place to  Mostly Anabolic, can manufacture their 
Not capable of moving from place to 
    upon plants and other 
another own foods
place; mostly sessile or stationary 
    organisms for food; cannot   
  manufacture their own food  
5. Irritability Capable of responding to  Capable of responding to stimuli but 
  stimuli quickly; with nervous  slowly; without nervous system - tropism
system- taxis
 
6. Reproduction Capable of sexual  Mostly capable of asexual reproduction
  reproduction or asexual 
mostly involve sex cells
 
  
Difference between Living Organism and Non-Living Organism
 
Basis of Comparison Living Organism Non Living Organism

 Form and Structure Usually with definite form and  With no definite form and size

characteristic fixed  composition
Chemical composition Chiefly composed of C,H,O,N and  no definite proportion, lesser 
  other elements like Na, K, Ca, S,  molecular weight
  Cl, Fe, and others in definite   
  proportion and which collectively   
form the protoplasm  
Organization Has definite organization which  No definite organization
  performs life processes  
     
Metabolism  Capable of metabolic activities; Not capable
  With complex series of essential   
  chemical processes within living   
  organisms, including digestion and   
  energy production  
 
Irritability Capable of responding to stimuli Not capable
     
Reproduction Capable of reproduction Can be multiply by external 
    forces but cannot be 
    reproduced
 
Adaptation  Have abilities to adjust to  Not capable of
  environmental conditions  
   
Growth  Growth is from within –  Growth is from without- 
  Intussusception accretion-
 
Life cycle Definite life cycle No definite life cycle
 
 
Movement Capable of locomotion Not capable; needs external 
  force to move