Fundamentals of BiologyFundamentals of Biology

What is life???????What is life???????

Do we know?Do we know?• Biologists have never agreed upon a Biologists have never agreed upon a

definition. Soooooooooo………definition. Soooooooooo………

they describe the properties that living they describe the properties that living things have in common.things have in common.

Living thingsLiving things

The ingredients of lifeThe ingredients of life• Beside water, carbon, hydrogen and Beside water, carbon, hydrogen and

oxygen are necessary for life.oxygen are necessary for life.• Compounds made up of these three Compounds made up of these three

things are known as organic things are known as organic compoundscompounds

The four main groups of The four main groups of organic moleculesorganic molecules• CarbohydratesCarbohydrates• ProteinsProteins• Lipids Lipids • Nucleic acidsNucleic acids

CarbohydratesCarbohydrates• Sugars and starches used for energySugars and starches used for energy• Structure – chitin (shells of marine Structure – chitin (shells of marine

organisms) and cellulose (the main organisms) and cellulose (the main ingredient of wood and plant fibers)ingredient of wood and plant fibers)

ProteinsProteins• Composed of smaller subunits called amino acids Composed of smaller subunits called amino acids • In addition to C, H, and O proteins contain NitrogenIn addition to C, H, and O proteins contain Nitrogen• Functions: make up muscles, enzymes, hormones, carry Functions: make up muscles, enzymes, hormones, carry

oxygen, and even act as antifreeze in Antarctic fishesoxygen, and even act as antifreeze in Antarctic fishes

LipidsLipids

• Fats, oils and waxesFats, oils and waxes• Functions: energy storage, waterproofing, Functions: energy storage, waterproofing,

insulation and help with buoyancyinsulation and help with buoyancy

Nucleic AcidsNucleic Acids• DNA and RNADNA and RNA• Functions: store and transmit the basic Functions: store and transmit the basic

genetic information of all living thingsgenetic information of all living things

EnergyEnergy• Photosynthesis – plants produce usable energy Photosynthesis – plants produce usable energy

(glucose) from the sun, carbon dioxide and nutrients.(glucose) from the sun, carbon dioxide and nutrients.• Respiration – use the energy formed by plants in Respiration – use the energy formed by plants in

addition to oxygen to gain the needed energy to addition to oxygen to gain the needed energy to function. function.

CellsCells• Prokaryotes vs Prokaryotes vs

Eukaryotes Eukaryotes • Prokaryotes – no Prokaryotes – no

organellesorganelles• Eukaryotes – Eukaryotes –

organelles : nucleus, organelles : nucleus, mitochondria, mitochondria, ribosomes, golgi ribosomes, golgi apparatus, etc..apparatus, etc..

Life in the seaLife in the sea• What is unique What is unique

about living in the about living in the ocean?ocean?

• Salt waterSalt water• Movement of water Movement of water

– tides and curents– tides and curents• TemperatureTemperature

Dealing with the saltDealing with the salt• Diffusion – molecules moving from high Diffusion – molecules moving from high

concentration to low. concentration to low. • Cells spend most of their energy actively Cells spend most of their energy actively

transporting materials opposite the direction of transporting materials opposite the direction of diffusion.diffusion.

•Marine fish have Marine fish have the ability to rid the ability to rid their body of their body of excess salt – excess salt – through their through their gills and in their gills and in their urineurine

TemperatureTemperature• Marine organisms are ectotherms Marine organisms are ectotherms

(cold-blooded) or endotherms (warm-(cold-blooded) or endotherms (warm-blooded).blooded).

• The organisms have adapted to live The organisms have adapted to live in particular temperature ranges in particular temperature ranges where their enzymes would work the where their enzymes would work the best.best.

ReproducingReproducing• Sexual – eggs, sperm Sexual – eggs, sperm

and fertilization – and fertilization – offspring inherits offspring inherits genes from each genes from each parentparent

• Asexual – budding, Asexual – budding, and fission – all and fission – all offspring are exact offspring are exact copies of parentcopies of parent

Why the diversity?Why the diversity?• Theory of evolution – Theory of evolution –

the gradual alteration the gradual alteration of a species genetic of a species genetic make-up.make-up.

• Why does this occur?Why does this occur?• Natural Selection – the Natural Selection – the

best adapted best adapted individuals produce individuals produce more offspringmore offspring

Classifying all the organismsClassifying all the organisms• KING PHILLIP CAME KING PHILLIP CAME

OVER FOR GOOD OVER FOR GOOD SPAGHETTISPAGHETTI

• KING PHILLIP CAME KING PHILLIP CAME OVER FROM OVER FROM GREECE SATURDAYGREECE SATURDAY

• KingdomKingdom• PhylumPhylum• ClassClass• OrderOrder• Family Family • GenusGenus• SpeciesSpecies

HumansHumans• KingdomKingdom  Animalia   (multicellular organisms that eat   Animalia   (multicellular organisms that eat

other organisms; mostly mobile other organisms; mostly mobile • PhylumPhylum  Chordata   (animals with a semi-rigid rod, a   Chordata   (animals with a semi-rigid rod, a

notochord, running down its back notochord, running down its back • Class  Class  Mammalia   (chordates with hair and mammary Mammalia   (chordates with hair and mammary

glands) glands) • Order  Order  Primates   (mammals with well-developed hands Primates   (mammals with well-developed hands

and a high level of  intelligenceand a high level of  intelligenceFamilyFamily  Hominidae   (primates which walk upright on two   Hominidae   (primates which walk upright on two legs, hands well structured for manipulating objects; legs, hands well structured for manipulating objects; cerebrum of the brain is relatively large cerebrum of the brain is relatively large

• Genus  Genus  Homo   (tool-using hominids with very large brain Homo   (tool-using hominids with very large brain • SpeciesSpecies  Homo sapiens  Homo sapiens  (only surviving species of genus  (only surviving species of genus

HomoHomo) )

Bottlenose Dolphin Bottlenose Dolphin

• KingdomKingdom  Animalia     Animalia   • PhylumPhylum  Chordata    Chordata  • Class  Class  Mammalia   Mammalia   • Order  Order  CetaceaCetacea• FamilyFamily  Delphinidae  Delphinidae• Genus  Genus  TursiopsTursiops• SpeciesSpecies  Tursiops   Tursiops

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