Lecture #1 - Classifications, Hierarchy of study, approaches in biology, properties of living organisms Flashcards
How many species are there?
10-50 million
What are the 3 domains?
Eukaryotes, Bacteria, Archea
What are Eukaryotes?
They have a nucleus (Animals, plants, fungi, protists (algae))
What are prokaryotes?
They have no nucleus (bacteria and archea)
Hierarchy of study (smallest to largest)
Molecule
Organelle
Cell
Tissue
Organ
Organ System
Organism
*Population
*Community
*Ecosystem
*Biosphere
What is an example of a molecule?
DNA
What is an example of an organelle
Mitochondria
What is a cell?
The basic unit of life
What is tissue?
Goop of cells with a common function/purpose
What is an organ?
Goop of tissues with a common function/purpose
What is an organ system?
Goop of organs with a common function/purpose
What is an organism?
An individual
What is a population?
Group of organisms at one place
What is a community?
All individuals of all species at one place
What is an ecosystem?
Living and non-living things in a community
What is a biosphere?
Where you find biological organisms
What does a reductionist do?
Study problems at the finest level possible
What is a holistic approach?
Study problems at as many levels as possible
- Important when there are emergent properties (ex: cells becoming tissue)
- this is how it differs from reductionist approach
What are vitalists?
Vitalists believed that living organisms have a special energy or substance
What are materialists?
Believe that living things are composed of the same “stuff” (ex: atoms) as nonliving things
Properties of living organisms
- Reproduce
- Process energy (take in + use)
- Grow and develop
- Homeostasis
- adaptation and evolution
- composed of cells + need water (on EARTH)
- respond to stimuli
Views of science
Ideal and cynical
Ideal view
- Objective, observations
- test hypotheses
- progress
Cynical view
- subjective
- many theories are equally valid
- question wheather progress has been made
