WHAT IS LIFE?

Chapter 1

Life is an emergent
property of the
organization of
matter!

Emergence is what happens when the whole is

smarter than the sum of its parts
- Steven Johnson

An emergent property is something that cannot

be explained simply by the sum of its parts.
For Example: From Tiles to Tubes
Flattened, tile shaped endothelial cells
become organized into tubes--the
bodies capillaries that play a vital role in
delivering O2 to every cell in the body
and removing CO2 waste.
Other Examples:
Consciousness is an emergent property of the
organization of neurons in the brain.
Memories are an emergent property of the
organization of trillions of synaptic connections.

Complexity,
Organization, Potential
Energy

Levels of Organization of
Matter

Size

Most cells are 1-100

m in diameter

tallest trees

Size
100 m

10 m

visible with unaided

human eye

Cell

1m

10 cm

chicken egg

1 cm

1 mm
frog embryo
100 m

visible with
light microscope

Units of measurement:
1 meter (m) = 39.37 inches
1 centimeter (cm) = 0.01 m
1 millimeter (mm) = 0.001 m
1 micrometer (m) = 0.000001 m
1 nanometer (nm) = 0.000000001 m

adult human

10 m

most eukaryotic cells

1 m

100 nm

10 nm

1 nm

visible with special

electron microscope

1 meter (m) Prefix

1cm = 10-2 m centi
1mm = 10-3 m milli
1m = 10-6 m micro
1nm = 10-9 m nano
1 = 10-10 m angstrom

visible with conventional

electron microscope

mitochondrion

most prokaryotic cells

virus

proteins

diameter of DNA
double helix

0.1 nm
atoms

The Cell is the smallest unit of Lifethe simplest level of organization of

matter (molecules) that expresses all of
the characteristics of Life

Life cannot be defined by a single characteristic

but by many characteristics in combination:

1.

2.
3.

4.
5.

6.

Cellular Organization-Every organism is

composed of one or more cells.
Metabolism- ability to acquire and use energy
Self-Regulation/Homeostasis (ability to
maintain a constant internal environment vis a
vis external world)
Reproduction, Growth & Development
Responsivity- ability of individuals to respond
to the environment.
Evolutionary Adaptation- ability of
populations (through generations) to respond to

Energy Use & Metabolism

Metabolism = the sum total of biochemical

reactions that acquire & use energy in
an organism in order to maintain the
conditions of life.
Why do organisms need energy?

to
to
to
to

combat entropy (the tendency towards disorder)

build new structures
break down and repair old structures
reproduce

How do organisms obtain energy?

By extracting energy from the environment

Producers (Autotrophs): get energy from non-living sources

(ex.

plants, algae, photosynthetic microorganisms)

Consumers (Heterotrophs): get nutrients from other organisms

Decomposers: get nutrients from dead organisms-(ex. Fungi, certain
bacteria)

The Flow of Energy and the Recycling

of Nutrients

Fig. 1-10

Life on earth is diverse, yet similar as a

result of our common ancient
ancestry

Evolution (genetic change within a population)

is the process by which all modern organisms
descended, with modification, from pre-existing
life forms.

All Life Belongs to One of Three

Domains

There are four Eukaryotic

Kingdoms: Animals, Fungi,
Plants, & Protists

Three natural processes

underlie evolution:

Genetic variation among members of a

population due to differences in their DNA

Inheritance of those variations by offspring

of parents carrying the variation

Natural selection of individuals whose

survival and enhanced reproduction are due
to the favorable variations they carry

Genetic variation provides the raw material for

natural selection-a process that results
in evolutionary adaptation.
Genetic variation arises from alterations in an organisms
genetic code (DNA), that are transmitted to the next
generation.

Changes in DNA sequence are called mutations.

Mutations arise from a number of sources including ultraviolet (UV) radiation, viruses, transposons, and occasionally,
copying mistakes during cell reproduction.

Sexual Reproduction (genetic recombination between two

parental genomes) and mutations supply the raw material
for Evolutionary Adaptation.

 Natural Selection - the means by which

populations become genetically adapted to

their environment;
The enhanced survival & reproductive success
of individuals whose inherited traits better
adapt them to a particular environment.

 Adaptation - an inherited behavior or

physical characteristic that enables an
organism to survive & reproduce in a
particular environment.

Over time, adaptations can mold the characteristics of a

population as the genetic composition of the population

All living things share a

common ancestry -we all
evolved from the same
primordial cells!

Evolution is an ongoing
process!

Examples of Antimicrobial (Drug)

Resistance

Antibiotic-Resistant Mycobacterium

The emergence of drug

resistant strains of
bacteria is a current
example of evolutionary
adaptation.

tuberculosis (TB)
Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus
aureus (MRSA)
Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococci
(VRE)
Multi-drug resistant Neisseria
gonorrhoeae (Gonorrhea)

Natural Selection gives rise

to unique adaptations to the
environment which eventually
accounts for the wide variety of
life forms on this planet.

Biodiversity results from the many

adaptive strategies organisms use to
acquire energy (food) and maintain
homeostasis.

Nature is a problem solver.

Genetic variation and Natural

selection are the means and the
method by which nature solves the
problem of lifes perpetuation in
different and ever-changing
environments.

http://archives.focus.hms.harvard.edu/2006/0
90106/images/Nature_finches.jpg

Taxonomy is the discipline of

classifying organisms and placing them
into groups that reflect their
evolutionary relationships.
The broadest, most inclusive group (taxon) is
the Domain. All life belong to one of three
Domains:

Bacteria, Archaea, and Eukarya

The narrowest and most specific category is
species.

The Genus and species name constitutes the

binomial or scientific name (Ex. Homo
sapiens; Felis domesticus; Escherichia coli )

Humans are Hominids

Domain
Kingdom
Phylum
Class
Order
Family
Genus & species

Eukarya
Animalia
Chordata
Mammalia
Primates
Hominidae
Homo sapiens