Chapter 1

Biology and Its Themes

Overview: Inquiring About Life
• An organism’s adaptations to its environment are the
result of evolution
• Evolution is the process of change that has transformed
life on Earth
• Biology is the scientific study of life
• Biological questions:
– How does a single cell develop into an organism?
– How does the human mind work?
– How do living things interact in communities?
Evolutionary adaptation
It is not easy to define ‘‘live’’.

But we can know fundamental characteristics

of living things.
Response to the environment
Reproduction
Growth and development
Energy processing
Regulation
Order
Are viruses alive?
Theme: New Properties Emerge at Each
Level in the Biological Hierarchy
• Life can be studied at different levels, from
molecules to the entire living planet
• The study of life can be divided into different
levels of biological organization
Figure 1.4
The biosphere
Tissues
Ecosystems
Organs and
organ systems

Communities
Cells
Organelles

Organisms Atoms

Populations Molecules
Life creates
conditions
conducive to life

The biosphere
 All the water and all the atmosphere
on Earth

• The life that began some 3.8 billion years ago within
this relatively thin water/atmosphere skin, has made a
lush livable place for us. How do we maintain it?
Ecosystems
Fig. 1-4e

Communities
Populations
Organisms
Organs and
organ systems
Tissues
50 µm
10 µm

Cell

Cells
 1 µm

Organelles
 Atoms

Molecules
Emergent Properties
• Emergent properties result from the arrangement
and interaction of parts within a system
• Emergent properties characterize nonbiological
entities as well
– For example, a functioning bicycle emerges only
when all of the necessary parts connect in the
correct way
Two Approaches to Studying Biology
• Reductionism
• Systems Biology
The Power and Limitations of Reductionism
• Reductionism is the reduction of complex
systems to simpler components that are more
manageable to study
– i.e., studying the molecular structure of DNA
helps us to understand the chemical basis of
inheritance
• An understanding of biology balances
reductionism with the study of emergent
properties
– i.e., new understanding comes from studying the
interactions of DNA with other molecules
Systems Biology
• A system is a combination of components that
function together
• Systems biology constructs models for the
dynamic behavior of whole biological systems
• The systems approach poses questions such as
– How does a drug for blood pressure affect other
organs?
– How does increasing CO2 alter the biosphere?
Theme: Organisms Interact 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
– For example, a tree takes up water and minerals
from the soil and carbon dioxide from the air; the
tree releases oxygen to the air and roots help
form soil
Figure 1.5
Sunlight

Leaves absorb
light energy from Leaves take in
the sun. carbon dioxide
CO2 from the air
and release
oxygen.

O2

Cycling
of
chemical
nutrients

Leaves fall to Water and Animals eat

the ground and minerals in leaves and fruit
are decomposed the soil are from the tree.
by organisms taken up by
that return the tree
minerals to the through
soil. its roots.
• Humans have modified our environment
– For example, half the human-generated CO2
stays in the atmosphere and contributes to global
warming
• Global warming is a major aspect of global
climate change
• It is important to understand the effects of global
climate change on the Earth and its populations
Theme: Life Requires Energy Transfer
and Transformation
• 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
• Living organisms transform energy from one form
to another
– For example, light energy is converted to chemical
energy, then kinetic energy
• Energy flows through an ecosystem, usually
entering as light and exiting as heat
 Sunlight Heat

When energy is used

Producers absorb light to do work, some
energy and transform it into energy is converted to
chemical energy. thermal energy, which
is lost as heat.

An animal’s muscle
cells convert
Chemical chemical energy
energy from food to kinetic
energy, the energy
of motion. A plant’s cells use
chemical energy to do
Chemical energy in work such as growing
food is transferred new leaves.
from plants to
consumers.

(a) Energy flow from sunlight to (b) Using energy to do work

producers to consumers
 Sunlight

Producers absorb light

energy and transform it into
chemical energy.

Chemical
energy

Chemical energy in
food is transferred
from plants to
consumers.

(a) Energy flow from sunlight to

producers to consumers
Figure 1.6b

Heat

When energy is used

to do work, some
energy is converted to
thermal energy, which
is lost as heat.

An animal’s muscle
cells convert
chemical energy
from food to kinetic
energy, the energy
of motion. A plant’s cells use
chemical energy to do
work such as growing
new leaves.

(b) Using energy to do work

Theme: Structure and Function Are
Correlated at All Levels of Biological
Organization
• Structure and function of living organisms are
closely related
– For example, a leaf is thin and flat, maximizing
the capture of light by chloroplasts
– For example, the structure of a bird’s wing is
adapted to flight
(a) Wings
(b) Wing bones
 A Neurons shape directly relates to its function

Mitochondrial design relates to its

function
Production of ATP
Theme: The Cell Is an Organism’s Basic
Unit of Structure and Function
• The cell is the lowest level of organization that
can perform all activities required for life
• All cells
– Are enclosed by a membrane
– Use DNA as their genetic information
• A eukaryotic cell has membrane-enclosed
organelles, the largest of which is usually the
nucleus
• By comparison, a prokaryotic cell is simpler and
usually smaller, and does not contain a nucleus or
other membrane-enclosed organelles
 Prokaryotic cell
Eukaryotic cell DNA
(no nucleus)
Membrane
Membrane
Cytoplasm

Nucleus
(membrane-
enclosed)

Membrane- DNA (throughout

enclosed organelles nucleus) 1 m
Theme: The Continuity of Life Is Based on
Heritable Information in the Form of DNA
• Chromosomes contain most of a cell’s genetic
material in the form of DNA (deoxyribonucleic
acid)
• DNA is the substance of genes
• Genes are the units of inheritance that transmit
information from parents to offspring
• The ability of cells to divide is the basis of all
reproduction, growth, and repair of multicellular
organisms
25 m
DNA Structure and Function
• Each chromosome has one long DNA molecule
with hundreds or thousands of genes
• Genes encode information for building proteins
• DNA is inherited by offspring from their parents
• DNA controls the development and maintenance
of organisms
 Sperm cell

Nuclei
containing
DNA

Fertilized egg
with DNA from Embryo’s cells with
Egg cell both parents copies of inherited DNA
Offspring with traits
inherited from
both parents
• Each DNA molecule is made up of two long chains
arranged in a double helix
• Each link of a chain is one of four kinds of
chemical building blocks called nucleotides and
nicknamed A, G, C, and T
 Nucleus A

DNA C
Nucleotide T
A
T
Cell
A
C
C
G
T
A
G
T
A

(a) DNA double helix (b) Single strand of DNA

• Genes control protein production indirectly
• DNA is transcribed into RNA then translated into
a protein
• Gene expression is the process of converting
information from gene to cellular product
Genomics: Large-Scale Analysis of DNA
Sequences
• An organism’s genome is its entire set of genetic
instructions
• The human genome and those of many other
organisms have been sequenced using DNA-
sequencing machines
• Genomics is the study of sets of genes within
and between species
• The genomics approach depends on
– “High-throughput” technology, which yields
enormous amounts of data
– Bioinformatics, which is the use of computational
tools to process a large volume of data
– Interdisciplinary research teams
Theme: Feedback Mechanisms Regulate
Biological Systems
• Feedback mechanisms allow biological processes
to self-regulate
• Negative feedback means that as more of a
product accumulates, the process that creates it
slows and less of the product is produced
• Positive feedback means that as more of a product
accumulates, the process that creates it speeds up
and more of the product is produced
 A
Negative
feedback
Enzyme 1

D Enzyme 2
Excess D
blocks a step. D
D C

Enzyme 3

(a) Negative feedback

 W

Enzyme 4

X
Positive
feedback 
Enzyme 5

Excess Z Z Y
stimulates a Z
step.
Z Enzyme 6

(b) Positive feedback

Concept 1.2: The Core Theme: Evolution,
the Overarching Theme of Biology
• Evolution explains patterns of unity and
diversity in living organisms, unifying biology
throughout history of life on Earth
• Organisms are modified descendants of
common ancestors, and similar traits are
explained by descent from these common
ancestors
• Differences among organisms are explained
by the accumulation of heritable changes

© 2011 Pearson Education, Inc.

Grouping Species: The Basic Idea
• Taxonomy is the branch of biology that names
and classifies species into groups of increasing
breadth
• Domains, followed by kingdoms, are the
broadest units of classification
 Species Genus Family Order Class Phylum Kingdom Domain

Ursus americanus
(American black bear)

Ursus

Ursidae

Carnivora

Mammalia

Chordata

Animalia

Eukarya
The Three Domains of Life
• Organisms are divided into three domains
• Domain Bacteria and domain Archaea compose
the prokaryotes
– Archaea live in the Earth’s extreme environments
• Most prokaryotes are single-celled and
microscopic
(a) Domain Bacteria (b) Domain Archaea

2 m
2 m
(c) Domain Eukarya
Kingdom Animalia

100 m

Kingdom Plantae

Protists

Kingdom Fungi
• Domain Eukarya includes all eukaryotic
organisms
• Domain Eukarya includes three multicellular
kingdoms
– Plants, which produce their own food by
photosynthesis
– Fungi, which absorb nutrients
– Animals, which ingest their food
• Other eukaryotic organisms were formerly
grouped into the Protist kingdom, though these
are now often grouped into many separate groups
Unity in the Diversity of Life
• A striking unity underlies the diversity of life; for
example
– DNA is the universal genetic language common
to all organisms
– Unity is evident in many features of cell structure
15 m 5 m

Cilia of Cilia of
Paramecium windpipe
cells

0.1 m
Cross section of a cilium, as viewed
with an electron microscope
Charles Darwin and the Theory of
Natural Selection
• Fossils and other evidence document the
evolution of life on Earth over billions of years
• Charles Darwin published On the Origin of
Species by Means of Natural Selection in 1859
• Darwin made two main points
– Species showed evidence of “descent with
modification” from common ancestors
– Natural selection is the mechanism behind
“descent with modification”
• Darwin’s theory explained the duality of unity and
diversity
• Darwin observed that
– Individuals in a population vary in their traits, many
of which are heritable
– More offspring are produced than survive, and
competition is inevitable
– Species generally suit their environment
• Darwin inferred that
– Individuals that are best suited to their environment
are more likely to survive and reproduce
– Over time, more individuals in a population will
have the advantageous traits
• Evolution occurs as the unequal reproductive
success of individuals
• In other words, the environment “selects” for the
propagation of beneficial traits
• Darwin called this process natural selection
• Natural selection results in the adaptation of
organisms to their environment
– For example, beetles differing in color colonizing
an area with newly blackened soil due to fire
1 Population with 2 Elimination of 3 Reproduction of 4 Increasing
varied inherited individuals with survivors frequency of
traits certain traits traits that
enhance
survival and
reproductive
success
The Tree of Life
• “Unity in diversity” arises from “descent with
modification”
– For example, the forelimb of the bat, human, and
horse and the whale flipper all share a common
skeletal architecture
• Fossils provide additional evidence of anatomical
unity from descent with modification
Variation in a Theme – Homologous
Structures
• Darwin proposed that natural selection could
cause an ancestral species to give rise to two or
more descendent species
– For example, the finch species of the Galápagos
Islands are descended from a common ancestor
• Evolutionary relationships are often illustrated with
treelike diagrams that show ancestors and their
descendants
 Warbler finches

Insect-eaters
Green warbler finch
Certhidea olivacea

COMMON Gray warbler finch

ANCESTOR Certhidea fusca

Seed-eater
Sharp-beaked
ground finch

Bud-eater
Geospiza difficilis
Vegetarian finch
Platyspiza crassirostris

Mangrove finch
Cactospiza heliobates

Insect-eaters
Tree finches
Woodpecker finch
Cactospiza pallida

Medium tree finch

Camarhynchus pauper

Large tree finch

Camarhynchus psittacula

Small tree finch

Camarhynchus parvulus

Cactus-flower-
Large cactus

eaters
ground finch
Geospiza conirostris
Cactus ground finch
Ground finches

Geospiza scandens
Seed-eaters

Small ground finch

Geospiza fuliginosa

Medium ground finch

Geospiza fortis

Large ground finch

Geospiza
magnirostris
Concept 1.3: In studying nature, scientists
make observations and then form and test
hypotheses
• The word science is derived from Latin and
means “to know”
• Inquiry is the search for information and
explanation
• The scientific process includes making
observations, forming logical hypotheses, and
testing them
Making Observations
• Biologists describe natural structures and
processes
• This approach is based on observation and the
analysis of data
Types of Data
• Data are recorded observations or items of
information; these fall into two categories
– Qualitative data, or descriptions rather than
measurements
– Quantitative data, or recorded measurements,
which are sometimes organized into tables and
graphs
Inductive Reasoning
• Inductive reasoning draws conclusions through
the logical process of induction
• Repeating specific observations can lead to
important generalizations
– For example, “the sun always rises in the east”
Forming and Testing Hypotheses
• Observations and inductive reasoning can lead us
to ask questions and propose hypothetical
explanations called hypotheses
The Role of Hypotheses in Inquiry
• A hypothesis is a tentative answer to a well-
framed question
• A scientific hypothesis leads to predictions that
can be tested by observation or experimentation
– For example,
– Observation: Your flashlight doesn’t work
– Question: Why doesn’t your flashlight work?
– Hypothesis 1: The batteries are dead
– Hypothesis 2: The bulb is burnt out
– Both these hypotheses are testable
Deductive Reasoning and Hypothesis Testing
• Deductive reasoning uses general premises to
make specific predictions
• For example, if organisms are made of cells
(premise 1), and humans are organisms
(premise 2), then humans are composed of cells
(deductive prediction)
• Hypothesis-based science often makes use
of two or more alternative hypotheses
• Failure to show a hypothesis is false does not
prove that hypothesis
– For example, you replace your flashlight bulb,
and it now works; this supports the hypothesis
that your bulb was burnt out, but does not
prove it (perhaps the first bulb was inserted
incorrectly)
Questions That Can and Cannot Be
Addressed by Science
• A hypothesis must be testable and falsifiable
– For example, a hypothesis that ghosts fooled
with the flashlight cannot be tested
• Supernatural and religious explanations are
outside the bounds of science
The Flexibility of the Scientific Method
• The scientific method is an idealized process of
inquiry
• Hypothesis-based science is based on the
“textbook” scientific method but rarely follows all
the ordered steps
• Discovery science has made important
contributions with very little dependence on the so-
called scientific method
A Case Study in Scientific Inquiry:
Investigating Mimicry in Snake Populations
• Many poisonous species are brightly colored,
which warns potential predators
• Mimics are harmless species that closely
resemble poisonous species
• Henry Bates hypothesized that this mimicry
evolved in harmless species as an evolutionary
adaptation that reduces their chances of being
eaten
• This hypothesis was tested with the venomous
eastern coral snake and its mimic the
nonvenomous scarlet kingsnake
• Both species live in the Carolinas, but the
kingsnake is also found in regions without
venomous coral snakes
• If predators inherit an avoidance of the coral
snake’s coloration, then the colorful kingsnake will
be attacked less often in the regions where coral
snakes are present
Scarlet kingsnake (nonvenomous)
Key
Range of scarlet
kingsnake only
Overlapping ranges of
scarlet kingsnake and
eastern coral snake

North
Carolina
South
Eastern coral snake
Carolina
(venomous)

Scarlet kingsnake (nonvenomous)

Field Experiments with Artificial Snakes
• To test this mimicry hypothesis, researchers made
hundreds of artificial snakes:
– An experimental group resembling kingsnakes
– A control group resembling plain brown snakes
• Equal numbers of both types were placed at field
sites, including areas without poisonous coral
snakes
(a) Artificial kingsnake

(b) Brown artificial snake that has been attacked

• After four weeks, the scientists retrieved the
artificial snakes and counted bite or claw marks
• The data fit the predictions of the mimicry
hypothesis: the ringed snakes were attacked less
frequently in the geographic region where coral
snakes were found
RESULTS
100 Artificial
84% kingsnakes
Percent of total attacks

83%
Brown
on artificial snakes

80
artificial
snakes
60

40

20 17% 16%

0
Coral snakes Coral snakes
absent present
Experimental Controls and Repeatability
• A controlled experiment compares an
experimental group (the artificial kingsnakes) with a
control group (the artificial brown snakes)
• Ideally, only the variable of interest (the effect of
coloration on the behavior of predators) differs
between the control and experimental groups
• A controlled experiment uses the control groups to
cancel the effects of unwanted variables; does not
mean that all unwanted variables are kept constant
• In science, observations and experimental results
must be repeatable
Theories in Science
• In the context of science, a theory is
– Broader in scope than a hypothesis
– General, and can lead to new testable hypotheses
– Supported by a large body of evidence in
comparison to a hypothesis
Concept 1.4: Science benefits from a
cooperative approach and diverse viewpoints
• Most scientists work in teams, which often include
graduate and undergraduate students
• Good communication is important in order to share results
through seminars, publications, and websites
• Scientists check each others’ claims by performing similar
experiments
• It is not unusual for different scientists to work on the same
research question
• Scientists cooperate by sharing data about model
organisms (e.g., the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster)
Science, Technology, and Society
• The goal of science is to understand natural
phenomena

• The goal of technology is to apply scientific

knowledge for some specific purpose

• Biology is marked by “discoveries,” while

technology is marked by “inventions”
• The combination of science and technology has
dramatic effects on society
– For example, the discovery of DNA by James
Watson and Francis Crick allowed for advances in
DNA technology such as testing for hereditary
diseases
• Ethical issues can arise from new technology, but
have as much to do with politics, economics, and
cultural values as with science and technology