INFOSHEET - SCI313-1 - The Nature of Science and Biological Process

THE NATURE OF
SCIENCE AND
BIOLOGICAL
PROCESS
Date Developed:
Bachelor of Science in Bulacan June 2020
Office Management Polytechnic Date Revised: Page 1 of 260
College July 2020
Biological Science
SCI 313 Document No. Developed by:
Briann C. Marasigan, MAEd. Revision # 02
30-Sci 313
MODULE CONTENT
COURSE TITLE: Biological Science with HIV and SARS and AIDS
Education
MODULE TITLE The Nature of Science and Biological process
NOMINAL DURATION: 5 HRS
SPECIFIC LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

At the end of this module you MUST be able to:
1. Understand and appreciate the works of different natural philosophers and scientist
2. Relate the works of Filipino and foreign biologists
3. Acquire the attitudes and skills of a biologist by practically applying the scientific
method and tools
TOPICS:
1. History of Biology
2. Different Biologist and their contributions
3. Branches of Biology
4. Scientific Attitude
5. Scientific Method
ASSESSMENT METHOD/S:
After the reading activity, students should answer the reading comprehension activity
to assess their understanding about the lesson. The students will also be given an
experiment activity to apply their knowledge in scientific method and assess their scientific
skills in analyzing a given problem.
REFERENCE/S:
https://youtu.be/yi0hwFDQTSQ
Caballes, D.G. , et.al., Biological Science. Q.C.: Mutya Publishing House, 2003.
Dela Cruz, R., et.al., A Journey to Life (Rev. ed.) Q.C. : Mutya Publishing House, 2005
Dela Peña, J., Study Guide in Biological Science. Q.C. Wiseman’s Books Trading, 2004
Ditan, C., Introduction to Biological Science (4th ed.), Q.C.: National Bookstore, 2015
Penecilla, G. et.al., Introducing Principles and Processes of Biology, Q.C.: Trinitas
Publishing Inc., 2003
Date Developed:
College July 2020
Biological Science
30-Sci 313
Information Sheet SCI 313-1
The Nature of Science and Biological process
Learning Objectives:
After reading this INFORMATION SHEET, YOU MUST be able to:
1. Understand and appreciate the works of different natural philosophers and scientist
2. Relate the works of Filipino and foreign biologist
3. Acquire the attitudes and skills of a biologist by practically applying the scientific
method and tools
Introduction
Biological science is the study of living things. In this context we may ask: What are living
things? We humans, ourselves are living things. How do living things differ from non-living
things? To answer those questions, we should first define the word life. Life refers to the
properties and conditions which distinguish a plant and animal from inorganic matter or
dead organism. While we define dead as deprived of life, so life is what animals and plants
have when they are not dead and dead is whose same organisms are when they lack life. This
topic will give you a deeper appreciation and understanding of what life as all about.
Living things versus Non-living things

Most living things can be distinguished readily from non-living by the following
characteristics:
1. Form and size. Living things have characteristics form and size within certain limits
most of them are also arranged as definite individuals. While in non-living things,
materials vary widely.
2. Organization. Living things are made up of cells which are assembled into interrelated
system for performing the life processes. They rearrange and combine the chemical
elements for their need. Non-living things on the other and cannot recombine materials
and their structure depends on chemicals present and mode of formation.
3. Movement. Living can move by themselves while non-living things can move with the
help of an external force.
4. Growth and Life Cycle. Living things exhibit internal growth or intussusceptions while
non-living things exhibit external growth or accretion.
Living things grow by the development of new parts between or within older ones and may
replace parts during life. Each individual has a definite life cycle-birth, growth, maturity, life
span and death. If non-living things grow, they do that by external addition and there is no
orderly cycle of change. Example: the salt in the container and the ice in the freezer increase
in size because only of the addition of new materials on their surface.
Date Developed:
College July 2020
Biological Science
30-Sci 313
1. Metabolism. The word metabolism is defined as various vial life processes which
includes all the changes that the material, taken as food undergoes. There are two
phases of metabolism namely: anabolism and catabolism. Anabolism is called as the
constructive or building up phase. This includes assimilation or building up of
protoplasm from simple compounds and elements which are end-products of digestion.
Catabolism is the destructive or breaking down phase. This involves the release of
energy by breaking food substances through respiration.
2. Irritability. Living things react to changes in the environment. These act as stimuli that
induce responses by the organism. The degree of response is often disproportionate to
that of the stimuli and the organism is not permanently altered by the stimulus. In
non-living things, there is a definite quantitative relationship between the intensity of
the environment change and the reaction produced as in the expansion of a metal heat.
3. Reproduction. This is defined as the ability of the organism to create another one of the
same kind. Living things reproduce by using the materials within their bodies,
characteristics which non-living things do not have.
Plant versus Animals
Although plants and animals are both living things, they differ from one another in
some ways. The principal differences between animals and plants are:
1. Form and structure. The body form of animal is rather constant. Their organs are mostly
internal. The cells are within delicate membranes and the tissues are both in solution
containing sodium, potassium and chlorine. Their growth is usually differential,
producing changes in proportion of body parts with age. While in plants, body is often
variable. Their organs are added externally. The cells are within thick rigid walls of
cellulose and sodium chloride is toxic. Growth is usually terminal and often continues
through life.
2. Metabolism. Animals depend on plants and other animals for their food. Food is digested
and rearranged chemically within the body. Oxygen is needed for respiration. The end
products of metabolism are carbon dioxide, water and urea. While plants can manufacture
their own food. By photosynthesis – CO2 from the air together with H2O and inorganic
matter from the soil, with the help of chlorophyll, these materials are formed into various
organic compounds and O2 is released as a by-product.
3. Irritability. Most animals have, nervous system and they can respond faster to stimuli.
Plants have no nervous system and they respond slower to stimuli.
Date Developed:
College July 2020
Biological Science
30-Sci 313
History of Biology
The history of biology can be summarized in four stages namely: Primitive period, Classical
period, Renaissance and Modern era.
The Primitive Period is characterized by uncritical accumulation of information, mainly

derived from the practical necessities of obtaining food, materials for clothing and shelter,
substances to cure ailments, and necessary information about the human body. During this
period, the accumulation of knowledge was not recorded, nor were the scientific method and
its associated intellectual activities a part of the procedure in learning about life.
The Classical Period began with the Greeks and continued with the Romans. This was
marked by great curiosity about natural phenomena and an ability to organize biological
knowledge and record it. This began with the contribution of Hippocrates who is called the
“Father of Medicine”. He stated that diseases have natural causes and the body has the power
to repair itself. The most significant biological contributions were made by Aristotle who is
observations. He studied almost all the areas in science. His pupil Theophrastus carried on
pioneer studies on the nature of plants; his works are the most complete biological treatises
to reach us from the classical period.
After a lapse of several centuries, the Greek physician Galen who practiced medicine in Rome,
began to study human anatomy and carried out the first physiological experiment in animals.
He was called as the last great biologist of antiquity. After Galen, darkness enveloped Europe.
There is a downward trend in scientific inquiry and no biologist made critical observations.
The Renaissance took place during the 14th to 16th centuries. Curiosity about the structure
of living things was rekindled by artists such as Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo, who
made accurate studies in plants, animals and human anatomy. Andreas Versalius
published his book ‘The structure of the Human Body.’ William Harvey described the blood
circulation in man which contributed to physiology. By the middle of renaissance, anatomy,
physiology, botany and zoology were established.
The introduction of microscope at the beginning of the 17th century marked the start of
modern biology. This was followed by the establishment of the concept of the cell theory by
Robert Hooke, botanist Matthias Schleiden and zoologist Theodore Schwann. The
spontaneous origin of life from non-living matter was experimentally disapproved by
Francesco Redi and later experimented by Lazzaro Spallanzani. Carolous Linnaeus ‘The
Father of Taxonomy’ established the system of nomenclature in which all living things are
arranged by genera and species.
Date Developed:
College July 2020
Biological Science
30-Sci 313
In the early 19th century, Jean Baptiste Lamarck proposed the theory of evolution. But the
most outstanding contribution to evolution came from Charles Darwin who proposed the
natural selection as an explanation by which evolutionary changes takes place.
Louis Pasteur ‘The Father of Modern Microbiology’ laid the foundation of modern
microbiology. Claude Bernard and Johannes Muller established comparative physiology.
Karl Von Baer founded comparative embryology. Gregor Mendel made studies on genetics
and Hugo de Vries formulated the mutation theory.
During the 20th century, many of the ideas of the past centuries were consolidated and
refined and new concepts have been added. In endocrinology, our knowledge of hormones
was increased by the work of E.H. Starling. Ecology came into existence at the time of Ernst
Haeckel who stated that an organism was the product of the interaction of its environment
with heredity factors. Ecology was put on a modern basis by the American Botanist H.E
Cowla and F.E. Clements and zoologist V.E. Shelford.
Today, the generalization that all organisms living in a given area are closely interdependent
with each other and with the environment is a unifying biological concept as that evolution.
Foreign Biologist THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS

Aristotle (384-322 B.C.) • Famous Greek Philosopher
• Pioneered Zoology
• First to classify living things
• Divided the plants into herbs, shrubs and trees and animals
into land dwellers, water dwellers and air dwellers
Claudius Galen • Greek physician who describe the anatomy of the human
body based on dissections of apes and pigs.
(A.D. 131-200)
• showed that arteries carry blood
• His description contained many errors, however, and were
unchallenged for 1,300 years.
Andreas Versalius • Father of Modern Anatomy
• Made the first studies on human anatomy by dissecting
(1514-1564)
corpses “De Humani Corporis Fabrica”.
• He pioneered the comparative approach, which is using
other animals to know the function and organization of a
particular anatomical part of the body.
William Harvey • English physician who showed conclusively that the heart
pumps the blood and the blood circulates.
(1578-1657)
• He stimulated the development of anatomy by proving the
principle that structure and function must be studied
together.
Date Developed:
College July 2020
Biological Science
30-Sci 313
• gave an accurate account of the mechanism of the
circulatory system
Marcello Malpighi • Italian physician and anatomist who was the founder of
microscopic anatomy.
(1628-1694)
• In 1661, he discovered the capillaries, shedding light to the
missing element in Harvey’s theory of blood circulation.
• observed the microscopic components of the liver, brain,
kidneys, spleen, bone, and the inner, or what came to be
known as the Malpighian, layer of the skin
• discover red blood corpuscles
Anton van Leeuwenhoek • Cloth merchant, was the first to use the microscope with
(1632-1694) great observational and descriptive skills.
• His most important discoveries were microorganisms
(including bacteria), sperm cells and single-celled organisms
called protozoans.
CAROLUS LINNAEUS • Father of Taxonomy
(1707-1778) • Developed binomial nomenclature to classify and organize
plants and animals
GREGOR MENDEL • Father of Genetics
• Developed the principles of heredity by studying the variation
(1822-1884)
and heredity of seven pairs of inherited characteristics in pea
plants
Charles Darwin • The most prominent figure in the history of biology.
• His book “Origin of Species” (1859) presents the theory of
(1809-1882)
evolution by natural selection.
• His work provided a unifying, organizing framework for the
field of biology.
FAMOUS FILIPINO THEIR CONTRIBUTION

BIOLOGIST
Leon Ma. Guerrero • Father of Philippine Pharmacophytology.

• He identified hundreds of trees and herbs and sought to
(1853-1935)
extract from them certain substances with therapeutic
properties.
• First to identify and describe plants that poison fish.
Angel S. Arguelles • Taught Filipino planters and farmers how to use fertilizers
and pesticides.
(1888-1952)
• His name is listed among the “American Men of Science” (He
is not an American)
Nemesio L. Mendiola - Introduced better varieties of fruits, vegetables and flowering
plants.
(1890-1983)
Date Developed:
College July 2020
Biological Science
30-Sci 313
- Breed a new variety of pineapple that has the sweetness of
the Hawaiian pineapple and the high yield of the native
pineapple.
- He was referred to as the “Luther Burbank” of the
Philippines.
Felix D. Maramba Sr. - Popular in the fields of agriculture and business.
- He contributed a machine that could turn rice hull into fuels
(1898-1983)
for farm engines, a charcoal and a coconut-oil fed power
generator and the biogas technology.
- Other researches of Maramba are production of alcohol from
cassava, soap from lye, and pelletized sludge organic
fertilizer.
- He was indeed a man of ingenuity in agricultural technology.
Juan Salcedo • Launched the biggest project in the history of Philippine

medicine – the inclusion of enriched rice in the Filipino diet.
(1904-1988)
• *Enriched rice is fortified with vitamin B1 to cure beri-beri.
• He took other projects like the extensive drive to combat
mosquitoes which carry malaria germs, and the use of the
vaccine BCG to combat tuberculosis.
• He was among the first batch of national scientists named
by the National Academy of Science and Technology (NAST).
Fe Del Mundo • Invented the incubator and the jaundice-relieving device for
babies.
(1907 – present)
• She conducted an experiment on immunization that help
designate the best age at which children should be
immunized.
• She wrote many books and research papers on pediatrics.
• She was proclaimed a National Scientist in 1980.
Branches of Biology
Botany is the study of plants.

Zoology is the study of animals.
Anatomy is the study of internal structures of living things.
Biochemistry is the use of chemistry in the study of living things.
Biological Earth Science is the use of earth sciences, such as geography in the study of
living things.
Biological Psychology is the use of biology in psychological studies.
Biomathematics is the use of mathematics in the study of living things.
Biophysics is the use of physics in the study of living things.
Date Developed:
College July 2020
Biological Science
30-Sci 313
Ecology is the study of the relationships of living things to each other and to their
environment.
Pathology is the study of diseases, generally in animals.
Phytopathology is the study of diseases in plants.
Physiology is the study of normal functions of living things.
Taxonomy is the classification and naming of living things.
Genetics is the science of heredity and the lifelong development of living things.
Embryology is the study of the formation and development of living things from fertilization
to birth as independent organisms.
Pharmacology is the study of the actions of chemicals on all in living things.
Endocrinology is the study of hormones and their actions.
Cytology is the study of cells.
Histology is the study of tissues.
Protozoology is the study of one celled organisms.
Bacteriology is the study of bacteria.
Virology is the study of viruses.
Mammalogy is the study of animals.
Ornithology is the study of birds.
Herpetology is the study of reptiles and amphibians.
Ichthyology is the study of fishes.
Entomology is the study of insects.
Helminthology is the study of worms.
Microbiology is the study of microorganisms.
Mycology is the study of fungi.
Phycology is the study of algae
Lichenology is the study of lichens.
Paleontology is the study of fossils.
Biogeography is the study of geographical
distribution of living things.
Phytogeography is the study of the land
and its plants.
Zoogeography is the study of the land and
its animals.
Date Developed:
College July 2020
Biological Science
30-Sci 313
The Scientific Method
Scientific method is the making of careful observation and experiments, and later using the
data obtained to formulate general principles.
The Scientific method begins with recognizing the problem. Usually, curiosity helps us
recognize a problem. Second, the scientist gathers and organizes the data regarding the
problem. In this way, instead of discovering things already discovered, the scientist utilizes
the work of preceding scientists. This is how science progresses. Third, the scientist attempts
to explain the phenomenon in a working hypothesis. The hypothesis is made even before
an experiment is made. Fourth, he plans experiment to test the validity of the hypothesis.
If the experiment supports the hypothesis, the scientist then can formulate a more definite
theory to explain the observed facts.
Date Developed:
College
Biological Science
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THE NATURE OF

MODULE TITLE The Nature of Science and Biological process

NOMINAL DURATION: 5 HRS

SPECIFIC LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

Living things versus Non-living things

Plant versus Animals

The Primitive Period is characterized by uncritical accumulation of information, mainly

Foreign Biologist THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS

FAMOUS FILIPINO THEIR CONTRIBUTION

Leon Ma. Guerrero • Father of Philippine Pharmacophytology.

Juan Salcedo • Launched the biggest project in the history of Philippine

Botany is the study of plants.

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