Biology 121 Introduction

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Biology 121 - Introduction

• Biology website http//biology.smsu.edu
• Bio 121 website http//courses.smsu.edu/mcb095f/b
  io121/
• Syllabus and course policy statement.

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Introduction, continued

• Text website www.campbellbiology.com
• CD web access come with textbook (if purchased
  new) or can be bought separately
• CD provides some, but not all, the functions of
  website.
• Some of you may prefer the e-book at ½ the cost.

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Table of contents

• Introduction
• Ten Themes in the Study of Life
• Unit One The Chemistry of Life
• The Chemical Context of Life
• Water and the Fitness of the Environment
• Carbon and the Molecular Diversity of Life
• The Structure and Function of Macromolecules
• An Introduction to Metabolism

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Table of contents, continued

• Unit Two The Cell
• A Tour of the Cell
• Membrane Structure and Function
• Cellular Respiration Harvesting Chemical Energy
• Photosynthesis
• Cell Communication
• The Cell Cycle

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Table of contents, continued

• Unit Three Genetics
• Meiosis and Sexual Life Cycles
• Mendel and the Gene Idea
• The Chromosomal Basis of Inheritance
• The Molecular Basis of Inheritance
• From Gene to Protein
• Microbial Models The Genetics of Viruses and
  Bacteria
• The Organization and Control of Eukaryotic
  Genomes
• DNA Technology and Genomics
• The Genetic Basis of Development

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Table of contents, continued

• Unit Four Mechanisms of Evolution
• Descent with Modification A Darwinian View of
  Life
• The Evolution of Populations
• The Origin of Species
• Phylogeny and Systematics

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Hierarchical organization of life

• Subatomic particles
• Atoms
• Molecules
• Cells
• Tissues
• Organs
• Organ systems

• Non-living
• Chemistry, Physics

• Life
• Cell Biology, Physiology

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Figure 1.2 The hierarchy of biological
organization
Organism
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Hierarchical organization of life

• Organ systems
• Organisms
• Populations
• Species
• Communities
• Ecosystems

• Physiology,
• Organismal Biology

• Evolutionary Biology
• Ecology

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Emergent properties

• Each level of organization has new properties not
  present at lower levels

Reductionism

• To understand a complex phenomenon, study it at
  lower levels of the hierarchy.

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Reductionism- example

• Watson and Crick 1953
• Structure of DNA
• Genetics explained by chemistry physics

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Definition of Life

• Life is a property of organisms
• Organisms are complex chemical systems
• Possess intrinsic plan or program (genetic
  program).

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Definition of Life, continued

• Homeostasis
• Regulatory mechanisms
• Exchanges with environment
• e.g. body temperature, oxygen, energy
• growth reproduction
• increase in size
• increase in number

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Definition of Life, continued

• requirement for energy and materials from the
  environment.
• Autotrophy
• Heterotrophy
• Responsiveness to the environment
• Evolution

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Figure 1.3 Some properties of life