Biology 210A – Introduction to the Biological Sciences (CRN 54635& 87230)

Fall 2015

Miramar College

Professor Shawn P. Hurley, Ph.D.E-mail: email@hurleybio210a.com

Course Web site: www.hurleybio210a.comOffice Hours: Mondays & Wednesdays 3-4 PM in S6112G

Or By appointment (email to schedule)

“Science is built of facts the way a house is built of bricks; but an accumulation of facts is no more science than a pile of bricks is a house”

― Henri Poincaré

•My goal is to help you develop the skills to “build” and achieve deep meaningful understanding rather than simply “pile” facts.

The Learning Cycle

INTRODUCTION TO THE WORLD OF BIOLOGY

Biology - The scientific discipline devoted to the study of life

What is life?

Why is this question so important and why study Biology? -Studying the nature of life allows Biologists to seek answers to other “big” questions such as:

Additionally:-How much can the human life span be extended?-How does a single cell become a whole multicellular organism?-What will life outside of Earth, should it exist, be like?

To answer questions like these, Biologists use various forms of inquiryto explore life.

Discovery Science - scientists describe some aspect of the world and use inductive reasoning to draw general conclusions.Induction - line of logic where generalizations are derived from a large number of specific observations; ex: “All organisms are made of cells.”

Hypothesis-based Science - based on observations, scientists propose hypotheses* (well-reasoned predictions or “explanations on trial”) and subsequently test them by seeing if the predictions are true. Deductive reasoning is used to test a hypothesis.Deduction - line of logic where specifics are derived from general premises; usually takes the form of “If…then” proposals:If a hypothesis is correct, and we test it, then we can expect a particular outcome.

*Hypotheses must be testable and capable of being proven incorrect

Biological Organization Follows a Hierarchy

As we progress from the simplest level of the molecular realm to higher and higher levels, new properties emerge at each step. These emergent properties are unique in that they did not exist at the preceding level.

Therefore, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.

Ex: If we were to take all the gears, springs, cogs, and hands of a watch and place them in a bag, would we have a watch?

In the course of the semester, we will follow the progression of this hierarchy - a retrospective journey taking a look at how life has evolved, moving from chemical foundations to the intricate and complex processes that maintain life:

Biochemical Basis

Aggregation and Interaction Cell Theory

Metabolism

Replication

Inheritance Evolution

As will become evident, modern biology is an interdisciplinary science relying on a knowledge of chemistry, physics, and mathematics as well.

Whatever your future vocational goal, be it biochemist, ecologist, astrobiologist, botanist, or physician, it is the intent of this course to provide you with a fundamental skill set that will prepare you for a biology-related scientific career.