Senior High School

Earth & Life Science

Quarter 2–Module 2:
Unifying Themes in the Study of
Life
 What I Need to Know
This module was designed and written with you in mind. It is here to help you
master the Unifying Themes of Biology. The scope of this module permits it to be
used in many different learning situations. The language used recognizes the
diverse vocabulary level of students. The lessons are arranged to follow the
standard sequence of the course. But the order in which you read them can be
changed to correspond with the textbook you are now using.

The module covers:

 Lesson 1 – Unifying Themes of Study of Life (Biology)

After going through this module, you are expected to:

1. name the unifying themes in the study of life;
2. describe the unifying themes illustrated;
3. explain the connection among living things and their interaction with the
environment;
4. give details on how these themes serve as the foundation in the study of
biology.
5. value life by taking good care of all beings, human, plants and animals.

What I Know

Choose the letter of the best answer. Write the chosen letter on a separate sheet of
paper.

1. Continuity of life is explained by ______________.

A. evolution C. form and function
B. regulation D. reproduction and inheritance
2. Living things are considered organisms if they possess which of the following
characteristics?
A. grow and develop
B. failure to produce offspring
C. absence of orderly structure
D. incapability of adapting to changing environment
3. Which of the following best explains why humans sweat when they feel hot?
A. ability to grow C. maintain the internal environment
B. ability to reproduce D. use energy
 4. Study the given picture. Which of the following DOES NOT
describe it?
A. It shows how organisms respond to its environment.
B. The organisms are growing and developing.
C. There is a transfer of energy among living organisms.
D. They are evolving.
5. Which statement does not describe the image on the right
side?
A. Plants acquire energy for them to perform its task, the
food making.
B. Plants need the abiotic factors in order to grow.
C. There is a transfer of energy from the sun to the plants.
D. They are evolving.
6. Which among the given statements describes a cell?
A. Early organisms lack cell.
B. Cell is the basic unit of life.
C. Cell is present among eukaryotic only.
D. All of the above.
7. Living organisms cannot live alone, they are interacting with the abiotic factors
for sustainability of life. Which among the organisms is considered as the
abiotic?
A. bacteria C. light
B. plant D. man
8. One of the characteristics possessed by living organisms is growth and
development. This happens upon acquiring energy. When creating a food chain,
in what order do we start illustrating the smallest organism having the most
energy?
A. leading to the right C. in the middle
B. leading to the left D. any order will do
9. A nice smell of a plant is an adaptation that ______________
A. helps the plant to keep the nutrients inside.
B. pushes away the animals that try to eat them.
C. attracts the pollinators.
D. regulates the internal environment.
10. It was observed that the deciduous trees lose their leaves during winter season
in order to avoid freezing. This is an example of ______________.
A. a response C. function and structure
B. organization of life D. unity of living systems
11. It is a unifying theme of life science that explains the improvement of lives of all
organisms through research.
A. adaptation C. energy and life
B. inheritance D. biology and society
12. All organisms alive today have descended from simple cellular creatures billions
of years ago. Biologists were able to identify and preserved some of the
characteristics of that earliest organisms. This is associated in what theme?
A. Function and structure are interdependent.
B. Cell theory as a description of living systems.
C. Emergent properties arise from the organization of life.
D. Unity of living systems is explained by evolutionary conservation.
13. The orchard sprayed with the chemical yields an average of 60 kilos of mangoes
per tree, the other orchard yields an average of 40 kilos of mangoes per tree.
Based on the data, in order to have a better yield trees must ______________.
I. receive the same amount of sunlight
II. receive the same amount of water
III. increase the orchard spray
A. I only C. I, II
B. II only D. I, II, III
14. Many threatened or endangered species can be saved by a large ______________.
A. coal mine C. wildlife hunting
B. food chain D. reforestation project
15. Living organisms can be protected through fighting deforestation. Which
statement/s describe/s this?
A. Plant more trees.
B. Reduce the use of products made from wood fiber.
C. Demand forest products from sustainable sources and deforestation fee
supply chains.
D. The choices are all correct.
Lesson Unifying Themes in the Study of
1 Life
Earth is the home of human beings and organisms, including animals,
plants and microorganisms. They are found in the different parts of the said planet.
The ecosystems-the biological communities- include living organisms (biotic
factors) like animals, plants, insects and bacteria (interacting to its environment),
as well as the nonliving components (abiotic factors) like the rock, soil, water and
sunlight. Non-living things are classified as inanimate objects that may influence,
alter or impact the life of biotic factors. These abiotic factors are essential to biotic
factors in various ways.

The field of science that deals with the study of life is the Life
Science/Biology. It involves different disciplines. These disciplines are connected to
one another, through which the biologist termed as unifying themes.

This module emphasizes these unifying themes that serve as the bases of the
study of Life Science. The ten unifying themes include: emergent properties, the
cell, the heritable information, structure/function, interaction with the
environment, regulation, unity and diversity, evolution, scientific inquiry, and the
science, technology and society. More so, this module explores how organisms
interact with one another and to its environment.

What’s In

Biology is the discipline of science that deals with the study of life. This
comprises number of disciplines such as biochemistry and ecology. As a wide-
ranging and complex science, biologists designed the term “unifying themes”, which
serve as the bases for the study of life.

Activity 1: DAD (Decode, Arrange, Describe)

Directions: Decode the given numbers to their corresponding letters of the
alphabet, then arrange the letters to reveal the magic word related to Biology.
Lastly, describe the term revealed.
 What’s New

Activity 2: Name It
Directions: Name the unifying theme illustrated below. Choose your answer from
words inside the box.
Activity 3: Match It
Directions: Match the given statements to its corresponding unifying themes.
 What is It

The unifying theme connects the different subdisciplines that make biology
as a science. In addition to, the living organisms differ from nonliving organisms in
various aspects. What are these shared properties (of living organisms) that make
something “alive”?
 All levels of life have systems of related parts.
 A system is an organized group of interacting parts.
 A cell is a system of chemicals and processes. It is the basic unit of life.
 A body system includes organs that interact.
 An ecosystem includes living and nonliving things that interact.
 Structure and function are related in biology.
 Structure determines function.
 The structure is the shape of the object.
 The function is the object’s specific role.
 Organisms must maintain homeostasis to survive in diverse
environments.
 Homeostasis is the maintenance of constant internal conditions.
 All living organisms must live in a stable environment.
 Evolution explains the unity and diversity of life.
 Evolution is the change in living things over time. The genetic makeup
of a population of species changes.
 It accounts for both the diversity and the unity of life.
 Traits are being inherited and transferred.
 The continuity of life depends on the inheritance of biological
information in the form of DNA molecules.
 The genetic information is encoded in the nucleotide sequences of the
DNA.
 Organisms reproduce.
 It is necessary part of living; process of making more of one’s own kind.
 Organisms are interdependent with one another.
 Organisms have evolved to live and interact with other organisms.
 Ecology deals with the interactions of living organisms with one another
and their environment.
 Organisms acquire and process energy.
 Living organisms use a source of energy for their metabolic activities.
 Some living organisms capture the light energy and convert it into
chemical energy in food.
 Some living organisms use chemical energy stored in molecules
obtained from food.

In addition to the properties mentioned, the two additional unifying themes in

the study of life include the scientific inquiry and science, technology and society.
  Scientific Inquiry
 The process of science includes observation-based discovery and the
testing of explanations through the hypothetic-deductive.
 Scientific credibility depends on the repeatability of observation and
experiments.
 Science, Technology and Society
 Many technologies are goal-oriented applications of science.
 The relationships of science and technology to society are now more
crucial to understand than ever before.

Activity 4: What a Beautiful Life!

Directions: Given the characteristics of life in the first column, answer the related
questions posted in the second column.
 What’s More

Activity 5: Connect Me
Directions: Show the connections of the given biotic and abiotic factors written
inside the box through a concept map.

Activity 6: What’s the connection?

Biology, also referred as Biological Science or Life Science that deals with the study
of living organisms. It is divided into subdisciplines. As a broad discipline,
biologists use the term unifying themes where the study is being anchored. The
major unifying themes that were mentioned include the cell theory as a description
of living systems, continuity of life as explained by the molecular basis of
inheritance, the interdependence of structure and function, the diversity of life
brought by evolution, unity of living systems as explained by evolutionary
conservations, and emergent properties that arise from the organization of life.
Directions: Describe each unifying theme illustrated below. Give details on how
these themes serve as the foundation in the study of biology.
Directions: Using the illustration below, explain briefly the interconnections of
living things and their environment. State how human being may value life.

Activity 7: Picture It Out

Directions: Create a visual representation of each theme. Write a sentence that will
explain how your picture is connected to the theme.
Activity 8: Complete Me
Directions: The two additional unifying themes of Biology are: “science benefits from
a cooperative approach and diverse viewpoints” and “scientists make observations
and then form and test hypotheses”. Using the template below, share your ideas
about the mentioned themes as you relate it to science, technology, and society.

What I Have Learned

Understanding how life came about is a deep scientific undertaking. Organisms’

function, structures, growth and origin are indeed one of many diverse topics that
should be explored to grasp the complexities of life. Generally, the following
statements provide key concepts on the unifying themes in the study of life.

1. Biology is about the study of life.

2. The unifying themes connect the different subdisciplines that make up biology
as a science.
3. The unifying themes of biology comprise the cell theory as a description of
living systems, continuity of life, interdependence of function and structure,
evolution, unity of living systems and the properties that arise from the
organization of life.
4. The living organisms are composed of cells as what was discussed in the cell
theory. The cell theory is the foundation of our understanding of reproduction
and growth of organisms.
5. The continuity of life is best explained by the molecular basis of inheritance.
Heredity, which is the continuity of life from one generation to the next, is
dependent on correct copying of cell’s DNA into daughter cells.
6. The function and structure are interdependent.
7. The evolutionary change give rise to the diversity of life.
8. Living organisms (biotic factors) are dependent on its environment which
consists of nonliving organisms (abiotic factors). Living organisms also interact
with other living organisms.
9. Biotic factors (living things) are defined by set of characteristics including the
ability to reproduce, grow, move and ability to adapt to its environment. They
need food, water and other abiotic factors for their growth and development.
10. Abiotic factors are inanimate objects which include rocks, water, weather and
other living things present in the environment.
11. Biological systems are organized.
12. The study of Biology is important. It enables us to make appropriate decisions
in life. Failure to grasp biological concepts lead into an inappropriate decisions.
13. One must value life by taking good care of all beings, humans, plants and
animals.

What I Can Do
“Covid-19 is one of the current problems that the world is experiencing. It is an
infectious disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome which affects
different people in different ways. How do you think Biology can be used to solve
this problem? (Include also on your discussion on how life may be valued.)
Make a creative presentation for your discussion.
 Assessment
Directions: Choose the letter of the best answer. Write the chosen letter on a
separate sheet of paper.

1. Genes are passed from one generation to the next generation through
______________.
A. evolution C. form and function
B. regulation D. reproduction and inheritance
2. Which among the given examples describes the unifying form and structure?
A. cellular basis of life
B. light as source of energy
C. bats have wings specialized for flying
D. living things arise from pre-existing cells
3. Makahiya plant closes its leaflets when touched. This is an example of
______________
A. energy and life C. form and structure
B. response to stimuli D. reproduction and inheritance

4. Describe the image illustrated.

A. It shows how organisms respond to its environment.
B. Organisms are growing and developing.
C. There is a transfer of energy among living organisms.
D. They are evolving.

5. Which statement does not describe the image on the right side?
A. Plants acquire energy for them to perform its task,
the food making.
B. Plants need the abiotic factors in order to grow.
C. There is a transfer of energy from the sun to the
plants.
D. They are evolving.

6. Which is TRUE among the given statements that tell something about the
illustration?
A. Early organisms lack cell.
B. Cell is the basic unit of life.
C. Cell is present among eukaryotic only.
D. Cell is present on fossils.

7. Living organisms cannot live alone, they are interacting with the abiotic factors
for sustainability of life. Which among the organisms is considered as the
abiotic?
A. bacteria C. light
B. plant D. man
8. Chameleons shift colors wherever they go. They are able to turn any colors or
combine colors depending on where the environment is. What trait is being
described?
A. adaptation C. inheritance
B. interaction D. reproduction
9. The diversity of life arises by change leading to the present biodiversity that we
see. This is what we call as ______________.
A. evolution C. inheritance
B. adaptation D. reproduction
10. The field of science is changing the lives of all organisms through technology
and research. This is explained by ______________.
A. adaptation C. energy and life
B. biology and society D. inheritance
11. All organisms alive today have descended from simple cellular creatures
billions of years ago. Biologists were able to identify and preserved some of the
characteristics of that earliest organisms. This is associated in what theme?
A. Function and structure are interdependent
B. Cell theory as a description of living systems.
C. Emergent properties arise from the organization of life.
D. Unity of living systems is explained by evolutionary conservation.
12. Research plays significant role for the improvement of lives in a given society.
With these, more scientists agree that all scientific knowledge comes from
______________.
A. experimentation
B. observation
C. textbooks
D. both experimentation and observation
13. The orchard sprayed with the chemical yields an average of 60 kilos of mango
per tree, the other orchard yields an average of 40 kilos of mangoes per tree.
Based on the data, in order to have a better yield trees must ______________.
I. receive the same amount of sunlight
II. receive the same amount of water
III. increase the orchard spray
A. I only C. I, II
B. II only D. I, II, III
14. Many threatened or endangered species can be saved by a large ______________.
A. coal mine C. wildlife hunting
B. food chain D. reforestation project
15. Living organisms can be protected through fighting deforestation. Which
statement/s describe/s this?
A. Plant more trees.
B. Reduce the use of products made from wood fiber.
C. Demand forest products from sustainable sources and deforestation fee
supply chains.
D. The choices are all correct.
 Additional Activities

1. Explain the quotation “Your body isn’t just a body, it’s an ecosystem” by Steve
Mills. You may present your work through an essay or illustration.

2. Explain how Biology can be studied from a microscopic approach to global

approach. (Indicate the unifying themes where the study of Biology is being
anchored).