Biology Introduction: Characteristics of Life

Questions and Answers

What is the literal meaning of the word 'biology'?

Life and study (correct)

Science of life

Study of living things

Unified science

What is a characteristic of unicellular organisms?

Can only be seen using a microscope (correct)

Found only in plants

Made up of multiple cells

Can be seen with the naked eye

Which of the following is an example of a physiological adaptation?

Human body temperature (correct)

Bird migration

Hare ear length

Plant orientation towards the sun

What is the term for the ability of an organism to maintain a steady internal environment?

Homeostasis Signup and view all the answers

What is the branch of biology that studies fish?

Ichthyology Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of life?

Electrical conduction Signup and view all the answers

What is the term for the set of chemical reactions that convert 'food' into energy?

Metabolism Signup and view all the answers

According to Kirchoff's laws, what is a characteristic of a black surface?

Good absorber of light and heat Signup and view all the answers

What is the main focus of Ornithology?

Study of birds Signup and view all the answers

What is the term for the build-up of chemicals or toxins in living things?

Bioaccumulation Signup and view all the answers

What is the branch of biology that deals with the study of hereditary and genetic material?

Genetics Signup and view all the answers

What is the study of the relationships between all life forms and their environment in a particular area?

Ecology Signup and view all the answers

What is the scientific attitude that involves being open to new ideas and learning?

Desire to Learn Signup and view all the answers

Who is considered the 'Father of Biology'?

Aristotle Signup and view all the answers

What is the study of the structure and organization of living things?

Anatomy Signup and view all the answers

What is the term for the process by which non-living materials turn into living things?

Spontaneous Generation Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Biology Overview

Biology is the science of living things, an unified science that combines biology, chemistry, and physics.

Characteristics of Life

Cellular Composition: living things are made up of at least one cell.
Types of Cellular Composition:
Unicellular: one cell, only visible using a microscope (e.g., bacteria, amoeba, paramecium).
Multicellular: more than one cell (e.g., plants, fungi, animals).
Growth: increase in cell size or cell number.
Reproduction:
Asexual: cell division (mitosis), one cell becomes two (e.g., bacteria).
Sexual: union of sex cells (sperm and egg cells), seen in plants and animals.
Movement:
Place to place: bear running, birds flying.
External part: phototropism, plants orient leaves toward the sun.
Internal part: cytoplasmic streaming.
Adaptation:
Changing to meet the needs of the environment (e.g., bird migration, human body temperature).
Metabolism: set of chemical reactions that convert "food" into energy (e.g., glycolysis, Krebs cycle).
Specific Organization: certain parts do specific jobs (e.g., heart, nucleus, chloroplasts).
Homeostasis: maintaining the same state (e.g., water balance inside and outside of cell, human body temperature).
Responsiveness: reactions to various stimuli (e.g., light, heat, pH, vibration).

Kirchoff's Laws

White: good reflector, poor radiator (heat is lost slowly).
Black: good absorber, good radiator (heat is lost quickly).

Branches of Biology

Zoology: study of animals.
Ichthyology: study of fish (fish are indicator species, alerting humans to potential environmental problems).
Mammalogy: study of mammals (e.g., NASA).
Ornithology: study of birds.
Botany: study of plants (e.g., food production, medicines).
Microbiology: study of small life (e.g., medicines, bioterrorism).
Anatomy: study of an organism's parts.
Physiology: study of how organism's parts work (e.g., health professions, veterinarians).
Entomology: study of insects (e.g., West Nile virus, Yellow Fever - carried by mosquitoes).
Genetics: study of hereditary and genetic material (e.g., DNA/RNA, chromosomes, genes).
Ecology: study of all life in a particular area, the relationships between those life forms and the environment (e.g., AMD, overpopulation, ozone depletion/greenhouse effect, rainforest destruction).
Cell Biology: study of cells.