Bio Course Notes

LIVING THINGS * All living things come from other living things. * Ex: One single celled organism to another * DNA is copied & passed to offspring * The signature molecule of life * Ex: embryo- cells continually divide & develop
EVOLUTION
* Why do some organisms seem suited for their environment * Ex: Hummingbird- long beak for nectar in certain flowers * Ex: Cheetahs- take down faster prey

* Adaptation- inherited characteristic that enables an organism to successfully survive & reproduce * Individuals with the best adaptations to current environment * Evolution- change in the genetic makeup of a population over time * Population= group of individuals of the same species

Natural selection is one mechanism of evolution 1. 2. Organized in a specific way 3. Need & Acquire energy 4. Maintain internal constancy- homeostasis 5. Reproduce, grow, & develop 6. Evolve

DESIGN A CONTROLLED EXPERIMENT * Sample size * Variables * Independent (manipulated) variable * Dependent (response) variable * Standardize variable * Control- group
SCIENTIFIC METHOD * Observation * Frame question that relates * Prediction * Design & conduct experiment * Collect data * Draw conclusion * Submit for publication

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN HYPOTHESIS AND THEORY

Hypothesis * Preliminary question * If-then statement * Can incorporate laws * Tentative, often narrow explanation regarding the natural world * Must be testable & falsifiable

Theory * Unifying explanation * Diverse lines of evidence * A well substantiated explanation of some aspect of the natural world * Unifying explanation * Broad, ties together existing observations * Ideas about which we are most certain ex: orange falls to ground

CHEMISTRY OF LIFE

Elements- Pure substances that can’t be