Chapter 1: The Study of Life
One might ask "What is the meaning of life?" There are as many answers as there are questioners. Science cannot answer this question. However scientists can study the characteristics and needs of living things. No matter how different, all living things share some basic characteristics that distinguish them from non-living things.
1. The Diversity of Life
Terms To Know:
A. organism - any living thing (plant, animal, or members of any other kingdom.)
B. biosphere - together, the parts of the Earth that sustains life make up the biosphere.
C. species - a group of organisms so similar that they can interbreed and produce fertile offspring.
Diversity refers to the multitude of different organisms that live in the Earth biosphere. Organisms change or adapt to changes in the Earth's environment, else they become extinct. Extinct refers to the condition of organisms when their population drops to zero. Great loss of diversity has occurred over time, due either to natural disasters or to the effect of man in overhunting or clearing habitats used by some organisms. As of 1996, over 1000 species were listed on the endangered list. It was feared that over 500,000 species might become extinct before the year 2000 (another Y2K problem).
The study of biology is important for the following reasons:
1. To help in the survival of diverse life in the biosphere.
2. It reveals the interaction between living things and their environment.
3. Without knowledge of biology, it will be impossible to maintain the diversity of organisms in the future.
4. To assure the survival of humans, the biosphere must be understood and sustained.
Biology, Society, and You
Biology affects you life in many ways:
1. We depend on other living things for food.
2. Some clothing is made from living things.
3. Shelter or houses contain material from living things.
4. Our health is sustained by medicine that comes from living things.
5. Fuel used to provide energy comes or came from living things.
With the knowledge that some energy resources are not renewable (coal and oil for instance) biology provides an opportunity to study and use renewable resources.