Biology Chapter: Macromolecules and Elements

Chapter 1: Identifying Themes in Biology

• Biology is the scientific study of life, encompassing key properties like order, reproduction, growth, adaptation, and response to environment.

• Themes of life include: cells (basic units), homeostasis/regulation (maintaining internal balance), adaptation/evolution (change over time), response to environment/stimuli (reactions), growth and development, energy processing, and reproduction.

• Key biological themes include evolution (emerging properties related to natural selection), gene expression, structure-function relationships, energy transfer, and systems biology (interactions between organisms).

• A cell is the smallest unit of life, while an atom is the smallest unit of matter.

Defining Key Biological Terms

• Biology: The scientific study of life, encompassing several properties of life, including order, reproduction, energy processing, etc.

• Science: A systematic way of building and organizing knowledge, focused on explaining and predicting phenomena.

• Species: Defined as a group of populations whose members have the potential to breed and produce fertile offspring.

• Family: A higher taxonomic category than genus and species in biological classification, grouping related genera together.

• Biological community: Consists of all the populations of different species interacting within an area. Reproduction: The production of new individuals, either sexually (combination of genetic material from two parents) or asexually (from a single organism).

The Importance of the Scientific Method

• Scientific investigations start with observations and lead to testable questions.

• The scientific method includes problem statement, observation, research, hypothesis, experiment design, experiment, data collection, data analysis, control variables definition, conclusion, and publication. Key elements in experimental design include recognizing dependent and independent variables and control samples.

• Repeat an experiment if results are unclear or there are errors: verify consistency

• Refine/Revise or modify hypotheses and experimentation based on new data/information to increase results accuracy.

Theories vs Hypotheses

• A theory is a broad, well-supported explanatory framework based on many observations, while a hypothesis is a focused testable prediction derived from observations.

• Independent variable: Factor changed or manipulated in an experiment.

• Dependent variable: Factor measured or observed, affected by the independent variable.

• Control sample: The group that does not receive the experimental treatment of variable. Helps to determine if the treatment causes or influences a change

• Test sample: The group receiving the experimental treatment or variable, used to compare to the control.

Scientific Measurements and Units

• Quantitative data are objective, measured numerical values like height and weight

• Qualitative data is subjective, descriptive observations like color and texture

• SI (International System of Units) is a standardized system of measurement used globally in science, industry, and everyday life; its units ensure consistency and easy comparison.

Key Differences Between Biological Communities, Species, Populations and Habitats

• Biological community: All the populations of different species living and interacting in an area.

• Species: A group of populations whose members can interbreed and produce fertile offspring in nature.

• Population: A group of individuals of the same species living in a specific geographic area.

• Habitat: A place where an organism lives and its surroundings; the environment of an organism.

Symbiosis

• Mutualism: Both organisms benefit, positive (+/+)
• Predatory: One organism benefits and the other is harmed, (+/-)
• Commensalism: One organism benefits, the other is unaffected, (+/0)
• Parasitism: One organism benefits, the other is harmed. (+/-)

Interspecific and Intraspecific Interactions

• Intraspecific competition: Competition between individuals of the same species.
• Interspecific competition: Competition between individuals of different species for the same limited resource.

Test your knowledge on key concepts from biology, focusing on macromolecules, periodic table families, and molecular structures. This quiz covers essential topics such as reactions, bonding, and the characteristics of different elements. Ideal for students looking to reinforce their understanding of biological chemistry.