General Biology Exam 1 Study Guide: Evolution, Scientific Method, and the Chemistry of Life

Introduction to Biology

What is Biology?

Biology is the scientific study of life, encompassing a wide range of questions about living organisms and their interactions with each other and their environments.

• Key Questions: How does a single cell develop into an organism? How does the human mind work? How do different forms of life in a forest interact?

Unifying Themes in Biology

Biology is organized around several unifying themes that help explain the diversity and unity of life.

• Organization: Life is structured in a hierarchical manner, from molecules to the biosphere.

• Information: Genetic information is stored and transmitted in DNA.

• Energy and Matter: Living organisms require energy and matter to grow, develop, and maintain homeostasis.

• Interactions: Organisms interact with each other and their environment.

• Evolution: Evolution explains both the unity and diversity of life.

Characteristics of Life

Defining Life

Living organisms share several key characteristics that distinguish them from non-living matter.

• Order: Highly ordered structure, such as the arrangement of cells in tissues.

• Evolutionary Adaptation: Populations evolve over generations through adaptations.

• Response to the Environment: Organisms respond to environmental stimuli.

• Regulation: Homeostasis maintains internal balance (e.g., temperature regulation).

• Energy Processing: Organisms obtain and use energy (e.g., photosynthesis, metabolism).

• Reproduction: Organisms reproduce their own kind.

• Growth and Development: Organisms grow and develop according to inherited instructions.