Definition:
Bio (Life) + Chemistry
Objective:
Complete understanding of all of the chemical processes associated with
living cells at the molecular level.
The principal methods and preparations used in biochemical laboratories
Distinguishing features of living organisms:
Systems for extracting, transforming, and using energy from the environment
Defined functions for each of their components and regulated interactions among
them
Mushroom
Amoeba
Computer
Paper
Coral
Question:
What discriminates the living from the non-living?
In other words:
What is the quality (or qualities) that is present in the Living list but is not and cannot be
present in the non-living list?
farmer gm
Movement and Growth Tree and Coral
farmer gm
Reaction to stimuli Mushroom and Tree
farmer gm
Uptake food and production of energy and Car and Robot
converting to action
farmer gm
Reproduction Mule and baby
farmer gm
Activity that regenerates their own components Yes, this is the quality!
Definition of life:
A system can be said to be living if it is able to transform external matter/energy into
an internal process of self-maintenance and production of its own components.
Origin of life:
Theories for the origin of life:
a) Greek philosophers
b) Creationism
c) Spontaneous generation
e) Chemical evolution
Chemical Evolution:
How did the first living organisms acquire their characteristic organic
building blocks?
Miller’s experiments:
Yield
Prebiotic synthesis of adenine Prebiotic synthesis of pyrimidines of nucleic
acids: