CHARACTERISTICS OF BIOLOGICAL SYSTEM
LIVING THINGS
1. Living things are made up of cell.
2. Living things metabolize
METABOLISM – sum of all life-sustaining
chemical reactions in living things.
ANABOLISM – substances needed by organisms
to grow, store energy, and repair tissue are
synthesized
CATABOLISM – some complex substances are
broken down, releasing the energy stored in their
molecules
3. Living things grow and develop
4. Living things respond to stimuli
Stimulus – is a signal or change in the environment
of the organism that produces a response or reaction
from that organism
5. Living things interact
6. Living things reproduce
7. Living things adapt and evolve
8. Living things have organized structure
UNIFYING THEMES IN THE STUDY
OF LIFE
THEMES - are distinct characteristics, pattern, and
or quality.
UNIFYING THEMES IN THE STUDY OF
LIFE - are an organization, information, energy and
matter, interactions, and evolution.
- The study of organisms ranges from macro
to micro or vice versa.
LEVELS OF BIOLOGICAL HIERARCHY
Atom – building blocks of matter
Examples: hydrogen and oxygen
Molecules – combinations of atoms formed through
chemical bonding
Examples: water (H2O)
Glucose (C6H12O6)
Cell Organelle – a subcellular structure that has
one or more specific jobs to perform in the cell
Cell – basic building block of all living things,
contain hereditary materials and have organelles
that perform certain tasks
Examples: Epithelial cells, nerve cells, muscle cells,
connective tissue cells
Tissues – are groups of cells performing specific
functions
Examples: skin tissue (epidermis, dermis, and
hypodermis) and muscle tissues in humans and
animals; conducting tissues (xylem and phloem) in
plants
Organs – are formed from clusters and layers of
tissues carrying specific functions
Examples: heart, brain, and lungs in human
animals; leaves, stems, and roots in plants
Organ Systems – are groups of organs functioning
together in a system
Examples: circulatory system, nervous system,
digestive system, and reproductive system
Organisms – are the individuals in a population
functioning and performing the characteristics of
living things
Examples: A human, a dog, and a mango
Population – refers to the group of organisms of
the same species interacting together.
Examples: A human population and banana
plantation
Community – consists of different populations
(different species) living and sharing a particular
habitat.
Examples:
a forest with trees and undergrowth plants,
inhabited by animals and bacteria and fungi in the
soil
Ecosystem – composed of communities interacting
with non-living components of the environment
which include the soil, water, temperature, and even
light
Examples: tropical rainforest
Biome – is a type of environment that is defined by
the types of organisms that live there.
Biosphere – consists of all ecosystems on Earth
whether they support life on land, water, or lower
atmosphere. It is where all interactions happen.
ENERGY and LIFE
Cycle of Nutrients and
Energy Flow
Nutrient cycle – refers to the movement and
exchange of organic and inorganic matter back into
the production of living matter.
NUTRIENT CYCLE
❖ Producers – use solar energy to produce
organic material through photosynthesis
❖ Consumers – herbivores (plant-eating
animals), carnivores (meat-eating
animals).
❖ Decomposers – are organisms that break
down dead or decaying organisms
CARBON CYCLE
Various fields in life science cover the unifying
themes in the study of life
STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION
- This is how the structure of an organism or type of
matter is related to how it behaves or what it
functions.
- The aerodynamic shape of a bird's wing is a living
example of the form-fits-function theme.
Passive Soaring wings: These wings have long,
broad feathers that spread out to make “slots” that
let the bird catch rising warm air (called “thermals”)
which pushes them up higher in the sky.
Examples of birds with this wing type include
eagles, most hawks, and storks.
Active Soaring wings: These wings are long and
narrow and allow birds to soar easily. These birds
are more dependent on the different wind currents
than the passive soaring birds (above).
GENETICS
- It is the branch of biology that studies about
the change of species over time.
EVOLUTION
- It is the branch of biology that studies about
the change of species over time.
BIOCHEMISTRY
- It is the study of chemical processes within
and relating to living organisms.