Unit 1 the science of biology

FIS 1074 BIOLOGI 1
Teaching-learning and assessment
strategy
Formative
Written examination 25%
40%
Quiz 5%
Individual Assignment 5%
Group Assignment 5%
Summative Written examination
60% 60%
TOTAL 100%

UNIT 1: THE SCIENCE OF
BIOLOGY
1.1 Definition
1.2 Biology and its branches
1.3 Historical breakthroughs – Darwin and evolution
1.4 Scope of biology and career options
Syed Mohd Fauzi Said Hussin
FIS 1074 Biology I

1.1 Definition
 Biology (bios, life; logos, knowledge) is a science devoted to the
study of living organisms.
 The study of life extends from the microscopic scale of the
molecules and cells that make up organisms to the global scale of
the entire living planet.
 But what is life? We recognize life by what living things do –
reproduction, growth and development, response to the
environment (sensitivity), evolutionary adaptation, homeostasis,
energy processing, feeding, movement, breathing or respiration,
excretion.
 The aim of biology must ultimately be to explain the living world in
terms of scientific principles, although appreciating that organisms
behave in ways which often seem beyond the capabilities of their
component parts.
 Posing questions about the living world and seeking science-based
answers are the central activities of biology.

1.1 Definition (cont’d)
 Biology is an ongoing scientific inquiry (how scientists raise and
attempt to answer questions) about the nature of life.
 Biology is a subject of enormous scope and biological knowledge is
expanding at an ever-increasing rate – memorizing the factual
details of this huge subject is not a reasonable option.
 Science has progressed by breaking down complex subjects of study
into their component parts so that today there are numerous
branches of biology.
 Reductionism – the reduction of complex systems to simpler
components that are more manageable to study is a powerful
strategy in biology.
 This approach to study seeks fundamental understanding by
looking at parts rather than the whole.

SCIENCE: A WAY OF KNOWING
SScciieennccee iiss aabboouutt aa ddiiffffeerreenntt qquueessttiioonn::
“What are the facts?”
It advances by
research,
producing evidence
And nnoo--oonnee’s opinion matters!
(only the evidence)
SScciieennttiiffiicc iinnqquuiirriieess aallwwaayyss hhaavvee aa ccoorrrreecctt aanndd iinnccoorrrreecctt aannsswweerr,, eevveenn iiff wwee ddoonn’’tt kknnooww iitt yyeett

SCIENTIFIC METHOD COMPONENTS
 Scientific method begins with observation.
 Ability to observe is extended by using instruments, e.g. microscope enables microbiologists
to see objects that could never be seen by the naked eye.
 Understanding is expanded further by taking advantage of the knowledge and experiences of
other scientists. E.g. look up past studies on the Internet, library (journals, books, etc.) or
write and speak to other researchers.
 Following observation is inductive reasoning – using creative/critical thinking to combine
isolated facts into cohesive whole.
 Testable statement is formulated. A possible explanation for a natural event is called
hypothesis. Hypothesis is based on existing knowledge (much more informed than a mere
guess).
 Only hypotheses that can be tested by experiments or further observations should be
considered. The results of an experiment are referred to as the data.
 Data is analyzed by means of statistical analysis to detect relationships in the data that
may not be obvious on the surface.
 Data must be analyzed in order to reach a conclusion about whether a hypothesis is
supported or not.
 Conclusions from many different but related experiments may lead to the development of a
scientific theory – which are accepted explanations for how the world works.
Observation>inductive reasoning>hypothesis>experiments>statistical analysis>conclusion>scientific theory

What if the hypothesis is rejected?
SSTTAARRTT
AAGGAAIINN..
In this way, scientists are skeptics who always pressure one
another to keep investigating.

The skeptic is the seeker of the truth
The route of Galileo:
(perspective of a true skeptic)
Test theory objectively
↓↓
Find hard evidence
↓↓
Convince the scientific
community
Galileo Galilei made original
contributions to the Scientific Revolution
through innovative experiment – which
cuts to the heart of what science is.

QUESTION TIME
TASK:
Use the components of
scientific method
(as explained in the
previous slides)
to create a
“Flow Diagram”
of a controlled study.

Molecular Level of Organization
 BIOCHEMISTRY
 Study of chemical substances occurring in living organisms and their
reactions
 BIOENERGETICS
 Biology of energy transformation and exchanges within and between
living things and their environment
 GENETICS
 Study of hereditary factors from parents to offspring in living organisms
 GENETIC ENGINEERING
 The deliberate changing of the genetic makeup of living cells by
transferring a fragment of DNA from one organism to another
 MOLECULAR BIOLOGY
 Deals with the ultimate physicochemical organization of living matter,
especially with the molecular basis of inheritance and protein synthesis.

Cellular Level of Organization
 BACTERIOLOGY
 Study of bacteria and their effect on organisms.
 MICROBIOLOGY
 Concerned with microorganisms such as protists,
bacteria, viruses and parasites.
 CYTOLOGY
 Study of cells and their processes

Tissues, Organs and Systems
 ANATOMY
 Deals with the structure of living things and the interrelationship of
parts.
 EMBRYOLOGY
 Concerned with the early stages in the development of an animal
form.
 HISTOLOGY
 Microscopic study of tissue structure.
 MORPHOLOGY
 Investigation of external anatomical structures or form.
 PHYSIOLOGY
 Deals with functions and life processes in organisms.

Organisms and Population
 ETHOLOGY
 Study of animal behavior.
 MYCOLOGY
 Study of fungi.
 PARASITOLOGY
 Study of organisms that live on or within other plants or animals.
 BOTANY
 The study of plants.
 ZOOLOGY
 Study of animals.
 ENTOMOLOGY
 Study of insects and their life cycles.
 ORNITHOLOGY
 Study of birds and their behaviour, economic importance.

Communities and Ecosystems
 ECOLOGY
 Deals with organisms and their relationships with each
other and the environment.
 MARINE BIOLOGY
 Study of the oceans and ecosystems within them.
 SYNECOLOGY
 Structure, distribution, development of ecological
communities.
 LIMNOLOGY
 Study of the freshwater ecosystem.

Applied Biology
 AGRICULTURE
 Utilizes principles of botany in growing food plants/crops.
 FORESTRY
 Establishment and conservation of trees and shrubs, the forest
ecosystem.
 TAXONOMY
 Science of identifying and classifying organisms.
 VETERINARY MEDICINE
 Involved with animal care and feeding, prevention and cure of
animal diseases.
 WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT
 Deals with the conservation and maintenance of wildlife resources.

Interdisciplinary Studies
 ANTHROPOLOGY
 Study of man in relation to distribution, origin, classification and
relationships of races, physical character, environment and social
relations and culture.
 BIOENGINEERING
 Application of biology/medical science in engineering principles or
equipment (i.e. artificial organ).
 BIOPHYSICS
 Applied physical principles and methods in biological problems.
 BIOTECHNOLOGY
 Application of biology in other fields such as engineering systems
and processes.

QUESTION TIME
TASK:
Choose an area of
Biology that interests
you (please choose
one field only) and
device a career plan
on how you will
pursue your ambition
in that field.

1.3 Historical breakthroughs –
Darwin and evolution
Pioneers of evolutionary theory:
Charles Darwin, 1809 – 1882 (top)
and Alfred Russel Walace, 1823 –
1913 (below) independently
discovered the mechanism of
natural selection.

Darwin and evolution (cont’d)
 Charles Darwin deserves primary credit for the theory of
evolution.
 He developed existing ideas about descent with modification
while providing much evidence in support of them.
 He was also the first to perceive natural selection as the
primary process that drives evolution.
 Darwin’s insights were inspired by the research he carried out
during a 5-year voyage he took around the world on the ship
HMS Beagle, beginning in 1831.
 English naturalist Alfred Russell Wallace is the co-discoverer
of natural selection as the principal process underlying
evolution.

Darwin and evolution (cont’d)
Two principles lie at the core of the Theory of
Evolution:
1. Common descent with modification
• Particular groups or species of living things can
undergo modification in successive generations
• All living things on Earth ultimately are descended
from a single, ancient ancestor
1. Natural selection
• Traits that confer a reproductive advantage to
individual organisms grow more common in
populations of organisms over successive generations

Unit 1 the science of biology

1.4 Scope of biology and career
options
Interactions
of
Organisms
Classification
of
Life
Physiology
Diversity
and
Evolution of
Organisms
of
Organisms
The
Structure
of Life
SCOPE
OF
BIOLOGY
Fig 1.2 Scope of biology

options (cont’d)
The Structure
of Life
Molecular biology : the study of biology at a molecular level and concerns with understanding
the interactions between systems of a cell, overlaps with other areas of biology i.e. genetics
and biochemistry
Cell biology: studies the physiological properties of cells i.e. behaviors, interactions,
environment
Genetics: the science of genes, heredity and variation of organisms, provides important tools
in the investigation of the function of gene
Developmental biology: studies the process by which organisms grow and develop
Physiology of
Organisms
Studies the mechanical, physical and biochemical processes of living organisms by attempting
to understand how all the structure function as a whole
Anatomy is an important part of physiology and considers how organ systems function and
interact
Diversity and
Evolution of
Organisms
Evolutionary biology: origin and descent of species, as well as their change over time
Botany and zoology are the two major traditionally taxonomically-orientated disciplines
included in evolutionary biology
Also includes paleontologists who use fossils to answer questions about the mode and tempo
of evolution as well as theoreticians in population genetics and evolutionary theory

options (cont’d)
Classification
of Life
The dominant classification system is called Linnaean taxonomy – includes
ranks and binomial nomenclature
How organisms are named is governed by international agreements such
as:
 International Code of Botanical Nomenclature (ICBN)
 International Code of Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN)
 International Code of Nomenclature of Bacteria (ICNB)
 International Code of Virus Classification and Nomenclature (ICVCN)
Interactions
of Organisms
Standardized
by BioCode
Ecology: studies the distribution and abundance of living organisms and the
interactions between organisms and their environment
Ethology: studies animal behaviour and is particularly concerned with the
evolution of behaviour and the understanding of behaviour in terms of the
theory of natural selection

options (cont’d)
 Biomedical Research, Cancer Research, Cell/Molecular
Biology, Genetics, Developmental Biology
 Neuroscience
 Ecology, Evolutionary Biology
 Applied Ecology, Environmental Management, Forestry
 Clinical Medicine, Dentistry, Podiatry, Optometry, Veterinary
Medicine
 Pharmacy
 Nursing
 Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy

Occupational titles related to Biology
 Oceanographer
 Bioethicist, Wildlife Biologist,
Ecologist
 Agronomist
 Biostatistician
 Information Resource Analyst
 Food Bacteriological Technician
 Fish and Wildlife Officer
 Horticulturalist
 Pollution Control Inspector
 Medical Laboratory Supervisor
 Intellectual Property Lawyer
Studying Biology teaches you to ask
questions, judge evidence and solve
problems – skills that will be of use in
whatever career you choose in the
future.

Occupational titles related to Biology
(cont’d)  Bacteriology Professor
 Scientific Consultant
 Health Policy Research
Analyst
 Medical Librarian
 Journalist – Science
Magazine/Newspaper
 Botanical Garden Interpreter
 Pharmaceutical Sales
Representative
 Research Scientist
 Higher Education Lecturer
Remember, that your scientific,
communication and organizational
skills are important – that’s what get
you a job!

Unit 1 the science of biology

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