Unit 1 – Lecture 1

What is Science?Discuss with a partner next to you what you

think “science” is really all about.

What is Science?

Biologythe study of life“bio” = life“ology” = the

study ofThere are many branches of Biology including anatomy/physiology, ecology, zoology, genetics, paleontology, marine biology…[and many more!]

So…if Biology is the study of life…what is “life”?

Affixes & Root WordsItems like those on the previous slide[bio &

ology] are called affixes. Sample affixes are common prefix & suffix terms.

Root words are terms from other languages such as Latin or Greek such as “logos” meaning knowledge – hence, the study of, or the gaining of knowledge…

We will use those A LOT.

DiscussLook back at [or recall] the list of

characteristics you made earlier in the warm-up.

Discuss these characteristics of life with your partner.

What is “life”? – Characteristics

All living things… are made of one or more cellsneed energy

pass genetic traits on to offspring [heredity]grow & develop

reproduce

This list is a simplification of what could be a much longer list, however, even some of these requirements could be combined – and some can be expanded.

What is “life”? – CharacteristicsAll living things… [cont’d]

maintain homeostasis

The term Organism is given to anything which contains ALL of these characteristics.

respond to stimuli• examples: pupil becoming smaller when

light in shined into eyes, salivating when chewing food, etc.

Homeostasisthe process of maintaining constant internal conditions

“homeo” (“homo”) – the same“stasis” – to stay / to stand / not changing

• examples: temperature regulation, enzyme secretion to digest food, sleep/wake cycle…etc.

metabolism – the sum of all the body’s chemical reactions