Biology 101 An Introduction

Living ThingsThe Nature of Science

What is Biology?

What is a Living Thing?

Levels of Organizationin Biology

Assumptions in ScienceNatural causalityUniformity in space and timeCommon perception

The Scientific MethodWay in which scientists study things in the world.

Observation/ProblemQuestion

Do Background ResearchHypothesisDesign experimentPredictionExperiment

Collect DataAnalyze Results Conclusion

sciencebuddies.org

The ExperimentVariable

A factor that affects an observation/changing quantitiesIndependent Variable – something that is changed by

the scientist Dependent Variable – factor that is measured and is

dependent on the independent variableStandarized /Controlled Variables – aspects of an

experiment that remain the same

Control GroupUsed to rule out other possible variables Do not receive experimental treatment

Scientific MethodThe results of an experiment must be able to

be repeated by other researchers.An experiment must be communicated

thoroughly and accurately.

Why is this important?

Scientific TheoryGeneral explanation of important natural

phenomena, based on extensive and reproducible observations.

principle or a natural lawEx. Atomic theory (all matter is composed of

atoms)Ex. Theory of gravitation (objects exert a law of

attraction for one another)Ex. Cell theory(all living things are composed

of cells)A theory can be modified or falsified.

The Theory of Spontaneous Generation - Abiogensis

Francesco Redi’s Experiment – 17th century facstaff.gpc.edu

Malte Andersson’s Widowbird Experiment

Male long-tailed widow bird. sanparks.org

Female long-tailed widowbird. 10000birds.com

Some interesting things in science

Orphrys apifera. floralimages.co.uk

What Do You See?

What Do Glowing Pigs and Jellyfish Have in Common?

Biodiversity Refers to the total number of species within a

given region and the resulting interactions among them

www2.warwick.ac.uksciencelearn.org.nz

3 Domains of Life

KingdomsEukaryotes (have

membrane-bound organelles)PlantsFungiAnimalsProtists

Prokaryotes (lack membrane-bound organelles)Archaea Bacteria

Theory of Evolution

Formulated by Charles Darwin and Alfred Russel Wallace in the mid-1800s

States that modern organisms descended, with modification, from preexisting life-forms

Evolution - Change in the genetic makeup of a species

Charles Darwin Alfred Russel Wallace

The End