Chapter 1 Notes

CHAPTER 1
THE STUDY OF LIFE
Biology: Study of all forms of life

Biosphere: All living things and all the places they are found make up the biosphere
The variety of life
More diverse near the Equator (Warm Temperatures)
Includes both land and aquatic environments
o Land: Deserts, rain forests, etc.
o Aquatic: Freshwater, Saltwater

Species: one particular type of living thing.
Members of a species can interbreed to reproduce
About 2 million different living species that have been identified
Organisms that look similar but are separated are classified as separate species.

Characteristics of living things
Need energy
Have metabolism (chemical reactions that go on in organism)
Made up of cell(s)
o Viruses are difficult to define
o Cannot reproduce on their own (need to be in cell)
Responds to environment
All organisms have DNA that they pass off to offspring
o Instructions to create proteins
Proteins
Create structures
Facilitate metabolism

CHAPTER 2
UNIFYING THEMES OF BIOLOGY
Levels of life have systems of related parts
System: an organised of interacting parts
o A cell is a system of chemicals and processes
o A body system includes organs that interact
o An ecosystem includes living and non-living things that interact
Non-living things are called abiotic factors
Water, rocks, air, etc.
Living factors are called biotic factors
Animals, plants, etc.
Structure determines function
o Proteins with different structures preform different functions
o Heart muscle cells have a different structure and function than stomach
muscle cells
o Different species have different anatomical structures with different
Chapter 1 Notes

functions
Organisms must maintain homeostasis to survive
o Maintenance of constant internal conditions regardless of external
environment
o Maintained through negative feedback
Negative feedback systems return a condition to its norm
o Thermoregulation: maintaining a stable body temperature
o Behaviours and homeostasis can help maintain homeostasis
Evolution: the change in living things over time
o The genetic makeup of a population of a species changes
o Evolution can occur through natural selection of adaptations
o Adaptations are beneficial inherited traits that are passed to future
generations

CHAPTER 3
Scientific Thinking and Processes
Experimental data
Can be quantitative or qualitative
o Quantitative: Descriptions of phenomenon that include sights, smell, taste
and sounds
o Qualitative: Characteristics that can be measured or counted, such as mass,
volume, or temperature
Recorded in tables
Analysed best if put in charts and graphs because they show trends or patterns

A good experiment always has a control to compare to
Scientific statements are testable
Scientists are supposed to be sceptical

Experimental Design
Variable: part of an experiment that differ or are changed between two groups
Independent variable: Experimental factor that is being changed between two
groups
Dependant Variable: the factor that is measured and is affected and should differ
between the two groups
Good experiments only have one difference between the two groups (only one
variable is changed)
Sample size- good experiments have large sample sizes (usually 50 or more
subjects)
Repeated- experiments need to be repeated by both the experimenter and others
Constants: Factors that must be kept the same between groups (age, sex, nutrition,
exercise, etc.)
Blind tests: participants or researchers (double) are unsure of whether or not they
received treatment
Placebo: sugar pill or pseudo drug
Chapter 1 Notes

Most scientists use the metric system when collecting data and performing experiments.
Length: Metres
Volume: Litres
Temperature: Celsius
Mass: Grams
One cubic centimetre=one millilitre

Pure vs. Applied science
Science and Society
Science betters society by development of new technology (evolution has no value)
Examples include pesticides, antibiotics, etc.
Science can either be applied or pure
Pure science
Science that may have no practical purpose

Applied Science
Used to solve problems
Many times it is useful for creating new technology