BIOL1003 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Population Biology, Insulin, Heredity
BIOL1003: Module 1 - Evolution
Lecture 1 - Introduction to biology
• Complex discipline (includes chemistry, physics, mathematics, etc.)
• What is life - there is no simple answer, but it is a combination of complex chemical reactions
• All living things respond to their environment
o Light
o Temperature
o Odour
o Sound
o Gravity
• Attributes of life
o All life has things in common, which indicates that they all come from a common
ancestor
o Genes - store information
o Reproduction and heredity
o Evolution
o Use of energy
o Life are made up of cells
• A hierarchy of life (smallest to largest):
o Molecule
o Organelle
o Cell
o Tissue
o Organ
o Organism
o Population
o Community
o Biosphere
• Body function: anatomy
o How the body structures allow an organism to function in a certain way (ie. The build of
the cheetah, shoulders rotate at the different angle, bones flex)
o Relate structure to how an organism behaves
• Cell biology
o Structure and function of cells
o Cells are extremely diverse:
• Light sensitive cells in eyes va cells producing toenails
• Molecular biology
o Structure and function of complex molecules especially DNA and protein
o Applications in forensics and medicine
o An example: genetic engineering - Insulin
• Molecular biologists were able to find the gene from humans that make human
insulin, and insert it into yeast. They then produced human insulin which can be
refined and used to treat diabetes in humans
o DNA-fingerprinting and forensics
• DNA-fingerprinting can identify differences among individuals
• Can amplify DNA
• Population biology
o Characteristics of population
• Size
• Density
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
They then produced human insulin which can be refined and used to treat diabetes in humans: dna-fingerprinting and forensics, dna-fingerprinting can identify differences among individuals, can amplify dna, population biology, characteristics of population. You can get a date of when they have a common ancestor: from this, we can work out how long ago certain regions split. Part 3: evolution, natural selection, macroevolution, microevolution. Evolution: evolution is change in the heritable characteristics of biological, populations over successive generations. It was (cid:374)ot a (cid:374)ew co(cid:374)cept i(cid:374) darwi(cid:374)"s ti(cid:373)e, started with aristotle. Changes within populations or species over time (ie evolution below the species level). Macroevolution: the generation of new species and their subsequent evolution. Anagenesis involves directional change within a single lineage. Is the divergence of two or more different forms from a common ancestor. It generates diversity: darwin thought out a mechanism for evolution, natural selection, darwin did in fact site 38 people who previously studies this theory.
