1.

Define Biology
Biology is the study of everything that is, or was once, alive —
whether it's a plant, animal or microorganism.
In general, biologists study the structure, function, growth, origin, evolution and
distribution of living organisms.
 it helps us understand how living things work and how they function and interact on
multiple levels.
understand how a changing environment might affect plants and animals, produce
enough food for a growing human population and predict how eating new food or
sticking to an exercise regimen might affect our bodies.

1. Paraphrased:
Biology is the study of all living things, including plants, animals, and microorganisms. It involves
understanding the structure, function, growth, origin, evolution, and distribution of living things aids
in our comprehension of how living things operate and interact on a variety of levels. It also involves
figuring out how consuming new foods or maintaining an exercise routine would influence our bodies,
as well as understanding how a changing environment might effect plants and animals. (Lim &
Dutfield, 2022).

2. Give characteristics and explain the unifying themes in biology.

To be classified as a living thing, an object must have all six of the following
characteristics:

1. It responds to the environment.

- Plants, for instance, can bend toward a light source, climb on fences and walls, and
react to touch, among other diverse stimuli that organisms respond to (Lumen
Learning, n.d.).
2. It grows and develops.
- In order to ensure that a species' young (Figure 3) will develop into an adult that
shares many of the same characteristics as its parents, genes provide instructions
that will direct cellular growth and development (Lumen Learning, n.d.).
3. It produces offspring.
- When an organism reproduces, genes containing DNA are passed on to the
offspring, ensuring that the offspring will belong to the same species and will have
similar traits, such as size and shape. Single-celled organisms reproduce by first
duplicating their DNA, and then dividing it equally as the cell prepares to divide to
form two new cells. Multicellular organisms frequently produce specialized
reproductive germline cells that will form new individuals (Lumen Learning, n.d.).
4. It maintains homeostasis.
-Homeostasis, which is the ability of an organism to maintain constant internal
conditions, allows organisms to maintain internal conditions within a narrow range
almost constantly, despite environmental changes. For cells to function properly, they
need the right conditions, such as the right temperature, pH, and concentration of
various chemicals, but these conditions may change from one moment to the next.
Organisms that live in cold climates, like the polar bear (Figure 4), have body
structures that help them withstand low temperatures and conserve body heat.
Structures that aid in this type of insulation include fur, feathers, blubber, and fat.
Organisms that live in hot climates, however, have methods (such as perspiration in
 humans or panting in dogs) that help them to shed excess heat (Lumen Learning,
n.d.).
5. It has complex chemistry.
- Thousands (or more) of these chemical reactions occur in each cell at any given
time, and metabolism is the sum of all the biochemical reactions taking place in a cell
or organism. Complex chemistry is required to carry out all the functions of life
(Libretexts, 2021).
6. It consists of cells.
- Even very simple, single-celled organisms are remarkably complex: inside each cell,
atoms make up molecules; these in turn make up cell organelles and other cellular
inclusions. In multicellular organisms , similar cells form tissues; tissues, in turn, work
together to create organs (body structures with a distinct function); organs, in turn,
work together to form organ systems. Organs, in turn, work together to form organ
systems (Lumen Learning, n.d.).

Emergent Properties
Life exists in a hierarchical form, from single-celled bacteria to the entire
biosphere, with all its ecosystems. At each higher level, organisms become
more elaborate, and new properties appear. For example, evolutionary
evidence indicates that complex eukaryotes arose from simple prokaryotes.

Paraphrased:
From single-celled bacteria to the entire biosphere with all of its
ecosystems, life exists in a hierarchical structure. Organisms become more
complex and acquire new properties as they ascend in the food chain. For
instance, evolutionary research suggests that simple prokaryotes gave rise
to complex eukaryotes.

The Cell
The cell is the basic unit for life. Whether an organism is prokaryote or
eukaryote, its structure and function are based on the cell. The contents of
cells may differ, but their importance is consistent.

Paraphrased:
The fundamental unit of life is the cell. The cell is the foundation of
every organism, whether it be prokaryote or eukaryote. Although cells'
contents can vary, their significance is constant.

Heritable Information
For life to continue, genetic instructions must be passed down from
generation to generation. This heritable information is found in the DNA of all
organisms, from bacteria to plants to people.

Paraphrased
Genetic instructions must be passed down from one generation to the
next in order for life to continue. All living things, including bacteria, plants,
and people, have this inheritable information stored in their DNA.

Structure and Function

At every step of the biological hierarchy, structure and function are
connected. For example, different cells have specific components that help
them carry out their duties. Red blood cells, which carry oxygen, are formed
differently than the white blood cells that fight infection. The relationship
between structure and function is also apparent in entire organisms and the
physiological systems that serve them. A cat’s long, sensitive whiskers
gather information from its environment.

Paraphrased:
Structure and function are intertwined at every level of the biological
food chain. For instance, various cells have particular parts that enable them
to perform their functions. White blood cells, which fight infection, are formed
differently than red blood cells, which carry oxygen. Whole organisms and
the physiological systems that support them exhibit the relationship between
structure and function. Long, perceptive whiskers are used by cats to collect
data from their surroundings.

Environmental Interactions
All organisms interact with their environment, which includes both organic
and inorganic components. Material and energy flow back and forth. For
instance, green plants use water, carbon dioxide and sunlight from their
environment to produce their own energy through photosynthesis, but they
release oxygen as a byproduct.

Paraphrased:
All living things interact with the organic and inorganic elements that
make up their environment. Energy and matter are in constant motion. For
instance, green plants use their environment's water, carbon dioxide, and
sunlight to produce their own energy through a process called
photosynthesis, but they also release oxygen as a byproduct.

Feedback and Regulation

Living things have parts and processes that help individuals or species
survive. Organisms use feedback to regulate the processes. This can be on
a large scale. For example, births and deaths control animal populations in
an ecosystem. Regulation also exists on the cellular level, such as a cell's
ability to maintain a proper temperature.

Paraphrased:
Parts and functions in living things are necessary for individuals or
species to survive. Feedback is a tool used by organisms to control
processes. This might involve a sizable scale. For instance, animal
populations in an ecosystem are regulated by births and deaths. Cellular
regulation also exists, as evidenced by a cell's capacity to maintain a healthy
temperature.

Unity and Diversity

Great diversity exists among the three primary domains of living things:
Bacteria, Archaea and Eukarya. Cell structure, nutritional requirements and
environmental needs differ, but there are parallels, such as DNA. For
example, scientists have found some genetic similarities between certain
eukaryote cells and Archaea -- single-celled prokaryotes that live in extreme
environments.

Paraphrased:

The three main categories of living things, bacteria, archaea, and eukarya,
are incredibly diverse. There are differences in cell structure, nutritional
needs, and environmental needs, but there are also similarities, like DNA.
For instance, researchers have discovered some genetic connections
between specific eukaryotic cells and Archaea, a single-celled prokaryote
that thrives in harsh conditions.

Evolution
Evolution is a unifying theme in biology. It explains changes in organisms
over long periods of time. This includes adaptation, which allows life forms to
acquire new characteristics in response to their environment through the
process of natural selection. For example, deer mice in Nebraska’s Sand
Hills are no longer brown. Over the course of 8,000 years, their coats
lightened to facilitate hiding from predators.

Paraphrased:

Biology's overarching concept is evolution. It explains how organisms

change over extended periods of time. This includes adaptation, which
enables living things to pick up new traits as a result of natural selection in
response to their surroundings. For instance, Sand Hills deer mice in
Nebraska are no longer brown. Their coats became lighter over an 8,000-
year period to make it easier for them to hide from predators.

Inquiry
Scientific inquiry is the process for acquiring new knowledge. Scientists
make observations, form hypotheses, conduct experiments, draw conclusion
and repeat the process.

Paraphrased:
Acquiring new knowledge is the process of scientific inquiry. Scientists
gather data, develop theories, carry out experiments, come to conclusions,
and repeat the process.

Science, Technology and Society

Through science, humans learn about the natural world. Technology applies
this knowledge in new ways. For instance, in 2013, Australian 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

Paraphrased:
Humans learn about the natural world through science. This knowledge is
put to use in novel ways by technology. For instance, Australian developers
produced a bionic eye prototype in 2013. It transmits an image to a brain
microchip so the user can "see" the image.
Give and explain the 3 domain and 5 kingdom systems

Classification of living organisms is important to identify and study their characteristics and
phylogenetic relationships. Classification systems include different hierarchical levels. Among the
different hierarchical levels, domain and kingdom are two main levels. Accordingly, domain is a
category above the kingdom level. There are five kingdoms; monera, protista, fungi, plantae and
animalia. On the other hand, all living organisms belong to three domains namely, bacteria, archaea
and eukarya. Similarly, domain Eukarya includes protista, fungi, plantae and animalia. Hence, this is
the difference between kingdom and domain.

he Five Kingdom system (first proposed in 1969 and now the most widely used) places all prokaryotes
(organisms without nuclear membranes) in a single Kingdom Monera, and separates the three
principal branches of multicellular eukaryotes as separate Kingdoms. In this sytem, Protista tends to
remain as a catch-all taxon for eukaryotic groups, such as the highly diverse algae, that do not fit
readily into the other Kingdoms.

The Three Domain system is based on modern molecular evidence, and uses the category Domain
as a Superkingdom to emphasize the extremely ancient lineages that exist among prokaryotes and
protista, and the relatively recent relationships of multicellular organisms. Considerable discussion
continues as to the exact relationships among the major living lineages. Use of molecular evidence
becomes complicated with the recognition of lateral transfer of DNA between lineages early in
evolution. (steven Carr 2011)
WHAT IS A KINGDOM IN BIOLOGY
The system of biological kingdoms is the way in which science classifies living things according to their
ancestry over the course of evolution. This means that all the species that make up these five large
groups - some recent theories split them further into six or even seven - have common ancestors and
therefore share some of their genes and belong to the same family tree.

As well as the kingdoms of living things there are other taxonomic categories within the same
classification system such as, for instance, domain, phylum, class, order, family, genus and species.
They all follow a hierarchical order and are dependent on each other, so some divisions include
others. In this way, the domain includes the kingdom, the kingdom the phylum, the phylum the class,
and so on.

CHARACTERISTICS OF THE FIVE KINGDOMS OF LIVING THINGS

All the species in a particular kingdom have similar characteristics in terms of their growth and the
way they function. Now let's look at where the family relationships that define nature's kingdoms
come from:

Nutrition. Autotrophic (makes its own food) or heterotrophic (feeds on other living things).

Cell organisation. Unicellular (having only one cell) or multicellular (having two or more cells).

Cell type. Eukaryotes (the genetic material is surrounded by a membrane) or prokaryotes (lacking a
membrane).

Respiration. Aerobic (needs oxygen) or anaerobic (does not use oxygen).

Reproduction. Sexual, asexual or through spores.

Movement. Self-moving or static.

THE CLASSIFICATION OF LIVING THINGS INTO FIVE KINGDOMS

The first person to divide living things into five broad kingdoms was North American ecologist Robert
Whittaker. This researcher proved in 1959 that fungi were not plant organisms - previously it was
thought that they were - and a decade later he proposed the creation of the fungi kingdom to
differentiate them from plants. Whittaker's theory was widely accepted and the scientific community
thereby added a new group to the previous four-kingdom system, established by the American
biologist Herbert Copeland in 1956.

Animal kingdom
The kingdom Animalia is the most evolved and is divided into two large groups - vertebrates and
invertebrates. These animals are multi-celled, heterotrophic eukaryotes with aerobic respiration,
sexual reproduction and the ability to move. This kingdom is one of the most diverse and comprises
mammals, fish, birds, reptiles, amphibians, insects, molluscs and annelids, among others.

Plant kingdom
Trees, plants and other species of vegetation make up part of the Plantae kingdom - one of the oldest,
and characterised by its immobile, multicellular and eukaryotic nature. These autotrophic things,
whose cells contain cellulose and chlorophyll are essential for life on Earth since they release oxygen
through photosynthesis. As regards their method of reproduction, this may be either sexual or
asexual.
Fungi kingdom
This name is used to designate the fungi kingdom which includes yeasts, moulds and all species of
mushrooms and toadstools. These multicellular aerobic heterotrophic eukaryotes have chitin in their
cell walls, feed off other living things, and reproduce through spores.

Protista kingdom
This group is the most primitive of the eukaryotics and all the others are descendants of it. The
Protista kingdom is paraphyletic - it contains the common ancestor but not all its descendants - and it
includes those eukaryotic organisms that are not deemed to be animals, plants or fungi such as
protozoa. As it is so heterogeneous it is difficult to categorise it, since its members have very little in
common.

Monera kingdom
This is the kingdom of microscopic living things and groups together the prokaryotes (archaea and
bacteria). This group is present in all habitats and is made up of single-cell things with no defined
nucleus. Most bacteria are aerobic and heterotrophic, while the archaea are usually anaerobic and
their metabolism is chemosynthetic.

The classification of the five kingdoms of nature remains the most accepted today, although the latest
advances in genetic research have suggested new revisions and reopened the debate among experts.
Such is the case for the sixth kingdom of Carl Woese and George Fox, who in 1977 divided bacteria
into two types (Archaea and Bacteria), and the seventh kingdom of Cavalier-Smith, who added a new
group to the previous six for algae called Chromista.
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