Write down and answer the following essential question before the bell rings and
then you are to remain quiet until I give you further directions:
• Essential Question: What do you think makes something alive? What is life?
What is Biology?
Biology is the study of life!
• What does it mean to be “alive”?• Being able to move?• Having lungs?• Living in sunlight?• Having a mouth?
Is this alive?
Slime molds
• Are actually alive!• Use spores to reproduce and decomposes tiny
organisms
Bornean flat-headed frog – no lungs; breathes through skinLichen – doesn’t move
No sunlight No mouth
7 Characteristics of Life• 1. Has 1 or more cells• Cells = smallest unit of life• Cells make up tissues• Tissues make up organs• Organs make up organ
systems• Organ systems make up an
organism
7 Characteristics of Life• 2. Can reproduce• All organisms aim to
produce offspring (“babies”) in some way
7 Characteristics of Life• 3. Uses water and
energy to live and grow
• Metabolism – total chemical reactions that occur in an organism
Ultimately all energy comes from the sun!
7 Characteristics of Life• 4. Maintains
homeostasis – ability to respond to your surroundings in order to stay alive
Why do you sweat?
7 Characteristics of Life
• 5. Has DNA or RNA and passes this to it’s offspring
• Viruses have DNA or RNA but are not considered living – why not?
7 Characteristics of Life
• 6. Can adapt to changes (stimuli) to some degree
How is this a response to stimuli?
7 Characteristics of Life• 7. Shows growth and
development• Grows in size and
usually complexity (becomes more complicated)
• How did you change as you grew from a baby to now?
6 Unifying themes of Biology• Main ideas that help explain
biology…
#1 - Interdependence of Organisms
How do organisms interact with each other?
#2 - Matter, Energy, and Organization
• Brainstorm how these 3 terms relate to living things…
#3 - Cell structure and function
• What do cells have to do with living things? Why is this important?
#4 - Stability and Homeostasis
• Homeostasis - Why is it important for living things to be able to do this?• Why do you blink?• Why does your
blood clot?• Why do you shiver?
#5 - Reproduction and Inheritance
• Why is it important for organisms to reproduce?
#6 - Evolution (change)
• How and why do you think organisms change over time?
Wrap it up…
• Based on what you’ve learned so far, brainstorm some key words that pop into your head when you think about biology…