Bio

• The diversity of life includes the marine iguana, a reptile that spends part of its time in the sea, which has evolved laterally flattened tails to assist in swimming and powerful limbs with strong claws for grazing on seaweed.
• The marine iguana is the only lizard which feeds in the sea and ejects salt by a "sneezing" action, often forming a white "wig" on its back.
• An example of a hypothesis is that Emperor Penguin survival is influenced by the distribution and predatory activities of polar bears.
• Result is the fourth step in the scientific method, where the outcome of the experiment is analyzed to draw conclusions that support or refute the hypothesis.
• Support for a hypothesis can lead to the generation of a theory.
• Experiment is the third step in the scientific method, where the hypothesis is tested through a series of controlled trials.
• A prediction from the hypothesis is that Emperor penguins are unable to survive in areas where polar bears exist.
• Question is the second step in the scientific method, where a hypothesis is formulated based on the observations made in the previous step.
• If the hypothesis is not supported by the results of the experiment, the experiment can be repeated to test alternative hypotheses or may lead to new questions.
• Observation is the first step in the scientific method, where data is collected and analyzed to formulate questions and hypotheses.
• The scientific method involves making observations, formulating questions, hypothesizing, conducting experiments, and drawing conclusions that support or refute the hypothesis.
• Life can be distinguished from non-living entities by seven characteristics: survival, reproduction, metabolism, growth, adaptation, response to stimuli, and evolution.
• Representative Organisms (ROs) are the basic structural & functional (physiological) units of all living organisms.
• The scientific method consists of producing a hypothesis, designing and performing controlled experiments or making observations that allow data relevant to the hypothesis to be collected, analyzing the data in an objective way against the background of existing knowledge, and repeating the experiment if necessary.
• Adaptations can include structural features, such as a thick layer of white fur for insulation against cold, and functional features, such as sharp claws and teeth for catching and eating prey.
• Polar bears are the largest living land carnivores and the only living species in the Ursus maritimus species.
• Adaptation is the process whereby an organism becomes better suited to its habitat.
• Hypotheses can be supported or rejected based on experimental results.
• Experimental design can include a control group and a treatment group, with the presence or absence of a fertilizer being the experimental variable.
• All wasps have stingers.
• Cells are the basic structural and functional units of all living organisms and contain DNA (hereditary material), cell membranes and ribosomes.
• Carolus Linnaeus and Georges Cuvier are considered the fathers of taxonomy.
• Reverend Gilbert White was the first person to study the behaviour of swifts and house martins.
• Pliny the Elder is often referred to as the “Father of Zoology” and the “Father of Botany”, as he looked at marine animals, birds, and mammals, and described 500 different types of plants and divided them into trees, herbs, and shrubs.
• The contributions of the Ancient Greeks to biology include observations in the field and combined information from over 100 sources, as documented in the encyclopedic Naturalis Historia by Gaius Plinius Secundus, known as Pliny the Elder.
• Pliny the Elder was a Roman naturalist who studied metabolism, temperature regulation, information processing (sensory perception), embryonic development, inheritance, and embryonic development.
• Gaius Plinius Secundus, known as Pliny the Elder, was the first person to dissect chicken eggs and examine the pattern of embryonic development.
• Charles Darwin and Alfred Russel Wallace are famous naturalists.
• Antonie van Leeuwenhoek and Aristotle are considered the fathers of microbiology and biology respectively.
• The contributions of the Ancient Romans to biology include the replacement of natural history with zoology and botany.
• Gregor Mendel and Ernst Mayr are considered the fathers of genetics.
• The entire evolutionary development of the living world has taken place not by invention of new "letters" in the genetic "alphabet" but by elaboration of ever-new combinations of these letters.
• If absent from the mid-term exam due to medical emergency, death in family or an exceptional circumstance, the student must advise me in person or by telephone (not by email), and present documented evidence within 3 working days of the missed exam.
• The mid-term (lecture) exam is 15%.
• Students with a legitimate reason for requiring an alternative writing time for the midterm exam must make a request (by email) to Dr. Chilton before January 22nd (i.e., 2 weeks before the exam on February 5th).
• Life is everywhere, even in the extremes, ecozones, regional diversity and biodiversity hotspots.
• The origin of life was discussed in Module 5: History of biodiversity over time.
• Video Assignment: Information in Modules section due time/date: Before 10.00 pm Tuesday March 26th.
• The course syllabus is also stored on CANVAS.
• Academic Honesty is expected that each student be honest and display integrity with respect to examinations, assignments and other academic work.