CHAPTER 1 : INTRODUCTION TO BIOLOGY

What is BIOLOGY?

BIOLOGY - study of life and living organisms

- branch of natural sciences

Greek word : bios – life logos – knowledge

Traditionally, biology has been divided into

i. Zoology – the study of animals
ii. Botany – the study of plants
iii. Microbiology – the study of microorganisms
- bacteriology (bacteria), virology (virus), mycology (fungi),
phycology (algae), protozoology (protozoa)
iv. Cell and molecular biology
v. Ecology
vi. Genetic
Anatomy - the structure of the organisms
Morphology - external structure
Physiology - how organisms function
Cytology - structure and function of cells

Genetics - studies on heredity or genes

Molecular biology - studies on structure and properties of

molecules in cells
Biochemistry - chemical function in organisms
What is LIFE?

i. Life is an absolute trait of the living.

ii. Life is a condition when the organism is not dead.
iii. Life is a condition which differentiates animals and
plants from the non-living matter.
iv. Life is a system that succeeds in solving its energy
problems
 Characteristics of LIFE

Cell
Organization Feed
Able to
evolve
and adapt

Reproduce Respire

Excrete their
Control their
waste
Internal condition

Metabolize Respond to Motile

and grow their surrounding
Properties of LIFE

Order Reproduction Growth and development

Energy

Response Homeostasis

Evolutionary adaptation
Organizational Levels of Life

Atom - the chemical Molecule - a chemical Organelle - One of Cells - Life’s

of building blocks of structure consisting of several formed bodies fundamental unit
all matter two or more chemical with specialized of structure and
units called atoms functions, suspended function
in the cytoplasm of
eukaryotic cell

Tissue - An integrated Organ - A specialized

group of cells with a Organ System – A group of
center of body function
common function, organs that work together in
composed of several
structure or both performing vital body function
different types of tissue
Classification Hierarchy of Organism

- The formal system of naming, cataloguing and describing

organisms
- Created by Swedish botanist : Carolus Linnaeus (1785) known
as Binomial Classification

Example: Homo sapiens ; Homo sapiens

1. In Latin
2. Consists of a pair of names: the first – genus, second – species
3. Must be written in italic or underlined
4. The first word – begins with capital letter
The second word- begins with small letter
Classification Hierarchy
of Organism

Hierarchical Classification

In addition to identifying and

naming species, a major objective
of systematic is to group species
into broader taxonomic categories.

Basic unit of classification for an

organism is species.

Species – an individual population

with similar structures, functions
and have to ability to interbreed.
Classification of Organisms

Taxonomist classify organisms by sorting then into groups

according to traits that reveal phylogenetic relationship.