AMAZING WORLD OF SCIENCE WITH MR. GREEN
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        • ESS Topic 1.1: Environmental Value Systems
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        • ESS Topic 1.3: Energy and Equilibria
        • ESS Topic 1.4: Sustainability
        • ESS Topic 1.5: Humans and Pollution
      • ESS Topic 2 Ecosystems and Ecology >
        • ESS Topic 2.1: Species and Population
        • ESS Topic 2.2: Communities and Ecosystems
        • ESS Topic 2.3: Flows of Energy and Matter
        • ESS Topic 2.4: Biomes, Zonation and Succession
        • ESS Topic 2.5: Investigating Ecosystems
      • ESS Topic 3: Biodiversity and Conservation >
        • ESS Topic 3.1: Introduction to Biodiversity
        • ESS Topic 3.2: Origins of Biodiversity
        • ESS Topic 3.3: Threats to Biodiversity
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      • ESS Topic 4: Water and Aquatic Food Production Systems and Society >
        • ESS Topic 4.1: Introduction to Water Systems
        • ESS Topic 4.2: Access to Fresh Water
        • ESS Topic 4.3: Aquatic Food Production Systems
        • ESS Topic 4.4: Water Pollution
      • ESS Topic 5:Soil Systems and Terrestrial Food Production Systems and Society >
        • ESS Topic 5.1: Introduction to Soil Systems
        • ESS Topic 5.2: Terrestrial Food Production Systems and Food Choices
        • ESS Topic 5.3: Soil Degradation and Conservation
      • ESS Topic 6: Atmospheric Systems and Society >
        • ESS Topic 6.1: Introduction to the Atmosphere
        • ESS Topic 6.2: Stratospheric Ozone
        • ESS Topic 6.3: Photochemical Smog
        • ESS Topic 6.4: Acid Deposition
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        • ESS Topic 7.1: Energy Source and Security
        • ESS Topic 7.2: Climate change – Causes and Impacts
        • ESS Topic 7.3: Climate change – Mitigation and Adaptation
      • ESS Topic 8: Human System and Resource Use >
        • ESS Topic 8.1: Human Populations Dynamics
        • ESS Topic 8.2: Resource Use in Society
        • ESS Topic 8.3 Solid Domestic Waste
        • ESS Topic 8.4 Human Population Carrying Capacity
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    • IB Biology SL Topics >
      • Statistical Anaylsis
      • Topic 1: Cell Biology >
        • Topic 1.1 Introduction to Cells
        • Topic 1.2 Ultra-Structure of Cells
        • Topic 1.3 Membrane Structure
        • Topic 1.4 Membrane Transport
        • Topic 1.5 Origin of Cells
        • Topic 1.6: Cell Division
      • Topic 2: Molecular Biology >
        • Topic 2.1:Molecules to Metabolism
        • Topic 2.2 Water
        • Topic 2.3: Carbohydrates and Lipids
        • Topic 2.4: Proteins
        • Topic 2.5: Enzymes
        • Topic 2.6: Structure of DNA and RNA
        • Topic 2.7: DNA Replication, Transcription and Translation
        • Topic 2.8 Cellular Respiration
        • Topic 2.9: Photosynthesis
      • Topic 3: Genetics >
        • Topic 3.1: Genes
        • Topic 3.2: Chromosomes
        • Topic 3.3: Meiosis
        • Topic 3.4: Inheritance
        • Topic 3.5: Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology
      • Topic 4: Ecology >
        • 4.1 Species, Communities and Ecosystems
        • 4.2 Energy Flow
        • 4.3 Carbon Cycle
        • 4.4 Climate Change
      • Topic 5: Evolution and Biodiversity >
        • Topic 5.1 Evidence for Evolution
        • Topic 5.2 Natural Selection
        • Topic 5.3: Classification of Biodiversity
        • Topic 5.4: Cladistics
      • Topic 6: Human Physiology >
        • Topic 6.1: Digestion and Absorption
        • Topic 6.2: The Blood System
        • Topic 6.3: Defense Against Infectious Disease
        • Topic 6.4: Gas Exchange
        • Topic 6.5: Neurones and Synapses
        • Topic 6.6: Hormones, Homeostasis and Reproduction
    • IB Biology HL Topics >
      • Topic 7: Nucleic Acids >
        • Topic 7.1 DNA Structure and Replication
        • Topic 7.2 Transcription and Gene Expression
        • Topic 7.3 Translation
      • Topic 8: Metabolism, Cell Respiration and Photosynthesis >
        • Topic 8.1 Metabolism
        • Topic 8.2 Cell Respiration
        • Topic 8.3 Photosynthesis
      • Topic 9: Plant Biology >
        • Topic 9.1 Transport in the Xylem of Plants
        • Topic 9.2 Transport in the Phloem of Plants
        • Topic 9.3 Growth in Plants
        • Topic 9.4: Reproduction in Plants
      • Topic 10: Genetics and Evolution >
        • Topic 10.1: Meiosis
        • Topic 10.2: Inheritance
        • Topic 10.3: Gene Pools and Speciation
      • Topic 11: Animal Physiology >
        • Topic 11.1 Antibody Production and Vaccination
        • Topic 11.2: Movement
        • Topic 11.3: The Kidney and Osmoregulation
        • Topic 11.4: Sexual Reproduction
    • Options >
      • Option D: Human Physiology >
        • D1: Human Nutrition (Core)
        • D2: Digestion (Core)
        • D3: Function of the Liver (Core)
        • D4: Function of the Heart (Core)
        • D5: Hormones and Metabolism (HL)
        • D6: Transport of Respiratory Gases (HL)
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      • Internal Assessment Personal Engagement
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    • IB Biology Revision
    • Group 4 Project
  • Grade 10 MYP Biology
    • Grade 10 Topic 1: Blood and Circulation
  • Grade 9 MYP Biology
    • Grade 9 Topic 1: Life Processes
    • GR9 Topic 2: Cells
    • GR 9 Topic 3: Macro Molecules
    • GR9 Topic 4 Cellular Movement
    • GR 9 Topic 5: Transport In Plant
    • GR 9 Topic 6 Enzymes
    • GR 9 Topic 7 Microscopy
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  • Scientific Dictionary
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topic 1: life processes

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What is life? A rather difficult question to answer. When you look around, how would you categorize what you see? In biology, the broadest groupings are biotic (living) and abiotic (non-living). This may sound simple, but it is sometimes difficult to decide whether something is truly alive or not.

Instead of defining life, it is easier to look at specific characteristics.  All living things share life processes such as growth and reproduction. Most scientists use seven life processes or characteristics to determine whether something is living or non-living

Distinguish between living and nonliving systems
  • Distinguish: Make clear the differences between two or more concepts or items. 

Living things are the organism, that is alive. They are made up of a small unit of the structure known as cells, which form tissues. Different tissues, in turn, combine to form organs and when all these organs function together as an integrated unit, called as an organ system, which functions in something that has a life. They are human beings, plants, insects, birds, animals, fungi, bacteria, algae, protozoa, etc.

​Non-living things refer to those things, which are not alive, i.e. the characteristic of life is absent, in them. They do not show any trait of life, such as Reproduction, growth and development, respiration, metabolism, adaptation, responsiveness, movement, etc
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Organisms are highly organized, coordinated structures that consist of one or more cells. Even very simple, single-celled organisms are remarkably complex: inside each cell, atoms make up molecules; these in turn make up cell organelles and other cellular inclusions
Explain that living organisms share the same characteristics:
  • Explain Give a detailed account
Pictureimage from notions-english-disciple.blogspot.com
Living things include both the visible world of animals and plants , as well as the invisible world . On a basic level, we can say that life is ordered . Organisms have an enormously complex organization. We're all familiar with the intricate systems of the basic unit of life, the cell . 

Life can also "work." No, not the daily employment variety, but living creatures can take in energy from the environment. This energy, in the form of food, is transformed to maintain metabolic processes and for survival. 


​
Living things are made up of small self-contained units called cells. Each cell is a collection of living matter enclosed by a barrier that separates the cell from its surroundings. Most cells can perform all the functions we associate with life. Organisms consisting of only a single cell are called unicellular. Most of the organisms you are familiar with, however, are multicellular, meaning they are made up of many cells



Picturehttps://www.sciencemag.org/news/2018/02/cheetahs-ears-are-crucial-catching-dinner
​Movement

Although some organisms are pretty much immobile they will always have some level of self-powered movement, be it their entire body or particular body parts. Movement is evolutionarily important for organisms because it improves the chances of catching food or avoiding capture for both predator and prey. Organisms that aren’t able to move freely will usually have strong defenses against predation or prolific reproduction. All living things move in some way. This may be obvious, such as animals that are able to walk, or less obvious, such as plants that have parts that move to track the movement of the sun

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Respiration

All organisms use a source of energy for their metabolic activities. Some organisms capture energy from the sun and convert it into chemical energy in food (photosynthesis); others use chemical energy in molecules they take in as food (cellular respiration).

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Stimulation
​

All living things are able to respond to stimuli in the external environment. For example, living things respond to changes in light, heat, sound, and chemical and mechanical contact. To detect stimuli, organisms have means for receiving information, such as eyes, ears, and taste buds.

To respond effectively to changes in the environment, an organism must coordinate its responses. A system of nerves and a number of chemical regulators called hormones coordinate activities within an organism. The organism responds to the stimuli by means of a number of effectors, such as muscles and glands. Energy is generally used in the process.

Picturehttps://wou.edu/chemistry/courses/online-chemistry-textbooks/ch103-allied-health-chemistry/ch103-chapter-9-homeostasis-and-cellular-function/
Homeostasis

All living things are able to maintain a more-or-less constant internal environment. They keep things relatively stable on the inside regardless of the conditions around them. The process of maintaining a stable internal environment is called homeostasis. Human beings, for example, maintain a stable internal body temperature. If you go outside when the air temperature is below freezing, your body doesn’t freeze. Instead, by shivering and other means, it maintains a stable internal temperature.

Picturehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biological_life_cycle
Growth

Life grows and develops . This means more than just getting larger in size. Living organisms also have the ability to rebuild and repair themselves when injured. Living organisms undergo regulated growth. Individual cells become larger in size, and multicellular organisms accumulate many cells through cell division. You yourself started out as a single cell and now have tens of trillions of cells in your body. Growth depends on anabolic pathways that build large, complex molecules such as proteins and DNA, the genetic material. All living things grow during some period of their lives.
When a living thing grows, it gets larger and then divides,
forming two cells.

When a multicellular organism grows, the number of cells in its body increases and the organism gets
bigger. Many living things don’t just get larger as they grow. They also develop and change. Humans pass through different stages as they mature from childhood to adulthood. During these stages, the human body changes. Frogs and butterflies have body shapes that look completely different during different stages of development.

Picturehttps://socratic.org/questions/what-is-one-advantage-of-sexual-reproduction-over-asexual-reproduction
​Reproduction

A living thing has the ability to produce copies of itself by the process known as reproduction. These copies are made while the organism is still living. Among plants and simple animals, reproduction is often an extension of the growth process. More complex organisms engage in a type of reproduction called sexual reproduction, in which two parents contribute to the formation of a new individual. During this process, a new combination of traits can be produced.

Asexual reproduction involves only one parent, and the resulting cells are generally identical to the parent cell. For example, bacteria grow and quickly reach maturity, after which they split into two organisms by a process of asexual reproduction called binary fission.

Picture
Picturehttp://www.biologychamps.com/Blog/194
​Excretion

Excretion is the elimination of excess ions, water, and metabolic wastes from the body. As in all organisms, excretion in insects serves to promote the appropriate regulation (homeostasis) of the intracellular environment as the key to organismal well-being and survival

Picturehttps://blogs.iu.edu/sciu/2017/05/30/theres-no-free-lunch-in-nature/
Nutrition

In order for organisms to survive they require food for energy and nutrients. Energy and nutrients are essential for growth, survival and reproduction. Many living things, such as animals, acquire nutrients by eating other organisms. Other organisms, such as plants, get food and nutrients from their environment. Plants use energy from the sun to convert carbon dioxide in the atmosphere into sugars and their roots absorb water and nutrients from the soil.

Describe the common features shared by  organisms within the following main groups. For each group describe examples and their  features as follows (details of life cycle and economic importance are not  required):
  • Describe: Give a detailed account or picture of a situation, event, pattern or process.

Plants - The plants (correctly, ‘green plants’) are all multicellular and are photosynthetic. This makes them autotrophic. Plants:
  • are all eukaryotes
  • are all multicellular
  • have cells which are surrounded by a cellulose cell wall
  • produce multicellular embryos from fertilized eggs
  • example; flowering plants, conifers, mosses

Animals - The animals are multicellular organisms that gain nutrition by digesting organic matter (heterotrophic). The animals:
  • are all eukaryotes
  • are all multicellular
  • are usually able to move around
  • have fertilized eggs that develop into a ball of cells called a blastula
  • example; mammals, fish, amphibians, insects

Fungi - The fungi are a group of organisms in which the body consists of a mycelium – a network of strands called hyphae. The cytoplasm is surrounded by a wall of chitin and the cytoplasm is not divided into cells. It is multinucleate (has multiple  nuclei). The organisms of this kingdom:
  • are all eukaryotes
  • usually multicellular, but some can be unicellular
  • are mostly saprophytic (cause the decay of organic matter)
  • example; mushrooms, penicillin

Protoctists - The protoctists are eukaryotes. They are single-celled, except for a minority which are multicellular, Protoctists
  • are all eukaryotes
  • are (generally) single-celled
  • show various animal-like or plant-like features
  • have either autotrophic or heterotrophic nutrition (some photosynthesize and ingest prey, some feed using 
  • extracellular enzymes, and some are parasites)
  • example: algae

Prokaryotes -
Picture
Describe the biological levels of organization 
  • ​Describe: Give a detailed account or picture of a situation, event, pattern or process.
Living things have a level of complexity and organization not found in lifeless objects. At its most fundamental level, a living thing is composed of one or more cells. These units, generally too small to be seen with the naked eye, are organized into tissues. A tissue is a series of cells that accomplish a shared function. Tissues, in turn, form organs, such as the stomach and kidney. A number of organs working together compose an organ system. An organism is a complex series of various organ systems
Picturehttp://biology4alevel.blogspot.com/2014/08/16-summary-of-biological-molecules.html
​Molecules - Molecules are made of atoms, the smallest unit of chemical elements. They can be found in all matter, living and non-living. Molecules make up the most basic structures of living beings. Two biological disciplines that focus on this level are biochemistry and molecular biology

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Organelles - Some cells contain aggregates of macromolecules surrounded by membranes; these are called organelles. Organelles are small structures that exist within cells.

​Examples of organelles include mitochondria and chloroplasts, which carry out indispensable functions: mitochondria produce energy to power the cell, while chloroplasts enable green plants to utilize the energy in sunlight to make sugars. 

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Cells - A cell is the basic unit of life. There are two kinds of cells: plant cells, which have a rigid cell wall made of cellulose molecules, and animal cells, which have flexible cell membranes. Cell biologists consider questions such as metabolism and other questions about structure and function within and between cells. some  organisms consist of a single cell and others are multicellular. Cells are classified as prokaryotic or eukaryotic. Prokaryotes are single-celled or colonial organisms that do not have membrane-bound nuclei or organelles; in contrast, the cells of eukaryotes do have membrane-bound organelles and a membrane-bound nucleus

Picturehttps://openstax.org/books/anatomy-and-physiology/pages/4-1-types-of-tissues
Tissue - In larger organisms, cells combine to make tissues, which are groups of similar cells carrying out similar or related functions. Tissue is made of cells that work together to perform a certain task.
  • Epithelial - consists of tightly packed sheets of cells that cover surfaces—including the outside of the body—and line body cavities. For instance, the outer layer of your skin is an epithelial tissue, and so is the lining of your small intestine.
  • Connective - cells suspended in an extracellular matrix. In most cases, the matrix is made up of protein fibers like collagen and fibrin in a solid, liquid, or jellylike ground substance. Connective tissue supports and, as the name suggests, connects other tissues
  • Muscle - essential for keeping the body upright, allowing it to move, and even pumping blood and pushing food through the digestive tract
  • Nerve - involved in sensing stimuli—external or internal cues—and processing and transmitting information. It consists of two main types of cells: neurons, or nerve cells, and glia

Picture
​Organs - Organs are collections of tissues grouped together performing a common function. Organs are present not only in animals but also in plants. 

The human body is made up of several organ systems that all work together as a unit to make sure the body keeps functioning. There are ten major organ systems in the body, each of which plays a different role in helping the body work.

In an organ, different tissues work together to carry out a particular function. These are the main organs, as well as their primary function:
  • The brain controls thoughts, memory and other organs.
  • The heart pumps blood around the body.
  • The lungs separate oxygen from the air and remove carbon dioxide from the blood.
  • The stomach helps to digest food.
  • The intestines absorb nutrients from food.
  • The liver removes poisons from the blood.
  • The kidneys filter blood and produce urine.
  • The bladder stores urine.
  • The skin protects and contains the other organs.

Picturehttps://www.thoughtco.com/organ-systems-373571
Organ system - An organ system s a group of anatomical structures that work together to perform a specific function or task. Although we learn about each organ system as a distinct entity, the functions of the body's organ systems overlap considerably, and your body could not function without the cooperation of all of its organ systems. In fact, the failure of even one organ system could lead to severe disability or even death



The human body is composed of 11 different organ systems. These include the following:
  • Integumentary
  • Muscular
  • Skeletal
  • Nervous
  • Circulatory
  • Lymphatic
  • Respiratory
  • Endocrine
  • Urinary/excretory
  • Reproductive
  • Digestive

Picturehttps://www.tutorialspoint.com/biology_part1/biology_diversity_in_living_organisms.htm
Organisms - An organism is a recognizable, self-contained individual. Organisms can be unicellular organisms such as bacteria or amoebae, or multi-cellular organisms comprised of organs and organ systems. A human being is an example of a multi-cellular organism.

Picturehttps://www.thoughtco.com/glossary-of-ecology-and-population-terms-130927
Population - All the individuals of a species living within a specific area are collectively called a population. For example, a forest may include many pine trees. All of these pine trees represent the population of pine trees in this forest. Different populations may live in the same specific area


Key Terms:
Integumentary
Muscular
Skeletal
Nervous
Circulatory
Lymphatic

abiotic
biotic
stimulus
​tissue
grow/develop
organelles
tissue
​connective tissue
excrete
move
reproduce

homeostasis
nerve tissue
control
respire
life cycle


population
​organism
nutrition
Respiratory
Endocrine
Urinary/excretory
Reproductive
Digestive

Class Material

Characteristics of Life 
How Do We Know Something Is Living worksheet
Classification
Marty The Martian Activity
Levels of Organizations

Useful Links
Some fun matching games
Traits of Life Exhibits
BBC Bitesize
Life Processes activity

​​​Correct use of terminology is a key skill in Biology. It is essential to use key terms correctly when communicating your understanding, particularly in assessments. Use the quizlet flashcards or other tools such as learn, scatter, space race, speller and test to help you master the vocabulary
Video Clips:
Life is difficult to define, but there are characteristics of life that can be explored! Join the Amoeba Sisters as they explore several characteristics of life. Click "show more" to expand video details to see table of contents & additional information
The Amoeba Sisters tour through the biological levels of organization: cells, tissues, organs, organ systems, organism, population, community, ecosystem, biome, biosphere! 
Hank tells us the background story and explains the importance of the science of classifying living things, also known as taxonomy.
Explores classification in biology as well as taxonomy hierarchy: domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus, and species with The Amoeba Sisters! This video also discusses the importance of scientific names and why classification can have major changes due to DNA and cell structure evidence.
Bill Nye brings us through the Life Cycle of Organisms
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