<h2>Summary of Lessons So Far</h2>
<p id="fs-id1318474">Biology is the science of life. All living organisms share several key properties such as order, sensitivity or response to stimuli, reproduction, <a data-lesson="population-growth-patterns" data-subject="biology" data-tutorial="ecology-overview" href="https://app.ulearngo.com/biology/ecology-overview/population-growth-patterns">growth</a> and development, regulation, homeostasis, and <a data-lesson="biology-203-glossary-9" data-subject="biology" data-tutorial="cell-metabolism" href="https://app.ulearngo.com/biology/cell-metabolism/biology-203-glossary-9">energy</a> processing.</p>
<p>Living things are highly organized parts of a hierarchy that includes atoms, molecules, organelles, cells, tissues, organs, and organ systems. Organisms, in turn, are grouped as populations, communities, ecosystems, and the biosphere.</p>
<p>The great <a href="https://app.ulearngo.com/tutorials/introducing-study-of-life/diversity-of-life">diversity of life</a> today evolved from less-diverse ancestral organisms over billions of years. A diagram called a <a href="https://app.ulearngo.com/tutorials/history-of-life-ii/perspectives-on-the-phylogenetic-tree">phylogenetic tree</a> can be used to show evolutionary relationships among organisms.</p>
<p id="fs-id1467930">Biology is very broad and includes many branches and subdisciplines. Examples include molecular biology, microbiology, neurobiology, zoology, and botany, among others.</p>
<h2>Glossary of Words</h2>
<h3>Atom</h3>
<p>smallest and most fundamental unit of matter</p>
<h3>Biochemistry</h3>
<p>study of the chemistry of biological organisms</p>
<h3>Biosphere</h3>
<p>collection of all the <a data-lesson="ecosystems" data-subject="biology" data-tutorial="ecology-overview" href="https://app.ulearngo.com/biology/ecology-overview/ecosystems">ecosystems</a> on Earth</p>
<h3>Botany</h3>
<p>study of plants</p>
<h3>Cell</h3>
<p>smallest fundamental unit of structure and function in living things</p>
<h3>Community</h3>
<p>set of populations inhabiting a particular area</p>
<h3>Ecosystem</h3>
<p>all the <a data-lesson="principles-of-biology" data-subject="biology" data-tutorial="biology-foundations" href="https://app.ulearngo.com/biology/biology-foundations/principles-of-biology">living things</a> in a particular area together with the abiotic, nonliving parts of that environment</p>
<h3>Eukaryote</h3>
<p>organism with <a data-lesson="prokaryotic-and-eukaryotic-cells" data-subject="biology" data-tutorial="cell-biology" href="https://app.ulearngo.com/biology/cell-biology/prokaryotic-and-eukaryotic-cells">cells</a> that have nuclei and membrane-bound organelles</p>
<h3>Evolution</h3>
<p>process of gradual change during which new <a data-lesson="summarizing-community-ecology" data-subject="biology" data-tutorial="population-community-ecology" href="https://app.ulearngo.com/biology/population-community-ecology/summarizing-community-ecology">species</a> arise from older species and some species become extinct</p>
<h3>Homeostasis</h3>
<p>ability of an organism to maintain constant internal conditions</p>
<h3>Macromolecule</h3>
<p>large molecule, typically formed by the joining of smaller molecules</p>
<h3>Microbiology</h3>
<p>study of the structure and function of microorganisms</p>
<h3>Molecule</h3>
<p>chemical structure consisting of at least two <a data-lesson="chemical-reactions-molecules" data-subject="biology" data-tutorial="chemical-foundation-of-life" href="https://app.ulearngo.com/biology/chemical-foundation-of-life/chemical-reactions-molecules">atoms</a> held together by one or more chemical bonds</p>
<h3>Molecular Biology</h3>
<p>study of biological processes and their regulation at the molecular level, including interactions among molecules such as DNA, RNA, and proteins</p>
<h3>Neurobiology</h3>
<p>study of the biology of the nervous system</p>
<h3>Organ</h3>
<p>collection of related <a data-lesson="complex-tissue-structure" data-subject="biology" data-tutorial="introducing-animal-diversity" href="https://app.ulearngo.com/biology/introducing-animal-diversity/complex-tissue-structure">tissues</a> grouped together performing a common function</p>
<h3>Organ system</h3>
<p>level of organization that consists of functionally related interacting organs</p>
<h3>Organelle</h3>
<p>small structures that exist within cells and carry out cellular functions</p>
<h3>Organism</h3>
<p>individual living entity</p>
<h3>Paleontology</h3>
<p>study of life’s history by means of fossils</p>
<h3>Phylogenetic tree</h3>
<p>diagram showing the evolutionary relationships among various biological species based on similarities and differences in genetic or physical <a href="https://app.ulearngo.com/tutorials/introducing-genetics/mendelian-inheritance">traits</a> or both; in essence, a <a data-lesson="scientific-method-2" data-subject="biology" data-tutorial="biology-foundations" href="https://app.ulearngo.com/biology/biology-foundations/scientific-method-2">hypothesis</a> concerning evolutionary connections</p>
<h3>Population</h3>
<p>all of the individuals of a species living within a specific area</p>
<h3>Prokaryote</h3>
<p>single-celled organism that lacks organelles and does not have nuclei surrounded by a nuclear membrane</p>
<h3>Tissue</h3>
<p>group of similar cells carrying out related functions</p>
<h3>Zoology</h3>
<p>study of animals</p>

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Summary and Main Ideas

Biology studies life and living organisms. Biology can be divided into different sections that cover the morphology, physiology, anatomy, behavior, and so on of living organisms.

Biology

Explore the foundations of biology as a science, including scientific reasoning, the scientific method, controlled experiments, and reporting scientific work to gain an understanding of the properties of life, levels of organization, and diversity of living things.


Summary and Main Ideas

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