GENERAL

S E N I O R H I G H S C H O O L D E PA R T M E N T

BIOLOGY 1
JASPER A. DOMINGCIL
Master Teacher II
0918-6938863
jasper.domingcil@deped.gov.ph
Introduction to
Biology— The
Study of Life
Life in the Trees
• The lives of gray-headed flying foxes are
closely entwined with the lives of the
eucalyptus trees that form their habitat
• Eucalyptus trees
provide food and
roosting sites for
the flying foxes
• Flying foxes aid in
eucalyptus pollination
and help disperse
the resulting seeds
• Flying foxes are becoming an endangered
species, partly because of habitat destruction
THE SCOPE OF BIOLOGY

• Biology is the scientific study of life

• Interactions between different kinds of
organisms affect the lives of all
• Recall the example of flying foxes and
eucalyptus trees
1.1 Life’s levels of organization
define the scope of biology
• A structural hierarchy of life, from molecules
to ecosystems, defines the scope of biology
• An ecosystem consists of:
• all organisms living in a particular area
• all nonliving physical components of the
environment that affect the organisms
(soil, water)
• At the top of life’s
hierarchy is the
ecosystem ECOSYSTEM LEVEL
Eucalyptus forest

• Ecosystems include: COMMUNITY LEVEL

All organisms in
eucalyptus forest

– all the organisms ORGANISM LEVEL

POPULATION LEVEL
Group of flying foxes

in an area, which Flying fox

Brain

make up a
Spinal cord
ORGAN SYSTEM LEVEL
Nervous system

community ORGAN LEVEL

Brain
Nerve

– interbreeding
TISSUE LEVEL
Nervous
tissue

organisms of the CELLULAR LEVEL

same species, a
Nerve cell

population MOLECULAR LEVEL

Molecule of DNA
Figure 1.1
• Organisms are
made up of:
– organ systems ECOSYSTEM LEVEL
Eucalyptus forest

– organs
COMMUNITY LEVEL
All organisms in
eucalyptus forest

POPULATION LEVEL
– tissues ORGANISM LEVEL
Group of flying foxes

Flying fox
Brain
– cells
Spinal cord
ORGAN SYSTEM LEVEL
Nervous system

ORGAN LEVEL

– molecules Brain
Nerve

TISSUE LEVEL
Nervous
tissue

CELLULAR LEVEL
Nerve cell

MOLECULAR LEVEL Figure 1.1

Molecule of DNA
THE PROCESS OF SCIENCE
1.2 Scientists use two main approaches to
learn about nature
• In discovery science, scientists describe
some aspect of the world and use inductive
reasoning
to draw general conclusions
• Example: scientists have
described how newborn
flying foxes cling to their
mother’s chest for the
first weeks of life

Figure 1.2
• In hypothesis-driven science, scientists use
the “scientific method”
– They propose a hypothesis
– They make deductions leading to predictions
– They then test the hypothesis by seeing if the
predictions come true
1.3 With the scientific method, we
pose and test hypotheses
Observation
• The main
steps of the Question
scientific
method Hypothesis

Prediction

Test does not Test: Test supports

support hypothesis; hypothesis; make
Experiment or
revise hypothesis or additional predictions
additional
pose new one and test them
observation

Figure 1.3A
• Deductive reasoning is used in testing
hypotheses
– If a hypothesis is
correct, and we test it,
then we can expect a
particular outcome

• Case study: flashlight

failure

Figure 1.3B
• Experiments designed to test hypotheses
must be controlled experiments
• Control groups must be tested along with
experimental groups for the meaning of the
results to be clear
• Case study: spider mimicry

Figure 1.3C

which spider jumped on fly)

Pounce rate (% of trials in Control group Experimental group
(untreated flies) (wing markings masked)

Figure 1.3D
• Another test of the spider mimic hypothesis:
wing transplants

Number of stalk and

attack responses
by spiders

Wing
markings
Wing
waving

Normal Mimic with Mimic with Housefly Normal

spider mimic wing housefly with housefly
mimic transplant wing mimic wing
transplant transplant

Figure 1.3E Controls Experimentals

EVOLUTION, UNITY, AND DIVERSITY
1.4 The diversity of life can be
arranged into three domains
• Grouping organisms by fundamental features
helps make the vast diversity of life
manageable for study
• Scientists classify organisms into a hierarchy
of broader and broader groups
• Most classification schemes group
organisms into three domains:
– Domain Bacteria

– Domain Archaea

Figure 1.4A, B
 • Domain Eukarya

Figure 1.4C-F
1.5 Unity in diversity: All forms of
life have common features
• All organisms share a set of common
features, signs of unity in life’s vast diversity
• All are made of cells
• All have DNA as
their genetic
blueprint
• These orchids show
the variety possible
within one species

Figure 1.5A
• DNA is made of chemical units called
nucleotides
• Each species has its own nucleotide sequence

Figure 1.5B
• The genetic information in DNA underlies all of
the features that distinguish life from nonlife
– Order and regulation
– Growth and development
– Use of energy from the environment
– Response to environmental stimuli
– Ability to reproduce
– Evolutionary change
1.6 Evolution explains the unity
and diversity of life
• Charles Darwin is a central figure in biology
• He synthesized the theory of evolution by
natural selection
• A theory in science is a
comprehensive idea with
broad explanatory power
• Evolution is the core theme
of biology

Figure 1.6A
• The theory of
natural selection
explains the
main mechanism
whereby all (1) Population with varied inherited traits

species of
organisms
change, or
evolve
(2) Elimination of individuals with certain traits

Figure 1.6B (3) Reproduction of survivors

• Evolution happens when populations of
organisms with inherited variations are
exposed to environmental factors that favor
the success of some individuals over others
– Natural selection is the editing mechanism
– Evolution is based on adaptations

Figure 1.6C
1.7 Living organisms and their environments
form interconnecting webs

• The theory of natural selection applies to all

levels in life’s hierarchy
• In an ecosystem, these interactions make up
a complex web of relationships
• The functional aspects of an ecosystem come
from the structure of the ecosystem’s web
• A web of
interactions
in a rain
forest
ecosystem

Figure 1.7A
• Plants, or plant products, are the ultimate
sources of food in an ecosystem
– This African sunbird is consuming nectar, a
plant product

Figure 1.7B
• Chemical nutrients cycle within an
ecosystem’s web
– Energy Sun

flows in
Inflow
and out of
light
Loss
of
constantly energy heat
energy
Air Chemical
energy

Cycling
of
chemical
Organisms nutrients

Soil
Figure 1.7C ECOSYSTEM
BIOLOGY AND EVERYDAY LIFE
1.8 Connection: Biology is connected to
our lives in many ways
• Biology is connected to a great number of
important issues
• Environmental
problems and
solutions
• Genetic engineering
• Medicine

Figure 1.8A
• Many technological advances stem from the
scientific study of life
• Evaluating everyday reports in the press about
a large range of subjects requires critical
thinking and some familiarity with many areas
of biology
– In order to understand
how rain forest
destruction impacts
global climate, it is
important to understand
biology from the molecular
to the ecosystem level
Figure 1.8B
BACARRA NATIONAL COMPREHENSIVE HIGH SCHOOL
Senior High School Department