Properties of Life
Cellular Organization – all living things
show an orderly structure
 1.

Cell  Tissue  Organ  Body System 
Organism
Properties of Life
Reproduction – all organisms have the
ability to reproduce
 2.

How does an amoeba reproduce?
Properties of Life
 3.


Metabolism
Energy use for body/cell functions
Input of energy (food)  output of heat or
movement
Properties of Life
Homeostasis – maintenance of stable
internal conditions in spite of changes in
the external environment
 4.

Making changes to survive
Properties of Life
Heredity – the passing of traits from
parents to offspring
 5.
(Why you look like your parents)
 Gene – sets of inherited instructions for
making proteins
 Mutation – a change in the DNA of a gene
Properties of Life
Responsiveness – response to the
environment
 6.

Stimulus – triggers a response
• Smell, sound, taste, touch

Response – reaction to a stimulus
• Running from a diffusing smell
Properties of Life
 7.

Growth and development
All organisms get larger over time
Important Vocabulary
Evolution – change in the inherited traits of
species over time
 Species – group of genetically similar organisms
that can produce fertile offspring
 Natural Selection – organisms with favorable
genes are more likely to survive and reproduce
 Ecology – study of the interactions between
living organisms and with non living components
of the environment

Biology in Your World
How is biology used?
Up to you to write the following list yet.
-Study
ways to live in harmony with our
environment
-Feed our Grow ing population
- Fight Disease
. . . And many more
Living in Harmony With Our
Environment

World Surface Area 196,940,000 sq. mi
 World population 6,730,000,000
 Use of Rainforest



Deforestation (medicine, species, oxygen)
Groups to educate or stop this
Waste Production
Living in Harmony Cont.
 What

Reuse, Recycle, Reduce
•

can you do?
(Does order matter activity)
Does order matter?
ABSOLUTELY
• (1) REDUSE (2) REUSE (3) RECYCLE
Biology Can Help Feed a
Growing Population
 Hormones
to increase milk production in
cows

Cost/benefit analysis
 Gene
transplant to produce insect
resistant crops
Biology Can Help Fight Disease
 AIDS

Looking for a cure / vaccination
 Cancer


The uncontrolled growth/division of cells
within the body
Picture 1 - may want to close your eyes
Biology Can Help Fight Disease
 Cystic


Fibrosis
Abnormally thick mucous build up in many
organs
Biologist using gene therapy to find a cure
Biology Can Bring the World
Together (don’t have to write)
 Can
you name something that has brought
multiple nations together for a positive
effort?

Human Genome Project
• Took 15 years, 1990-2005
• Map the entire human genome
The Scientific Process
 OBSERVATION,
6






OBSERVATION . . .
Steps to the Scientific Method
1. Problem/Ask a ?
2. Research
3. Forming Hypothesis
4. Experiment (to test hypothesis)
5. Collect Data
6. Drawing Conclusion / Analyze
1. Problem/Ask a ?
 Find
a problem that needs a solution.
 Observation - act of noting or perceiving
objects or events using the senses

Example – A blind dog comes when he/she hears a squeaky toy even
though they can’t see it.
2. Research
 You
want to gather information dealing
with the problem before you begin your
experiment.
 This allows you to understand the basic
concepts you will be examining.
3. Forming a Hypothesis

Hypothesis - an explanation that may
be true, and can be tested by
additional observation or experiment
 Prediction - expected outcome

Example Cont.

I hypothesize that the dog finds the toy by listening to
the noise it makes.
4. Experimentation

Control Group - a group in an experiment that
receives no experimental treatment


Ex. - Using a toy that is quiet
Experimental Group - a group in an experiment
that receives the experimental
treatment

Ex. - Using a toy that makes noise
4. Experimentation

Independent Variable - variable that is
changed by the scientists (ONLY 1)
• Ex. Noisy toy vs Quiet Toy

Dependent Variable - variable that the
observations are focused on
• Ex. Dog success, it depends or will change based on the toy

Control Group - something to compare to

Constants- variables that do not change
• Ex. No other toys, no change of position
5. Data Collection / Analyze
 Two



Types of Data Collection
1. Qualitative – observation (words/language)
2. Quantitative – measurement (numbers)
Ex. Is my experiment Qualitative or
Quantitative?
6. Drawing Conclusion

Theory - set of related hypothesis that have
been tested and confirmed many times
by many scientists
Does multiple times by one scientist count?
• No

Ex. Dog locates the toy by the sound, but there
seems to be additional factors.
Is it bad if your hypothesis was not correct?
 No
Independent vs Dependent Variable
Remember: The dependent variable depends on the
independent variable
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
How does Pesticide X affect the mosquito population?
How is plant growth affected by fertilizer?
How does studying affect test scores?
How is plant growth affected by fertilizer?
How does standing affect pulse rate?
How does exercise affect your weight?
How does Rembrandt affect the coloration of teeth?
Scientific Method Vocabulary










Scientific Method
Hypothesis
Experiment
Control
Variable
Independent Variable
Dependent Variable
Scientific Law
Theory
Constant