Biology is the study of life.

The word "biology" is derived from the Greek words "bios"

(meaning life) and "logos" (meaning "study"). In general, biologists study the structure, function,
growth, origin, evolution and distribution of living organisms.

Life is defined as any system capable of performing functions such as eating, metabolizing,
excreting, breathing, moving, growing, reproducing, responding to external stimuli and systems
that contain reproducible hereditary information coded in nucleic acid molecules and that
metabolize by controlling the rate of chemical reactions using the proteinaceous catalysts known
as enzymes
Biology is important because it helps us understand how living things work and how they
function and interact on multiple levels. Advances in biology have helped scientists do things
such as develop better medicines and treatments for diseases, understand how a changing
environment might affect plants and animals, produce enough food for a growing human
population and predict how eating new food or sticking to an exercise regimen might affect our
bodies.

Characteristics of living things: A living organism shows a high degree of organization.

Millions of atoms and molecules are arranged in an orderly and complex way to produce a living
organism: composed of one cell or many cells. This needs a lot of energy. Also, a constant supply
of energy is needed to maintain a living organism. Thus, obtaining and using energy are
important activities of living organism. Non-living things such as oxygen, water and stone do not
show a high degree of organization. Hence their energy content is comparatively low. All living
organisms exhibit the following seven characteristic processes.

(1) Movement: a living organism is able to move its whole or part of the body. Most animals
can move themselves from one place to another, while plants only move part of their
body in response to stimuli.
(2) Respiration: a living organism releases energy from breakdown of food substances
within its body. This process usually needs oxygen which the organism must get from its
surroundings while carbon dioxide is given out as a waste product. The released energy
helps the organism to carry out its life processes and maintain its complex body
organization.
(3) Nutrition: a living organism needs food to stay alive. It uses food to build up its body
and provide energy for its various activities. Generally, animals obtain ready-made food
from their surrounding; plants make their own food using simple inorganic substances
and the sun’s energy. Taking in and using food is known as nutrition.
(4) Irritability (Sensitive): a living organism is able to detect and respond to changes in its
surrounding and within itself. Such changes are known as stimuli.
(5) Growth: a living organism increase in size which is usually accompanied by
development ( change in form and abilities).
(6) Excretion: activities within the body of a living organism produce unwanted and often
toxic substances known as wastes. The organism removes or excretes these waste from its
body.
(7) Reproduction: all living organisms produce new individuals resembling themselves.
Through this process, a particular type of organism lives from generation to generation.
Differences between plants and animals
(1) Plant exhibit autotrophic mode of nutrition due to presence of chlorophyll, while
animals exhibit heterotrophic mode of nutrition since they lack chlorophyll.
(2) Plants have limited movement ( no organs of locomotion); not active, while
animals move freely (well developed organs of locomotion);very active.
(3) Plants respond slow to external stimuli, while animals respond rapidly, to external
stimuli.
(4) Plants does not have sense organs, while animals has well developed sense
organs.
(5) Plants has no excretory system, while animals has well develop excretory system
(6) Plants has spreading body form with no symmetry; unlimited growth, while
animals has compact symmetrical body form; limited growth
(7) Plants growth is apical while, animal growth occurs equally on all parts.
(8) Plants are composed of cells enclosed in rigid cellulose cell walls; cell walls
provide mechanical support while, animals are composed of cells which do not
have cell walls; external or internal skeletons provide mechanical support.

Level of organization of life

(1) Macro- molecule (non-living): Composed of atoms and molecules, able to carry
out simple functions, e.g. enzymes, DNA, RNA

simple sugar------->complex sugars

(2) Organelle (non-living): Composed of molecules and macromolecules, able to

carry out complex functions like photosynthesis, respiration e.g. chloroplasts,
mitochondria. Representative organisms :Virus

(3) Cell (living): Composed of macromolecules and organelles; the basic unit of
living organisms, capable of carrying out all living activities, e.g. blood cells, phloem
cells. Representative organisms: Bacteria, protozoa, protophyta
 (4) Tissue:Composed of similar cells specialized to carry out particular functions, e.g.
muscle tissue in animals (contractile), epidermis in plants (protective covering).
Representative organisms: Algae, fungi, sponges, coelenterates

(5)Organ: Body part, composed of several types of tissues, capable of carrying out a
specialized function, e.g. heart in animals (acting as a pump), leaf in plants (making
food by photosynthesis). Representative organisms: flatworms and, mosses

(6) Organ system: Composed of functionally related organs, e.g. the circulatory
system in animals consists of the heart, blood vessels and blood (for transporting
materials throughout the animal); root system in plants. Representative organisms:
Molluscs, and ferns.

(8) Complex multicellular organism: Composed of several organ systems. Representative

organisms: Mammals and flowering plants

References

Https://www.livescience.com/44549-what-is-biology.html Retrieved on the 7/9/2024.

Https://www.britannica.com/science/life/Genetic Retrieved on the 7/9/2024
Sarojini, T.R (2001). Modern Biology for Senior Secondary, Science Series. Published by
African-Feb-Publishers Limited, Book House Trust, 1 Africa-Feb Driver, PMB 1639
Onitsha, Nigeria.