Write down and answer the following essential question before the bell rings and

then you are to remain quiet until I give you further directions:

• Essential Question: What do you think makes something alive? What is life?

What is Biology?

Biology is the study of life!

• What does it mean to be “alive”?• Being able to move?• Having lungs?• Living in sunlight?• Having a mouth?

Is this alive?

Slime molds

• Are actually alive!• Use spores to reproduce and decomposes tiny

organisms

Bornean flat-headed frog – no lungs; breathes through skinLichen – doesn’t move

No sunlight No mouth

7 Characteristics of Life• 1. Has 1 or more cells• Cells = smallest unit of life• Cells make up tissues• Tissues make up organs• Organs make up organ

systems• Organ systems make up an

organism

7 Characteristics of Life• 2. Can reproduce• All organisms aim to

produce offspring (“babies”) in some way

7 Characteristics of Life• 3. Uses water and

energy to live and grow

• Metabolism – total chemical reactions that occur in an organism

Ultimately all energy comes from the sun!

7 Characteristics of Life• 4. Maintains

homeostasis – ability to respond to your surroundings in order to stay alive

Why do you sweat?

7 Characteristics of Life

• 5. Has DNA or RNA and passes this to it’s offspring

• Viruses have DNA or RNA but are not considered living – why not?

7 Characteristics of Life

• 6. Can adapt to changes (stimuli) to some degree

How is this a response to stimuli?

7 Characteristics of Life• 7. Shows growth and

development• Grows in size and

usually complexity (becomes more complicated)

• How did you change as you grew from a baby to now?

6 Unifying themes of Biology• Main ideas that help explain

biology…

#1 - Interdependence of Organisms

How do organisms interact with each other?

#2 - Matter, Energy, and Organization

• Brainstorm how these 3 terms relate to living things…

#3 - Cell structure and function

• What do cells have to do with living things? Why is this important?

#4 - Stability and Homeostasis

• Homeostasis - Why is it important for living things to be able to do this?• Why do you blink?• Why does your

blood clot?• Why do you shiver?

#5 - Reproduction and Inheritance

• Why is it important for organisms to reproduce?

#6 - Evolution (change)

• How and why do you think organisms change over time?

Wrap it up…

• Based on what you’ve learned so far, brainstorm some key words that pop into your head when you think about biology…