The study of life in general is very wide.

And to help us understand this vastness is the what we call

THEMES- are distinct characteristics, pattern, and or quality.

To help us understand this better the study of life we can look THEMES individually and as a collective. In
this way we can easily digest the commonalities of those exhibiting life.

The Unifying themes in the study of life are;

ORGANIZATION
INFORMATION
ENERGY AND MATTER
INTERACTIONS
EVOLUTION

The study of organisms ranges from macro-micro or vise cersa.This means that the study of life can be
from the planet earth as a planet that can host life to the molecular level that comprises that life.
The good thing is that these large chunks of concept can be broken to smaller ones.
Let’s explore these levels.

1st STOP. THE LEVELS OF BIOLOGICAL ORGANIZATION.

Start with MOLECULES. This refer to the chemical structures that are composed of two or more atoms

ORGANELLES This are parts of the cell which are responsible for function and integrity. Some are
membrane-bound while others are not.

CELLS. This are the basic functioning and structional unit of an organism. Different cells work in different
organs. They’re structure according to function.

ORGANISMS Can either be singled cell or multicellular in nature.

TISSUES These are simply cells grouped together and performs specialized functions.

ORGANS These is a body part of a part of an organism which is made up of a group of tissues. An organs
functions specifically in body.

ORGANISM Refers to the individual living species. Each thriving plant or animal is an organism.

POPULATION. This refer to all individual or species living in a specific area. Let us take an example of a
population of crabs living in a coastal area.

COMMUNITY. This are the variety of species inhabiting a specific area. An example would be a coastal
community. In these community we would expect a variety of animal and plant species thrives in a
coastal area. Thus a community is a combination of different populations.

ECOSYSTEMS. Refers to the biotic and abiotic factors in an area. This includes not only the interactions
with living things but also interactions between living and non-living things.

BIOSPHERE. Consists all the livable parts of the Earth by livable we are referring to all spaces which
inhabited by life. This includes spaces in land, water, and air.
Did you find it easy or difficult to memorize?

ANOTHER THEME TO HELP US UNDERSTAND THE STUDY OF BIOLOGY IS INFORMATION

All living things have to deal with the transfer and expression of information.
Inside cells chromosome exist and inside chromosomes are genetic material in the form of DNA or
DEOXYRIBONUCLEIC ACID

Recalling your Grade8 you learned about the two mechanism in CELL DIVISION. MITOSIS and MEIOSIS
before each process happens and or is completed. The very first thing that occurs is the replication of
genetic materials.
The replication or copying of DNA will receive the same complete set of chromosomes with that of a
parent cell. This DNA will then contain sections called genes.
The replication of DNA prior to cell division will eventually be the template for the trillions of cells that
will make up an organism.

The structure of the DNA is responsible for its ability to store information. It is a double helix of strands
of building blocks called NECLEOTIDES. It is composed of phosphate, pentose or sugar, deoxyribose
sugar. In the case of the DNA and base.

The NITROGENOUS BASES are adenine (T), Thymine (T), Cytosine ©, and guanine (G) aptly abbreviated
as ATCG respectively.

The difference sequence of these four bases accounts for the encoding of information in the DNA.
Think of it this way. The way we arrange alphabet to form words is in a way like how this nucleotide are
sequenced for encoding information.

The sequencing provides for a blueprint for most GENES to make PROTEINS. In turn these proteins
account for different function in the body and in different organism. Like for example a single cold gene
may specifically create a protein that will be able to break down a carbohydrate molecule. While a
human gene may specify a protein to ac t as an anti-body to help fight of infections.,

The protein production is controlled indirectly through another relation molecule, the RNA or the
Ribonucleic Acid. The RNa in this process serves as intermediary.

The Nucleotides sequences along a gene is transcribe into Mrna AND THEN TRANSLATED INTOTHE
BUILDING BLOCKS OF PROTEIN amino acids. The amino acids in this case is a link seriesafter completed
they form a specific protein with a unique shape and function. These whole process where the
information in a gene guides to create a cellular produc called GENE EXPRESSION.

Again, it starts with REPLICATION, TRANSCRIPTION. TRANSLATION or Dna, RNA to Protein Synthesis.

A characteristics common to all forms of life is the need for energy.

ENERGY This is a requirement for organism to perform life processes.

The Various indicators of life and processes are;
GROWING, REPRODUCING, MOVING, and other intracellular processes require that organisms spend
energy.

The SUN is the primary source of energy in the environment. All organisms rely on the sun’s energy
input to survive. It provides energy on Earth in the form of light and is received and utilized by the
Autotrophs or producers.

These autotrophs or producers are photosynthetic organisms. Meaning these organisms are able to
harvest sunlight to create their own food. The photosystems harvest light and together with raw
materials like carbon dioxide and water it converts light energy into chemical energy. This process is
called photosynthesis. The chemical energy in the form of food molecules will then be passed by plants
and other photosynthetic organism to other organisms that are not able to produce their own food.

Note that; there is already energy transfer happening in this process. The organisms receiving the
energy from producers are called consumers.

When an organism uses energy to perform work or certain processes. Such as cell division or pumping of
blood from the heart to circulation, some energy use is lost in the environment in the form of heat.
In a nutshell, energy in an ecosystem flows through in one direction. Enters as light, and exits as heat.
And in contrast chemical’s used are recycled. The chemicals that the plants absorbed from the soil and
the water is incorporated into the plant body then later passed on to the animal that eats the plant.
Eventually these chemicals well then be returned to the environment by decomposers like bacteria that
breaks down dead matter.

These chemicals will then be taken up by the soil usually and is ready to be again absorbed by the plants.

BIOENERGETICS bio means life and energetics come from the word energy.
So the definition of BIOENERGETICS is that it will describe the transfer and utilization of energy in
biological systems.

NOW THE QUESTION IS, B WHAT IS ENERGY?

Energy is the capacity for doing work. Just like a car is going for miles on gas or a mixer is running on
electricity. SO they are getting energy from the sources. Just like that HUMANS need ENERGY to walk,
to grow from toddler and into adult The process of fertilization and fetal development also needs
energy. And even when we are sleeping and not doing any work. Our lungs are working and our heart is
beating. So, we are still using energy. Just like other machines, human beings also need energy.

Now our planet earth, the main source of energy is sunlight. The sunlight energy is absorbed by plants,
with the help of carbon dioxide and water it can convert this light energy into glucose and this glucose
will be utilizing by us. Either by eating those plants directly or by eating those animals that are eating
those plants.

So directly or indirectly we are taking these glucoses and will convert it in the form of ATP. With the
byproducts of water and co2. This ATP is the energy source for our body to do every type of work. ATP
stands for Adenosine Triphosphate. Now this is the energy currency of human body. And the bones
connecting these phosphate bonds have high energy in them. When these bonds get dissociate from
each other it will remove one inorganic phosphate and release free energy.

Now the question is what is a free energy?

Also called as the GIBBS free energy. the amount of energy available to do work. It can also predict
whether the process will be done or not.

For example, if a person is moving down a hill it will need less amount of energy. This type of process is
called as spontaneous process. And if a person is lifting weight it cannot do it without the help of
instructor. Now it is taking energy from external source now this type of process is called as non-
spontaneous process

The equation of Gibbs free energy is. DG= DH – T x DS

G= Gibbs free energy
H= Change in Enthalpy
T= Temperature
S= Change in entropy

Now if you are not a biologist you will be confused with the terminology called as enthalpy and entropy.

So Let’s define them first and we will move forward

In order to understand these terms, we need to go back into CHEMISTRY CLASS

In Chemistry if we are taking a clinical flask in a box, that clinical flask will be a system. And the box will
be called as surroundings. Together, System, plus surrounding will make a surrounding

In the system there are two things that can be exchange from system to surrounding or surrounding to
system. The first thing is the mass or the work and the second thing is the heat. In order to understand it
let’s take an example of a car running down the hill.

EXAMPLE: Now in the first case, if this car is moving slowly down the hill and hit this tree, then it will
cause a fender bende. In this case the car is hitting the break constantly so it will be producing a lot of
heat energy there. And then it will hit the tree slightly that’s why there is less damage there so there will
be a less work. MORE HEAT< LESS WORK
ExAmple: If this person is not hitting brake and will hit the tree with full force in that case the car will use
less heat but it will do more work by breaking this tree or by breaking the car.
In both the situation the amount of energy is the same

So the of energy is independent of the pathway it is taking that’s why it is also called as state function

Now system can be in three diff types. One is called as open system, closed system and third is isolated
system

OPEN SYSTEM: Both mass and heat can transfer from system to it’s surrounding.
Example: A boiling pot of water. In this case the water is evaporating so the mass is transferring plus the
heat is releasing from the pot.

CLOSED SYSTEm: So if we put the lid on this pot then the amss will not transfer outside into the
surrounding but the ehat can still transfer from the system to its surrounding

ISOLATED SYSTEm: neither mass nor heat can transfer from system to it’s surrounding.
EXAMPLE: Coffee thermos, in which the elast amount of heat can be transferred from system into the
surrounding there’s no real life example of ISOLATED SYSTEM

Now in all these three system the most amount of energy is present in the IS so the total amount of
energy present in the system is called as ENTHALPY.So all this examples IS has the highest ENTHALPY

Let’s talk about entropy now.