What is Biology?What is Biology?

The study of lifeThe study of life and interactions between living thingsand interactions between living things All organisms depend on other organismsAll organisms depend on other organisms

Biologists study problems and propose Biologists study problems and propose solutionssolutions Medical research to cure diseaseMedical research to cure disease Human affect on the health of the planetHuman affect on the health of the planet

Characteristics of Living ThingsCharacteristics of Living Things

Have an orderly structureHave an orderly structure

Produce offspringProduce offspring

Grow and developGrow and develop

Adjust to changes in the environmentAdjust to changes in the environment

Organisms:Organisms:

Are organizedAre organized Composed of one or more cellsComposed of one or more cells Each cell contains genetic material (DNA)Each cell contains genetic material (DNA)

Provides information needed to control organisms Provides information needed to control organisms life processeslife processes

Produce offspringProduce offspring Essential for survival of the Essential for survival of the species species (a group (a group

of organisms that can interbreed)of organisms that can interbreed)

Organisms:Organisms:

Change during their livesChange during their lives

Begin as a single cell Begin as a single cell Growth Growth results in an increase in the amount of results in an increase in the amount of

living material and the formation of living living material and the formation of living structuresstructures

Development is all the changes that take Development is all the changes that take place during the organism’s lifeplace during the organism’s life

Living things adjust to their environmentLiving things adjust to their environment Air, water, temperature, other organismsAir, water, temperature, other organisms StimulusStimulus: anything in an organisms : anything in an organisms

environment that causes it to reactenvironment that causes it to react ResponseResponse: a reaction to a stimulus: a reaction to a stimulus

HomeostasisHomeostasis is regulation of an is regulation of an organism’s internal environment to organism’s internal environment to maintain conditions suitable for survivalmaintain conditions suitable for survival

Living Things Adapt and EvolveLiving Things Adapt and Evolve

Adaptations Adaptations Any Any inheritedinherited structure, behavior, or internal structure, behavior, or internal

process that enables an organism to repond process that enables an organism to repond to environmental factors and live to produce to environmental factors and live to produce offspring offspring

The gradual change in a species through The gradual change in a species through adaptations over time is adaptations over time is evolutionevolution

The theory of evolution can help answer The theory of evolution can help answer many of the questions people have about many of the questions people have about living thingsliving things