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1.
INTRODUCTION - OVERVIEW - Biology as a science deals with the origin, history,
process, and physical characteristics, of plants and animals: it includes
botany, and zoology.
A study of biology includes the study of the
chemical basis of living organisms, DNA.
Other related sciences include microbiology and organic chemistry. See
the "Online
Biology Book" an excellent reference!! http://gened.emc.maricopa.edu/bio/BIO181/BIOBK/BioBookTOC.html
The main difference between a lifeless clump of chemicals, and a living life
form, composed of the same chemicals, is; Information and access to an
energy source. The word science comes from a Latin word scientica,
which means knowledge, or information. Science is a process of systematically
gathering detailed information and gaining exact knowledge. That
vital information includes; how the basic elements are organized and how
they utilize energy. We do not know all the "life"
information secrets but we are learning more every day.
The three biological
life cycles, are; Zygotic meiosis, Sporic meiosis, and Gametic meiosis,
Amoeba
- one basic life form.
Amoebas
(and there are many different kinds) feed by
phagocytosis
(the engulfing and
ingesting of foreign particles or waste matter by phagocytes)--they flow around
their prey (usually a smaller cell) and engulf it.
Organism that eat other organisms are usually called "consumers".
The amoeba's cell membrane
then fuses with itself, trapping the prey in a "food vacuole" where it
will be digested.
Famous scientist quote:
"Those
engaged in the arts and sciences, Most Gracious Emperor Charles, find many
serious obstacles to the exact study and successful application of them.
In the first place, no slight inconvenience results from too great separation
beween branches of study which serve for the perfection of one art." Andreas Vesalius (1514 - 1564) wrote
"The Anatomy of the Human Body" published in
1543.
to Xenobiology
(or exobiology, or astrobiology), a mostly speculative
field that considers the possibility, and possible nature, of
extraterrestrial life.
Biology encompasses a broad
spectrum of academic fields that are often viewed as independent disciplines.
Together, they study life over a wide range of scales:
Biological
aide Ellie Giron (left) and ARS chemist Phyllis Johnson prepare a sample for
analysis at the ARS Grand Forks Human Nutrition Research Center in Grand Forks,
North Dakota.
Photo
by Bruce Fritz
Science in Your Shopping Cart - VIDEO
What are some of the ways in which
scientific discoveries at the Agricultural Research Service have made a
difference in our daily lives? (14 min., 1996)
Select your Internet
connection speed: Phone
modem | Broadband
Conversations from the Hall of Fame -
VIDEO
An ongoing series... snippets
from interviews with members of ARS' Scientific Hall of Fame. New
interviews are being added about every two weeks, so please visit again.
2.
THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD - The scientific method consists of stating a problem
then; (1) make
observations, (2) formulate a hypothesis, (3) design an experiment, collect and interpret
the data, consult prior knowledge, and (4) reach
conclusions.
A good experiment has a large sample; it is controlled so
that only one variable is assessed, it is placebo controlled, and it is
conducted in a double blind manner. Scientific discovery is not always as
well planned as the scientific method may seem to suggest. Sometimes new
knowledge comes simply from being in the right place at the right time or from
being particularly aware of the unusual. The opposite of the scientific
method (and its organized planning) is discovery by "accident".
A hypothesis is a guess as to why
something happens. Observations lead to questions regarding the event. Why is
the sky blue? How does gravity affect falling objects? In attempting to answer a
question about the nature of the world, a scientist will form a hypothesis (or a
guess) regarding the question's answer. Experiments, data gathering and
study will then help the scientist to reach a conclusion.
3. WATER - Living things are built almost entirely of organic
compounds containing carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, phosphorus, sulfur,
and water. Water is vital to life because it forms the basis of many body
fluids, it is imbibed by structures such as seeds, and it controls temperature
regulation.
Amoeba
- one basic life form.
