Alexis Omar López
1
A View of Life
Lecture Outline I.
A know knowled ledge ge of of biol biologi ogical cal conce concepts pts is vita vitall for for unde unders rstan tandin ding g the the world world A. Global Global challen challenges ges that currently currently confront confront us inclu include: de: 1. Expa Expand ndin ing g huma human n popu popula lati tion on 2. Decr Decrea easi sing ng res resou ourc rces es 3. Many di diseases 4. Others B. Genome Genome researc research h and stem stem cell cell studie studies s have have many many potentia potentiall applications that will impact many aspects of our life 1. The Human Human Genome Genome Project Project is mapping mapping the comp complete lete set set of genes making up the human genome 2. Utilizing Utilizing the tools tools of the the new science science of genom genomics, ics, resear researcher chers s are identifying genetic links to various diseases and conditions, particularly in humans 3. Genomics Genomics is is also also importa important nt in agricult agriculture ure and and environ environment mental al science 4. Genomics Genomics brings brings to to mind mind many ethical ethical consi considera derations tions
II.
Life Life can be defi defined ned in in terms terms of of the charac character terist istics ics of of livin living g organ organis isms ms A. Organi Organism sms s are are compos composed ed of of cell cells s 1. Unicellu Unicellular lar organism organisms s are are compose composed d of a single single cell 2. Multicell Multicellular ular organ organisms isms are compos composed ed of several several or great great number numbers s of cells 3. The cell cell theory theory descr describes ibes that that cells cells are surr surrounde ounded d by a select selective ive boundary, the plasma membrane, that cells contain DNA, and that they have organelles with specialized functions 4. Prokaryot Prokaryotic ic cells cells are bacterial bacterial and contain contain no no membra membranous nous internal organelles; eukaryotic cells form all other living organisms and are characterized characterized by membranous membranous internal organelles, including the nucleus, housing most of the cellular DNA B. Livin Living g organ organism isms s grow grow and and deve develop lop 1. Growth Growth may may result result from from an increase increase in in the the number number of of cells cells or in individual cell size 2. Developme Development nt is the proce process ss of change change during during the life life span span of of the organism C. Metabolis Metabolism m includes includes the the chemical chemical proces processes ses essentia essentiall to growth, growth, repair, and reproduction 1. The relat relatively ively constant constant internal internal environme environment nt is known known as homeostasis D. Organi Organism sms s resp respond ond to stimu stimuli li 1. Respon Responses ses of anim animals als are are more more obvi obvious ous 2. Plants Plants respond respond to to light, light, gravity, gravity, water water,, touch, touch, and other other stimu stimuli li E. Movement Movement is a basic basic proper property ty of of cells cells and organism organisms s 1. Movement Movement may may result result from from amoeb amoeboid oid motio motion, n, cilia, cilia, or or flagella flagella
Alexis Omar López 2. Muscu Muscular lar system systems s allow allow movem movement ent 3. Some Some org organ anis isms ms are are sess sessil ile e F. Orga Organi nism sms s rep repro rodu duce ce 1. Life Life come comes s fro from m life life 2. Asexual Asexual reproduc reproduction tion does not include include gamete gamete fusio fusion n 3. Most Most plants plants and and anim animals als repr reprodu oduce ce sexua sexually lly G. Populatio Populations ns evolve evolve and and become become adapted adapted to to the envir environme onment nt 1. Adaptati Adaptations ons may may be structu structural, ral, physio physiologic logical, al, and/or and/or behavio behavioral ral III. III.
Biol Biolog ogic ical al info inform rmat atio ion n is hier hierar arch chic ical al A. Organism Organisms s have have several several levels levels of of organ organizati ization on 1. The chemi chemical cal level level is is the most basic basic level level of organ organizati ization on 2. The cellul cellular ar level level include includes s the organ organelles elles and membr membranes anes of of a cell 3. Tissue Tissues s are are compo composed sed of simi similar lar cells cells 4. Orga Organs ns are are com compo pose sed d of tiss tissue ues s 5. Organ Organ system systems s are are coordi coordinated nated organs organs and and tissu tissues es B. Several Several levels levels of of ecologic ecological al organiz organizatio ation n can be identi identified fied 1. Populatio Populations ns are are the inter interactin acting g members members of the the same same species species found in a given area at the same time 2. Communiti Communities es are are all of of the populatio populations ns of organism organisms s found found in a given area at the same time 3. The comm community unity and the the abiotic abiotic environme environment nt is the ecosys ecosystem tem 4. Ecolog Ecology y is is the the study study of ecosys ecosystem tems s
IV.
Informa Information tion must be transmit transmitted ted within within individu individuals als and between between individuals A. DNA trans transmits mits informat information ion from from one one genera generation tion to to the next next 1. Deoxyribo Deoxyribonucl nucleic eic acid acid compose composes s the genes, genes, which which are are the units units of of heredity B. Informat Information ion is transm transmitted itted by many many types types of molecul molecules es (partic (particular ularly ly proteins) and by nervous systems 1. Hormones Hormones and neurotra neurotransm nsmitter itters s trans transmit mit informat information ion
V.
Evolut Evolution ion is the prima primary ry unifyi unifying ng conce concept pt of biolog biology y A. Biologis Biologists ts use a binomial binomial system system for class classifyin ifying g organis organisms ms 1. Linnaeus Linnaeus developed developed the system system of classi classifica fication tion used used today today 2. Binomial Binomial nomencla nomenclature ture describe describes s the genus genus and species species of of the organism B. Species Species adapt adapt in respons response e to chang changes es in the environ environment ment C. Natural Natural select selection ion is an an importa important nt mechani mechanism sm by which which evolut evolution ion proceeds 1. Charles Charles Darwin Darwin and Alfred Alfred Walla Wallace ce first first propose proposed d natural natural selecti selection on as the mechanism of evolution D. Populatio Populations ns evolve evolve as a result result of select selective ive pressur pressures es from changes changes in the environment
VI.
Millio Millions ns of specie species s have have evolve evolved d on on our our planet planet A. Systemat Systematics ics studi studies es the the diversit diversity y of organ organisms isms and their their evolutionary relationships 1. Taxonomy Taxonomy is is the the science science of of naming naming and and classif classifying ying organism organisms s
Alexis Omar López B. Biologis Biologists ts use use a binomi binomial al system system for namin naming g organis organisms ms 1. Scientific Scientific names names include include a genus genus name name and and a species species name C. Taxon Taxonomi omic c classif classifica icatio tion n is hierarc hierarchic hical al 1. Kingdoms Kingdoms are are broken broken down down into into phyla, phyla, classes classes,, orders, orders, famili families, es, genera, and species D. Organism Organisms s can be be assigned assigned to to three three domains domains and and six kingdoms kingdoms 1. Thre Threee-do doma main in syst system em a) Two domai domains ns are are dedicat dedicated ed to proka prokaryote ryotes s (organis (organisms ms whose whose cells lack nuclei and other membrane-bound organelles), organelles), Archaea and Eubacteria. Eubacteria. b) One domain domain is dedicate dedicated d to eukaryo eukaryotes tes (organi (organisms sms whose whose cells have nuclei and other membrane-bound organelles), Eukarya 2. SixSix-ki king ngdo dom m syst system em a) Kingd Kingdom om Eubac Eubacter teria ia consis consists ts of bacte bacteria ria b) Kingdom Kingdom Archa Archaea ea consist consists s of a unique unique group group of of prokaryo prokaryotic tic organisms, organisms, which biologists recently have split off from the bacterial kingdom (Eubacteria) (Eubacteria) c) Kingdom Kingdom Protista Protista consists consists of proto protozoan zoans s and and algae algae d) Kingdom Kingdom Fungi Fungi consi consists sts of of the mushro mushrooms oms,, molds, molds, and yeasts yeasts e) Kingd Kingdom om Plan Plantae tae consis consists ts of of plant plants s f) Kingd Kingdom om Ani Anima malia lia consi consist sts s of of the the anim animals als VII.
Life depends depends on on a continu continuous ous input input of energy energy from from the sun sun A. Energy Energy flows flows through through individu individual al cells cells and organism organisms s 1. Cellular Cellular respirat respiration ion produces produces energy energy for for most cells B. Energ Energy y flows flows throug through h ecos ecosyst ystems ems 1. Energy Energy flows flows from from produc producers ers to to consum consumers ers and and decompo decomposers sers 2. Produc Producers ers manuf manufact actur ure e their their own food food a) Producer Producers s (autot (autotroph rophs) s) are are typica typically lly photo photosynth synthetic etic 3. Consu Consumer mers s obtain obtain ener energy gy by eatin eating g produc producers ers a) Consumer Consumers s (heter (heterotro otrophs) phs) depend depend on on the the produc producers ers 4. Decompos Decomposers ers obtain obtain energy energy from from waste waste and and dead dead organ organism isms s a) Importan Importantt decompo decomposers sers include include bacteria bacteria and fungi fungi
VIII. Biology Biology is studied studied using using the the scientifi scientific c method method A. Science Science is is b based ased on system systematic atic thought thought processe processes s 1. Science Science includ includes es both both deduc deductive tive and induc inductive tive reasonin reasoning g B. Scientist Scientists s make careful careful observ observation ations s and recog recognize nize probl problems ems C. A hypothes hypothesis is is a propose proposed d explana explanation tion that that is is testabl testable e D. A predict prediction ion is is a logica logicall consequ consequence ence of of a hypoth hypothesis esis E. Predic Predictio tions ns can can be teste tested d by exper experim iment entati ation on 1. Scientific Scientific experimen experiments ts include include an an experime experimental ntal and and contro controll group group 2. Placebos Placebos and "double-bl "double-blind" ind" experime experiments nts are part part of of much much experimentation experimentation in the medical field F. Scientist Scientists s draw draw concl conclusio usions ns from from the result results s of experimen experiments ts 1. Sampling Sampling error error may may lead lead to inaccura inaccurate te conclu conclusion sions s G. A well-su well-suppor pported ted hypot hypothesis hesis may lead to a theory theory 1. A theory theory that that is nearly nearly univers universally ally accep accepted ted is a princip principle le 2. Laws Laws are are princi principl ples es of the the greates greatestt import importanc ance e
Alexis Omar López H. Scienc Science e has has eth ethica icall dime dimens nsion ions s
Research and Discussion Topics •
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Research the long-defunct long-defunct theory known as spontaneous spontaneous generation. generation. Who disproved this theory? Describe the four basic concepts that describe Darwin’s theory of evolution. Describe how these concepts might describe the evolution of, for example, a population of salamanders living near a pond. Discuss the implications implications of ethics and and the scientific method. method. Investigate unethical behavior in the sciences. Compare and contrast the roles of producers, consumers, and decomposers decomposers in the ecosystem. Discuss the practical practical and ethical implications implications of stem cell research. research. How does stem cell research relate to cloning?
