Biology - Introduction to the Study of Life

Definition and Scope

• Biology is the scientific study of life and living organisms, including their structure, function, growth, evolution, distribution, and taxonomy.
• It explores the diversity of life forms, from molecules to ecosystems.

Branches of Biology

• Botany: study of plants, including their structure, growth, evolution, classification, and interactions with the environment.
• Zoology: study of animals, including their structure, behavior, evolution, classification, and interactions with the environment.
• Microbiology: study of microorganisms, including bacteria, viruses, and other microorganisms.
• Ecology: study of the relationships between organisms and their environment.

Cell Biology

• Cell: the basic structural and functional unit of life, consisting of cell membrane, cytoplasm, and genetic material (DNA or RNA).
• Cellular organelles: specialized structures within cells, such as mitochondria, chloroplasts, and ribosomes, that perform specific functions.
• Cell division: process by which cells reproduce, including mitosis and meiosis.

Genetics

• Genes: units of heredity that carry information from one generation to the next.
• Genotype: genetic makeup of an individual, including all its genes.
• Phenotype: physical and behavioral characteristics of an individual, resulting from the interaction of its genotype and environment.
• Mendelian inheritance: principles of heredity, including segregation, independent assortment, and dominance.

Evolution

• Theory of evolution: process by which species change over time through natural selection, genetic drift, mutation, and gene flow.
• Natural selection: mechanism by which individuals with favorable traits are more likely to survive and reproduce, passing those traits to their offspring.
• Species: group of interbreeding organisms that can produce fertile offspring.

Ecosystems and Ecology

• Ecosystem: community of organisms and their physical environment, interacting through nutrient cycles, energy flow, and species interactions.
• Food chain: sequence of organisms that eat other organisms, with energy flowing from one level to the next.
• Energy pyramid: representation of energy flow through an ecosystem, with producers at the base and top predators at the apex.

Definition and Scope

• Biology is the scientific study of life and living organisms, including structure, function, growth, evolution, distribution, and taxonomy.
• Biology explores the diversity of life forms, from molecules to ecosystems.

Branches of Biology

• Botany is the study of plants, including their structure, growth, evolution, classification, and interactions with the environment.
• Zoology is the study of animals, including their structure, behavior, evolution, classification, and interactions with the environment.
• Microbiology is the study of microorganisms, including bacteria, viruses, and other microorganisms.
• Ecology is the study of the relationships between organisms and their environment.

Cell Biology

• A cell is the basic structural and functional unit of life, consisting of a cell membrane, cytoplasm, and genetic material (DNA or RNA).
• Cellular organelles are specialized structures within cells that perform specific functions, such as mitochondria, chloroplasts, and ribosomes.
• Cell division is the process by which cells reproduce, including mitosis and meiosis.

Genetics

• Genes are units of heredity that carry information from one generation to the next.
• Genotype is the genetic makeup of an individual, including all its genes.
• Phenotype is the physical and behavioral characteristics of an individual, resulting from the interaction of its genotype and environment.
• Mendelian inheritance is the principle of heredity, including segregation, independent assortment, and dominance.

Evolution

• The theory of evolution is the process by which species change over time through natural selection, genetic drift, mutation, and gene flow.
• Natural selection is the mechanism by which individuals with favorable traits are more likely to survive and reproduce, passing those traits to their offspring.
• A species is a group of interbreeding organisms that can produce fertile offspring.

Ecosystems and Ecology

• An ecosystem is a community of organisms and their physical environment, interacting through nutrient cycles, energy flow, and species interactions.
• A food chain is a sequence of organisms that eat other organisms, with energy flowing from one level to the next.
• An energy pyramid is a representation of energy flow through an ecosystem, with producers at the base and top predators at the apex.