Introduction to Biology

?What is Biology
The study of life and the interactions
between living things
All organisms depend on other organisms
Biology is the study of life.
bio = life logy = study
It includes all living organisms such as:
plants, animals, bacteria, fungi

Characteristics of Life / Living Things

1. Cellular Organization
2. Homeostasis (Adjust to changes in the
environment)
3. Response / Irritability/sensation
4. Nutrition / Metabolism
5. Respiration
6. Reproduction (Produce offspring) / Heredity
7. Growth , Development & Repair
8. Excretion
9. Movement

Cellular Organization . 1
(Organisms)
All living things Composed of one or more cells
Begin as a single cell
A cell is the smallest unit capable of all life
functions.
Cells are highly organized.
Body of living organism may consists of
one cell = unicellular as bacteria
or
- many cells = multicellular as humans

Levels of Organization of the Human Body

The Cell
It is the smallest living unit of
the human body
The most basic structural and
functional unit of organisms
.examples
-Nerve cells
- Blood cells
- Muscle cells
-Fat cells

The Tissue
Tissues are groups of cells, and the
surrounding environment, which work
.together to produce a specific function
There are only four types of tissues in the
:body
Epithelial tissue- 1
Connective tissue-2
Muscle tissue- 3
Nervous tissue-4

Homeostasis-2
Homeostasis is the ability to maintain a relatively stable
internal environment in an ever-changing outside world

Chemical, thermal, and neural factors interact to maintain

homeostasis
Loss of homeostasis results in disease or death

.3
Responsiveness/Irritabili
All living things are responsive.
That is the act of
ty

sensing a stimulus and responding to it.

Stimuli: Light /Temperature /Odor /Sound

/Gravity

/Heat /Water /Pressure

Responsiveness is concerned with detecting

changes in the internal or external environments
and reacting to that change.

Stimulus

sense organ

Response : a reaction to a stimulus

response

Nutrition and use energy. 4

metabolism
Nutrition
Obtain food & nutrients
Nutrients provide energy for growth, repair, health, etc
Anabolism
The process of building up complex substances from simpler
substances
Catabolism
The process of breaking down complex substances into simpler
substances to release energy
Metabolism
The total of all chemical reactions in an organism
Anabolism + Catabolism = Metabolism

5. Respiration

External: Gaseous exchange (breathing) to get

oxygen

Internal: Oxidation of food to produce energy

for different activities

Reproduction (Produce offspring). 6

Produce babies of the same species
a) Asexual
A single parent organism reproducing by itself
No gametes as Binary fission, budding or regeneration
e.g. bacteria

b) Sexual - a new genetic combination

Involves the combination of male and female sex cells
(gametes)
e.g. human

7. Growth, development & Repair

Increase in size & complexity and Repair of

damaged parts

8. Excretion
Removal of metabolic wastes as :

9. Movement
Change the position Searching
for food or Escape from dangers

What is the Main Purpose of This Course:

Identify the cell theory, ultra structure of eukaryotic cells and
correlation to function of its organelles (membranous and non
membranous).
Describe cell cycle and types of cell division.
List the four basic tissues that make up the human body and state
the characteristics of each.
Describe the general features of epithelial tissue.
Identify the location, structure and function of different types of
epithelium.
List the general features of connective tissue.
Describe the location, structure and function of various types of
connective tissue.
List the general features of muscular tissue.
Describe the structural features and functions of nervous tissue.

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References
Color Text Book of Histology
(2007), 3rd Edition
Basic Histology (2003), 11the
Edition
www.biologyinmotion.com/
http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/sci_
edu/biosites.html