Welcome to Biology 160

Brian Saunders

The Basics of Biology

• Bio means “life”• -ology means “to study”• The Big questions is What is Life?

LIFE

? ?

??

Life has Organization (Order)• Life shares and uses

atoms and molecules in similar ways

• Emergent properties

Nothing Lives Without Energy• Nothing in the Universe can happen without a

transfer of Energy• What is metabolism?• Life is Irritable

– Homeostasis

Nothing Lives Without DNA• What is DNA? Why is DNA important?• “DNA is inherited”?

– There are no storks– Reproduction– Development

Life is Interdependent On Life• All life forms depend upon other life forms for

survival• Energy flow through an ecosystem• Recycling of materials among ecosystems

So Much Diversity• Two types of cells, many forms of life…• How many species inhabit the earth?• How can we account for such diversity?

Evolution: The link between similarity and diversity

• Genetic inherited change in a population over time• How can a gene change?• What is Natural Selection?

Can We Test Evolution?