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Exploring Life: Characteristics, Evolution, Diversity & the Scientific Method

Delve into the characteristics of living things, the science of biology, evolution theory, diversity of life, and the scientific method. Understand how living organisms grow, reproduce, evolve, and adapt to their environments. Learn about the scientific process, evolution's role in shaping life forms, and key concepts like homeostasis, metabolism, and cellular processes. Discover the importance of genetic variation, inheritance, and natural selection in the evolution of species. Explore real-world examples, such as Darwin's finches, to gain insight into how organisms adapt to survive. Step into the fascinating world of life on Earth.

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Exploring Life: Characteristics, Evolution, Diversity & the Scientific Method

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  1. Chapter 1 An Introduction to Life on Earth • What are the characteristics of living things? • How do scientists categorize the diversity of life? • What is the science of biology? • Evolution: The unifying theory of biology

  2. Characteristics of Living Things • Living things have a complex, organized structure made up of organic (carbon based) molecules

  3. Characteristics of Living Things

  4. Characteristics of Living Things • The cell is the basic unit of life

  5. Characteristics of Living Things

  6. Characteristics of Living Things • Living things respond to stimuli from their internal and external environment • A stimulus is a change that brings about a response

  7. Characteristics of Living Things • Living things maintain their complex structure and internal environment in a process called homeostasis

  8. Characteristics of Living Things • This occurrence is known as physiological homeostasis and it is essentially a corrective mechanism. Consider the following scenario in a person: • The level of glucose in the bloodstream drops • The person requires glucose in cells to meet the demand for ATP • The body detects this with a particular receptor designed for this function • These receptors release hormones, chemical messages that initiate the start of the feedback mechanism • The hormones travel to their target tissue and initiate a corrective response • In this case, the corrective response is the secretion of more glucose into the bloodstream

  9. Characteristics of Living Things • Living things acquire and use materials and energy from their environment in a process called metabolism • Catabolism <-> Anabolism • Cellular Respiration <-> Photosynthesis • C6H12O6 + 6O2 + 6H2O <-> 12H2O + 6 CO2

  10. Characteristics of Living Things • Living things grow • Materials acquired from the environment are converted into the specific molecules of the organism’s body

  11. Characteristics of Living Things • Continuity of life occurs because organisms reproduce offspring of the same type (species) • Diversity of life occurs because offspring are slightly different from their parents due to sexual reproduction and mutation

  12. Characteristics of Living Things • Living things reproduce themselves using a molecular blueprint called deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)

  13. Characteristics of Living Things • Living things, as a whole, have the capacity to evolve • The theory of evolution states that modern organisms arose, with modification, from preexisting life forms

  14. Diversity of Life

  15. Diversity of Life

  16. Diversity of Life

  17. Diversity of Life (Student Completion)

  18. Scientific Method • The scientific method is the experimental testing of a hypothesis formulated after the systematic, objective collection of data.

  19. Scientific Method The scientific method is often divided into steps. This is helpful for putting the method into context, but keep in mind that the key element of the scientific method is testing the hypothesis. In other words, can you prove that you are wrong?

  20. Steps of the Scientific Method • Observe the situation • Ask a question • Turn that question into a testable hypothesis • Predict the outcome of your experiment • Perform your experiment • Analyze the results • Evaluate your hypothesis

  21. Evolution • Evolution is the unifying theory that explains the origin of diverse forms of life as a result of changes in their genetic makeup. • Modern organisms descended, with modification, from preexisting life-forms.

  22. Evolution • Darwin and Wallace formulated a theory of evolution in the 1800’s based on three natural processes: • Genetic variation within a population • Inheritance of variation by offspring of parents who carry the variation • Natural selection: the survival and enhanced reproduction of organisms with favourable variations

  23. Evolution • Darwin's finches. The finches numbered 1-7 are ground finches. They seek their food on the ground or in low shrubs. Those numbered 8-13 are tree finches. They live primarily on insects. • Since Darwin's time, these birds have provided a case study of how a single species reaching the Galapagos from Central or South America could - over a few million years - give rise to the 13 species that live there today.

  24. Evolution • Structures or behaviours that aid survival and reproduction in a particular environment are called adaptations

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