Chapter 1 Studying Life

Objectives:
What is biology?
How is all life on earth related?
How do biologists investigate life?

What is biology?

biology scientific study of living things

Fig 1.1 The many faces of life
Characteristics of living things
1. consist of one or more cells
2. contain genetic information
3. use genetic information to reproduce themselves
4. genetically related and have evolved
5. can convert molecules obtained from environment into new biological molecules.
6. can extract energy from environment and use for biological work
7. regulate their internal environment


Fig 1.2 Cells are the building blocks of life
unicellular single cell
mullticellular many cells

Cell Theory
1. living organisms are composed of cells.
2. cell is basic unit of life.
3. cell arise from pre-existing cells.

Fig 1.4 DNA is lifes blueprint
Biological information contained in a genetic language common to all organisms
nucleotide basic chemical unit in nucleic acids (pentose sugar, phosphate group, nitrogen-containing
base) (A-T,G-C)
DNA fundamental hereditary material of all organisms / long seq. of 4 different subunits called
nucleotides
gene specific segments of DNA encoding the information the cell uses to make proteins
protein long chain polymer of amino acids with 20 different common side chains
genome entirety of genetic information (sum total of all the DNA molecules)

How is all life on Earth related?

Fig 1.7 Fossils give us a view of past life
evolution change in the genetic makeup of biological populations through time.
adaptations structural, physiological, or behavioral traits that enhance an organism's chances of
survival and reproduction in its environment.
natural selection differential contribution of offspring to next generation by various genetic types
belonging to the same population.

Fig 1.8 Lifes calendar
All life shares a common


Fig 1.10 The tree of life
phylogenetic tree diagram evolutionary relationships as part of an overarching tree of life (descent
among organisms of their genes


How do biologists investigate life?

All scientific investigations are based on

Fig 1.12 The Scientific Method
Scientific Method has 5 steps (progression is not solely linear)
1. make observations
2. speculate/ask questions
3. Form a hypothesis tentative answer
4. make prediction (what is true?)
5. conduct experiment
a.
b.
c.

variable critical factor
data quantified observations
independent variable manipulated component
dependent variable measuring component (response)
comparative experiment experimental design in which data from various unmanipulated samples are
compared, but in which variables are not controlled or even necessarily indentified.
controlled experiment sample is divided into groups whereby experimental groups are exposed to
manipulations of an independent variable while one group serves as a untreated control.
statistics results = probabilities
model systems study on great depth on some organism
null hypothesis: the premise that no difference exists.

Fig 1.13 Controlled experiments manipulate a variable
Scientific Method Example

1. Observations

2. Question
3. Hypothesis
4. Prediction
5. Test by a controlled experiment



Results
Conclusion