Study of Life Intro to 2007-2008
Big Ideas Big Idea 1: The process of evolution drives the diversity and unity of life. Big Idea 2: Biological systems utilize free energy and molecular building blocks to grow, to reproduce, and to maintain dynamic homeostasis. Big Idea 3: Living systems store, retrieve, transmit, and respond to information essential to life processes. Big Idea 4: Biological systems interact, and these systems and their interactions possess complex properties
Science Practices for Science Practice 1: The student can use representations and models to communicate scientific phenomena and solve scientific problems. Science Practice 2: The student can use mathematics appropriately. Science Practice 3: The student can engage in scientific questioning to extend thinking or to guide investigations within the context of the AP course. Science Practice 4: The student can plan and implement data collection strategies appropriate to a particular scientific question.
Science Practices for, cont. Science Practice 5: The student can perform data analysis and evaluation of evidence. Science Practice 6: The student can work with scientific explanations and theories. Science Practice 7: The student is able to connect and relate knowledge across various scales, concepts, and representations in and across domains.
Themes Science as a process of inquiry questioning & investigation Evolution Energy transfer Continuity & Change Relationship of structure to function Regulation Interdependence in nature Science, technology & society
Theme: Each level of biological organization has emergent properties Biological organization is based on a hierarchy of structural levels, each building on the levels below. At the lowest level are atoms that are ordered into complex biological molecules. Many molecules are arranged into minute structure called organelles, which are the components of cells. The whole is greater than the sum of the parts. Fig. 1.2(1) Fig. 1.2(2) Copyright 2002 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Benjamin Cummings
Life can be organized into a hierarchy of structural levels. At each successive level additional emergent properties appear. Fig. 2.1 Copyright 2002 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Benjamin Cummings
Science is a process of inquiry Built on repeatable observations & testable, falsifiable hypotheses
Evolution THE core theme of biology and geology, astronomy, etc.
Jean Baptiste LaMarck Organisms adapted to their environments by acquiring traits change in their life time Disuse organisms lost parts because they did not use them like the missing eyes & digestive system of the tapeworm Perfection with Use & Need the constant use of an organ leads that organ to increase in size like the muscles of a blacksmith or the large ears of a night-flying bat transmit acquired characteristics to next generation
Evolution by means of Natural Selection This is the CORE theme of biology Change occurs due to the interaction of gene changes along with and differential reproduction of survivors. Charles Darwin
These are the unifying threads of biology: Descent with modification Natural selection
Natural selection Evolutionary change is a product of the process of natural selection Organisms don t adapt; Organisms have adaptations.
"Nothing in biology makes sense except in the light of evolution." -- Theodosius Dobzhansky March 1973 Geneticist, Columbia University (1900-1975) 2007-2008
Evolution explains unity & diversity Unity what do organisms have in common & why do similarities exist? common biochemistry & physiology evolutionary relationships connected through common ancestor Diversity but why are there differences? natural selection adaptations allow different individuals to survive in different environments
Artificial selection This is not just a process of the past It is all around us today
Selective breeding the raw genetic material (variation) is hidden there
Selective breeding Hidden variation can be exposed through selection!
Organizing systems Making sense out of the diversity Hierarchical scheme Eastern gray squirrel Sciurus carolinensis
3 Domains of Life Bacteria, Archaea, Eukarya Bacteria Archaea Eukarya
Energy transfer Life is an open system need input of energy energy flows through energy comes in, energy goes out need a constant input need input of materials nutrients are recycled around & around nutrients DECOMPOSERS ENTROPY RULES! RULE, too!
Energy utilization You think they re eating They re harvesting energy!
Continuity & change Continuity of life is based on heritable information in the form of DNA DNA the genetic material carries biological information from one generation to the next You can make more, a lot like you! T R A I T
Form follows function The alignment of structure & function is seen at all levels of biology organism organ cell organelle
Regulation Organisms need to maintain a steady state in the face of changing conditions maintain homeostasis achieve this through feedback monitor the body like a thermostat turn on when it s needed, off when its not
Interdependence No organism is an island standing alone communities, ecosystems
Science, technology & society Science & technology must function within the rules of society ethics
Themes Emergent properties Science as a process of inquiry questioning & investigation Evolution Energy transfer Continuity & Change Relationship of structure to function Regulation Interdependence in nature Science, technology & society
Why study themes of Biology? Biology is an ever expanding body of knowledge too much to memorize it all need to generalize create a framework upon which to organize new knowledge themes are the key to understanding the nature of living organisms
ANY QUESTIONS? 2007-2008