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Lecture 1

The document discusses the key concepts of biology including the definition of biology, levels of biological organization from atoms to biosphere, properties of life, cells, DNA as the genetic material, gene expression, energy transfer in living things, ecosystem interactions, and classification of life into three domains.

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25 views4 pages

Lecture 1

The document discusses the key concepts of biology including the definition of biology, levels of biological organization from atoms to biosphere, properties of life, cells, DNA as the genetic material, gene expression, energy transfer in living things, ecosystem interactions, and classification of life into three domains.

Uploaded by

rahaf.khalid226
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The word biology is derived from the greek words

Bios meaning life


Logos meaning study
Biology: defined as the science of life and living organisms.
Organism: a living entity consisting of one cell or several cells.

❖We recognize life by what living things do: properties and processes associate with life.
Some properties of life:

1- Order: The highly ordered structure.


2- Energy processing: The use of chemical energy to power an organism’s activities and
chemical reactions.
3- Response to the environment: an ability to respond to environmental stimuli.
4- Growth and development: consistent growth and development controlled by inherited
DNA.
5- Reproduction: the ability of organisms to reproduce their own kind.
6- Regulation: an ability to control an organism’s internal environment within limits that
sustain life.
7- Evolutionary adaptation: adaptations evolve over many generations, as individuals
with traits best suited to their environments have greater reproductive success and
pass their traits to offspring.

Levels of Biological Organization:


Atoms
A molecule: a chemical structure consisting of two or more units called atoms.
Organelle: the various functional components present in cells.
Cell: life’s fundamental unit of structure and function.
Tissue: is a group of cells that work together, performing a specialized function. Viewing the
tissues requires a microscope.
Organ: a body part that is made up of multiple tissues and has specific functions in the body.
Organism: individual living things.
Population: all the individuals of a species (one species) living within the bounds of a
specified area.
Community: the array of organisms inhabiting a particular ecosystem is called a biological.
Ecosystem: all the living things in a particular area, along with all the nonliving components
of the environment with which life interacts, such as soil, water, atmospheric gases, & light.
Biosphere: all life on earth & all the places where life exists.

Emergent Properties:
❖ Novel properties emerge at each level of the biological organization that are absent from
the preceding one.
❖ These emergent properties are due to the arrangement and interactions of parts as
complexity increases.
❖ Isolated components of living systems lack a number of significant properties that emerge
at higher levels of organization, for example:
❖ The coordinated processes of photosynthesis require a specific organization of the
chlorophyll and other molecules in the chloroplast.

Structure and Function:


❖ At each level of the biological organization, we find a correlation of structure and function.
❖ Knowing the function of something provides insight into its structure and organization.
❖ Example of correlation of structure and function: a leaf is thin and flat, maximizing the
capture of light by chloroplasts.
The Cell: An Organism’s Basic Unit of Structure:
❖ The cell is the lowest level of organization that can perform all activities required for life.
❖ All living organisms are made of cells which are the basic unit of life.
❖ All cells share certain characteristics
❖ All cells are enclosed by a membrane.
❖ All cells use DNA as their genetic information.

Forms of Cells:
❖Eukaryoticcellhasmembrane-enclosed organelles,the
largest of which is usually the nucleus.
❖ Prokaryotic cell is simplerand usually smaller, and
does not contain a nucleus or other membrane- enclosed
organelles.
Life’s Processes involve the Expression & Transmission
of Genetic Information:
❖ DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) is the genetic material
that consists of a substance of genes.
❖ Each DNA molecule is made up of two long chains of
building blocks called nucleotides and nicknamed A, G,
C, and T.
❖ DNA molecule takes the three-dimensional form of a
double helix.

DNA, The Genetic Material:


❖The ability of cells to divide is the basis of all reproduction, growth, and repair
of multicellular organisms.
• A lung cell divides into smaller cells that grow & divide again.
• During cell division, a cell must duplicate its chromosomal DNA through a
process called DNA replication.

DNA, The Genetic Material:


❖ Genes are the units of inheritance that transmit information from parents to offspring.
❖ DNA is inherited by offspring from their parents.

❖ Genes encode information for building proteins.


❖ Genes control protein production indirectly.
❖ DNA is transcribed into RNA then translatedinto a protein.
❖ Gene expression is the process of converting information from gene to a
cellular product.
Life Requires Transfer & Transformation of Energy and Matter:
❖ A fundamental characteristic of living organisms is their use of energy to carry out life’s
activities
❖Work, including moving, growing, and reproducing, requires a source of energy
❖Livingorganismstransformenergyfromoneform toanother.
❖For example, light energy is converted to chemical energy,
then kinetic energy.

Energy flow and chemical cycling:

❖ Energy flows through an ecosystem in one direction, usually entering as light and exiting
as heat.
❖ Chemicals cycle between organisms and the physical environment by decomposers such as
bacteria and fungi.
❖ Producers make their own food.
❖ Consumers feed on other organisms.
❖ Decomposers Break down remains and
wastes.

Ecosystem: Organism’s Interaction with Other


Organisms and the Physical Environment:
❖ Every organism interacts with its
environment, including nonliving factors and
other organisms.
❖ Both organisms and their environments are
affected by the interactions between them.
Classifying the Diversity of Life:
❖ Approximately 1.8 million species have been identified & named to date, and thousands
more are identified each year.
❖Scientists have classified the diversity of life-forms by:
❖ Careful comparisons of structure, function, and other obvious features.
❖ Comparisons of DNA sequences
❖Each species is given a two-part name: The first part is the name of the genus and the
second part is unique to the species.
❖For example, Homo sapiens is the name of our species.

The Three Domains of Life:


❖ Currently biologists divide all organisms into three domains: Bacteria, Archaea, and
Eukarya.
❖Domain Bacteria and domain Archaea compose the prokaryotes.
❖ Most prokaryotes are single-celled and microscopic.

Domain of Bacteria: the most diverse and widespread


prokaryotes and are now classified into multiple kingdoms.
Domain of Archaea: live in Earth’s extreme environments, such as salty lakes and boiling hot
springs.

The Three Domains of Life:


❖ Domain Eukarya includes all eukaryotic organisms.
❖Itincludesthreemulticellular kingdoms:
1. Plants, which produce their own food by photosynthesis.
2. Fungi, which absorb nutrients.
3. Animals, which ingest their food.
❖Othereukaryoticorganismswereformerly groupedintothe Protist kingdom.

W.A ‫🙏 دﻋﻮاﺗﻜﻢ‬

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