CHAPTER ONE: EVOLUTION, THE THEMES O F
B I O L O G Y, A N D S C I E N T I F I C I N Q U I R Y
01.1 WHAT IS BIOLOGY? AUGUST
26, 2020
* BIOLOGY: the scientific study of life
- five unifying themes are organization, information, energy & matter,
interactions, and evolution
1. organization: study of life on Earth extends from the microscopic
scale of the molecules and cells that make up organisms to the
global scale of the entire living planet
a. biosphere: all life on Earth and all places where life exists
b. ecosystem: all living things in a particular area
c. community: array of organisms inhabiting a particular
ecosystem
d. population: all the individuals of a species living within a
specified area
e. organism: individual living things
f. organs: body part made of multiple tissues with specific body
functions
g. tissue: group of cells working together performing a specialized
function
h. cells: the fundamental unit of structure and function in life
i. organelles: various functional components present in cells
j. molecules: chemical structures consisting of two or more units
called atoms
2. information: within cells, structures called chromosomes contain
genetic material in the form of DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid)
3. energy & matter: a fundamental characteristic of living organisms,
as energy helps carry out life activities
4. interactions: when between the components of the system, they
ensure smooth integration of all the parts, such that they function as
a whole
B I O L O G Y, A N D S C I E N T I F I C I N Q U I R Y
01.1 WHAT IS BIOLOGY? AUGUST
26, 2020
* BIOLOGY: the scientific study of life
- five unifying themes are organization, information, energy & matter,
interactions, and evolution
1. organization: study of life on Earth extends from the microscopic
scale of the molecules and cells that make up organisms to the
global scale of the entire living planet
a. biosphere: all life on Earth and all places where life exists
b. ecosystem: all living things in a particular area
c. community: array of organisms inhabiting a particular
ecosystem
d. population: all the individuals of a species living within a
specified area
e. organism: individual living things
f. organs: body part made of multiple tissues with specific body
functions
g. tissue: group of cells working together performing a specialized
function
h. cells: the fundamental unit of structure and function in life
i. organelles: various functional components present in cells
j. molecules: chemical structures consisting of two or more units
called atoms
2. information: within cells, structures called chromosomes contain
genetic material in the form of DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid)
3. energy & matter: a fundamental characteristic of living organisms,
as energy helps carry out life activities
4. interactions: when between the components of the system, they
ensure smooth integration of all the parts, such that they function as
a whole
