UNIT 3

PROCESSES OF LIFE

Unit Coverage
Lesson 8: Introduction to Life Science
Lesson 9: Bioenergetics
Lesson 10: Perpetuation of Life

UNIT INTRODUCTION

You are now done with Earth Science! And today, you will start with Life Science, or more
popularly known as Biology. Students fear Biology because of the stigma that this subject
requires a sharp memory due to lots of terms to memorize. Indeed, that is true. However,
more than just memorizing, Life Science will help you understand your environment better.
After this unit and the next, you will feel that you see things that other people do not normally
see.

Specifically, in this unit, we will start with an introduction to life science, then discuss the
two major metabolic pathways of life: photosynthesis and cellular respiration. Lastly, we will
study how life is perpetuated on Earth. Prepare yourself for another round of explaining
illustrations and diagrams.

In Lesson 8, we will explore the more “abstract” side of life science: the themes in the study
of life and the characteristics of a living thing.

In Lesson 9, we will discuss photosynthesis and cellular respiration in greater detail. This
will be a lot of brainwork. But don’t worry for we have also prepared cool experiments for
this lesson—cool enough that you will experience being a legit scientist.

We will close this unit by studying how life is made possible in this world. How do we become
a full-grown human from a single cell? What’s with this word called DNA? How do other
organisms multiply themselves? Lesson 10 is a transition from life on a small scale to the
next unit, which is discussion of life on a larger scale.
 LESSON 8 – INTRODUCTION TO LIFE SCIENCE

OBJECTIVES
At the end of the lesson, you should be able to:
1. Discuss the origin of life based on emerging pieces of evidence;
2. Discuss the evolution of life using sample organisms;
3. Identify the different characteristics of life;
4. Describe how unifying themes in the study of life show the connections among living
things and how they interact with each other and with their environment.

SUBJECT MATTER
Theories on the Origin of Life
In this unit and the next we will discuss life science—also known as biology. In this
introduction, you will be provided with the basic history on how life evolved on Earth. There
are several theories regarding the origin of life, some of which are discussed below:

Panspermia Theory
This theory came from the words pan and sperma (lit. “all seed”). This theory states that the
seed of life was present in meteors in space. These meteors landed on different planets but
life only flourished on Earth because our planet contained a habitable environment and
made life possible.

Further, according to this theory, the seed of life is amino acid (Figure 8.1), the building block
of proteins. Proteins play a major on cell processes. Evidences supporting this theory
include: (1) it was found out that certain strains of bacteria
can survive in space; and (2) there were amino acids found
in meteorites.

Divine Creation Theory

The account that life was created by a supernatural being.
This is the most popular theory on the origin of life and
different cultures have different stories to tell how life was Figure 8.1. Amino acids were
created. found in meteorites. Amino acids
are building blocks of proteins,
which play a major part on life
One popular account of creation was the six days of creation processes.
written in the Book of Genesis, the first book of the Bible. In
this story, God created everything in six days, starting from light until the creation of man.

Nonliving Matter Origin

The most accepted theory to date; this theory states that life began as a series of chemical
reactions of organic (carbon-based) compounds. These compounds eventually became
larger and created biomolecules; biomolecules assembled to produce the very first cells.

Long ago, people believed in the concept of vitalism, the belief that forces governing life is
distinct and independent from forces that govern the physical sciences. However, the Miller-
Urey experiment debunked the concept of vitalism. In the said experiment, urea, an organic
compound, was produced from atmospheric gases energized by lightning. This suggested
that organic compounds can be created from inorganic ones.
 Figure 8.2. Miller-Urey experiment simulates the early Earth. It showed that
inorganic gases produced organic compounds through electrical sparks.

Evolution of Life
Now that we have a picture of how life began, we can now discuss how life evolved as we
know it today. In the beginning, organic compounds were produced from inorganic ones, as
simulated by the Miller-Urey experiment. The first biomolecules were created from the
organic compounds that formed, and eventually these biomolecules were enveloped in
compartments known as cells.

Figure 8.3a. Hydrothermal vents Figure 8.3b. Cyanobacteria made Figure 8.3c. Bacteria evolved and
are home to chemosynthetic life possible on the waters and their paved the way for unicellular
bacteria. surface through photosynthesis. eukaryotes called protists.

Figure 8.3d. Evolution produced the biodiversity of life.

The very first existing cells, called bacteria, are believed to have evolved in deep-sea
environments called hydrothermal vents. Here, the primary process of producing food for
life is called chemosynthesis (Figure 8.3a). Eventually, a group of bacteria called
cyanobacteria was able to develop the process of photosynthesis near the surface of the seas
(Figure 8.3b). Through this process, sunlight became a source of energy and produced
oxygen. With oxygen filling in the waters and the atmosphere, life flourished in the waters of
the Earth. Lifeforms included unicellular eukaryotes (Figure 8.3c), algae, and aquatic
animals. Eventually life came on land and led to the diverse forms we know today as fungi,
plants, and terrestrial animals (Figure 8.3d). For you to be familiar with the details of how
life evolved through time, you may consider revisiting the geologic time scale from the
previous lesson.

Characteristics of Life
Scientists are in continuous search for life outside Earth. To guide them, they use the
following characteristics to tell if an unidentified being is indeed a living thing.

Cellular Organization
All lifeforms, in their most basic structure, are made of cells. Every life process is ultimately
caused by cellular activities, including how we obtain energy from the environment, move
our muscles, reproduce our own kind, and even thinking. Figure 8.4 shows an animal and a
plant cell.

Metabolism
Defined as the sum total of all
biochemical processes of an
organism. For lifeforms to
survive, their body should
become a large factory of
chemical processes. We will Figure 8.4. On the left are epithelial cells of the cheeks; on the right
study the two fundamental are onion cells. Cell action provides the basis for the processes of life.
metabolic processes of life in the
Lesson 9.

Homeostasis
Being a large factory of chemical reactions is not enough for a lifeform. It should be able to
regulate this factory to optimal levels to ensure survival. A complex process called feedback
mechanisms help regulate the organism’s metabolism. We will encounter different
mechanisms of regulation in Lesson 11.

Reproduction and Heredity

One essential characteristic of life is its ability to perpetuate itself and produce offspring
(Figure 8.5). Division of cells to form new cells is the foundation of reproduction, growth,
and repair. Special instructions on how to divide and differentiate the cell, perhaps the most
remarkable feat of life, is stored in a very long molecule called the DNA. The DNA also
contains heritable information about the
organism. This long molecule can also change
along the way, making evolution and
diversification of life possible. We will study how
life is perpetuated in Lesson 10.

Unifying Themes in the Study of Life

In studying life, scientists have come up with
general principles that encompass the world of Figure 8.5. Life has ability to reproduce its
the living. These themes are essential to be put own kind, as seen with this bear with her cubs.
into consideration when you study how life
works. Some of the themes are given as follows:

Levels of Organization – all lifeforms are organized in the following manner:

CELL  TISSUE  ORGAN  ORGAN SYSTEM  ORGANISM  POPULATION 

COMMUNITY  ECOSYSTEM

Check Figure 8.6 to see how each level of organization is made from the previous level. It is
important to take note that as you go up a level, there are emergent properties which cannot
be inferred by merely studying the previous level. The whole is not just the sum of its parts.
For example, memory works by complex networks of nerve tissues. If a blow to the head
disrupts the network, though the individual nerve cells are still present, memory can be
affected.

Figure 8.6. The different levels of organization.

Flow of Energy
Life persists on Earth because of
energy flow all the way from the Sun to
the plants, to the herbivores, to the
carnivores, and to the decomposers.
The flow of energy is commonly
illustrated using an energy pyramid
(Figure 8.7). All lifeforms use energy to
perform life activities.

Interaction
A lifeform cannot survive by itself. It
needs to interact with its environment,
including other lifeforms. For example,
we need to eat food to provide
ourselves with energy for growth and Figure 8.7. Flow of energy across the biosphere is illustrated
other life processes; we use animal and as a pyramid. Less energy is obtained as an organism goes on
top of the food chain.
plant fibers to cloth ourselves. All
organisms also interact with the environment as
exemplified by the different nutrient cycles to be
tackled in Lesson 14. In Figure 8.8 you will see the
mutualism between a clownfish and a sea anemone.

Structure and Function

One wonderful thing about life is that there is a
correlation between a structure and its function. It
will be easier for us to understand how a body part Figure 8.8. Mutual interaction between a
works by inspecting how it looks. This theme works clownfish and a sea anemone.
at all levels of biological organization.
An example given in Figure 8.9 is the
different shapes and sizes of finch
beak depending on the food these
birds eat. This was discovered by
Charles Darwin as he traveled on the
islands of Galapagos. This observation
led him into thinking about the most
revolutionary theme in the history of
biology: evolution.

Evolution
Perhaps the one core theme in all of
biology. This theme accounts for the
vast diversity of life as we know it. As Figure 8.9. Darwin discovered that finches of the Galapagos
stated by Theodosius Dobzhansky, islands have adapted different beak shapes and sizes that
correspond to their diet.
“Nothing in biology makes sense
except in the light of evolution.” Life has been evolving and diversifying on Earth since life
itself first appeared. But along with the diversity, shared features can be seen among
organisms. The shared features of two organisms can be explained by the idea that they
shared a common ancestor; and along the way as life went on the heritable variations
occurred along the way. We will discuss evolution in greater detail in Lesson 13.