2 ND

QUARTER
EARTH AND LIFE SCIENCE
 EARTH AND LIFE SCIENCE
This learning area is designed to provide a general background
for the understanding of Earth Science and Biology. It presents
the history of the Earth through geologic time. It discusses the
Earth’s structure, composition, and processes. Issues, concerns,
and problems pertaining to natural hazards are also included. It
also deals with the basic principles and processes in the study of
biology. It covers life processes and interactions at the cellular,
organism, population, and ecosystem levels.
 LESSON #1: MODULE 6

“LIFE AND ITS

REMARKABLE
BEGINNINGS”
 OBJECTIVES:
At the end of this module, you will be able to:
1. Explain the evolving concept of life based on emerging
pieces of evidence (MELC)
2. Describe the early life forms on earth
3. Describe the biological levels of organization from the
smallest to highest level
 How did life
came about on
Earth?
The geologic
time scale is
the calendar
for events in
Earth history.
 Universe is 13.8 billion years old
 Solar System is 4.6 billion years old
 Earth is estimated to be 4.54
billion years old
 The first organism here on Earth is
at least 3.77 billion years old
The first organism here on earth ...
Cyanobacteria are aquatic and
photosynthetic, that is, they
live in the water, and can
manufacture their own
food. They have the distinction of
being the oldest known fossils,
more than 3.5 billion years
old
In fact ...
It may surprise you then to know that the
cyanobacteria are still around;
they are one of the largest and most
important groups of bacteria on earth.
The first fossil recorded here on earth ...
The term stromatolite means
“layered rock”, these are solid, rocky
structures created by the
activity of colonies of single-celled bacte-
ria, mostly cyanobacteria, which were
formerly known as
blue-green algae. The bacteria
live in mats at the top of the
structure and they are very primitive or-
ganisms, whose fossil record dates back
as far as 3.7 billion years.
Which comes
first?
 Let us now proceed
with the levels of
biological hierarchy. It
will tell us the
basic foundation of
each living
organisms here on our
Earth.
Levels of Biological Hierarchy
Living things are
highly organized
and structured,
following a
hierarchy that
can be examined
on a scale from
small to large.
1. ATOM
An atom is the smallest unit of matter that retains all of the chemical proper-
ties of an element
2. Molecules
Molecules are made of atoms, the smallest unit of chemical elements. They
can be found in all matter, living and non-living. Molecules make up the most
basic structures of living beings. Two biological disciplines that focus on this
level are biochemistry and molecular biology.
3. CELL ORGANELLES
Cell organelle is a specialized entity present inside a particular type of cell
that performs a specific function.
4. CELL
A cell is the basic unit of life. There are two kinds of cells: plant cells, which have a
rigid cell wall made of cellulose molecules, and animal cells, which have flexible cell
membranes. Cell biologists consider questions such as metabolism and other questions
about structure and function within and between cells.
5. TISSUE
Tissue is made of cells that work together to perform a certain task. Muscle tissue,
connective tissue, and neural tissue are some types of tissue. Histologists are an exam-
ple of biologists who work at this level.
6. ORGAN
An organ is a system of tissues that work together on a larger scale to do certain jobs
within an animal's body. Examples of organs are the brain, heart and lungs. Anatomy is
an example of a biology specialty concerned with this level.
7. ORGAN SYSTEM
An organ system is a group of organs that work together to perform specific bodily
functions. The respiratory system, for example, uses the lungs, airways and respiratory
muscles to inhale oxygen and release carbon dioxide in animals. Physiologists study
the function of parts of the body as they work together. Though physiologists can work
at any level of biological organization, they often answer questions related to organ
systems.
8. ORGANISM
An organism is a recognizable, self-contained individual. Organisms can be unicellular
organisms such as bacteria or amoebae, or multi-cellular organisms comprised of or-
gans and organ systems. A human being is an example of a multi-cellular organism.
9. POPULATION
A population is a group of multiple organisms of the same species within a specific
area. For example, a pride of lions in Kenya, Africa, is a population.
10. COMMUNITY
A community consists of all the different species within a certain area. The population
of lions in Kenya, plus the populations of gazelles, giraffes, elephants, dung beetles,
and all other species in that area, add up to a community.
11. ECOSYSTEM
An ecosystem is made up of all the communities in a certain area, as well as all the
non-living, physical components of the environment. Rocks, water and dirt are a part
of an ecosystem. Ecologists may study populations, communities, or whole ecosys-
tems.
12. BIOSPHERE
The biosphere is all of the ecosystems on Earth added together. Every animal, plant,
bacteria, rock, and molecule is a part of the Earth's biosphere. Non-biologists, such as
meteorologists and geologists, may join biologists to answer questions at this level of
biology organization.
CHARACTERISTICS OF LIVING ORGANISMS
Asynch period : You will watch the attached video link about
“Mankind Rising” Afterwards, you will create a short reaction
paper of not more than 500 words about it.
(Link/video will be posted in our CLE, submission will
also be in our CLE)