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Introduction to Biology and Homeostasis

Introduction to Biology and Homeostasis. Section 1 Themes of Biology. Biology Fall 2010. Bell Ringer. What are the characteristics that you share with a beetle? What are the characteristics of life? Do nonliving objects have any of these characteristics described in question 2?.

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Introduction to Biology and Homeostasis

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  1. Introduction to Biology and Homeostasis Section 1 Themes of Biology Biology Fall 2010

  2. Bell Ringer • What are the characteristics that you share with a beetle? • What are the characteristics of life? • Do nonliving objects have any of these characteristics described in question 2?

  3. Objectives • Relate the seven properties of life to a living organism • Describe seven themes that can help you organize what you learn about biology • Identify the tiny structures that make up all living organisms • Differentiate between reproduction and heredity and between metabolism and homeostasis

  4. Characteristics of Living Things • Biology- the study of life • Living organisms share certain general properties that separate them from nonliving things

  5. Characteristics of Living Things • Properties of Life • Cellular organization: every living organism is composed of one or more cells • Reproduction: able to reproduce • Metabolism: obtains and uses energy to run the processes of life • Homeostasis: maintain a constant internal environment • Heredity: pass on traits to offspring • Responsiveness: responding and adjusting to the environment • Growth and development: growing and developing

  6. Characteristics of Living Organisms • Life is characterized by the presence of all of these properties at some stage in an organism’s life!

  7. Unifying Themes of Biology • Theme #1: Cellular structure and function • Cells: highly organized, tiny structures with thin coverings called membranes • Cell is the smallest unit capable of all life functions • The basic structure of cells is the same in all organisms, although some cells are more complex

  8. Unifying Themes of Biology • Theme #2: Reproduction • Reproduction: process by which organisms make more of their own kind from one generation to the next • Because no organism lives forever, reproduction is an essential part of living

  9. Unifying Themes of Biology • Theme #3: Metabolism • Metabolism: sum of all the chemical reactions carried out in an organism • Living organisms carry out many different chemical reactions in order to obtain and use energy to run the process of life • All living things use energy to grow, to move, and to process information • Energy flows from the sun to plants, from these plants to plant-eating organisms, and from plant-eating organisms to meat-eating organisms

  10. Unifying Themes of Biology • Theme #4: Homeostasis • Homeostasis: the maintenance of stable internal conditions in spite of changes in the external environment • Organisms respond to changes in their external environment, and their internal processes adjust accordingly

  11. Unifying Themes of Biology • Theme #5: Heredity • All living things pass on traits to their offspring through genes that are passed from parents to offspring • Gene: basic unit of heredity • Genes coded in a molecule of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and determine an organism’s traits • Heredity: the passing of traits from parent to offspring • Mutation: a change in the DNA of a gene • Sometimes from damage, sometimes harmful, sometimes helpful

  12. Unifying Themes of Biology • Theme #6: Evolution • Evolution: change in the inherited characteristics of species over generations • Species: group of genetically similar organisms that can produce fertile offspring • Individuals with genetic traits that better enable them meet nature’s challenges tend to survive and reproduce in greater numbers, causing these favorable traits to become more common • Charles Darwin, used term natural selection, for the process in which organisms with favorable traits are more likely to survive and reproduce

  13. Unifying Themes of Biology • Theme #7: Interdependence • Organisms in a biological community live and interact with other organisms • Ecology: branch of biology that studies the interactions of organisms with one another and with the nonliving part of their environment

  14. Review • List the seven properties that all living organisms share. • Relate three of the seven major themes of biology to the life of the harp seal. • Name the very small, organized structure that is bound by a membrane and that is the basic unit of structure and function in all organisms. • If you find an object that looks like an organisms, how might you determine if your discovery is indeed alive?

  15. Answers • Cellular organization, reproduction, metabolism, homeostasis, heredity, responsiveness, growth and development • Answers may vary, homeostasis, cellular structure and function, or reproduction • The cell • Answers may vary, testing for several of the characteristics of living organisms, such as signs of growth, cellular organization, metabolism, or responses to stimuli

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