Introduction

to Life
Science

What is Life?
o What is life?

o How did life began?

o Where did the organisms come

from?

o When did they come to life?

Paleontologists
o Scientists who collect, identify, and
study pieces of evidence about
earlier life-forms and try to
determine how these have evolved
into the organisms of today.
Fossil
o A remnant or trace of a plant, an
animal, or other organism that
may have been replaced by rock
material or left imprinted on a
sedimentary rock deposited in
riverbeds or on the ocean floor.
Microfossils
o Fossils that are very small and can
be seen only with the aid of a
microscope.
Stromatolites
o Fossils that are considered the
oldest on Earth.
Bacteria
o Considered to be the first life-
forms that existed on Earth over
two billion years ago.
Bacteria
o Considered to be the first life-
forms that existed on Earth over
two billion years ago.
Common Characteristics of All
Forms of Life
o The use of chemical energy to help
organisms perform activities and
carry out chemical reactions
(energy processing).
o The ability of individuals to adapt
to their environment (evolutionary
adaptation).
Common Characteristics of All
Forms of Life
o The consistent growth and
development controlled by the
inherited gene.
o The systematic and highly ordered
structure of organisms.
Common Characteristics of All
Forms of Life
o The ability of organisms to control
their internal environment
(regulation).
o The ability of organisms to respond
to environmental stimuli.
o The ability of every organism to
reproduce its own kind.
The Levels of Biological
Hierarchy
Biosphere
o Highest level of the hierarchy.
o Supports all ecosystems that
harbor organisms and the
environment where they live.
Biome
o Very large ecological area on the
earth’s surface, with fauna and
flora (animals and plants) adapting
to their environment.
o Often defined by abiotic factors
such as temperature, climate,
relief, geology, soils and
vegetation.
Ecosystem
o Consists of various groups of
organisms and the physical
components in a particular
environment in which particular
organisms interact.
Community
o Different organisms living in a
particular ecosystem.
o Divided into a number of particular
species living in a specific area
known as population.
Organism
o A living thing in a population.

Organ System
o Group of organs in an organism
that function together.
o Made up of organs.
Organs
o A group of tissues and other
structures that perform a specific
function.
o Made up of a group of similar cells
that make up a tissue.
Tissue
o Made up of the fundamental unit of
life called the cell.

Cell
o Consists of membrane-bound
structures called organelles.
Organelles
o Each organelle is held together by
chemical bonds called molecules.

Molecules
o Divided into smaller units called
atoms.

Atoms
o The building blocks of matter.
Major Fields in Biology
o Genetics
o Evolution
o Biochemistry
Genetics
o Study of heredity and variation.
o Shows how the characteristics of
the parents are transmitted to
their offspring through the
reproductive process.
o Unifying theme in biology.
o It allows humans to understand
the complexities of the existence
of life.
Genetic Variation of Organisms
o Reason for the natural diversity
between and across species.
Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA)
o The biological or genetic
information and characteristics of
an organism are contained in its
DNA.
o Contains biological information
that is passed on from one
generation to the next and ensures
the existence of species.
Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA)
o Made up of three similar chemical
units (one of four types of nitrogen
base, a phosphate group, and a
sugar group).
DNA Sequence
o Contains instructions to make a
gene.
o Genes make up of about 1% of the
DNA sequence.
o The rest is involved in regulating
when and how much of a protein is
produced.
Three Domains (Organisms)
o Bacteria
o Archaea
o Eukarya
Bacteria
o Most diverse and widespread
prokaryote.

Archaea
o Prokaryotes, or organisms with no
distinct nucleus and other
organelles, that often live in
extreme environment.
Other Details
o Cells are composed of chemical
substances.
o All organisms are made up of
elements or a combination of
elements called compounds.
o The biochemical composition of an
organism is important in its ability
to adapt to its environment.
Other Details
o Domains Archaea, Bacteria, and
Eukarya require the need to
reproduce (genetics), adapt
(evolution), and metabolize
(biochemistry).
o The diversity and abundance of
these domains are controlled by
resources (food) and condition of
their habitat (temperature, pH,
and oxygen).