Biology (Campbell) - Chapter 1

Principles of Biology

1) Emergent properties - living world has hierarchical structure, from molecules to biosphere.  Novel properties emerge as a result of interactions at lower levels.

2) Cell - basic unit of structure & function.  Prokaryotic (simple) and Eukaryotic (complex).

3) Heritable information - life relies on inheritance of information via DNA molecules.  Each DNA strand contains nucleotides (alphabet), which string together to form gene sequences

4) Structure & Function - form and function are correlated at all levels

5) Interaction with environment - organisms are open systems that exchange material & energy with surroundings

6) Regulation - feeback mechanisms regulate hemeostasis of organism to create relatively steady state - positive feedback is rare in nature

7) Unity & Diversity - wide range of horizontal organisms, but many/all organisms share similar traits

8) Evolution - key explanation of unity and diversity; differential reproduction via natural selection

9) Scientific Inquiry - observation, question, hypothesis, prediction, test

10) Science, Tech, Society - relationship of science and tech to society is critical