Chapter 1 What is Life Science?

Section 2: The Study of Life

Life Science: the study of living things

a.k.a.: biology — the study of life

Chapter 1 What is Life Science?

Organism

a living thing

May be an animal, a plant, a fungus or a microbe

Chapter 1 What is Life Science?

Branches of Life Science

Different fields of study often overlap.

Chapter 1 What is Life Science?

Big Ideas in Life Science

1. Organisms are diverse, yet share similar characteristics

all organisms are made of cells (building blocks of life)

• Multicellular versus unicellular

• All organisms require energy

• All organisms grow and develop (process of change that causes an organism to become more complex during its lifetime)

Chapter 1 What is Life Science?

Big Ideas in Life Science

2. Groups of organisms change over time

• evolution: gradual process of change that occurs in groups of organisms

• Evolution occurs over many, many generations

Chapter 1 What is Life Science?

Big Ideas in Life Science

3. the structure and function of organisms are complementary

• the structure of an organism allows it to function

• Structure: way that an organism is put together as a whole

• function: process that enables an organism to survive

• Complementary: when structure and function work together to meet the needs of the organism

Chapter 1 What is Life Science?

Big Ideas in Life Science

4. Organisms operate on the same physical principles as the rest of our natural world