11

2nd Quarter : Week 2

● Unifying Themes in the Study of Life ●
 Wha t I Nee d To K no w

This module is crafted with passion and dedication to enhance your knowledge,
skills, and attitude. This will assess your level of learning in the previous lessons and
assist you to relearn and absorb new information.

The Planet Earth is a complex structure. As it gets older, discoveries about its
complexities continue to unfold. Though, it existed for billion years wherein many
scientists devote their lifetime to study and understand it, yet, some phenomenon
remains unexplained.

The upshot of your hardwork in studying and understanding about the Earth and the
life that exists here on Earth may not be certain but in the years to come, you may
discover and unfold a fact about the Earth and how life started on Earth.

This module focuses on the different unifying themes in the study of life,
specifically:
1. how unifying themes (structure and function, evolution, and ecosystem) in the study
of life show the connections among living things ; and
2. how they interact with each other and with their environment (Code:S11/12LT-lla-3)

Objectives:
After going through this module, learners are expected to:

1. enumerate the 10 unifying themes in the study of life;

2. differentiate each unifying theme from each other;
3. make a graphic organizer showing the different unifying themes; and
4. show the connections and interactions among living things in a form of a drawing.

LESSON THE UNIFYING THEMES IN

2 THE STUDY OF LIFE

 Wha t's In

In the previous module you have learned about the origin of Life on Earth. Naturally,
no one was there to see how Earth was formed and what exactly happened during the
moment, but there are evidences that show how it all started. Using fossils as evidence
of the first true cells. Over a billion years later, multicellular life evolved. Some findings
say that the life forms we know today began to evolve.
The different theories on the origin of Life was also discussed. It includes:
1. Divine Creation which states that ALL forms of life that exist today on Earth have
been created by a god.
2. Theory of Abiogenesis which states that living things were naturally created from
nonliving things
3. Theory of Biogenesis which states that living things come from living things.
4. Theory of Catastrophism which states that there have been several living
creations (humans, animals, plants) from God and each encountered a
catastrophe (disaster) which completely destroyed them.

The geologic timescale was also presented. It is the series of major geological and
biological changes that are organized chronologically by experts through a table .

In connections of the topic, this module discusses the unifying themes of that
diverse organism and how these organisms are interconnected with their environment.

Wha t Is I t
MINI – L E S S ON
Ecology is the branch of biology that deals with the study of the relationships
between living organisms, including humans, and their physical environment; it seeks to
understand the vital connections between plants and animals and the world around
them.
Let’s take the illustration below as an example.
 Illus tration b y J eff G rader/property of De lta E duc ation

This depicts that everything is connected and interrelated with one another. They are
different from each other, but they co-exist with one another in one community.
The unifying themes of life give us an idea of how each of these themes contribute to
the connection and interaction of living organisms with their environment.

Unifying Themes in the Study of life

Themes of life- basic ideas that apply to all organisms. It connects many things in the
exploration of life.

1. Biological Systems
• is a combination of parts formed together to create a complex system
• interaction of organisms with each other with the nonliving environment put the
systems in ecosystem
 “the biological systems then apply to all levels of life from the
biosphere all the way down to the molecules”

2. The Cellular Basis of Life

• All organisms are made of cells • Levels of organization

C EL L

T ISSU E

O R G AN

SYST EM

O R G ANISM

• most multicellular organisms have cells that are specialized for different functions
• a multicellular organisms’ development and survival are based on the functions
and interactions of its many cells
“the cellular basis of life is a theme you will encounter often as you
explore the living world”

3. Structure and Function

• the relationship between structure and function is apparent in the entire organism
and the physiological systems that serve them
• the structure determines function, function reflects structure
• technically, they are inseparable for example:
the aerodynamic shape of the bird’s wings

elliptical wings
✓ birds that must maneuver in forest habitats have elliptical wings
✓ elliptical wings are slotted between primary feathers to prevent stalling at low
speeds

high-aspect ratio wings

✓ birds that fled on the wing or make long migrations have high –speed wings
✓ these wings sweep back and taper to a slender tip: this reduces turbulence
✓ they are flat in section and lack wing tip slotting
4. Reproduction and Inheritance
• each cell in the body contains a copy of all DNA that were inherited from our
mother and father
✓ when cell divides, it copies its DNA and passes this genetic information on to
each of the two cells it produces
• in humans, an egg cell from the mother fuses with a sperm cell from the father
✓ this results in a fertilized cell containing a combination of DNA from both
parents
✓ the inherited DNA directs the transformation of the fertilized egg into a person
with his/her own eye color, facial features and other characteristics.
 “the inherited information in the form of DNA enables organisms to
produce their own kind”

5. Environmental Interactions (Interdependence of Organisms)

• no organism is completely isolated from its surroundings
• organisms interact with one another and are dependent on one another for
survival
• as part of an ecosystem, each organism interacts continuously with its
environment the plants obtain:
✓ water and nutrients from the soil
✓ carbon dioxide from the air
✓ energy from the sun
• the transfer of chemicals between organisms and their environment is a key
process in any ecosystem
✓ breathing air
✓ drinking water chemical exchanges with the environment
✓ eating food
✓ getting rid of wastes
• there is a constant sensing and responding to changes in the environment
✓ the plant responses by rapidly folding the leaf together
✓ the sun may cause organism to squint the eyes
✓ the bark of an approaching dog causes you to turn your head quickly

6. Energy and Life

• moving, growing, reproducing and other activities of life require energy • energy
is obtained from chemical reactions
✓ sugars, fats and other “fuel-like” molecules in the food produce energy
• energy enters the ecosystem as sunlight
✓ plants are producers that convert light energy to chemical energy stored in
food ✓ animals and other consumers obtain their energy in chemical form by
eating
✓ energy exist in the ecosystem as heat, which all organisms generate as they
perform work.
• Because all organisms lose energy in the form of heat, an ecosystem cannot
recycle energy
“life on Earth depends on a continuous supply of energy from the sun.”
7. Regulation
• organisms have the ability to regulate their internal conditions
✓ the thermostat of the brain reacts whenever your body temperature varies
slightly from 37 ºC
✓ it then sends signal to the skin to produce sweat
✓ sweating helps cool the body
✓ panting/gasping (breathing fast)
− is another example of cooling mechanism
− it causes moisture from the surface of the lungs to evaporate
• the ability of mammals and birds to regulate body temperature is another example
of homeostasis or “steady-state”
 • different mechanisms enable organism to regulate their internal environment
despite changes in their external environment

8. Adaptations and Evolution

• explains the changes in organisms over periods of time
✓ adaptation allows life forms to acquire new characteristics in response to their
environment through the process of natural selection.
• adaptation means an inherited trait that helps the organism’s ability to survive and
reproduce in its environment
• evolutions mean specifically a generation- to-generation change in proportion of
different inherited genes in a population

9. Scientific Inquiry
• Modern biology is changing human’s everyday live.
• New finding about the DNA affect medicine and agriculture.
• Research on the nervous systems is improving the treatment of certain mental
illness.
• The result of stem cell research, animal cloning, environmental issues, genetically
modified crops or new ways to treat diseases show the impact of biology.

10. Science, Technology and Society

• Technology applies scientific knowledge in new ways.
• In 2013, Australia developers created a prototype for a bionic eye.
✓ It sends an image to a microchip in the brain, allowing the user to “see” the
image.

Wha t I C an Do

AC T IVIT Y
“ The Unity of Life ”
Instructions:
On a sheet of paper, make your own graphic organizer about the Unifying Themes in
the Study of Life that shows the connections among living things. Do it creatively. (20
points)
 1
10 2

9 3
U N IF Y IN G
T H E M E S IN
THE S TUDY
O F L IF E
8 4

7 5
6

Sample only

Unifying Theme:
REGULATION

sweating
profusely
when exposed
to the sun

https://www.dreamstime.com/sunburn-boy-girl-kids-health-care-concept