Course Title: Human Biology

Course Designation: BIOL-102

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Dr. ………………………………………………………………….
Contact Information:-
Office Number:
E-mail:
Office Hours:

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General Biology:
- The science of life and living organisms,
including their structure, function, growth,
origin, evolution, and distribution.
- It includes Botany and Zoology and all their
subdivisions.
Human biology:
- A special field of biology that focuses
specifically on human body structures and
functions.
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General objectives:
- To provide an introduction to the major
concepts of human biology.
- Material covered is primarily from
zoological perspective and examples are
typically from mammalian systems.

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 At the end of the course the student should:
- Acquire knowledge of biological principles
which are relevant to further studies.
- Be introduced to logical, analytical thinking
and problem solving in biology.
- Be able to relate form and function
- Develop some basic laboratory skills.

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Course Description:

- It begins with the properties of the living and non-

living things.
- The course then covers aspects of cell structure, cell
membrane, transport processes, in and out of the
cells as well as cell division and gametogenesis.
- Anatomy and physiology of some organs and
systems of vertebrates.
- Basic concepts of genetics.
- Maintenance of homeostasis.
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Major Topics for Lectures:
Common characteristics of living things (All life
shares several basic characteristics) (Chapter 1).

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Chemistry of life (Chapter 2).

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Cell Structure & Function (Chapter 3)

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Chromosomes Inheritance & Cell Division
(Chapter 19).

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Organization of body, tissues (Chapter 4)

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Patterns of Inheritance (Chapter 21).

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DNA Biology & Technology (Chapter 22).

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Cardiovascular system (Heart & Blood
vesseles) (Chapter 5).

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Cardiovascular System (The Blood) ( Chapter 6).

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 Lymphatic & Immune System (Chapter 7).

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Digestive System & Digestion ( Chapter 9).

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Respiratory System (Chapter 10).

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Urinary System (Chapter 11).

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Nervous System (Chapter 14).

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Endocrine System (Chapter 16).

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Evaluation:
The total marks of the course (100 marks) is based on:
TEST 1 (Mid of the 1st Semester) = 15 marks.
TEST 2 (End of the 1 Semester)
st = 25 marks.
TEST 3 (Mid of the 2nd Semester) = 15 marks.
TEST 4 (End of the 2 Semester)
nd = 25 marks.
Practical Exam = 15 marks.
Blackboard Activities = 5 marks
----------------------
Course total marks = 100 marks.
☻ Exams will be in the form of MCQ’s questions.  

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Textbook: Human Biology, 14 Edition by Sylvia S. Mader
th

& Muchael Windelspecht. McGraw-Hill Publisher.

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 Part II
The Characteristics of Life

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 All living organisms share several basic characteristics.
From the simplest one-celled organisms to complex
plants and animals.
1. They are organized,
2. Acquire materials and energy,
3. Are homeostatic,
4. Respond to stimuli,
5. Reproduce and grow, and
6. Have an evolutionary history.

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1.Life is Organized
Atom: Smallest unit of an element composed of
electrons, protons, and neutrons.
Molecule: Union of 2 or more atoms of the same or
different elements.
Cell: The structural and functional unit of all living
things.
Tissue: Group of cells common in structure & function.
Organ: Tissues functioning together for a specific task.
Organ-System: Several organs working together.
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 Organism: Complex individual containing organ-systems.

Population: Organisms of the same species in a certain area.

Community: Interacting populations in a certain area.

Ecosystem: A community plus the physical environment.

Biosphere: Regions of the earth’s crust, water, and the

atmosphere inhabited by living organisms.

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 Biosphere
Regions of the Earth’s crust,
waters, and atmosphere inhabited
by living organisms

Ecosystem
A community plus the physical environment

Community
Interacting populations in a particular area

Population
Organisms of the same species
in a particular area

human tree
Organism
An individual; complex individuals
contain organ systems

Organ System nervous shoot

Composed of several organs system system
working together

Organ the brain leaves

Composed of tissues functioning
together for a specific task

Tissue
A group of cells with a common
structure and function

nervous tissue epidermal tissue

Cell nerve cell plant cell

The structural and functional
unit of all living things

methane
Molecule
Union of two or more atoms
of the same or different elements

oxygen
Atom
Smallest unit of an element composed of
electrons, protons, and neutrons
 2. Organisms Acquire Materials & Energy
 Food provides nutrient molecules, which are used as
building blocks or for energy.
 The term Metabolism describes all the chemical
reactions that occur within a cell. These reactions may
be anabolic or catabolic
 The ultimate source of energy for the majority of life
on Earth is the sun.
 Plants, algae, and some bacteria are able to harvest the
energy of the sun and convert it to chemical energy by
a process called photosynthesis.
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  Photosynthesis produces organic molecules, such as
sugars, that serve as the basis of the food chain for
many other organisms, including humans and all
other animals.
 These reactions is called Anabolic, in which food
substances are built up into living tissues.
 Other reactions are Catabolic reactions, in which
food is broken down into simpler substances, often
releasing energy. e.g. aerobic respiration (cellular
respiration).

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 3. Organisms maintain homeostasis
 Homeostasis is defined as:

the ability of a cell or an organism to maintain an internal

environment that operates under specific conditions
Examples:
The digestive system takes in nutrients,
The respiratory system exchanges gases with the environment.
The cardiovascular system distributes nutrients and oxygen to
the cells and picks up their wastes.
The metabolic waste products of cells are excreted by the
urinary system.

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  The work of the nervous and endocrine systems is
critical, because these systems coordinate the
functions of the other systems.
 Homeostasis is not a static state but it is a dynamic
(changing) state.

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 4. Organisms response to stimuli
 Response to external stimuli involves movement, as when
we quickly remove a hand from a hot stove.
 Stimulus: is a specific form of energy detected by receptors
e.g. light, heat and any chemical.
 Receptors: sense organs that detect stimuli.

 Certain sensory receptors also detect a change in the

internal environment, and then the central nervous system
brings about an appropriate response.
 All life responds to external stimuli, often by moving
toward or away from a stimulus, such as the sight of food.

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  Organisms may use a variety of mechanisms to move,
but movement in humans and other animals is
dependent on their nervous and musculoskeletal
systems. Examples:
 The leaves of plants track the passage of the sun
during the day; when a houseplant is placed near a
window, its stems bend to face the sun.
 The movement of an animal, whether self-directed or
in response to a stimulus, constitutes a large part of its
behavior. Some behaviors help us acquire food and
reproduce.

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 5. Organisms Reproduce and Grow
 When organisms reproduce, they pass on their
genetic information to the next generation.
 Growth, recognized by an increase in size and often
in the number of cells, is a part of development.
 In multicellular organisms, such as humans, the term
development is used to indicate all the changes that
occur from the time the egg is fertilized until death.

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 Growth and development define life. a. A small acorn
becomes a tree, and (b) following fertilization, an embryo
becomes a fetus by the process of growth and development.
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 6. Organisms have an Evolutionary History
 Evolution is the process by which a population
changes over time. The mechanism by which
evolution occurs is natural selection.
 Example in Humans:
 Populations of humans that live at high altitudes,
such environment is very low in oxygen.
 These populations have evolved an adaptation that
reduces the amount of hemoglobin, the oxygen-
carrying pigment in the blood.

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 Domains of Life
Biologists classify all life as belonging to one of three
domains.
Two of these, domain Bacteria and domain Archaea, contain
prokaryotes, one-celled organisms that lack a nucleus.
Organisms in the third domain, Eukarya, all contain cells that
possess a nucleus.
Some of these organisms are single-celled, others are
multicellular.  
Domain Eukarya is divided into one of four kingdoms:
plants (Plantae), fungi (Fungi), animals (Animalia), and protists
(Protista).

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 BACTERIA

common
ancestor ARCHAEA
(first cells)

Protists

Plants

EUKARYA

Fungi

domains
kingdoms
Animals
common ancestor

4.0 3.5 3.0 2.5 2.0 1.5 1.0 0.5 0

Billions of Years Ago (BYA)