Chapter 1

The Science of Life

What is Biology?

Greek word
Bios means life
Logos means knowledge
Study of living things
Biologist is a person who studies
biology

Usefulness of Biology

Biotechnology
Medical sciences
Horticulture
Life sciences research
Veterinary sciences
Teaching

Biologists seek to:

Find out what is life

Find out how organisms function
Recognise and group living things
Find out how they interact with
each other
Understand ourselves and the
world we live in (in this course)

Characteristics of life
Cells
All living things are made up of cells

Nutrition

Process by which organisms take in food

and convert it into new protoplasm
Plants make their own food through
photosynthesis.
Animals feed on other plants or animal to
grow and carry out their daily activities.

Characteristics of life
Respiration
Process of breaking down (oxidation) food
substances to release energy for cell activities

Excretion

Process of removing metabolic waste

products (urea, carbon dioxide, water)
from the body

Characteristics of life
Homeostasis
Maintenance of a constant internal environment to

carry out their functions.

Growth

and Development

Permanent increase in mass and volume

when absorbed food is converted into
protoplasm.

Characteristics of life
Movement
Independent of external factors

Animals can move from place to placelocomotion

Plants movement confined to ends

Characteristics of life
Reproduction
Produce new individuals like themselves
Genetic information is passed on from parents
to offsprings

Sensitivity/Irritability

Sensitive to changes in their environment

Response to external stimulus

Characteristics of life
Adaptability
Adjust and adapt to changes in their environment to
improve chances of survival, support reproduction and
rearing of an offspring.

Chapter 1 The Science of Life

Characteristics of Life (Concept Map)
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Nutrition
Intake of food into
the body and its
conversion into new
protoplasm

Used to differentiate living

organisms from non-living
things

Characteristics of
Life

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Respiration
Nutrition

Breakdown of food
substances to release energy
in cells

Characteristics of
Life

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Respiration
Excretion

Nutrition

Removal of metabolic
waste products formed
inside living cells

Characteristics of
Life

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Respiration
Excretion

Nutrition

Characteristics of
Life

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Homeostasis
Maintenance of a constant
internal environment

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Respiration
Excretion

Nutrition

Characteristics of
Life

Homeostasis

Growth
Permanent increase in size with
changes in form and structure

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Respiration
Excretion

Nutrition

Characteristics of
Life

Homeostasis

Growth
Ability to move body parts
and/or exhibit locomotion

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Movement
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Respiration
Excretion

Nutrition

Characteristics of
Life
Production of new
individuals for the
survival of the species

Reproduction
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Homeostasis

Growth
Movement
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Respiration
Excretion

Nutrition

Ability to respond
to changes in the
environment

Characteristics of
Life

Sensitivity

Homeostasis

Growth
Reproduction

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Movement
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Respiration
Excretion

Nutrition
Ability of organism to change so as
to improve its chances of survival

Adaptability

Characteristics of
Life

Sensitivity

Homeostasis

Growth
Reproduction

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Movement
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Respiration
Excretion

Nutrition

Adaptability

Characteristics of
Life

Sensitivity

Homeostasis

Growth
Reproduction

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Movement
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Differences between plants and

animals

Plants
A plant cell has
cellulose cell wall.
Plants contain
chlorophyll.
Plants with
chlorophyll are able
to manufacture foodholophytic nutrition

Animals
Cell wall is absent
in an animal cell.
Chlorophyll is
absent.
They feed on
plants or other
animals- holozoic
nutrition

Differences between plants and

animals

Plants
Plant cell has a large
central vacuole.
Centrioles are absent.
They cannot move from
place to place by
themselves.
Have a spreading and
branching form. No
definite symmetry

Animals
Vacuoles if present are
usually small and
numerous.
Centrioles are present.
They can move from place
to place by themselves
Have compact bodies and
definite symmetry.

Differences between plants and

animals

Plants
Have unlimited growth
throughout their
lifetime.
Do not possess a
nervous system and
respond slowly to
external stimuli.

Animals
Growth of most
animals is limited.
Possess a nervous
system and respond
quickly to external
stimuli.

Classifying living organisms

Grouping living organisms according to their

similarities and differences.
The features used are:
structures
developments
life history

Natural System of Classification

Carolus Linnaeus ( Swedish naturalist, 1753)

Kingdom
Phylum
Classes
Order
Families
Genus
Species

Biological System of Classification

Kingdom
Organisms are first divided into a few
kingdoms, such as the plant kingdom and
the animal kingdom.

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Biological System of Classification

Kingdom

divided into

Phylum or
division

Within each kingdom, organisms are further classified into several

phyla (singular: phylum) or divisions in the case of plants. Each
phylum consists of organisms that are basically similar, although their
similarities may not be obvious.

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Biological System of Classification

Kingdom

divided into

Phylum or
division

divided into

Class

A phylum is made up of several

classes.

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Biological System of Classification

Kingdom

divided into

Phylum or
division

divided into

Class
divided
into

Classes are made up of orders.

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Order

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Biological System of Classification

Kingdom

divided into

Phylum or
division

divided into

Class
divided
into

Order
divided
into

Within each order there are families.

Within each family, as the name
suggests, the resemblance between
organisms is fairly close.

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Family

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Biological System of Classification

Kingdom

divided into

Phylum or
division

divided into

Class

Order
Each family consists of a varying
number of genera (singular: genus)
divided into

Genus

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Family

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Biological System of Classification

Kingdom

divided into

Phylum or
division

divided into

A genus usually has several species.

Organisms within a species can
breed to produce offspring that can
grow, develop and reproduce
normally.

Order

divided into

Species

Class

divided into

Genus

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Family

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Biological System of Classification

Some mnemonics that might help students

remember the order of grouping
(kingdom phylum class order family
genus species) :
kings play chess on fine glass stools
king philip came over from great spain
Come up with more such mnemonics, be
creative!

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Classification of Living Things

Kingdom
Prokaryotae

Protoctista

Fungi

Plantae

Animalia

Bacteria

Protozoa

Mushrooms

Green plants

Animals

Binomial system of naming an organism

First name (genus)- Capital letter
Second name (species)- small letter
E.g.
Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Vertebrata
Classes
Mammalia
Order
Carnivora
Families
Felidae
Genus
Felis
Species
domestica
Common name: cat

The Scientific Method

1. Ask questions.

How much faster is my

heart beating?
How long does it take to
slow down again?
Why am I breathing
faster?
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The Scientific Method

1. Ask questions.

Scientific method begins with

observation and curiosity
asking questions. Biology is
about finding answers to
questions arising from
observations made anywhere.

How much faster is my

heart beating?
How long does it take to
slow down again?
Why am I breathing
faster?
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The Scientific Method

1. Ask questions.

2. Form a hypothesis.

I breathe faster to get more

oxygen into my body
hypothesis.
The harder I exercise, the
faster I should breathe
prediction.

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The Scientific Method

1. Ask questions.

2. Form a hypothesis.

I breathe faster to get more

oxygen into my body
hypothesis.
The harder I exercise, the
faster I should breathe
prediction.

A hypothesis can be formulated based

on past experiences and ideas, to
predict what will happen next.

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The Scientific Method

1. Ask questions.

2. Form a hypothesis.

3. Test the
hypothesis.

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The Scientific Method

1. Ask questions.

2. Form a hypothesis.

3. Test the
hypothesis.
Biologists conduct
experiments to test
whether or not the
prediction is accurate.
They record the data,
and make conclusions.

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The Scientific Method

1. Ask questions.

2. Form a hypothesis.

3. Test the
hypothesis.
I made a new
scientific
discovery!

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4. Accept or
reject the
hypothesis.
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The Scientific Method

1. Ask questions.

2. Form a hypothesis.

3. Test the
hypothesis.
I made a new
scientific
discovery!

If the experimental results match the prediction, they

accept the hypothesis. If not, they reject the hypothesis
and start all over gain with a new hypothesis.
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4. Accept or
reject the
hypothesis.
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