General Biology

Lesson 1: What is Biology?

Biology
- The study of Life.
- The study of Plants, animals, and organisms.
Bios – Life

Logos – study

3 divisions of Biological Science

1. Microbiology – study of microorganisms.

Ex. Bacteria Algae

Virus
2. Botany – Study of Plants.
3. Zoology – Study of Animals.

Traditional branches of Biological Sciences

 Taxonomy – study of naming and classifying organisms.
 Cytology – Study of stuctures and function of cells.
 Embryology – study of formation and development of organism.
 Anatomy – study of structures and parts of organisms.
 Physiology – study of functions of living organisms and their parts.
 Biochemistry – study of biochemical composition and process of living
things.
 Genetics – study of heredity and variation.
 Evolution – study of origin and differential of various organisms.
 Ecology – study of relationship of orgnism with each other and their
environment.

Moder Branches of Biological Sciences

 Bioinformatic – stufy of biological data using computer program.
 Genomics – study of the entire genetic material of an organism.
 Molecular Biology – study of molecules that makes up the cells of living
organisms.
 Pharmacogenomics – study of how genes affects a person’s response to
drugs.
 Proteoonomics – study of the different proteins in an organism.
 Synthetic Biology – Study of combined biology and engineering.
 Systems Biology – study of sytems of biological molecules such as cells,
organism or species.
Lesson 2: Cell Theory
Cell
- The smallest structural and functional unit of an organism.
- It consist cythoplasm and nucleus enclosed in a membrane.
- The basic unit of life. It was suggested by Schawnn and Schleiden in 1832
and accepted by the first 2 tenent of Modern Cell Theory.

Some of the cell theory

- All organisms are made up of one or more cell. An average human consist
around 30 trillion cells.
- Cell arises from other cells through cellular division – Mitosis and Meiosis.

- Cell caries genetic material that passed by each parents, containing same
number of chromosomes. Meiosis, only occurs in eukaryotic organisms that
reproduce sexually.
- Energy flow (metabolism and biochemistry) occurs within cells, all of the
chemical reactions including those that consumes or generate energy, are
reffered as the cell’s metabolism.

Robert Hooke (1665)

- He coined the word “cell” to describe these chamber like structure.
- He observed a piece of cork specimen stucture and it appears as tiny
compartment similar to small rooms that fitted to each other.
- He thought only plants and fungi are the only ones that made up of cells.

Anton Van Leeuwenhoek (1676)

- Published his first observation on tiny living organism which he named
animacules.
- He was the first person to examine many cells including red blood cells of
different animals as well as sperm.

Robert Brown (1831)

- He was able to compare diverse kinds of plants specimen under the
microsope.

Matthias Scleinden (1838)

- A German botanist concluded that all plants are made up of cells.

Theodor Schwann (1839)

- stated that all animal tissues are composed of cells too.
Rudolf Carl Virchow (1858)
- Concluded that all cells came from pre-existing cells.

Three basic components

1. All organisms are composed of one or more cell.
2. The cell is the basic unit of life in all living things.
3. All cells come from pre-existing cells.
* An organismm can be unicellular (One-celled) or multicellular.

1. Single-celled
- Can perform all the essential functions which enable it to grow, survive and
reproduce.
Ex. Bacteria Fungi
Amoeba; etc.

2. Multicellular
- Made up of one or more cell.
- specialized cell perform different life function.
Ex. Sperm Egg cell
Cell
-is considered the basic functional structure of all organism on earth because
it is made up of all the biological equipment that on organism need in life.

TYPES OF CELL
MAIN TYPES OF CELL

*Prokaryotic Cells
-Also called porkayotes do not have a true nucleus onr membrane .
-Bound organetes their DNA or Genetic Material can be found in nucleod.
-Porkayotic cells re minute measuring only about 1 to 10 micrometers or
micro(Mm) and may be single-celled,colonial or many celled.

*Eukaryotic cells or Eukaryotes

-Have a distinct nucleus and distinct organelles.
-They make up higher forms of organism,such as prostist,fungi and animals.
-Eukaryotes are larger and have more chromosomes.
-They may be singled-celled, colonial or many-celled orgainsm.

MAIN PARTS OF THE CELL

*Nucleus
-Is a conspicous spherical structure at the center of the cell enclosed by a
double layered membrane.
-It is considered the control center of the cell.
-It consist of chromosomes that are esponsible for cellular reproduction and
transmission of hereartary.

*Organelles
-Are small structures or compartments within the cell.
*Cell Wall
-Plant cells have an additional outer layer called a cell wall.

*Cell Mebrane
-Cell membrane holds together
-It is made up of two layers molecules and in plants, is protected by the cell
wall
-The cell membrane is thin and has small openings that allow substance such as
water, amino acids, certain kinds of sugar, and lipid soluble substance to pass
through.

*NUCLEUS
-the nucleus acts as the cell command cell center.
-It contain the orgnisms movement, growth and reproduction.
-Within it is deoxybonvcleic acid (DNA) the genetic material that gives the
organisms its unique characteristic.
-Nucleus consists of the nuclear envelope,nucleolus,chromatin and nucleus
pores
-Nuclear envelop is a double walled membrane that nucleus from the
cytoplasm.
Like the cell membrane the nuclear envelope is a semipermeables,allowing
molecules to pass in and out of the nucleus through the nuclear pores.
-Nucleuolus looks like a dark,round spot in the cell.
It has minute fiber and granules.
It produces the ribosomes the part of the cell that make the protiens for the
organism
The Ribosomes do this by linking amino acids into chains
-Nucleoplasm is the jelly like fluid which the components of the nucleus float.
-Chromatin is the organized structure that contains the DNA and that forms the
chromosomes or th carriers of hereditary traits, during cell divisions.

*CYTOPLASM
-is a gel-like,viscous solution located cutside the nucleus still within the cell
membrane.
-It has three main components;
Cytosol-is the clear liquid in cytoplasm in which organnelles and other
particles are suspended
Organelles -are distinct membrane bound particles that includes the
following;

Plastids
-large membrane bound organelles that are found in the cytoplasm of the
cells.
-they are classified into chromoplast,chloroplast,leuconplasts and
gerontoplasts.
STUDYING CELLS THROUGH
MICROSCOPY
-Cells,tissues,and microbiological life can be studied more throughly with
the used of view objects that are to tiny to see using the naked eye.
-The study of microscopin or minute objets and their areas using a
microscope is called microscopy.

Compound Microscope
-There are several types of mcroscope.One of these is the light
compound microscope or compound microscope,which is commonly used n
most science classes because of its high magnification.

PARTS OF COMPOUND MICROSCOPE;

Stage
-is a platform on which the slide with spiciemen is held in place using stage
clips.

Stage Clips
-Hold the prepared slide firmly on the stage.

Body Tubes
-Holds the draw tube and connects the eyepiece to the objectives

Adjusment Knobs
-brings the object into focus so that the view of the specimen appears sharp
and clear.

-The specimen is initially focus at a lower magnification

Coarse Adjustment Knob

-is used to focus the specimen in 10x (LPO).

Fine Adjustment Knob

-is used to focus the specimen in 40x or 60x (HPO).

Revolving Nosepiece
-supports the objective lens and posistion them in the desired place.

Dust Shield
-protect the objectives from dust.

-it is located on top of the revolving nosepiece.

Base
-anchores the microscope firmly on the table or on another surface

Pillar
-supports the upper parts of the microscope

Inclination Joint
-allows the upper part of the microscope to be bent.

-this part may be absent for microscopes that are already bent.

Lever
-Contains the iris diaphragm beneath the condenser.

neath the condenser.