Lecture 1.1 - Properties of Life Flashcards
Identify what the branch of biology studies.
the scientific study of living organisms.
List and explain the properties of life.
All living organisms share several key characteristics or functions: order, sensitivity or response to the environment, reproduction, growth and development, regulation, homeostasis, and energy processing.
Biology
the scientific study of living things
Cell
basic unit of all living organisms. A cell is separated from the environment by a membrane.
Cell Theory (list its 3 tenents)
A Theory explained by 3 points:
- cells are the fundamental units of life
- all organisms are made of membrane-bound cells
- all cells come from preexisting cells.
All-cells-from-cells hypothesis
Pasteur’s experiment provided conclusive evidence to this hypothesis; stating that cells can only come from other cells.
Evolutionary adaptation
the adjustment of organisms to their environment in order to improve their chances of survival
growth
the irreversible change in the size of cells and plant organs due to both cell division and enlargement
hypothesis
a proposed explanation for an observable phenomenon.
order
also known as a group of closely related families
Energy processing
aka metabolism
reproduction
the production of offspring; can occur either sexually or asexually in living things
spontaneous generation hypothesis
the previously popular thinking that a living thing could arise or develop from a non-living thing
theory
an explanation for a natural phenomenon that is widely accepted among the scientific community and supported by data.
microscope
an instrument devleoped by RObert Hooke and refined by Anton Leewenhoek