Unifying Themes in Biology

Summary:

In this Unifying Themes in Biology note, it’s explained that Biology is the study of living things, from the smallest components to the entire biosphere. It can be organized into five themes: emergent properties, genetic information transmission and expression, matter and energy transformation, biological systems interactions, and evolution. These themes encompass a range of topics, from molecular interactions to ecosystem relationships and the diversification of life through natural selection.

Excerpt:

Unifying Themes in Biology

Biology came from the words bios which means life, and logos which means to know. It is the
systematic study of living things. Biological science is vast. It deals with the smallest component of
the living system, the biosphere. It attempts to understand how living things function, reproduce,
metabolize and evolve over time. The vast information resulting from inquiries in the field of biology
may be organized into five unifying themes

Theme 1: Emergent properties develop at each level of the Biological Hierarchy.

Emergent properties are properties that are present at the biological level but not present at the
preceding level. These properties are the result of the arrangement and interactions of biological
components. Think of a bicycle. The bicycle has wheels, pedals, chains and sprockets. None of these
parts, on their own, can be ridden. Even a complete set of bicycle parts cannot be ridden unless the
parts are arranged in a specific manner that allows the correct interaction of the parts. The property
of the bicycle, “bicycle can be ridden,” is an emergent property that is not present in the individual
parts. A muscle, such as the triceps, has the ability to contract, but it cannot perform complex tasks
such as throwing a ball or running. These functions are emergent properties present at the organismal
level but not at the organ level.

Unifying Themes in Biology

The human triceps can contract to extend the forearm, a function that is antagonistic to the function of the biceps brachii.