Biology

Welcome to Biology!! In this course, we will explore life, cells, inheritance, the microbial world, plant and animal diversity, human structure and function, and ecology. Consider some of these fascinating biological facts as we seek to learn more about them through this course…

• Australia’s Great Barrier Reef is the largest living structure on Earth, reaching over 2000 kilometers (1240 miles) in length.
• The first person to see a live cell with a microscope was Antonie van Leeuwenhoek in 1674.
• Ecology is the study of ecosystems and how organisms interact with their environment.
• While some bacteria can make you sick, others have positive benefits such as helping you digest food or even making yogurt.
• Born on July 5, 1996, Dolly the sheep was the first mammal to be cloned from an adult cell.
• When the DNA of an organism changes and results in a new trait (characteristic), it is known as mutation.
• French chemist and microbiologist Louis Pasteur was well known for inventing a process to stop various foods and liquids making people sick. Called Pasteurization, it reduces the amount of microorganisms that could lead to disease without having a noticeable effect on taste and quality in a way which methods such as sterilization might.
• Antibiotics are only effective against bacteria; they won't help in fighting off a virus, such as the common cold.
• The brain uses over a quarter of the oxygen used by the human body.
• Your heart beats around 100,000 times a day, 36,500,000 times a year, and over a billion times if you live beyond 30.
• Red blood cells carry oxygen around the body. They are created inside the bone marrow of your bones.
• The color of a human’s skin is determined by the level of pigment melanin that the body produces. Those with small amounts of melanin have light skin while those with large amounts have dark skin.
• Adult lungs have a surface area of around 70 square meters!
• Humans have a stage of sleep that features rapid eye movement (REM). REM sleep makes up around 25% of total sleep time and is often when you have your most vivid dreams.
• The smallest bone found in the human body is located in the middle ear. The staples (or stirrup) bone is only 2.8 millimeters long.
• Infants blink only once or twice a minute while adults average around 10.
• It takes the body around 12 hours to completely digest eaten food.
• Your sense of smell is around 10,000 times more sensitive than your sense of taste.
• Your nose and ears continue growing throughout your entire life.
• As well as having unique fingerprints, humans also have unique tongue prints.
• The left side of your body is controlled by the right side of your brain while the right side of your body is controlled by the left side of your brain.   (http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/sciencefacts/biology.html)

I look forward to journeying through this course with you! As you have questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to let me know!

Homework

The following assignment outline is provided for your convenience to help you plan and prepare your studies. As much as possible, we will follow this guide. Any schedule changes or adjustments will be announced in class with as much advance notice as possible. Ultimately, it is the student’s responsibility to keep track of assignments.