CONCEPT 1.1 made every day.

How can you organize into a comprehen-

sible framework all the information you’ll encounter as you
The study of life reveals study biology? Focusing on a few big ideas will help. Here are
five unifying themes—ways of thinking about life that will
unifying themes still be useful decades from now.
At the most fundamental level, we may ask: What is life? Even a
• Organization
child realizes that a dog or a plant is alive, while a rock or a car is
• Information
not. Yet the phenomenon we call life defies a simple definition.
• Energy and Matter
We recognize life by what living things do. Figure 1.2 highlights
• Interactions
some of the properties and processes we associate with life.
• Evolution
Biology, the scientific study of life, is a subject of enor-
mous scope, and exciting new biological discoveries are being In this section and the next, we’ll briefly explore each theme.

. Figure 1.2 Some properties of life.

. Order. This close-up of a sunflower

illustrates the highly ordered
structure that characterizes life.

m Regulation. The regulation of blood

flow through the blood vessels of this
jackrabbit’s ears helps maintain a
constant body temperature by
m Evolutionary adaptation. The overall adjusting heat exchange with the
appearance of this pygmy sea horse surrounding air.
camouflages the animal in its environment.
Such adaptations evolve over countless
generations by the reproductive
success of those individuals with . Reproduction.
heritable traits that are best suited to Organisms (living
their environments. things) reproduce
their own kind.
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m Response to the
environment.
m Energy processing. This The Venus flytrap
butterfly obtains fuel in on the left closed
the form of nectar from its trap rapidly in
flowers. The butterfly response to the
will use chemical energy environmental
stored in its food to stimulus of a
m Growth and development. grasshopper
power flight and other
Inherited information carried by landing on the
work.
genes controls the pattern of open trap.
Mastering Biology growth and development of organ-
Animation: Signs of Life isms, such as this oak seedling.
Video: Sea Horse Camouflage

CHAPTER 1 Biology and Its Themes

Campbell, Neil, et al. Biology: a Global Approach, Global Edition, Pearson Education, Limited, 2020. ProQuest Ebook Central, http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/cuhk-ebooks/detail.action?docID=6191695. 51
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 Theme: New Properties Emerge at complex systems to simpler components that are more man-
ageable to study. Reductionism is a powerful strategy in biol-
Successive Levels of Biological Organization
ogy. For example, by studying the molecular structure of DNA
ORGANIZATION The study of life on Earth extends from
that had been extracted from cells, James Watson and Francis
the microscopic scale of the molecules and cells that make up Crick inferred the chemical basis of biological inheritance.
organisms to the global scale of the entire living planet. As Despite its importance, reductionism provides an incomplete
biologists, we can divide this enormous range into different view of life on Earth, as you’ll see next.
levels of biological organization. In Figure 1.3, we zoom in
from space to take a closer and closer look at life in a moun-
tain meadow. This journey, depicted as a series of numbered Emergent Properties
steps, highlights the hierarchy of biological organization. Let’s reexamine Figure 1.3, beginning this time at the molec-
Zooming in at ever-finer resolution illustrates the prin- ular level and then zooming out. This approach allows us
ciple that underlies reductionism, an approach that reduces to see novel properties emerge at each level that are absent

. Figure 1.3 Exploring Levels of Biological Organization

b1 The Biosphere
Even from space, we can see signs of Earth’s life—in the mosaic of greens indicating forests, for
example. We can also see the biosphere, which consists of all life on Earth and all the places
where life exists: most regions of land, most bodies of water, the atmosphere to an altitude of
several kilometers, and even sediments far below the ocean floor.

b2 Ecosystems
Our first scale change brings us to a North American mountain
meadow, which is an example of an ecosystem, as are a tropical
forest, grassland, desert, and coral reef. An ecosystem consists of
all the living things in a particular area, along with all the
nonliving components of the environment with which life
interacts, such as soil, water, atmospheric gases, and light.

c3 Communities
The array of organisms inhabiting a particular
ecosystem is called a biological community. The
community in our meadow ecosystem includes
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many kinds of plants, various animals, mushrooms

and other fungi, and enormous numbers of diverse
microorganisms, such as bacteria, that are too small
to see without a microscope. Each of these forms of
life belongs to a species—a group whose members can
only reproduce with other members of the group.

c4 Populations m5 Organisms
A population consists of all the Individual living things
individuals of a species living within the are called organisms.
bounds of a specified area that interbreed Each plant in the
with each other. For example, our meadow meadow is an organism,
includes a population of lupines (some of and so is each animal,
which are shown here) and a population of fungus, and bacterium.
mule deer. A community is therefore the set
of populations that inhabit a particular area.

52et al. Biology:

Campbell, Neil, CHAPTER
a Global 1 Biology
Approach, and
Global ItsPearson
Edition, Themes Education, Limited, 2020. ProQuest Ebook Central, http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/cuhk-ebooks/detail.action?docID=6191695.
Created from cuhk-ebooks on 2023-01-03 18:33:55.
 from the preceding one. These emergent properties arranged in a certain way, you can pedal to your chosen
are due to the arrangement and interactions of parts as destination. Compared with such nonliving examples,
complexity increases. For example, although photosyn- however, biological systems are far more complex, mak-
thesis occurs in an intact chloroplast, it will not take place ing the emergent properties of life especially challenging
if chlorophyll and other chloroplast molecules are simply to study.
mixed in a test tube. The coordinated processes of photo- To fully explore emergent properties, biologists today com-
synthesis require a specific organization of these molecules plement reductionism with systems biology, the explo-
in the chloroplast. Isolated components of living systems— ration of a biological system by analyzing the interactions
the objects of study in a reductionist approach—lack a among its parts. In this context, a single leaf cell can be
number of significant properties that emerge at higher levels considered a system, as can a frog, an ant colony, or a desert
of organization. ecosystem. By examining and modeling the dynamic behav-
Emergent properties are not unique to life. A box of ior of an integrated network of components, systems biology
bicycle parts won’t transport you anywhere, but if they are enables us to pose new kinds of questions. For example, how

.6 Organs . 7 Tissues
The structural hierarchy of life continues to Viewing the tissues of a leaf requires a microscope. Each tissue is a group of
unfold as we explore the architecture of a cells that work together, performing a specialized function. The leaf shown
complex organism. This lupine leaf (consisting of here has been cut on an angle. The honeycombed tissue in the interior of
six leaflets) is an example of an organ, a body the leaf (left side of photo) is the main
part that is made up of multiple tissues and has location of photosynthesis, the process
specific functions in the body. Leaves, stems, and
that converts light energy to the
roots are the major organs of
plants. Within an organ, chemical energy of sugar. The jigsaw
each tissue has a distinct puzzle–like “skin” on the surface of the
arrangement and contrib- leaf (right side of photo) is a tissue
utes particular properties called epidermis. The pores through the
to organ function. epidermis allow entry of the gas CO2, a
raw material for sugar production.

10 om 50 om
Cell

c8 Cells .9 Organelles . 10 Molecules

The cell is life’s Chloroplasts are examples Our last scale change drops us into a chloro-
fundamental unit of organelles, the various plast for a view of life at the molecular
of structure and functional components level. A molecule is a chemical structure
Copyright © 2020. Pearson Education, Limited. All rights reserved.

function. Some present in cells. The image consisting of two or more units called atoms,
organisms consist below, taken by a powerful represented as balls in this computer graphic
of a single cell, microscope, shows a of a chlorophyll molecule. Chlorophyll is
which performs single chloroplast. the pigment that
all the functions makes a leaf green,
of life. Other and it absorbs sun-
organisms are multicellular and light during photo-
feature a division of labor among synthesis. Within
specialized cells. Here we see a magni- each chloroplast,
fied view of a cell in a leaf tissue. millions of chlorophyll
This cell is about 40 micrometers (μm) Atoms molecules are
across—about 500 of them would reach organized into
across a small coin. Within these tiny Chlorophyll systems that convert

1 om
cells are even smaller green structures molecule light energy to the
called chloroplasts, which are responsi- chemical energy
Chloroplast
ble for photosynthesis. of food.

CHAPTER 1 Biology and Its Themes

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 do networks of molecular interactions in our bodies generate many scientists. The theory states that all living organisms
our 24-hour cycle of wakefulness and sleep? At a larger scale, are made of cells, which are the basic unit of life. In fact, the
how does a gradual increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide actions of organisms are all based on the activities of cells. For
alter ecosystems and the entire biosphere? Systems biology instance, the movement of your eyes as you read this sentence
can be used to study life at all levels. results from the activities of muscle and nerve cells. Even a
process that occurs on a global scale, such as the recycling of
carbon atoms, is the product of cellular functions, including
Structure and Function
the photosynthetic activity of chloroplasts in leaf cells.
At each level of the biological hierarchy, we find a correla- All cells share certain characteristics. For instance,
tion between structure and function. Consider the leaf in every cell is enclosed by a membrane that regulates the
Figure 1.3: Its broad, flat shape maximizes the capture of passage of materials between the cell and its surround-
sunlight by chloroplasts. Because such correlations of struc- ings. Nevertheless, we distinguish two main forms of cells:
ture and function are common in all living things, analyz- prokaryotic and eukaryotic. Prokaryotic cells are found
ing a biological structure gives us clues about what it does in two groups of single-celled microorganisms, bacteria
and how it works. For example, the hummingbird’s anat- (singular, bacterium) and archaea (singular, archaean). All
omy allows its wings to rotate at the shoulder, so humming- other forms of life, including plants and animals, are com-
birds have the ability, unique among birds, to fly backward posed of eukaryotic cells.
or hover in place. While A eukaryotic cell contains membrane-enclosed organelles
hovering, the birds (Figure 1.4). Some organelles, such as the DNA-containing
can extend their long, nucleus, are found in the cells of all eukaryotes; other organ-
slender beaks into flow- elles are specific to particular cell types. For example, the chlo-
ers and feed on nectar. roplast in Figure 1.3 is an organelle found only in eukaryotic
The elegant match of cells that carry out photosynthesis. In contrast to eukaryotic
form and function in cells, a prokaryotic cell lacks a nucleus or other membrane-
the structures of life is enclosed organelles. Furthermore, prokaryotic cells are gener-
explained by natural ally smaller than eukaryotic cells, as shown in Figure 1.4.
selection, which we’ll
explore shortly.
Theme: Life’s Processes Involve
The Cell: An Organism’s Basic Unit the Expression and Transmission
of Structure and Function of Genetic Information
The cell is the smallest unit of organization that can perform INFORMATION Within cells, structures called chromo-
all activities required for life. The so-called Cell Theory was somes contain genetic material in the form of DNA
first developed in the 1800s, based on the observations of (deoxyribonucleic acid). In cells that are preparing to

b Figure 1.4 Contrasting eukaryotic

Eukaryotic cell Prokaryotic cell
and prokaryotic cells in size and
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Membrane complexity. The cells are shown to

DNA
(no nucleus) scale here; to see a larger magnification
Cytoplasm of a prokaryotic cell, see Figure 7.5.
Membrane
VISUAL SKILLS Measure the scale bar,
the length of the prokaryotic cell, and the
diameter of the eukaryotic cell. Knowing
that this scale bar represents 1 μm, calculate
the length of the prokaryotic cell and the
diameter of the eukaryotic cell in μm.
Nucleus
(membrane-
enclosed)
Membrane-

1 om
enclosed DNA (throughout
organelles nucleus)

54et al. Biology:

Campbell, Neil, CHAPTER
a Global 1 Biology
Approach, and
Global ItsPearson
Edition, Themes Education, Limited, 2020. ProQuest Ebook Central, http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/cuhk-ebooks/detail.action?docID=6191695.
Created from cuhk-ebooks on 2023-01-03 18:33:55.
 . Figure 1.5 A lung cell from a newt divides into two smaller Nuclei containing DNA . Figure 1.6 Inherited DNA
cells that will grow and divide again. directs the development of
Sperm cell an organism.

10 om
Egg
cell

Fertilized egg
with DNA from
both parents Embryo’s cells
with copies of
inherited DNA
Offspring with
traits inherited
from both parents
divide, the chromosomes may be made visible using a dye
that appears blue when bound to the DNA (Figure 1.5).

DNA, the Genetic Material Nucleus . Figure 1.7 DNA: the genetic
material.
Each chromosome contains one very long DNA molecule DNA
with hundreds or thousands of genes, each a section of the
DNA of the chromosome. Transmitted from parents to off-
spring, genes are the units of inheritance. They encode the Cell
information necessary to build all of the molecules synthe-
A
sized within a cell, which in turn establish that cell’s identity
and function. You began as a single cell stocked with DNA C
inherited from your parents. The replication of that DNA Nucleotide T
prior to each cell division transmitted copies of the DNA to
A
what eventually became the trillions of cells of your body. As
the cells grew and divided, the genetic information encoded T
by the DNA directed your development (Figure 1.6). A
The molecular structure of DNA accounts for its ability to C
store information. A DNA molecule is made up of two long
C
chains, called strands, arranged in a double helix. Each chain
is made up of four kinds of chemical building blocks called G
nucleotides, abbreviated A, T, C, and G (Figure 1.7). Specific T
Copyright © 2020. Pearson Education, Limited. All rights reserved.

sequences of these four nucleotides encode the information

A
in genes. The way DNA encodes information is analogous to
how we arrange the letters of the alphabet into words and G
phrases with specific meanings. The word rat, for example, T
evokes a rodent; the words tar and art, which contain the
A
same letters, mean very different things. We can think of
nucleotides as a four-letter alphabet.
(a) DNA double helix. This (b) Single strand of DNA. These
For many genes, the sequence provides the blueprint for model shows the atoms geometric shapes and letters are
making a protein. For instance, a given bacterial gene may in a segment of DNA. Made simple symbols for the nucleo-
specify a particular protein (such as an enzyme) required up of two long chains (strands) tides in a small section of one
of building blocks called strand of a DNA molecule. Genetic
to break down a certain sugar molecule, while one particu- nucleotides, a DNA molecule information is encoded in specific
lar human gene may denote an enzyme, and another gene a takes the three-dimensional sequences of the four types of
different protein (an antibody, perhaps) that helps fight off form of a double helix. nucleotides. Their names are
abbreviated A, T, C, and G.
infection. Overall, proteins are major players in building
and maintaining the cell and carrying out its activities. Mastering Biology Animation: Heritable Information: DNA

CHAPTER 1 Biology and Its Themes

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 Protein-encoding genes control protein production indi- . Figure 1.8 Gene expression: Cells use information encoded
rectly, using a related molecule called RNA as an intermedi- in a gene to synthesize a functional protein.
ary. The sequence of nucleotides along a gene is transcribed
into mRNA, which is then translated into a linked series of
protein building blocks called amino acids. Once completed,
the amino acid chain forms a specific protein with a unique
shape and function. The entire process by which the informa-
tion in a gene directs the manufacture of a cellular product is
called gene expression (Figure 1.8).
In carrying out gene expression, all forms of life employ
(a) The lens of the eye (behind Lens
essentially the same genetic code: A particular sequence of the pupil) is able to focus cell
nucleotides means the same thing in one organism as it does light because lens cells are
tightly packed with transparent
in another. Differences between organisms reflect differences proteins called crystallin. How
between their nucleotide sequences rather than between do lens cells make crystallin
their genetic codes. This universality of the genetic code is proteins?
a strong piece of evidence that all life is related. Comparing
the sequences in several species for a gene that codes for a (b) A lens cell uses information in DNA to make crystallin proteins.
particular protein can provide valuable information both Crystallin gene
about the protein and about the relationship of the species The crystallin
to each other. gene is a
section of DNA
Molecules of mRNA, like the one in Figure 1.8, are trans-
in a chromosome.
lated into proteins, but other cellular RNAs function differ-
ently. For example, we have known for decades that some
types of RNA are actually components of the cellular machin-
ery that manufactures proteins. In the last few decades, scien-
tists have discovered new classes of RNA that play other roles DNA A C C A A A C C G A G T
in the cell, such as regulating the function of protein-coding (part of the
crystallin gene) T G G T T T G G C T C A
genes. Genes specify these RNAs as well, and their production
is also referred to as gene expression. By carrying the instruc-
tions for making proteins and RNAs and by replicating with Using the information in the sequence of
each cell division, DNA ensures faithful inheritance of genetic TRANSCRIPTION DNA nucleotides, the cell makes (transcribes)
a specific RNA molecule called mRNA.
information from generation to generation.

Genomics: Large-Scale Analysis U G G U U U G G C U C A

mRNA
of DNA Sequences
The entire “library” of genetic instructions that an organism
The cell translates the information in the
inherits is called its genome. A typical human cell has two TRANSLATION sequence of mRNA nucleotides to make a
similar sets of chromosomes, and each set has approximately protein, a series of linked amino acids.
Copyright © 2020. Pearson Education, Limited. All rights reserved.

3 billion nucleotide pairs of DNA. If the one-letter abbrevia-

tions for the nucleotides of a set were written in letters the Chain of amino
size of those you are now reading, the genomic text would fill acids
about 700 biology textbooks.
Since the early 1990s, the pace at which researchers can
determine the sequence of a genome has accelerated at an PROTEIN FOLDING
astounding rate, enabled by a revolution in technology.
The chain of amino
The genome sequence—the entire sequence of nucleotides acids folds into the
for a representative member of a species—is now known specific shape of a
crystallin protein.
for humans and many other animals, as well as numerous Crystallin proteins can
plants, fungi, bacteria, and archaea. To make sense of the Protein then pack together and
deluge of data from genome-sequencing projects and the focus light, allowing
the eye to see.
growing catalog of known gene functions, scientists are Crystallin protein
applying a systems biology approach at the cellular and
molecular levels. Rather than investigating a single gene at Mastering Biology Figure Walkthrough

56et al. Biology:

Campbell, Neil, CHAPTER
a Global 1 Biology
Approach, and
Global ItsPearson
Edition, Themes Education, Limited, 2020. ProQuest Ebook Central, http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/cuhk-ebooks/detail.action?docID=6191695.
Created from cuhk-ebooks on 2023-01-03 18:33:55.
 a time, researchers study whole sets of genes (or other DNA) energy of food, such as sugars. The chemical energy in the
in one or more species—an approach called genomics. food molecules is then passed along from plants and other
Likewise, the term proteomics refers to the study of sets photosynthetic organisms (producers) to consumers.
of proteins and their properties. (The entire set of proteins A consumer is an organism that feeds on other organisms or
expressed by a given cell, tissue, or organism is called a their remains.
proteome.) When an organism uses chemical energy to perform work,
Three important research developments have made the such as muscle contraction or cell division, some of that
genomic and proteomic approaches possible. One is “high- energy is lost to the surroundings as heat. As a result, energy
throughput” technology, tools that can analyze many bio- flows through an ecosystem in one direction, usually entering
logical samples very rapidly. The second major development as light and exiting as heat. In contrast, chemicals cycle within
is bioinformatics, the use of computational tools to store, an ecosystem, where they are used and then recycled (see
organize, and analyze the huge volume of data that results Figure 1.9). Chemicals that a plant absorbs from the air or soil
from high-throughput methods. The third development is may be incorporated into the plant’s body and then passed
the formation of interdisciplinary research teams—groups to an animal that eats the plant. Eventually, these chemicals
of diverse specialists that may include computer scientists, will be returned to the environment by decomposers such as
mathematicians, engineers, chemists, physicists, and, of bacteria and fungi that break down waste products, leaf litter,
course, biologists from a variety of fields. Researchers in such and the bodies of dead organisms. The chemicals are then
teams aim to learn how the activities of all the proteins and available to be taken up by plants again, thereby completing
RNAs encoded by the DNA are coordinated in cells and in the cycle.
whole organisms.

Theme: Life Requires the Transfer and Theme: From Molecules to Ecosystems,
Transformation of Energy and Matter Interactions Are Important in Biological
ENERGY AND MATTER Moving, growing, reproducing,
Systems
and the various cellular activities of life are work, and work INTERACTIONS At any level of the biological hierarchy,
requires energy. The input of energy, primarily from the sun, interactions between the components of the system ensure
and the transformation of energy from one form to another smooth integration of all the parts, such that they function
make life possible (Figure 1.9). When a plant’s leaves absorb as a whole. This holds true equally well for molecules in a
sunlight in the process of photosynthesis, molecules within cell and the components of an ecosystem; we’ll look at both
the leaves convert the energy of sunlight to the chemical as examples.

c Figure 1.9 Energy flow ENERGY FLOW

and chemical cycling. There
is a one-way flow of energy Chemicals in
in an ecosystem: During plants are passed
Copyright © 2020. Pearson Education, Limited. All rights reserved.

LC
photosynthesis, plants convert EMICA YCLING to organisms that
energy from sunlight to chemical CH eat the plants.
energy (stored in food molecules
such as sugars), which is used by
plants and other organisms to
Light Plants
do work and is eventually lost convert Heat is lost
energy
from the ecosystem as heat. In sunlight to from the
comes from
contrast, chemicals cycle between the sun. chemical ecosystem.
organisms and the physical energy. Organisms use
environment. chemical energy
to do work.
Decomposers
Plants take up
such as fungi and
chemicals from
bacteria break
the soil and air.
down leaf litter
and dead
organisms,
Chemicals returning
chemicals to the
soil.

CHAPTER 1 Biology and Its Themes

Campbell, Neil, et al. Biology: a Global Approach, Global Edition, Pearson Education, Limited, 2020. ProQuest Ebook Central, http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/cuhk-ebooks/detail.action?docID=6191695. 57
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 Molecules: Interactions Within Organisms . Figure 1.10 Feedback regulation. The human body regulates
the use and storage of glucose, a major cellular fuel. This figure shows
At lower levels of organization, the interactions between negative feedback: The response to insulin reduces the initial stimulus.
components that make up living organisms—organs,
Insulin-producing Glucose
tissues, cells, and molecules—are crucial to their smooth
cell in pancreas in blood
operation. Consider the regulation of blood sugar level, Insulin 1 A high blood glucose level
for instance. Cells in the body must match the supply of stimulates cells in the pancreas
– to secrete insulin into the blood.
fuel (sugar) to demand, regulating the opposing processes
of sugar breakdown and storage. The key is the ability of
many biological processes to self-regulate by a mechanism 2 Insulin circulates in the
blood throughout the body.

Negative feedback
called feedback.
In feedback regulation, the output or product
of a process regulates that very process. The most com- 3 Insulin binds to body cells,
causing them to take up
mon form of regulation in living systems is negative glucose and liver cells to store
feedback, a loop in which the response reduces the ini- glucose. This lowers the glucose
level in the blood.
tial stimulus. As seen in the example of insulin signaling
(Figure 1.10), after a meal the level of the sugar glucose
4 The lowered blood glucose
in your blood rises, which stimulates cells of the pancreas level does not stimulate
to secrete insulin. Insulin, in turn, causes body cells to secretion of insulin.
take up glucose and liver cells to store it, thus decreas- VISUAL SKILLS In this example, what is the response to insulin? What
ing the blood glucose level. This eliminates the stimulus is the initial stimulus that is reduced by the response?
for insulin secretion, shutting off the pathway. Thus,
the output of the process (insulin) negatively regulates
that process. plants compete for a soil resource that is in short supply.
Though less common than processes regulated by nega- Interactions among organisms help regulate the function-
tive feedback, there are also many biological processes regu- ing of the ecosystem as a whole.
lated by positive feedback, in which an end product speeds up Each organism also interacts continuously with physical
its own production. The clotting of your blood in response factors in its environment. The leaves of a tree, for example,
to injury is an example. When a blood vessel is damaged, absorb light from the sun, take in carbon dioxide from the air,
structures in the blood called platelets begin to aggregate
at the site. Positive feedback occurs
. Figure 1.11 Interactions of an African acacia tree with other organisms
as chemicals released by the platelets
and the physical environment.
attract more platelets. The platelet
pileup then initiates a complex process Sunlight
that seals the wound with a clot.
Leaves absorb light
energy from the sun. Leaves take in
Ecosystems: An Organism’s CO2 carbon dioxide
Interactions with Other Organisms from the air and
and the Physical Environment release oxygen.
Copyright © 2020. Pearson Education, Limited. All rights reserved.

At the ecosystem level, every organism O2

interacts with other organisms. For
Leaves fall to the
instance, an acacia tree interacts with ground and are
soil microorganisms associated with decomposed by
its roots, insects that live on it, and organisms that
return minerals
animals that eat its leaves and fruit to the soil.
(Figure 1.11). Interactions between
organisms include those that are
mutually beneficial (as when “cleaner Water and
minerals in the Animals eat leaves
fish” eat small parasites on a turtle) and fruit from the
soil are taken
and those in which one species ben- up by the tree, returning
efits and the other is harmed (as when tree through nutrients and
its roots. minerals to the
a lion kills and eats a zebra). In some soil in their waste
interactions between species, both products.
are harmed—for example, when two

58et al. Biology:

Campbell, Neil, CHAPTER
a Global 1 Biology
Approach, and
Global ItsPearson
Edition, Themes Education, Limited, 2020. ProQuest Ebook Central, http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/cuhk-ebooks/detail.action?docID=6191695.
Created from cuhk-ebooks on 2023-01-03 18:33:55.
 and release oxygen to the air (see Figure 1.11). The environ- As we’ll explore in greater detail in Concept 56.4, the conse-
ment is also affected by organisms. For instance, in addition to quences of these changes for humans and other organisms
taking up water and minerals from the soil, the roots of a plant may be profound.
break up rocks as they grow, contributing to the formation of Having considered four of the unifying themes (organiza-
soil. On a global scale, plants and other photosynthetic organ- tion, information, energy and matter, and interactions), let’s
isms have generated all the oxygen in the atmosphere. now turn to evolution. There is consensus among biologists
Like other organisms, we humans interact with our environ- that evolution is the core theme of biology, and it is discussed
ment. Our interactions sometimes have dire consequences: in detail in the next section.
For example, over the past 150 years, humans have greatly
increased the burning of fossil fuels (coal, oil, and gas). This
CONCEPT CHECK 1.1
practice releases large amounts of carbon dioxide (CO2) and
other gases into the atmosphere, causing heat to be trapped 1. Starting with the molecular level in Figure 1.3, write a
sentence that includes components from the previous
close to Earth’s surface (see Figure 56.29). Scientists calculate
(lower) level of biological organization, for example: “A
that the CO2 added to the atmosphere by human activities has molecule consists of atoms bonded together.” Continue
increased the average temperature of the planet by about 1°C with organelles, moving up the biological hierarchy.
since 1900. At the current rates that CO2 and other gases are 2. Identify the theme or themes exemplified by (a) the sharp
being added to the atmosphere, global models predict an addi- quills of a porcupine, (b) the development of a multicellular
organism from a single fertilized egg, and (c) a humming­
tional rise of at least 3°C before the end of this century. bird using sugar to power its flight.
This ongoing global warming is a major aspect of climate 3. WHAT IF? For each theme discussed in this section, give an
change, a directional change to the global climate that lasts example not mentioned in the text.
for three decades or more (as opposed to short-term changes For suggested answers, see Appendix A.
in the weather). But global warming is not the only way the
climate is changing: Wind and precipitation patterns are
also shifting, and extreme weather events such as storms CONCEPT 1.2
and droughts are occurring more often. Climate change has
already affected organisms and their habitats all over the The Core Theme: Evolution
planet. For example, polar bears have lost much of the ice accounts for the unity and
platform from which they hunt, leading to food shortages
and increased mortality rates. As habitats deteriorate, hun- diversity of life
dreds of plant and animal species are shifting their ranges to EVOLUTION An understanding of evolution helps us to
more suitable locations—but for some, there is insufficient make sense of everything we know about life on Earth. As
suitable habitat, or they may not be able to migrate quickly the fossil record clearly shows, life has been evolving for bil-
enough. As a result, the populations of many species are lions of years, resulting in a vast diversity of past and present
shrinking in size or even disappearing (Figure 1.12). (For organisms. But along with the diversity there is also unity, in
more examples of how climate change is affecting life on the form of shared features. For example, while sea horses,
Earth, see Make Connections Figure 56.30.) jackrabbits, hummingbirds, and giraffes all look very differ-
The loss of populations due to climate change can ulti- ent, their skeletons are organized in the same basic way.
mately result in extinction, the permanent loss of a species. The scientific explanation for the unity and diversity of
Copyright © 2020. Pearson Education, Limited. All rights reserved.

organisms is evolution: a process of biological change in

which species accumulate differences from their ancestors as
c Figure 1.12 Threatened they adapt to different environments over time. Thus, we can
by global warming. A account for differences between two species (diversity) with the
warmer environment causes
lizards in the genus Sceloporus
idea that certain heritable changes occurred after the two spe-
to spend more time in refuges cies diverged from their common ancestor. However, they also
from the heat, reducing time share certain traits (unity) simply because they have descended
for foraging. Their food intake from a common ancestor. An abundance of evidence of differ-
drops, decreasing reproductive
ent types supports the occurrence of evolution and the mecha-
success. Surveys of 200
Sceloporus populations in nisms that describe how it takes place, which we’ll explore in
Mexico show that 12% of these detail in Chapters 21–25. To quote one of the founders of mod-
populations have disappeared ern evolutionary theory, Theodosius Dobzhansky, “Nothing in
since 1975.
biology makes sense except in the light of evolution.” To under-
stand this statement, we need to examine how biologists think
about the vast diversity of life on the planet.

CHAPTER 1 Biology and Its Themes

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 Classifying the Diversity of Life The Three Domains of Life
Diversity is a hallmark of life. Biologists have so far identified Humans tend to group diverse items according to their similari-
and named about 1.8 million species of organisms. Each spe- ties and relationships to each other. Consequently, biologists
cies is given a two-part name: The first part is the name of the have long used careful comparisons of structure, function, and
genus (plural, genera) to which the species belongs, and the other obvious features to classify forms of life into groups. In the
second part is unique to the species within the genus. (For last few decades, new methods of assessing species relationships,
example, Homo sapiens is the name of our species.) such as comparisons of DNA sequences, have led to a reevaluation
To date, known species include at least 100,000 species of the classification of life. Although this reevaluation is ongoing,
of fungi, 290,000 plant species, 57,000 vertebrate species biologists currently place all organisms into three groups called
(animals with backbones), and 1 million insect species (more domains: Bacteria, Archaea, and Eukarya (Figure 1.13).
than half of all known forms of life)—not to mention the Two of the three domains—Bacteria and Archaea—
myriad types of single-celled organisms. Researchers identify consist of single-celled prokaryotic organisms. All the
thousands of additional species each year. Estimates of the eukaryotes (organisms with eukaryotic cells) are in domain
total number of species range from about 10 million to over Eukarya. This domain includes four subgroups: kingdom
100 million. Whatever the actual number, the enormous vari- Plantae, kingdom Fungi, kingdom Animalia, and the protists.
ety of life gives biology a very broad scope. Biologists face a The three kingdoms are distinguished partly by their modes
major challenge in attempting to make sense of this variety. of nutrition: Plants produce their own sugars and other food

. Figure 1.13 The three domains of life.

(a) Domain Bacteria (b) Domain Archaea

2 om
2 om

Bacteria are the most diverse and widespread prokaryotes and are Domain Archaea includes multiple kingdoms. Some of the
now classified into multiple kingdoms. Each rod-shaped structure prokaryotes known as archaea live in Earth’s extreme
in this photo is a bacterial cell. environments, such as salty lakes and boiling hot springs. Each
round structure in this photo is an archaeal cell.

(c) Domain Eukarya

b Kingdom Animalia
consists of multicellular
eukaryotes that ingest
other organisms.
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100 om

m Kingdom Plantae (plants)

consists of multicellular
eukaryotes that carry out
photosynthesis, the conversion
of light energy to the chemical c Protists are mostly
energy in food. Most plant unicellular eukaryotes
species live on land. and some relatively
simple multicellular
c Kingdom Fungi relatives. Pictured
is characterized here is an assortment
in part by the of protists inhabiting
nutritional mode of its members (such as this mushroom), pond water. Scientists are currently debating how to classify protists
which absorb nutrients from outside their bodies. in a way that accurately reflects their evolutionary relationships.

60et al. Biology:

Campbell, Neil, CHAPTER
a Global 1 Biology
Approach, and
Global ItsPearson
Edition, Themes Education, Limited, 2020. ProQuest Ebook Central, http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/cuhk-ebooks/detail.action?docID=6191695.
Created from cuhk-ebooks on 2023-01-03 18:36:09.
 molecules by photosynthesis, fungi absorb nutrients in dis- . Figure 1.15 Studying the history of life. Researchers in South
solved form from their surroundings, and animals obtain Africa reconstruct skeletons of Homo naledi, an extinct relative of
Homo sapiens. The fossils were discovered in an underground cave
food by eating and digesting other organisms. Animalia is, of
that may have been a burial chamber.
course, the kingdom to which we belong.
The most numerous and diverse eukaryotes are the protists,
which are mostly single-celled organisms. Although protists were
once placed in a single kingdom, they are now classified into sev-
eral groups. One major reason for this change is the recent DNA
evidence showing that some protists are less closely related to
other protists than they are to plants, animals, or fungi.

Unity in the Diversity of Life

As diverse as life is, there is also remarkable unity among forms
of life. Consider, for example, the similar skeletons of different
animals and the universal genetic language of DNA (the genetic
code), both mentioned earlier. In fact, similarities between
organisms are evident at all levels of the biological hierarchy.
For example, unity is obvious in many features of cell structure,
even among distantly related organisms (Figure 1.14).
How can we account for life’s dual nature of unity and diver-
sity? The process of evolution, explained next, illuminates both
the similarities and differences in the world of life. It also intro-
duces another important dimension of biology: the passage of
time. The history of life, as documented by fossils and other
evidence, is the saga of an ever-changing Earth billions of years
old, inhabited by an evolving cast of living forms (Figure 1.15).

. Figure 1.14 An example of unity underlying the diversity

of life: the architecture of cilia in eukaryotes. Cilia (singular,
cilium) are extensions of cells that function in locomotion. They
occur in eukaryotes as diverse as Paramecium (found in pond
water) and humans. Even organisms so different share a common
architecture for their cilia, which have an elaborate system of
tubules that is striking in cross-sectional views.
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5 om

Cross section of a
cilium, as viewed with
an electron microscope

15 om

Cilia of Paramecium. The cilia of Cilia of windpipe cells. The cells

the single-celled Paramecium that line the human windpipe are

0.1 om
propel the organism through equipped with cilia that help keep
pond water. the lungs clean by sweeping a
film of debris-trapping mucus
upward.

CHAPTER 1 Biology and Its Themes

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 . Figure 1.16 Charles Darwin. The portrait shows Darwin in . Figure 1.17 Unity and diversity among birds. These four
about 1840, well before the 1859 publication of his revolutionary birds are variations on a common body plan. For example, each has
book, commonly referred to as The Origin of Species. feathers, a beak, and wings. However, these common features are
highly specialized for the birds’ diverse lifestyles.

. Red-tailed hawk (Buteo borealis)

Charles Darwin and the Theory

of Natural Selection . American flamingo
(Phoenicopterus ruber)
An evolutionary view of life came into sharp focus in
November 1859, when Charles Darwin published one of the
most important and influential books ever written, On the m European robin
(Erithacus rubecula)
Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection (Figure 1.16).
The Origin of Species articulated two main points. The first
point was that, as species adapt to different environments
over time, they accumulate differences from their ancestors.
Darwin called this process “descent with modification.”
This insightful phrase captured the duality of life’s unity
and diversity—unity in the kinship among species that
descended from common ancestors and diversity in the
modifications that evolved as species branched from their
common ancestors (Figure 1.17). Darwin’s second main
point was his proposal that “natural selection” is a primary
cause of descent with modification.
Darwin developed his theory of natural selection from
m Gentoo penguin
observations that by themselves were neither new nor pro- (Pygoscelis papua)
found. However, although others had described the pieces
of the puzzle, it was Darwin who saw how they fit together.
He started with the following three observations from Over many generations, a higher and higher proportion of
Copyright © 2020. Pearson Education, Limited. All rights reserved.

nature: First, individuals in a population vary in their traits, individuals in a population will have the advantageous traits.
many of which seem to be heritable (passed on from parents Evolution occurs as the unequal reproductive success of indi-
to offspring). Second, a population can produce far more viduals ultimately leads to adaptation to their environment,
offspring than can survive to produce offspring of their as long as the environment remains the same.
own. With more individuals than the environment is able Darwin called this mechanism of evolutionary adapta-
to support, competition is inevitable. Third, species gener- tion natural selection because the natural environment
ally are suited to their environments—in other words, they consistently “selects” for the propagation of certain traits
are adapted to their circumstances. For instance, a common among naturally occurring variant traits in the population.
adaptation among birds that eat hard seeds is an especially The example in Figure 1.18 illustrates the ability of natural
strong beak. selection to “edit” an insect population’s heritable varia-
By making inferences from these three observations, tions in coloration. We see the products of natural selection
Darwin developed a scientific explanation for how evolution in the exquisite adaptations of various organisms to the
occurs. He reasoned that individuals with inherited traits special circumstances of their way of life and their environ-
that are better suited to the local environment are more likely ment. The wings of the bat shown in Figure 1.19 are an
to survive and reproduce than less well-suited individuals. excellent example of adaptation.

62et al. Biology:

Campbell, Neil, CHAPTER
a Global 1 Biology
Approach, and
Global ItsPearson
Edition, Themes Education, Limited, 2020. ProQuest Ebook Central, http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/cuhk-ebooks/detail.action?docID=6191695.
Created from cuhk-ebooks on 2023-01-03 18:36:09.
 . Figure 1.18 Natural selection. This imaginary beetle population has colonized a locale where the
soil has been blackened by a recent brush fire. Initially, the population varies extensively in the inherited
coloration of the individuals, from very light gray to charcoal. For hungry birds that prey on the beetles, it
is easiest to spot the beetles that are lightest in color.

1 Population with varied 2 Elimination of individuals 3 Reproduction of 4 Increased frequency

inherited traits with certain traits that survivors of traits that enhance
make them more visible survival and repro-
ductive success
DRAW IT Over time, the soil will gradually become lighter in color. Draw another step Mastering Biology HHMI Video: The Making
to show how the soil, when lightened to medium color, would affect natural selection. of The Fittest: Natural Selection and
Write a caption for this new step 5. Then explain how the population would change Adaptation (Rock Pocket Mouse)
over time as the soil becomes lighter.

Darwin proposed that natural selection, by its cumulative

effects over long periods of time, could cause an ancestral spe-
cies to give rise to two or more descendant species. This could
occur, for example, if one population of organisms became
fragmented into several subpopulations isolated in different
environments. In these separate arenas of natural selection,
one species could gradually radiate into multiple species as
m Figure 1.19 Evolutionary adaptation. Bats,
the geographically isolated populations adapted over many
the only mammals capable of active flight, have generations to different environmental conditions.
wings with webbing between extended “fingers.” The Galápagos finches are a famous example of the process
Darwin proposed that such adaptations are of radiation of new species from a common ancestor. Darwin
refined over time by natural selection.
collected specimens of these birds during his 1835 visit to the
remote Galápagos Islands, 900 kilometers (km) off the Pacific
The Tree of Life coast of South America. These relatively young volcanic
islands are home to many species of plants and animals found
Take another look at the skeletal architecture of the bat’s
nowhere else in the world, though many Galápagos organ-
wings in Figure 1.19. These wings are not like those of feath-
Copyright © 2020. Pearson Education, Limited. All rights reserved.

isms are clearly related to species on the South American

ered birds; the bat is a mammal. The bones, joints, nerves,
mainland. The Galápagos finches are thought to have
and blood vessels in the bat’s forelimbs, though adapted
descended from an ancestral finch species that reached the
for flight, are very similar to those in the human arm, the
archipelago from South America or the Caribbean. Over time,
foreleg of a horse, and the flipper of a whale. Indeed, all
the Galápagos finches diversified from their ancestor as popu-
mammalian forelimbs are anatomical variations of a com-
lations became adapted to different food sources on their
mon architecture. According to the Darwinian concept of
particular islands. Years after Darwin collected the finches,
descent with modification, the shared anatomy of mam-
researchers began to sort out their evolutionary relationships,
malian limbs reflects inheritance of the limb structure from
first from anatomical and geographic data and more recently
a common ancestor—the “prototype” mammal from which
with the help of DNA sequence comparisons.
all other mammals descended. The diversity of mammalian
forelimbs results from modification by natural selection
Mastering Biology Video: Galápagos Biodiversity
operating over millions of years in different environmental by Peter and Rosemary Grant
contexts. Fossils and other evidence corroborate anatomical
unity in supporting this view of mammalian descent from a Biologists’ diagrams of evolutionary relationships gener-
common ancestor. ally take treelike forms, though the trees are often turned

CHAPTER 1 Biology and Its Themes

Campbell, Neil, et al. Biology: a Global Approach, Global Edition, Pearson Education, Limited, 2020. ProQuest Ebook Central, http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/cuhk-ebooks/detail.action?docID=6191695. 63
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 c Figure 1.20 Descent with
Green warbler finch
modification: adaptive radiation of Certhidea olivacea
finches on the Galápagos Islands. (insect-eater)
This “tree” illustrates a current hypothesis
for the evolutionary relationships of
ANCESTRAL Vegetarian finch
finches on the Galápagos. Note the Platyspiza crassirostris
various beaks, which are adapted to FINCH
(fruit-eater)
particular food sources. For example,
heavier, thicker beaks are better at
cracking seeds, while the more slender Woodpecker finch
Camarhynchus pallidus
beaks are better at grasping insects.
(insect-eater)
Mastering Biology HHMI Video:
The Origin of Species: Small tree finch
The Beak of the Finch Camarhynchus parvulus
(insect-eater)
Branch point: where
lineages diverge
from a common Common cactus finch
ancestor Geospiza scandens
(cactus-eater)

Common ancestor of finches in Large ground finch

the genera Camarhynchus and Geospiza
Geospiza magnirostris
(seed-eater)

sideways as in Figure 1.20. Tree diagrams make sense: Just CONCEPT 1.3
as an individual has a genealogy that can be diagrammed as
a family tree, each species is one twig of a branching tree of In studying nature, scientists
life extending back in time through ancestral species more
and more remote. Species that are very similar, such as the
form and test hypotheses
Galápagos finches, share a relatively recent common ances- Science is a way of knowing—an approach to understand-
tor. Through an ancestor that lived much further back in ing the natural world. It developed out of our curiosity
time, finches are related to sparrows, hawks, penguins, and all about ourselves, other life-forms, our planet, and the uni-
other birds. Furthermore, finches and other birds are related verse. The word science is derived from a Latin verb meaning
to us through a common ancestor even more ancient. Trace “to know.” Striving to understand seems to be one of our
life back far enough, and we reach the early prokaryotes that basic urges.
inhabited Earth over 3.5 billion years ago. We can recognize At the heart of science is inquiry, the search for informa-
their vestiges in our own cells—in the universal genetic code, tion and explanations of natural phenomena. There is no
for example. Indeed, all of life is connected through its long formula for successful scientific inquiry, no single scientific
Copyright © 2020. Pearson Education, Limited. All rights reserved.

evolutionary history. method that researchers must rigidly follow. As in all quests,
science includes elements of challenge, adventure, and luck,
CONCEPT CHECK 1.2 along with careful planning, reasoning, creativity, patience,
and the persistence to overcome setbacks. Such diverse ele-
1. Explain why “editing” is a metaphor for how natural selec­
tion acts on a population’s heritable variation. ments of inquiry make science far less structured than most
2. Referring to Figure 1.20, provide a possible explanation for people realize. That said, it is possible to highlight certain
how, over a very long time, the green warbler finch came to characteristics that help to distinguish science from other
have a slender beak. ways of describing and explaining nature.
3. DRAW IT The three domains you learned about in Scientists use a process of inquiry that includes making
Concept 1.2 can be represented in the tree of life as the three
main branches, with three subbranches on the eukaryotic observations, forming logical, testable explanations
branch being the kingdoms Plantae, Fungi, and Animalia. (hypotheses), and testing them. The process is necessarily
What if fungi and animals are more closely related to each repetitive: In testing a hypothesis, more observations may
other than either of these kingdoms is to plants—as recent
inspire revision of the original hypothesis or formation
evidence strongly suggests? Draw a simple branching pattern
that symbolizes the proposed relationship between these of a new one, thus leading to further testing. In this way,
three eukaryotic kingdoms. scientists circle closer and closer to their best estimation of
For suggested answers, see Appendix A. the laws governing nature.

64et al. Biology:

Campbell, Neil, CHAPTER
a Global 1 Biology
Approach, and
Global ItsPearson
Edition, Themes Education, Limited, 2020. ProQuest Ebook Central, http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/cuhk-ebooks/detail.action?docID=6191695.
Created from cuhk-ebooks on 2023-01-03 18:37:04.
 Exploration and Observation . Figure 1.21 Jane Goodall collecting qualitative data on
chimpanzee behavior. Goodall recorded her observations in field
Biology, like other sciences, begins with careful observa- notebooks, often with sketches of the animals’ behavior.
tions. In gathering information, biologists often use tools
such as microscopes, precision thermometers, or high-speed
cameras that extend their senses or facilitate careful mea-
surement. Observations can reveal valuable information
about the natural world. For example, a series of detailed
observations have shaped our understanding of cell struc-
ture, and another set of observations is currently expand-
ing our databases of genome sequences from diverse spe-
cies and databases of genes whose expression is altered in
various diseases.
In exploring nature, biologists also rely heavily on the
scientific literature, the published contributions of fellow
scientists. By reading about and understanding past studies,
scientists can build on the foundation of existing knowledge,
focusing their investigations on observations that are original
and on hypotheses that are consistent with previous findings. Mastering Biology
Interview with Jane Goodall:
Identifying publications relevant to a new line of research is
Living with chimpanzees
now easier than at any point in the past, thanks to indexed
and searchable electronic databases.

Forming and Testing Hypotheses

Gathering and Analyzing Data Our innate curiosity often stimulates us to pose ques-
Recorded observations are called data. Put another way, tions about the natural basis for the phenomena we
data are items of information on which scientific inquiry observe in the world. What caused the different chim-
is based. The term data implies numbers to many people. panzee behaviors observed in the wild? What explains
But some data are qualitative, often in the form of recorded the variation in coat color among the mice of a single
descriptions rather than numerical measurements. For species, shown in Figure 1.1? Answering such ques-
example, Jane Goodall spent decades recording her obser- tions usually involves forming and testing logical
vations of chimpanzee behavior during field research in explanations—that is, hypotheses.
a Tanzanian jungle (Figure 1.21). In her studies, Goodall In science, a hypothesis is an explanation, based on
also enriched the field of animal behavior with volumes observations and assumptions, that leads to a testable predic-
of quantitative data, such as the frequency and duration tion. Said another way, a hypothesis is an explanation on
of specific behaviors for different members of a group of trial. The hypothesis is usually a rational accounting for a set
chimpanzees in a variety of situations. Quantitative data of observations, based on the available data and guided by
are generally expressed as numerical measurements and inductive reasoning. A scientific hypothesis must lead to pre-
often organized into tables and graphs. Scientists analyze dictions that can be tested by making additional observations
Copyright © 2020. Pearson Education, Limited. All rights reserved.

their data using a type of mathematics called statistics to or by performing experiments. An experiment is a scientific
test whether their results are significant or merely due to test, carried out under controlled conditions.
random fluctuations. All results presented in this text have We all make observations and develop questions and
been shown to be statistically significant. hypotheses in solving everyday problems. Let’s say, for
Collecting and analyzing observations can lead to impor- example, that your desk lamp is plugged in and turned on
tant conclusions based on a type of logic called inductive but the bulb isn’t lit. That’s an observation. The question
reasoning. Through induction, we derive generalizations is obvious: Why doesn’t the lamp work? Two reasonable
from a large number of specific observations. “The sun always hypotheses based on your experience are that (1) the bulb
rises in the east” is one example. Another biological example is burnt out or (2) the bulb is not screwed in properly. Each
is the generalization “All organisms are made of cells,” which of these alternative hypotheses leads to predictions you
was based on two centuries of microscopic observations made can test with experiments. For example, the burnt-out bulb
by biologists examining cells in diverse biological specimens. hypothesis predicts that replacing the bulb will fix the prob-
Careful observations and data analyses, along with general- lem. Figure 1.22 diagrams this informal inquiry. Figuring
izations reached by induction, are fundamental to our under- things out in this way by trial and error is a hypothesis-
standing of nature. based approach.

CHAPTER 1 Biology and Its Themes

Campbell, Neil, et al. Biology: a Global Approach, Global Edition, Pearson Education, Limited, 2020. ProQuest Ebook Central, http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/cuhk-ebooks/detail.action?docID=6191695. 65
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 . Figure 1.22 A simplified view of the scientific process. The most likely explanation, but testing supports that hypoth-
idealized process sometimes called the “scientific method” is shown esis not by proving that it is correct, but rather by failing to
in this flow chart, which illustrates hypothesis testing for a desk lamp
prove it incorrect. For example, even if replacing the bulb
that doesn’t work.
fixed the desk lamp, it might have been because there was
Observation: Desk lamp doesn’t work. a temporary power outage that just happened to end while
the bulb was being changed.
Although a hypothesis can never be proved beyond all
Question: Why doesn’t the desk lamp work? doubt, testing it in various ways can significantly increase
our confidence in its validity. Often, rounds of hypothesis
formulation and testing lead to a scientific consensus—the
shared conclusion of many scientists that a particular
Hypothesis #1: Hypothesis #2: hypothesis explains the known data well and stands up to
Bulb is burnt out. Bulb is improperly screwed in.
experimental testing.

Prediction: Replacing Prediction: Reinstalling Questions That Can and Cannot

bulb will fix problem. bulb will fix problem. Be Addressed by Science
Scientific inquiry is a powerful way to learn about nature,
Test of prediction: Test of prediction: but there are limitations to the kinds of questions it can
Replace bulb. Reinstall bulb. answer. A scientific hypothesis must be testable; there must
be some observation or experiment that could reveal if
such an idea is likely to be true or false. The hypothesis that
Result: Result:
Lamp works. Desk lamp doesn't work. a burnt-out bulb is the sole reason the lamp doesn’t work
Hypothesis is supported. Hypothesis is not supported. would not be supported if replacing the bulb with a new one
didn’t fix the lamp.
Not all hypotheses meet the criteria of science:
You wouldn’t be able to test the hypothesis that invisible
Deductive Reasoning ghosts are fooling with your desk lamp! Because science
A type of logic called deduction is also built into the use only deals with natural, testable explanations for natu-
of hypotheses in science. While induction entails reason- ral phenomena, it can neither support nor contradict
ing from a set of specific observations to reach a general the invisible ghost hypothesis, nor whether spirits or
conclusion, deductive reasoning involves logic that elves cause storms, rainbows, or illnesses. Such super-
flows in the opposite direction, from the general to the natural explanations are simply outside the bounds of
specific. From general premises, we extrapolate to the science, as are religious matters, which are issues of per-
specific results we should expect if the premises are true. sonal faith. Science and religion are not mutually exclu-
In the scientific process, deductions usually take the form sive or contradictory; they are simply concerned with
of predictions of results that will be found if a particular different issues.
hypothesis (premise) is correct. We then test the hypoth-
esis by carrying out experiments or observations to see
Copyright © 2020. Pearson Education, Limited. All rights reserved.

whether or not the results are as predicted. This deductive The Flexibility of the Scientific Process
testing takes the form of “If . . . then” logic. In the case of The way that researchers answer questions about the
the desk lamp example: If the burnt-out bulb hypothesis is natural and physical world is often idealized as the
correct, then the lamp should work if you replace the bulb scientific method. However, very few scientific inquiries
with a new one. adhere rigidly to the sequence of steps that are typically
We can use the desk lamp example to illustrate two used to describe this approach. For example, a scientist
other key points about the use of hypotheses in sci- may start to design an experiment, but then backtrack
ence. First, one can always devise additional hypotheses after realizing that more preliminary observations are
to explain a set of observations. For instance, another necessary. In other cases, observations remain too puz-
hypothesis to explain our nonworking desk lamp is that zling to prompt well-defined questions until further
the wall socket is faulty. Although you could design an study provides a new context in which to view those
experiment to test this hypothesis, you can never test all observations. For example, scientists could not unravel
possible hypotheses. Second, we can never prove that a the details of how genes encode proteins until after the
hypothesis is true. Suppose that replacing the bulb fixed discovery of the structure of DNA (an event that took
the lamp. The burnt-out bulb hypothesis would be the place in 1953).

66et al. Biology:

Campbell, Neil, CHAPTER
a Global 1 Biology
Approach, and
Global ItsPearson
Edition, Themes Education, Limited, 2020. ProQuest Ebook Central, http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/cuhk-ebooks/detail.action?docID=6191695.
Created from cuhk-ebooks on 2023-01-03 18:37:04.
 A more realistic model of the scientific process is shown which hypotheses are tested, how test results are interpreted,
in Figure 1.23. The focus of this model, shown in the central and what value is placed on the findings. Similarly, societal
circle in the figure, is the forming and testing of hypotheses. needs—such as the push to cure cancer or understand the pro-
This core set of activities is the reason that science does so well cess of climate change—may help shape what research proj-
in explaining phenomena in the natural world. These activi- ects are funded and how extensively the results are discussed.
ties, however, are shaped by exploration and discovery (the Now that we have highlighted the key features of scien-
upper circle in Figure 1.23) and influenced by interactions tific inquiry—making observations and forming and testing
with other scientists and with society more generally (lower hypotheses—you should be able to recognize these features in
circles). For example, the community of scientists influences a case study of actual scientific research.

. Figure 1.23 The process of science: a realistic model. In reality, the process of science is
not linear, but instead involves backtracking, repetitions, and feedback between different parts
of the process. This illustration is based on a model (How Science Works) from the website
Understanding Science (www.understandingscience.org).

N AND DIS
TIO CO
RA

LO

VE
EXP

RY
• Observing nature
• Asking questions
• Reading the
scientific literature

STING HY
ND TE PO
GA TH
IN Testing Ideas ES
RM E
O • Forming hypotheses
S
F

• Predicting results
• Doing experiments and/or
making observations
• Gathering data
• Analyzing results

Interpreting Results
Data may…
EFITS AND O • Support a hypothesis LYSIS AN
Copyright © 2020. Pearson Education, Limited. All rights reserved.

BEN ANA D
U ITY
• Contradict a hypothesis F
L
• Inspire a revised or new
A

UN
TC

EE
• Feedback and
IET

• Developing hypothesis
OM

DB
COMM

peer review
SOC

technology
• Replication of ACK
ES

• Informing policy
• Solving problems findings
• Building • Publication
knowledge • Consensus
building

CHAPTER 1 Biology and Its Themes

Campbell, Neil, et al. Biology: a Global Approach, Global Edition, Pearson Education, Limited, 2020. ProQuest Ebook Central, http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/cuhk-ebooks/detail.action?docID=6191695. 67
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 A Case Study in Scientific Inquiry: so that the models differed only in their color patterns. The
researchers placed equal numbers of these model mice ran-
Investigating Coat Coloration in
domly in both habitats and left them overnight. The mouse
Mouse Populations models resembling the native mice in the habitat were the
Our case study begins with a set of observations and induc- control group (for instance, light-colored mouse models in the
tive generalizations. Color patterns of animals vary widely in beach habitat), while the mouse models with the non-native
nature, sometimes even among members of the same species. coloration were the experimental group (for example, darker
What accounts for such variation? As you may recall, the two models in the beach habitat). The following morning, the
mice depicted at the beginning of this chapter are members team counted and recorded signs of predation events, which
of the same species (Peromyscus polionotus), but they have ranged from bites and gouge marks on some models to the
different coat (fur) color patterns and reside in different envi- outright disappearance of others. Judging by the shape of the
ronments. The beach mouse lives along the Florida seashore, predators’ bites and the tracks surrounding the experimental
a habitat of brilliant white sand dunes with sparse clumps of sites, the predators appeared to be split fairly evenly between
beach grass. The inland mouse lives on darker, more fertile mammals (such as foxes and coyotes) and birds (such as owls,
soil farther inland (Figure 1.24). Even a brief glance at the herons, and hawks).
photographs in Figure 1.24 reveals a striking match of mouse For each environment, the researchers then calculated the
coloration to its habitat. The natural predators of these mice, percentage of predation events that targeted camouflaged
including hawks, owls, foxes, and coyotes, are all visual models. The results were clear-cut: Camouflaged models
hunters (they use their sense of sight to look for prey). It was showed much lower predation rates than those lacking cam-
logical, therefore, for Francis Bertody Sumner, a naturalist ouflage in both the beach habitat (where light mice were less
studying populations of these mice in the 1920s, to form vulnerable) and the inland habitat (where dark mice were less
the hypothesis that their coloration patterns had evolved as vulnerable). The data thus fit the key prediction of the cam-
adaptations that camouflage the mice in their native environ- ouflage hypothesis.
ments, protecting them from predation.
As obvious as the camouflage hypothesis may seem, it
still required testing. In 2010, biologist Hopi Hoekstra of Variables and Controls in Experiments
Harvard University and a group of her students headed to In carrying out an experiment, a researcher often manipu-
Florida to test the prediction that mice with coloration that lates one factor in a system and observes the effects of this
did not match their habitat would be preyed on more heav- change. The mouse camouflage experiment described in
ily than the native, well-matched mice. Figure 1.25 sum- Figure 1.25 is an example of a controlled experiment, one
marizes this field experiment, introducing a format we will that is designed to compare an experimental group (the non-
use throughout the book to walk through other examples of camouflaged mice models, in this case) with a control group
biological inquiry. (the camouflaged models). Both the factor that is manipulated
The researchers built hundreds of models of mice and and the factor that is subsequently measured are variables—a
spray-painted them to resemble either beach or inland mice, feature or quantity that varies in an experiment.

. Figure 1.24 Different coloration in beach and inland populations

Copyright © 2020. Pearson Education, Limited. All rights reserved.

of Peromyscus polionotus.

Florida Inland
Beach population population Inland population

GULF OF Beach
MEXICO population

Beach mice live on sparsely vegetated sand dunes along the coast. The Members of the same species living about 30 km inland have dark fur
light tan, dappled fur on their backs causes them to blend into their on their backs, camouflaging them against the dark ground of their
surroundings, providing camouflage. habitat.

68et al. Biology:

Campbell, Neil, CHAPTER
a Global 1 Biology
Approach, and
Global ItsPearson
Edition, Themes Education, Limited, 2020. ProQuest Ebook Central, http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/cuhk-ebooks/detail.action?docID=6191695.
Created from cuhk-ebooks on 2023-01-03 18:37:04.
 . Figure 1.25 Inquiry the low predation rate on models cam-
ouflaged with respect to the surrounding
Does camouflage affect predation rates on two populations environment.
of mice? A common misconception is that
the term controlled experiment means
Experiment Hopi Hoekstra and colleagues tested the hypothesis that coat color­
ation provides camouflage that protects beach and inland populations of Peromyscus that scientists control all features of the
polionotus mice from predation in their habitats. The researchers spray­painted mouse experimental environment. But that’s
models with light or dark color patterns that matched those of the beach and inland impossible in field research and can be
mice and placed models with each of the patterns in both habitats. The next morning,
they counted damaged or missing models.
very difficult even in highly regulated
laboratory environments. Researchers
Results For each habitat, the researchers calculated the percentage of attacked mod­
usually “control” unwanted variables
els that were camouflaged or non­camouflaged. In both habitats, the models whose
pattern did not match their surroundings suffered much higher “predation” than did not by eliminating them through envi-
the camouflaged models. ronmental regulation, but by canceling
out their effects by using control groups.
Beach habitat Inland habitat
100 Mastering Biology Animation:
attacked models

Introduction to Experimental Design

Percentage of

50
Theories in Science
“It’s just a theory!” Our everyday use of
0
Light models Dark models Light models Dark models the term theory often implies an untested
speculation. But the term theory has a dif-
ferent meaning in science. What is a sci-
entific theory, and how is it different from
a hypothesis or from mere speculation?
Camouflaged Non-camouflaged Non-camouflaged Camouflaged First, a scientific theory is much
(control) (experimental) (experimental) (control) broader in scope than a hypothesis. This
is a hypothesis: “Coat coloration well-
Conclusion The results are consistent with the researchers’ prediction: that mouse matched to their habitat is an adaptation
models with camouflage coloration would be attacked less often than non­camouflaged
that protects mice from predators.” But
mouse models. Thus, the experiment supports the camouflage hypothesis.
this is a theory: “Evolutionary adaptations
Data from S. N. Vignieri, J. G. Larson, and H. E. Hoekstra, The selective advantage of crypsis in mice, Evolution
64:2153–2158 (2010). arise by natural selection.” This theory
proposes that natural selection is the evo-
INTERPRET THE DATA The bars indicate the percentage of the attacked models that were
either light or dark. Assume 100 mouse models were attacked in each habitat. For the beach lutionary mechanism that accounts for an
habitat, how many were light models? Dark models? Answer the same questions for the inland enormous variety of adaptations, of which
habitat. Do the results of the experiment support the camouflage hypothesis? Explain. coat color in mice is but one example.
Second, a theory is general enough
Copyright © 2020. Pearson Education, Limited. All rights reserved.

to spin off many new, testable hypoth-

eses. For example, the theory of natural
In our example, the color of the mouse model was the selection motivated two researchers at Princeton University,
independent variable—the factor being manipulated Peter and Rosemary Grant, to test the specific hypothesis that
by the researchers. The dependent variable is the fac- the beaks of Galápagos finches evolve in response to changes
tor being measured that is predicted to be affected by the in the types of available food. (Their results supported their
independent variable; in this case, the researchers mea- hypothesis; see Figure 23.2.)
sured the amount of predation in response to variation And third, compared to any one hypothesis, a theory is
in color of the mouse model. Note also that the experi- generally supported by a much greater body of evidence. The
mental and control groups differ in only one independent theory of natural selection has been supported by a vast quan-
variable: color. tity of evidence, with more being found every day, and has not
As a result, the researchers could rule out other factors as been contradicted by any scientific data. Those theories that
causes of the more frequent attacks on the non-camouflaged become widely adopted in science (such as the theory of natu-
mice—such as different numbers of predators or different tem- ral selection and the theory of gravity) explain a great diversity
peratures in the different test areas. The clever experimental of observations and are supported by a vast accumulation of
design left coloration as the only factor that could account for evidence.

CHAPTER 1 Biology and Its Themes

Campbell, Neil, et al. Biology: a Global Approach, Global Edition, Pearson Education, Limited, 2020. ProQuest Ebook Central, http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/cuhk-ebooks/detail.action?docID=6191695. 69
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 Finally, scientists will sometimes modify or even reject researcher, D. W. Kaufman, 40 years earlier. You can study
a previously supported theory if new research consistently the design of Kaufman’s experiment and interpret the results
produces results that don’t fit. For example, biologists once in the Scientific Skills Exercise.
lumped bacteria and archaea together as a kingdom of prokary- Scientific results are continually scrutinized through the
otes. When new methods for comparing cells and molecules repetition of observations and experiments. Scientists work-
could be used to test such relationships, the evidence led scien- ing in the same research field often check one another’s
tists to reject the theory that bacteria and archaea are members claims by attempting to confirm observations or repeat exper-
of the same kingdom. If there is “truth” in science, it is at best iments. If scientific colleagues cannot repeat experimental
conditional, based on the weight of available evidence. findings, this failure may reflect some underlying weakness in
the original claim, which will then have to be revised. In this
sense, science polices itself. Integrity and adherence to high
CONCEPT CHECK 1.3
professional standards in reporting results are central to the
1. What qualitative observation led to the quantitative study scientific endeavor, since the validity of experimental data is
in Figure 1.25? key to designing further lines of inquiry.
2. Contrast inductive reasoning with deductive reasoning. It is not unusual for several scientists to converge on the
3. Why is natural selection called a theory? same research question. Some scientists enjoy the challenge
4. WHAT IF? In the deserts of New Mexico, the soils are mostly of being first with an important discovery or key experiment,
sandy, with occasional regions of black rock derived from lava
flows that occurred about 1,000 years ago. Mice are found in while others derive more satisfaction from cooperating with
both sandy and rocky areas, and owls are known predators. fellow scientists working on the same problem.
What might you expect about coat color in these two mouse Cooperation is facilitated when scientists use the same
populations? Explain. How would you use this ecosystem to
further test the camouflage hypothesis? organism. Often, it is a widely used model organism—a
For suggested answers, see Appendix A.
species that is easy to grow in the lab and lends itself par-
ticularly well to the questions being investigated. Because
all species are evolutionarily related, such an organism
CONCEPT 1.4 may be viewed as a model for understanding the biology of
other species and their diseases. Genetic studies of the fruit
Science benefits from fly Drosophila melanogaster, for example, have taught us a

a cooperative approach lot about how genes work in other species, even humans.
Some other popular model organisms are the mustard plant
and diverse viewpoints Arabidopsis thaliana, the soil worm Caenorhabditis elegans, the
Movies and cartoons sometimes portray scientists as loners zebrafish Danio rerio, the mouse Mus musculus, and the bacte-
in white lab coats, working in isolated labs. In reality, sci- rium Escherichia coli. As you read through this book, note the
ence is an intensely social activity. Most scientists work in many contributions that these and other model organisms
teams, which often include both graduate and undergradu- have made to the study of life.
ate students. And to succeed in science, it helps to be a good Biologists may approach interesting questions from different
communicator. Research results have no impact until shared angles. Some biologists focus on ecosystems, while others study
with a community of peers through seminars, publications, natural phenomena at the level of organisms or cells. This text
is divided into units that look at biology at different levels and
Copyright © 2020. Pearson Education, Limited. All rights reserved.

and websites. And, in fact, research papers aren’t published

until they are vetted by colleagues in what is called the “peer investigate problems through different approaches. Yet any
review” process. The examples of scientific inquiry described given problem can be addressed from many perspectives, which
in this book, for instance, have all been published in peer- in fact complement each other. For example, Hoekstra not only
reviewed journals. carried out field studies showing that coat coloration can affect
predation rates but also did lab studies that uncovered at least
one genetic mutation that underlies the differences between
Building on the Work of Others beach and inland mouse coloration. Her lab includes biologists
The great scientist Isaac Newton once said: “To explain all specializing in different biological levels, allowing links to be
nature is too difficult a task for any one man or even for any made between the evolutionary adaptations she focuses on and
one age. ’Tis much better to do a little with certainty, and their molecular basis in DNA sequences.
leave the rest for others that come after you.” Anyone who As a biology student, you can benefit from making connec-
becomes a scientist, driven by curiosity about how nature tions between the different levels of biology. You can develop
works, is sure to benefit greatly from the rich storehouse of this skill by noticing when certain topics crop up again and
discoveries by others who have come before. In fact, Hopi again in different units. One such topic is sickle-cell disease,
Hoekstra’s experiment benefited from the work of another a well-understood genetic condition that is prevalent among

70et al. Biology:

Campbell, Neil, CHAPTER
a Global 1 Biology
Approach, and
Global ItsPearson
Edition, Themes Education, Limited, 2020. ProQuest Ebook Central, http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/cuhk-ebooks/detail.action?docID=6191695.
Created from cuhk-ebooks on 2023-01-03 18:36:44.
 Scientific Skills Exercise
Interpreting a Pair of Bar Graphs
How much does camouflage affect predation on mice by INTERPRET THE DATA
owls with and without moonlight? D. W. Kaufman hypoth­ 1. First, make sure you understand
esized that the extent to which the coat color of a mouse con­ how the graphs are set up. Graph
trasted with the color of its surroundings would affect the rate A shows data from the light­
of nighttime predation by owls. He also hypothesized that the colored soil enclosure and graph
contrast would be affected by the amount of moonlight. In this B from the dark­colored enclo­
exercise, you will analyze data from his studies of owl predation sure, but in all other respects the
on mice that tested these hypotheses. graphs are the same. (a) There
How the Experiment Was Done Pairs of mice (Peromyscus is more than one independent variable in these graphs. What
polionotus) with different coat colors, one light brown and one are the independent variables, the variables that were tested
dark brown, were released simultaneously into an enclosure by the researcher? Which axis of the graphs has the indepen­
that contained a hungry owl. The researcher recorded the color dent variables? (b) What is the dependent variable, the re­
of the mouse that was first caught by the owl. If the owl did not sponse to the variables being tested? Which axis of the graphs
catch either mouse within 15 minutes, the test was recorded as has the dependent variable?
a zero. The release trials were repeated multiple times in enclo­ 2. (a) How many dark brown mice were caught in the light­colored
sures with either a dark­colored soil surface or a light­colored soil soil enclosure on a moonlit night? (b) How many dark brown
surface. The presence or absence of moonlight during each assay mice were caught in the dark­colored soil enclosure on a moonlit
was recorded. night? (c) On a moonlit night, would a dark brown mouse be
more likely to escape predation by owls on dark­ or light­colored
Data from the Experiment soil? Explain your answer.
3. (a) Is a dark brown mouse on dark­colored soil more likely to
40 Light coat 40 Light coat escape predation under a full moon or with no moon? (b) What
35 Dark coat 35 Dark coat about a light brown mouse on light­colored soil? Explain.
Number of mice caught

Number of mice caught

4. (a) Under which conditions would a dark brown mouse be most

30 30
likely to escape predation at night? (b) A light brown mouse?
25 25 5. (a) What combination of independent variables led to the high­
20 20 est predation level in enclosures with light­colored soil? (b) What
combination of independent variables led to the highest preda­
15 15 tion level in enclosures with dark­colored soil?
10 10 6. Thinking about your answers to question 5, provide a simple
statement describing conditions that are especially deadly for
5 5 either color of mouse.
0 0 7. Combining the data from both graphs, estimate the number
Full moon No moon Full moon No moon of mice caught in moonlight versus no­moonlight conditions.
A: Light-colored soil B: Dark-colored soil Which condition is optimal for predation by the owl? Explain.

Data from D. W. Kaufman, Adaptive coloration in Peromyscus polionotus: Instructors: A version of this Scientific Skills Exercise can be
Experimental selection by owls, Journal of Mammalogy 55:271–283 (1974). assigned in Mastering Biology.
Copyright © 2020. Pearson Education, Limited. All rights reserved.

native inhabitants of Africa and other warm regions and their Though science and technology sometimes employ simi-
descendants. Sickle-cell disease will appear in several units lar inquiry patterns, their basic goals differ. The goal of
of the text, each time addressed at a new level. In addition, science is to understand natural phenomena, while that
Make Connections figures connect the content in different of technology is to apply scientific knowledge for some
chapters, and Make Connections questions ask you to make specific purpose. Because scientists put new technology
the connections yourselves. We hope these features will help to work in their research, science and technology are
you integrate the material you’re learning and enhance your interdependent.
enjoyment of biology by encouraging you to keep the big pic- The potent combination of science and technology can
ture in mind. have dramatic effects on society. Sometimes, the applications
of basic research that turn out to be the most beneficial come
out of the blue, from completely unanticipated observations
Science, Technology, and Society in the course of scientific exploration. For example, discovery
The research community is part of society at large, and of the structure of DNA by Watson and Crick in 1953 and sub-
the relationship of science to society becomes clearer sequent achievements in DNA science led to the technologies
when we add technology to the picture (see Figure 1.23). of DNA manipulation that are transforming applied fields

CHAPTER 1 Biology and Its Themes

Campbell, Neil, et al. Biology: a Global Approach, Global Edition, Pearson Education, Limited, 2020. ProQuest Ebook Central, http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/cuhk-ebooks/detail.action?docID=6191695. 71
Created from cuhk-ebooks on 2023-01-03 18:36:44.
 . Figure 1.26 DNA technology and forensics. Since 1992, the The Value of Diverse Viewpoints in Science
Innocence Project has used forensic analysis of DNA samples from
crime scenes to exonerate over 360 wrongly convicted prisoners. Many of the technological innovations with the most pro-
Most had served many years in prison. To read about the four found impact on human society originated in settlements
people shown here who were found to be innocent, go to the along trade routes, where a rich mix of different cultures
Innocence Project website.
ignited new ideas. For example, the printing press, which
helped spread knowledge to all social classes, was invented
by the German Johannes Gutenberg around 1440. This
invention relied on several innovations from China, includ-
ing paper and ink. Paper traveled along trade routes from
China to Baghdad, where technology was developed for its
mass production. This technology then migrated to Europe,
Lynn DeJac
as did water-based ink from China, which was modified
by Gutenberg to become oil-based ink. We have the cross-
fertilization of diverse cultures to thank for the printing press,
and the same can be said for other important inventions.
Along similar lines, science benefits from a diversity
of backgrounds and viewpoints among its practitioners.
John White Michael Morton
But just how diverse a population are scientists in relation
to gender, race, ethnicity, and other attributes?
The scientific community reflects the cultural standards
Clemente Aguirre-Jarquin and behaviors of the society around it. It is therefore not sur-
prising that until recently, women, people of color, and other
such as medicine, agriculture, and forensics (Figure 1.26). underrepresented groups have faced huge obstacles in their
Perhaps Watson and Crick envisioned that their discovery pursuit to become professional scientists in many countries
would someday lead to important applications, but it is around the world. Over the past 50 years, changing attitudes
unlikely that they could have predicted exactly what all those about career choices have increased the proportion of women
applications would be. in biology and some other sciences, so that now women
The directions that technology takes depend less on the constitute roughly half of undergraduate biology majors and
curiosity that drives basic science than on the current needs biology Ph.D. students.
and wants of people and on the social environment of the The pace has been slow at higher levels in the profession,
times. Debates about technology center more on “should however, and women and many racial and ethnic groups
we do it” than “can we do it.” With advances in technology are still significantly underrepresented in many branches of
come difficult choices. For example, under what circum- science and technology. This lack of diversity hampers the
stances is it acceptable to use DNA technology to find out if progress of science. The more voices that are heard at the
particular people have genes for hereditary diseases? Should table, the more robust, valuable, and productive the scientific
such tests always be voluntary, or are there circumstances interchange will be. The authors of this text welcome all stu-
when genetic testing should be mandatory? Should insur- dents to the community of biologists, wishing you the joys
Copyright © 2020. Pearson Education, Limited. All rights reserved.

ance companies or employers have access to the informa- and satisfactions of this exciting field of science.
tion, as they do for many other types of personal health
data? These questions are becoming much more urgent as CONCEPT CHECK 1.4
the sequencing of individual genomes becomes quicker
1. How does science differ from technology?
and cheaper.
2. MAKE CONNECTIONS The gene that causes sickle­cell
Ethical issues raised by such questions have as much to disease is present in a higher percentage of residents of sub­
do with politics, economics, and cultural values as with sci- Saharan Africa than among those of African descent living in
ence and technology. All citizens—not only professional the United States. Even though this gene causes sickle­cell dis­
ease, it also provides some protection from malaria, a serious
scientists—have a responsibility to be informed about how disease that is widespread in sub­Saharan Africa but absent in
science works and about the potential benefits and risks the United States. Discuss an evolutionary process that could
of technology. The relationship between science, technol- account for the different percentages of the sickle­cell gene
among residents of the two regions. (See Concept 1.2.)
ogy, and society increases the significance and value of any
For suggested answers, see Appendix A.
biology course.

72et al. Biology:

Campbell, Neil, CHAPTER
a Global 1 Biology
Approach, and
Global ItsPearson
Edition, Themes Education, Limited, 2020. ProQuest Ebook Central, http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/cuhk-ebooks/detail.action?docID=6191695.
Created from cuhk-ebooks on 2023-01-03 18:36:44.
 1 Chapter Review Go to Mastering Biology for Assignments, the eText,
the Study Area, and Dynamic Study Modules.

Interactions Theme: From Molecules to Ecosystems,

SUMMARY OF KEY CONCEPTS Interactions Are Important in Biological Systems
• In feedback regulation, a pro-
cess is regulated by its output or end
CONCEPT 1.1 product. In negative feedback, accu-
The study of life reveals unifying themes (pp. 51–59) mulation of the end product slows
its production. In positive feedback,
Organization Theme: New Properties Emerge at Successive an end product speeds up its own
Levels of Biological Organization production.
• The hierarchy of life unfolds as follows: • Organisms interact continuously with
biosphere 7 ecosystem 7 community 7 physical factors. Plants take up nutri-
population 7 organism 7 organ system 7 ents from the soil and chemicals from
organ 7 tissue 7 cell 7 organelle 7 molecule the air and use energy from the sun.
7 atom. With each step from atoms to the
biosphere, new emergent properties re- ? Thinking about the muscles and nerves in your hand, how does the
sult from interactions among components activity of text messaging reflect the four unifying themes of biology
at the lower levels. In an approach called described in this section?
reductionism, complex systems are broken down to simpler
components that are more manageable to study. In systems CONCEPT 1.2
biology, scientists attempt to model the dynamic behavior of
whole biological systems by studying the interactions among The Core Theme: Evolution accounts for the unity and
the system’s parts. diversity of life (pp. 59–64)
• Structure and function are correlated at all levels of biologi- • Evolution, the process of change that has
cal organization. The cell, an organism’s basic unit of structure transformed life on Earth, accounts for the
and function, is the lowest level that can perform all activi- unity and diversity of life. It also explains
ties required for life. Cells are either prokaryotic or eukaryotic. evolutionary adaptation—the match of or-
Eukaryotic cells have a DNA-containing nucleus and other ganisms to their environments.
membrane-enclosed organelles. Prokaryotic cells lack such • Biologists classify species according to a sys-
organelles. tem of broader and broader groups. Domain Bacteria and domain
Information Theme: Life’s Processes Involve the Archaea consist of prokaryotes. Domain Eukarya, the eukaryotes,
Expression and Transmission of Genetic Information includes various groups of protists and the kingdoms Plantae, Fungi,
• Genetic information is encoded in the and Animalia. As diverse as life is, there is also evidence of remark-
nucleotide sequences of DNA. It is DNA able unity, revealed in the similarities between different species.
that transmits heritable information • Darwin proposed natural selection as the mechanism for
from parents to offspring. DNA sequences evolutionary adaptation of populations to their environments.
(called genes) program a cell’s protein pro- Natural selection is the evolutionary process that occurs when a
duction by being transcribed into mRNA population is exposed to environmental factors that consistently
and then translated into specific proteins, cause individuals with certain heritable traits to have greater re-
a process called gene expression. Gene productive success than do individuals with other heritable traits.
expression also produces RNAs that are
not translated into protein but serve other Population of organisms
important functions. Genomics is the
large-scale analysis of the DNA sequences
Copyright © 2020. Pearson Education, Limited. All rights reserved.

of a species (its genome) as well as the

comparison of genomes between species. Hereditary Overproduction of off-
Bioinformatics uses computational variations spring and competition
tools to deal with huge volumes of se-
quence data. Environmental
factors
Energy and Matter Theme: Life Requires the Transfer and
Transformation of Energy and Matter Differences in reproductive success
• Energy flows through an of individuals
ecosystem. All organisms ENERGY FLOW
must perform work, which AL CYC
requires energy. Producers EMIC LIN
CH
convert energy from sunlight Evolution of adaptations in the population
G

to chemical energy, some of

which is used by them and by • Each species is one twig of a branching tree of life extending back
consumers to do work, and in time through more and more remote ancestral species. All of
is eventually lost from the life is connected through its long evolutionary history.
ecosystem as heat. Chemicals
cycle between organisms and ? How could natural selection have led to the evolution of adaptations
the environment. such as camouflaging coat color in beach mice?

CHAPTER 1 Biology and Its Themes

Campbell, Neil, et al. Biology: a Global Approach, Global Edition, Pearson Education, Limited, 2020. ProQuest Ebook Central, http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/cuhk-ebooks/detail.action?docID=6191695. 73
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 CONCEPT 1.3 8. DRAW IT Draw a biological hierarchy similar to the one in
Figure 1.3 but using a coral reef as the ecosystem, a fish as the
In studying nature, scientists form and test hypotheses organism, its stomach as the organ, and DNA as the molecule.
(pp. 64–70) Include all levels in the hierarchy.
• In scientific inquiry, scientists collect data and use inductive 9. EVOLUTION CONNECTION A typical prokaryotic cell has
reasoning to draw a general conclusion, which can be devel- about 3,000 genes in its DNA, while a human cell has about
oped into a testable hypothesis. Deductive reasoning uses 21,300 genes. About 1,000 of these genes are present in both
predictions to test hypotheses. Hypotheses must be testable; types of cells. Explain how such different organisms could have
science can address neither the possibility of supernatural phe- this same subset of 1,000 genes. What sorts of functions might
nomena nor religious beliefs. Hypotheses can be tested by con- these shared genes have?
ducting experiments or, when that is not possible, by making 10. SCIENTIFIC INQUIRY Based on the results of the mouse
observations. In the process of science, the core activity is testing coloration case study, suggest another hypothesis researchers
ideas. This endeavor is influenced by exploration and discovery, might use to study the role of predators in natural selection.
community analysis and feedback, and societal outcomes.
• Controlled experiments are designed to demonstrate 11. SCIENTIFIC INQUIRY Scientists search the scientific
the effect of one variable by testing control groups and literature using electronic databases such as PubMed, a free
experimental groups that differ in only that one variable. online database maintained by the National Center for
• A scientific theory is broad in scope, generates new hypotheses, Biotechnology Information. Use PubMed to find the abstract
and is supported by a large body of evidence. of an article that Hopi Hoekstra published in 2017 or later.
12. WRITE ABOUT A THEME: EVOLUTION In a short essay
? What are the roles of gathering and interpreting data?
(100–150 words), discuss Darwin’s view of how natural
selection resulted in both unity and diversity of life. Include
CONCEPT 1.4 in your discussion some of his evidence. (For help in writing
Science benefits from a cooperative approach and essays, see “Writing Tips and Rubrics” in the Study Area of
diverse viewpoints (pp. 70–72) Mastering Biology under “Additional Resources.”)
13. SYNTHESIZE YOUR KNOWLEDGE
• Science is a social activity. The work of each scientist builds on
the work of others who have come before. Scientists must be Can you pick out the mossy leaf-
able to repeat each other’s results, and integrity is key. Biologists tailed gecko lying against the tree
approach questions at different levels; their approaches comple- trunk in this photo? How is the
ment each other. appearance of the gecko a benefit in
• Technology consists of any method or device that applies scien- terms of survival? Given what you
tific knowledge for some specific purpose that affects society. The learned about evolution, natural
impact of basic research is not always immediately obvious. selection, and genetic information
• Diversity among scientists promotes progress in science. in this chapter, describe how the
gecko’s coloration might have
? Explain why different approaches and diverse backgrounds among evolved.
scientists are important.
For selected answers, see Appendix A.
TEST YOUR UNDERSTANDING

Multiple-choice Self-Quiz questions 1–7 can be found in the

Study Area in Mastering Biology.
Copyright © 2020. Pearson Education, Limited. All rights reserved.

74et al. Biology:

Campbell, Neil, CHAPTER
a Global 1 Biology
Approach, and
Global Its Pearson
Edition, Themes Education, Limited, 2020. ProQuest Ebook Central, http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/cuhk-ebooks/detail.action?docID=6191695.
Created from cuhk-ebooks on 2023-01-03 18:36:44.