BIO.A.1 The Nature and Science of Life
Topic Summary for the Characteristics of Life
Biology is the study of life. Living things share these characteristics: They are made of cells and have a universal genetic code; they obtain and use materials and energy to grow and develop; they reproduce; they respond to signals in their environment (stimuli) and maintain a stable internal environment; they change over time.
The study of biology revolves around several interlocking big ideas:
Cellular basis of life. Living things are made of cells.
Information and heredity. Living things are based on a universal genetic code written in a molecule called DNA.
Matter and energy. Life requires matter that provides raw material, nutrients, and energy. The combination of chemical reactions through which an organism builds up or breaks down materials is called metabolism.
Growth, development, and reproduction. All living things reproduce. In sexual reproduction, cells from two parents unite to form the first cell of a new organism. In asexual reproduction, a single organism produces offspring identical to itself. Organisms grow and develop as they mature.
Homeostasis. Living things maintain a relatively stable internal environment.
Evolution. Taken as a group, living things evolve, linked to a common origin.
Structure and function. Each major group of organisms has evolved structures that make particular functions possible.
Unity and diversity of life. All living things are fundamentally similar at the molecular level.
Interdependence in nature. All forms of life on Earth are connected into a biosphere—a living planet.
Science as a way of knowing. Science is not a list of facts but “a way of knowing.”
Topic Summary for the Characteristics of Life
Biology is the study of life. Living things share these characteristics: They are made of cells and have a universal genetic code; they obtain and use materials and energy to grow and develop; they reproduce; they respond to signals in their environment (stimuli) and maintain a stable internal environment; they change over time.
The study of biology revolves around several interlocking big ideas:
Cellular basis of life. Living things are made of cells.
Information and heredity. Living things are based on a universal genetic code written in a molecule called DNA.
Matter and energy. Life requires matter that provides raw material, nutrients, and energy. The combination of chemical reactions through which an organism builds up or breaks down materials is called metabolism.
Growth, development, and reproduction. All living things reproduce. In sexual reproduction, cells from two parents unite to form the first cell of a new organism. In asexual reproduction, a single organism produces offspring identical to itself. Organisms grow and develop as they mature.
Homeostasis. Living things maintain a relatively stable internal environment.
Evolution. Taken as a group, living things evolve, linked to a common origin.
Structure and function. Each major group of organisms has evolved structures that make particular functions possible.
Unity and diversity of life. All living things are fundamentally similar at the molecular level.
Interdependence in nature. All forms of life on Earth are connected into a biosphere—a living planet.
Science as a way of knowing. Science is not a list of facts but “a way of knowing.”