Biology: Exploring Life
Chapter 1 Objectives
Opening Essay
Describe the adaptations that allow leopards to survive.
Themes in the Study of Biology
1.1 Describe the levels of biological organization from molecules to the biosphere, noting the
interrelationships between levels.
1.2 Compare the flow of chemical nutrients and the flow of energy in an ecosystem.
1.3 Explain how cells function as the structural and functional units of life. Compare
prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells.
1.3 Define the principle of emergent properties and describe an example of it.
Evolution, the Core Theme of Biology
1.4 Explain how DNA encodes a cell’s information.
1.4 List seven properties that are common to all life.
1.5 Compare the three domains of life. Distinguish between the three multicellular kingdoms
within Eukarya.
1.6 Describe the process and products of natural selection. Explain why individuals cannot
evolve.
The Process of Science
1.7 Describe the goals and limits of scientific investigations. Compare discovery science and
hypothesis-based science.
1.7 Define a hypothesis and compare inductive and deductive reasoning.
1.8 Explain how deductive reasoning is part of hypothesis-based science.
1.8 Describe the structure of a controlled experiment and give an example.
Biology and Everyday Life
1.9 Compare the goals of science and technology. Explain why an understanding of science
is essential to our lives.
1.10 Explain how evolution impacts the lives of all humans.
1
Archaea
Bacteria
biology
biosphere
cell
community
consumer
controlled experiment
domain
ecosystem
emergent properties
Eukarya
eukaryotic cell
evolution
gene
hypothesis (plural,
hypotheses)
molecule
Key Terms
Word Roots
bio- life (biosphere: all the environments on Earth that are inhabited by life); -logy the scientific
study of a subject (biology: the scientific study of life)
-ell small (organelle: a small membrane-enclosed body with a specialized function within a cell)
eu- true; karyo- nucleus (eukaryotic cell: a cell with a membrane-enclosed nucleus and other
membrane-enclosed organelles)
pro- before (prokaryotic cell: a cell that has no nucleus)
tech- skill or art (technology: the practical application of scientific knowledge)
Student Media
Themes in the Study of Biology
Activity: The Levels of Life Card Game (1.1)
Evolution, the Core Theme of Biology
Activity: Classification Schemes (1.5)
Process of Science: How Do Environmental Changes Affect a Population? (1.6)
Video: Sea Horses (1.6)
The Process of Science
MP3 Tutor: The Process of Science (1.7)
Process of Science: How Does Acid Precipitation Affect Trees? (1.8)
GraphIt!: An Introduction to Graphing (1.8)
Biology and Everyday Life
Discovery Channel Video Clip: Antibiotic Resistance (1.10)