Biology Introduction and Scientific Study

Introduction: Biology Today

• Biology is the scientific study of life.
• Biology surrounds humans and affects them.
• A core component of biology is the study of the natural world using inquiry.

Biology All Around Us: Biology & Society

• Biology is a passion for life; a natural inherent interest in understanding life.
• Biology impacts human life daily, affecting society in various ways.

The Scientific Study of Life

• Biology is the scientific study of life, its processes, evolution, and structure.

The Process of Science

• Science is an approach to comprehending the natural world, rooted in investigation and inquiry.
• It employs two main methods: discovery science and hypothesis-driven science.
• Most scientists utilize a combination of both approaches for comprehensive scientific investigations.

Discovery Science

• Science seeks and investigates natural phenomena, limiting the scope to what's observable and measurable utilizing tools like microscopes.
• Data are recorded observations that form the cornerstone of scientific investigation.
• Verifiable observations and measurements reveal the "what" aspect of a phenomenon.
• Charles Darwin’s field observations in South America provide examples of descriptions of natural phenomena.

Hypothesis-Driven Science

• Discovery science motivates questions about the "why" of observed phenomena.
• The scientific method provides a structured approach to scientific inquiry and investigations.
• A hypothesis is a tentative explanation or answer to a question, or proposed explanation of observed data.
• Hypotheses are followed by predictions based on them, potentially leading to further experiments and refinement or replacement of the hypotheses.

Theories in Science

• Accumulating facts is a prerequisite step, but not the primary goal of science.
• Scientific theories are developed by tying together related observations into comprehensive explanations, which are supported by extensive evidence and do not contradict scientific findings.
• Theories, unlike hypotheses which are tentative, are backed by extensive evidence. Theories can produce further testable hypotheses.
• Notable scientists, like Newton, Darwin, and Einstein, represent examples of individuals whose theories have had significant explanatory power.

The Nature of Life

• The definition of life is challenging to encapsulate in a simple statement.
• The complexity of defining what is living is a substantial part of studying life.

The Properties of Life

• There are seven properties of life: order, regulation, growth and development, energy processing, response to the environment, reproduction, and evolution. Organisms exhibit these characteristics.

Life in Its Diverse Forms

• An immense diversity of life exists, with at least 290,000 plant species and 52,000 vertebrate species identified.
• Estimates for the total number of species range from ten million to over one hundred million.

Grouping Species: The Basic Concept

• Biology categorizes organisms based on shared characteristics.
• A species comprises organisms inhabiting the same environment with the capacity for interbreeding and producing fertile offspring.
• Taxonomy is the science of classifying and naming species, arranging them into broader categories using hierarchical classifications.

The Three Domains of Life

• There are three domains of life: Bacteria, Archaea, and Eukarya.
• Eukarya encompasses three kingdoms: plantae, fungi, and animalia.
• Protists belong to multiple kingdoms within domain Eukarya, which is distinct from other eukaryotes.

Major Themes in Biology

• The core themes of biology are evolution, structure/function interconnections, information flow, energy transformations, and interconnections among systems.

1. Evolution

• Life evolves, with each species connected to ancestral species through the evolutionary process.
• The theory of evolution by natural selection describes the fundamental principle of life and unifies biological observations.
• Darwin's theory of natural selection describes evolution.
• Species evolve and display variations, survival advantages, and adaptation.
• The evolutionary view of life is based on observations like the finches of the Galapagos Islands, which shows natural variation and adaptation.
• Antibiotic resistance in bacteria demonstrates the evolution of surviving bacteria and their traits.
• This is exemplified by how selective breeding practices, known as artificial selection, demonstrate how organisms can adapt over generations to new environments.

2. Structure/Function

• Structure and function are intimately related within biological systems.
• The structure of organs like the lungs dictates their function in gas exchange.

3. Information Flow

• Information is passed down through DNA, encoded in molecular structures throughout life.
• DNA is used by all cells as a means of transmitting hereditary information to offspring.
• The flow of information is an essential element of life.

4. Energy Transformations

• Organisms require energy for various life functions like growth and movement.
• Life depends on the capture and conversion of energy from the environment, especially solar energy, into energy usable by organisms.

5. Interconnections Within Biological Systems

• The study of life encompasses interactions from molecular to global levels.
• Life exhibits a hierarchical structure from molecules to ecosystems.
• Components of individual organisms, like cells and tissues, work in concert to maintain larger-scale functions.
• The biosphere encompasses all of life on Earth and its various interconnecting ecosystems.

This quiz explores the fundamental concepts of biology, emphasizing how it influences our lives and society. It covers the scientific methods employed in biological inquiries and the significance of discovery science. Test your knowledge on life processes, evolution, and the impact of biology on humanity.