Thursday, September 9, 2010

Chapter 1-Biology: Exploring Life

Q: How is it that ecosystems are so efficient?
A: Ecosystems are efficient because ever aspect of the environment is put into play. Also the multitude of organisms that inhabit each ecosystem play a major role in the efficiency aspect. Rocks are broken down by roots of trees and other plants which allow for more fertile soil and denser vegetation. Even when animals die they are recycled back into the earth. Ecosystems are efficient because they are a constant cycle that are very difficult to break.
Q: Why do scientists break down things into specific categories?
A: Scientists use categories in order to organize and keep track of organisms as well as their interactions within the biosphere. Scientists do this in many different ways. They use categories to breakdown how organisms interact with one another as well as the different types of organisms that there are throughout the world.
Q: How effective are experiments?
A: When experiments are done in a proper manor they can be quite effective and allow for a multitude of questions to be answered. This allows for scientists to come to even more conclusions and possibly even form new hypothesis' that can be tested.

Five Facts:
1) DNA is the blueprint that allows for life to happen.
2) There are two types of cells, prokaryotic and eukaryotic.
3) There are seven properties that all organisms posses, order, regulation, growth and development, energy processing, response to the environment, reproduction, evolutionary adaptation.
4) There are three main domains, bacteria, archaea, and eukarya. These three domains include all living organisms.
5) Evolution is in our everyday lives. We are constantly surrounded by it and can be reminded of it simply by looking at people of a different nationality or the different types of birds we see on a daily basis.
This diagram shows the difference between a prokaryotic and eukaryotic cell. As this diagram clearly shows, a prokaryotic cell is much smaller and less complex then a eukaryotic cell. Prokaryotic cells have fewer organelles and are commonly referred to as bacteria. 

Chapter Summary:
Chapter 1 introduced to the reader the basic concept and idea of biology. Within the hierarchy of life, the interactions of the steps of life allow for more properties to be revealed. Cells are the basis for all life to exist and this can be broken down into atoms and DNA that hold the genetic blueprint for all life. There are three domains in which all life can be put into, Bacteria, Archaea, and Eukarya. Thanks to Darwins theory of evolution, the idea of natural selection has opened the eyes to many scientists who study taxonomy. This chapter also explained how evolution is within society and everyday life. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4N_V6FdB3qQ

Terms:
1) Biosphere: consists of all the environments on Earth
2) Consumers: organisms that eat plants and other animals
3) Emergent properties: new properties that emerge with each step upward in the hierarchy of life, owing   to the arrangement and interactions of parts as complexity increases
4) Prokaryotic cell: much simpler and usually much smaller then a eukaryotic cell
5) Domains: three kingdoms of life that biologists have agreed upon
6) Natural selection: survival of the fittest
7) Theory: an explanation of a much broader scope 
8) Ecosystem: consists of all the organisms living in a particular area
9) Molecule: cluster of atoms held together by chemical bonds
10) Genes: units of inheritance that transmit information from parents to offspring

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