General Biology 101
Chapter Outlines
Starr & Taggert
10th edition
Chapter 1:
Introduction (pg 3):
Life is:
-
A way of capturing and using energy and raw materials.
A way of sensing and responding to the environment.
The capacity to reproduce.
Has the capacity to evolve; i.e. traits characterizing individuals of a population
can change from one generation to the next.
Biology helps us understand how to deal with nature and our place in it.
Section 1.2
Levels of Organization found in Figure 1.5
Biological molecules > Cell Organelles > Cells > Multi-cellular Organisms >
Organisms > Populations > Community > Ecosystem > Biosphere
Ecosystem: A community together with its physical and chemical environment.
Biosphere: Includes the Earth’s crust, waters and atmosphere where organisms can live.
Interdependencies among organisms reflects a flow of Energy.
I.
II.
III.
Producers – Organisms that make their own food e.g. plants.
Consumers – Organisms that use the energy of producers (the energy that
is stored in their tissues) by eating producers, or other animals that eat
producers.
Decomposers – Organisms that extract Energy from the remains of dead
organisms.
Energy flows one way “through” organisms and a cycling of materials “among” them
organizes life in the biosphere.
Section 1.3
Life has existed on Earth for an estimated 3.8 billion years.
Making sense of diversity:
 Carolus Linneaus came up with a two-part name for each species (referred to
by scientists as binomial nomenclature).
First name represents Genus – which encompass all species that are closely
related.
Species – organisms that share many traits in common and have the capacity to
interbreed and reproduce.
Three Domain System:
I.
II.
III.
Bacteria – prokaryotic*, single-celled organisms.
Archaea – prokaryotic, single-celled organisms.
Eukaryotic – organisms with a “true” nucleus and includes protists,
animals and plants.
*Prokaryotic means “without” a nucleus.
Kingdom System:
I.
Archaebacteria+
II.
Eubacteria (true bacteria)
III.
Protista
IV.
Fungi
V.
Plants
VI.
Animals
+ Archaebacteria – live in hot springs, salt lakes and other harsh habitats.
Eubacteria are more common forms of bacteria and are widespread, these are the “true”
bacteria. Singlular designation is bacterium.
Eukarytoic – organisms that have cells with a nucleus e.g. fungi, plants and animals.
Archaebacteria are MORE closely related to Eukarya than to bacteria.
Section 1.4
Evolutionary View of Diversity
Mutations are the original source of variations in heritable traits.
Adaptive traits are any form of a trait that helps an individual survive and reproduce,
under a given set of prevailing environmental conditions.
Evolution: Is a heritable change in a line of descent over time.
>>> It can be observed as shifts in the frequencies of the variations in traits through
multiple generations.
Artificial vs. Natural selection – the difference is human intervention vs. natural
selective agents e.g. predators, antibiotic drugs in the case of “natural” agents.
Key Points of Natural Selection
1) Individuals vary in traits.
Those variations are heritable i.e. can be transmitted to offspring.
2) Some inherited traits are more adaptive than others.
3) There is differential survival of offspring depending on selection pressures.
4) “Selected” individuals that survive reproduce and pass those traits on.
Those adaptive traits tend to “shift” in prevalence in a population.
Section 1.5
Nature of Biological Inquiry
The method:
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
7)
8)
Observation – I.D. the problem or question.
Hypothesis – Proposal of a possible answer/solution to the investigation.
Prediction – Testable statement
Test – create an experiment or model to address prediction.
Modify the hypothesis or procedure if necessary (fine tune for discrepancies)
Repeat tests
Analysis – communicate/report the findings.
Draw Conclusions
Different forms of logic
Inductive Logic – deriving a general statement from specific observations/experience.
Deductive Logic – making an inference from a hypothesis, classic “If….then…..”
approach.
Components of an experiment:
Control Group – A standard for comparison with one or more experimental groups.
Variables – Specific aspects of objects or events that can change.
Independent variable – usually monitored but not dependent on other factors.
Dependent variable – changes in response to the independent variable.
Sampling Error - Sampling can lead to inconsistencies or distortion in actual
representation because of insufficient subject/test observations size.
Theory – When a hypothesis has consistent predictive qualities (i.e. has been tested
repeatedly) it may be considered a theory that explains some NATURAL phenomenon