Scie 503 - Zoology
Abegail L. Gonzales, PhD, LPT
Professor
Zoology
⮚
branch of biology that specifically
deals with the study of animals
anatomy
embryology
physiology
heredity
evolution
ecology
reproduction
8 General Properties of Living
Systems
1. Chemical Uniqueness:
Living systems demonstrate a unique
and complex molecular organization
– Small molecules are assembled into
macromolecules:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Nucleic Acids
Proteins
Carbohydrates
Lipids
2. Complexity and Hierarchical
Organization:
Living systems demonstrate a unique
and complex hierarchical organization
• In
living systems there exists a hierarchy
of levels that includes:
Macromolecules
Cells
Organisms
Populations
Species
⚫ 3.
Reproduction:
Living systems can reproduce
themselves
At each level of the biological hierarchy
living forms reproduce to generate others
like themselves:
■
Genes replicated to produce new genes.
■ Cells divide producing new cells.
■ Organisms reproduce, sexually or asexually,
to produce new organisms
■ Populations may fragment to produce new
populations
■ Species may split to produce new species
■
4. Possession of a Genetic Program:
A genetic program provides fidelity of
inheritance
– DNA: Long, linear, chain of nucleotides
containing genetic information
– Sequence of nucleotide bases in DNA
determines the order of amino acids in proteins
– Genetic Code: correspondence between base
sequences in DNA and the sequence of amino
acids in a protein
5. Metabolism:
Living organisms maintain themselves
by acquiring nutrients from their
environments
–Metabolic processes include:
• Digestion
• Energy production (Respiration)
• Synthesis of required molecules and
structures by organisms
6. Development:
All organisms pass through a
characteristic life cycle
– Development describes the characteristic
changes that an organism undergoes from its
origin to its final adult form
7. Environmental Interaction:
All animals interact with their
environments
– Ecology: The study of organismal interaction
with an environment
– All organisms respond to environmental stimuli
8. Movement:
Living systems and their parts
show
precise
and
controlled
movements arising from within the
system
–Living systems extract energy
from
their
environments
permitting
the
initiation
of
controlled movements
Movements at the cellular level are required for:
Reproduction
Growth
Responses to stimuli
Development in multicellular organisms
On a larger scale:
Entire populations or species may
disperse from one geographic location to
another over time
Movements at the cellular level are required for:
Reproduction
Growth
Responses to stimuli
Development in multicellular organisms
On a larger scale:
Entire populations or species may
disperse from one geographic location to
another over time
Zoology As Part of Biology
Characteristics of Animals:
1. Multicellular
2. Eukaryotes: cells contain membrane-enclosed
nuclei
3. Heterotrophs: Not capable of manufacturing their
own food and must rely on external food sources
4. Cells lack cell walls and photosynthetic
organelles and most can
5. Reproduce sexually
6. Move