BIO 121 Study Guide - Midterm Guide: A Screw, Cell Nucleus, Hydronium

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20 Jan 2014
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Ch. 1 themes in the study of life: evolution: process of change that has transformed life on earth from its earliest beginnings to the diversity of organisms living today. Among diversity there are many shared features: unity and diversity sustainability of organisms for their environment evolution is the scientific explanation. Defining life: order, regulation, evolution, growth and development: new properties emerge at levels of the biological hierarchy complexity increases. Emergent properties: due to the specific arrangement and interactions of parts as: ex. Photosynthesis not only requires all the components but in a specific: bike parts don"t make a bike specific assembly organized fashion. Thoughts and memories are emergent properties of network of nerve cells more manageable to study. Reductionism: approach of reducing complex systems to simpler components that are: one must remember to keep a holistic objective, a dissected animal no longer functions although complex things cannot be analyzed without taking them apart.