Lecture 1

Question 1

Fundamental properties of life

Answer 1

1- Cellular organization
2- Ordered complexity
3- Sensitivity and interaction
4-Growth, development and reproduction
5- energy utilization
6- homeostasis
7- evolutionnary adaptation

Question 2

Define Cellular organization + what are colonial organisms

Answer 2

living things are made up of at least one cell :
- unicellular
- multicellular

Colonial organism are single celled organisms that work and live together as a team

Question 3

Define ordered complexity

Answer 3

Living things are both complex and highly ordered
Cells organized into tissues, organs and organ systems – allow the individual organism to function

Question 4

Sensitivity and interaction

Answer 4

• All organisms respond to stimuli

-Living things interact with individuals of their own kind (species)

• Also interact with other species
• Nature of interactions between species varies plants - habitat and food for animals some animals food for others

Question 5

Growth, development and reproduction

Answer 5

Living things reproduce
In the process genetic information is transferred from parents to offspring

Genetic information controls development and function of each individual. It is coded on DNA molecules in chromosomes

Question 6

Energy utlization

Answer 6

Living things require ENERGY to survive
it usually comes from the sun

Ex: photosynthesis for plant and glucose (sugars) for animals, fungi, microbes

Question 7

Define Homeostasis

Answer 7

The capacity of an organism to maintain its internal condition despite the external environment.

Ex: Human body temperature (Around 36.6)

Question 8

Define evolutionnary adaptation

Answer 8

Organism that live today are descendents of those that lived long ago.

Evidence : fossils
Evolution reflects changes that have occurred over long intervals of time due to the effect of NATURAL SELECTION.

Question 9

Tree of life (Familly Tree of organisms)
- difference between phylogenetic tree and tree of life

Answer 9

Tree of life
–Evolutionary history of a group of organisms
–The tree of life attempts to figure out the evolutionary history of all organisms

Phylogenetic tree:
–Diagram that depicts evolutionary history of a group of organisms
–Shows relationships between taxa ( branches that share a common or non recent ancestor)
–Can be based on molecular, morphological or combined data

Question 10

Hierarchical levels in the organisation of life :

Answer 10

1- atom
2- molecules
3- cells
4- tissues
5- organs
6- organ system
7- individual (organism)
8- population
9- communities
10- ecosytems
11- The Biosphere

Question 11

What is an emergent propertie

Answer 11

a characteristic an entity gains when it becomes part of a bigger system. Emergent properties help living organisms better adapt to their environments and increase their chances of survival.