L. 1.1 L.1.2

1.
1 The Study of Life
KEY CONCEPT
Biology is the study of all forms of life.
1.1 The Study of Life
Earth is home to an incredible diversity of life.
• The biosphere includes all living things and all the places
they are found.
biosphere = everywhere life exists

Earth is home to an incredible diversity of life.
• Every part of the biosphere is connected with every other part. ( PLACE:
Pools of hot water as acidic as vinegar, and deepest ocean floors.
SHAPE & SIZE: Blue whale, honeypot ant)
• The biosphere includes many environments.
– land environments. All living things and all the places they are found on earth
• The biosphere includes many environments.

– saltwater and freshwater environments. Even the inside of your nose
Tidepool Estuary
– portions of the atmosphere

• Biodiversity is the variety of life. The variety of organisms in a
given area.
– Biodiversity generally increases from the poles to the
equator. Biodiversity is greater in areas with consistently
warm temperatures.(Plants)
Biodiversity is
greater closer to
the equator.
• A species is one particular type of living thing.

– Members of a species can interbreed to reproduce.
– species is a group of organisms that are closely
related and can produce fertile offspring.
– There are about 2 million different living species
have been identified. Half of the known species are insects.
Honeypot ants live in desert so some ants act as storage tanks.

All organisms share certain characteristics.
• Biology is the scientific study of all forms of life, or LIFE
SCIENCE, is the scientific study of living things and their
interactions with their environment.
Science is the knowledge obtained by observing natural events and

conditions in order to discover facts and formulate laws or principles that
can be verified or tested.
(life science, earth science, and physical science)
Humans have studied living things throughout history.
• Science in Ancient Civilizations. Asian civilizations used herbal medicines.
Ancient Egyptian civilizations practiced mummification of
royalty, nobility, and the wealthy. Greek civilization (Hippocrates, school of medicine.)
• The Scientific Revolution. Scientists of any era are limited by the

demands and rules of society.
• Science from the Industrial Revolution to Today. Travel and
communication allowed for the exchange of ideas, universities
developed robust science programs, and technology enabled
scientists to explore the natural world with greater accuracy and
precision.
1.2 / KEY CONCEPT

Unifying themes connect concepts from many
fields of biology.
• An organism is any individual living thing.

– All are made of one or more cells.
• An organism is any individual living thing.

– All are made of one or more cells.
– All need energy for metabolism.
– All respond to their environment.
– All have DNA that they pass on to offspring.
( Reproduction and Development)
All levels of life have systems of related parts.

• A system is an organized group of interacting parts.
– A cell is a system of chemicals and processes.
– A body system includes organs that interact.
– An ecosystem includes living and nonliving things that
interact. ( Is a community of organisms and their physical
environment)
• Biologists study many different systems. Two organisms

that interact can also be a system. Often, different
biologists study different systems. For example, a person
studying DNA might focus on very specific chemical
interactions that take place in a cell.
The moray eel and the

cleaner shrimp are
parts of a system in
which both organisms
benefit. The shrimp
cleans the eel’s mouth
and gets food and
protection in return.
Structure and function are related in biology.

• Structure determines function.
– Proteins with different structures perform different functions. For
example, membrane channels and enzymes are both proteins, but they have very
different structures and functions.
– Heart muscle cells have a different structure and function than
stomach muscle cells.
– Structure and function are also related on the level of the
organism. For example, your foot structure allows you to walk easily on rough,
fairly level surfaces.
– Different species have different anatomical structures with
different functions.
The snout beetle has specialized prongs and

pads on its tarsi (feet) that allow it to easily walk
on both smooth and rough surfaces
Organisms must maintain homeostasis to survive in

diverse environments.
• Homeostasis is the maintenance of constant internal
conditions.
• Homeostasis is the maintenance of constant internal

conditions.
– Homeostasis is usually maintained through negative
feedback.
– Negative feedback systems return a condition to its
normal (set) point.
• Behaviors and adaptations can help maintain

homeostasis.
Evolution explains the unity and diversity of life.

• Evolution is the change in living things over time.
– The genetic makeup of a population of a species
changes.
– Evolution can occur through natural selection of
adaptations.
– Adaptations are beneficial inherited traits that are
passed to future generations.
Through evolution,
some orchids (left)
have flowers that look
like insects, and some
insects, such as the
thorn bug (right), look
• Evolution accounts for both the diversity and the unity of life. Evolution
is a unifying theme of biology because it accounts for both the diversity and the
similarities, or the unity, of life.
Humans and bacteria have much more in common than you may think. Both
human and bacterial genetics are based on the same molecules—DNA and
RNA. Both human and bacterial cells rely upon the same sources of energy,
and they have similar cell structures. Both human and bacterial cells have
membranes made mostly of fats that protect the inside of the cell from the
environment outside the cell.

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1.

1 The Study of Life

biosphere = everywhere life exists

• The biosphere includes many environments.

– portions of the atmosphere

• A species is one particular type of living thing.

Honeypot ants live in desert so some ants act as storage tanks.

Science is the knowledge obtained by observing natural events and

• The Scientific Revolution. Scientists of any era are limited by the

1.2 / KEY CONCEPT

• An organism is any individual living thing.

• An organism is any individual living thing.

All levels of life have systems of related parts.

• Biologists study many different systems. Two organisms

The moray eel and the

Structure and function are related in biology.

The snout beetle has specialized prongs and

Organisms must maintain homeostasis to survive in

• Homeostasis is the maintenance of constant internal

• Behaviors and adaptations can help maintain

Evolution explains the unity and diversity of life.

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