Unifying themes in the study of life

1. Life
Science

2. PRETEST: Let us check what you already know about the lesson today.
Analyze the statement carefully and choose the letter of the correct answer.
1. It refers to the internal balance that a cell maintains with its external
environment.
a. Homeostasis b. Circulation
c. Diurnal d. Dyshomeostasis
2. The term used for the one-celled organism.
a. Multicellular b. Colonial
c. Unicellular d. Plant Kingdom

3. 3. A reproduction that only involves one parent.
a. Sexual b. Budding
c. Asexual d. Binary Fission
4. It is where almost all energy for life originates.
a. In sugars b. In plants
c. In animals d. In the sun
5. The driving force behind evolution,
a. Sexual b. Reproduction
c. Energy d. Natural Selection

4. Direction: Examine the picture and write down the characteristic of life
shown in each picture. Describe each characteristic briefly.
High degree of
organization (Order)
Figure 1. Sunflower and its parts Figure 2. A jackrabbit’s ears opening
wide, vividly showing its blood vessels
Evolutionary adaptation

5. Figure 3. A butterfly obtaining fuel in
the form of nectar from flowers
Energy processing/acquisition
and use of energy
Figure 4. A sprouting seed
Growth and development

6. Figure 5. Damselfly landing on a
Venus flytrap, with the flytrap
rapidly closing its trap
Figure 6. Mother giraffe with its
young calf standing beside her
Response to the environment/ability to
respond to stimuli
Reproduction

7. Figure 7. Garden showing lush vegetation and
diverse animals
Diversity and unity

8. Unifying
Themes
in the
Study of
Life

9. Describe how unifying themes in the
study of life show the connections among
living things and how they interact with
each other and with their environment.
(S11/12LT-11a-3)
Learning
Objective

10. TEN THEMES THAT UNIFY THE STUDY OF LIFE
Fig. 8: Hierarchical Level of Biological Organization
 A biological
system is a
complex network of
biologically relevant
entities.
 Can be viewed
from the smallest
unit of matter that is
ATOM to the
complex view of
the living sphere,
the BIOSPHERE.
Theme 1: Biological
Systems
ATOM
MOLECULE CELL TISSUE ORGAN
ORGAN SYSTEM
ORGANISM
POPULATION
COMMUNITY
BIOSPHERE
ECOSYSTEM

11. TEN THEMES THAT UNIFY THE STUDY OF LIFE
Fig. 8: Hierarchical Level of Biological Organization
Theme 2: Higher
Degree of Organization
ATOM
MOLECULE CELL TISSUE ORGAN
ORGAN SYSTEM
ORGANISM
POPULATION
COMMUNITY
BIOSPHERE
ECOSYSTEM
1. Atom
2. Molecule
3. Cell
4. Tissue
5. Organ
6. Organ System
7. Organism
8. Population
9. Community
10. Ecosystem
11. Biosphere

12. TEN THEMES THAT UNIFY THE STUDY OF LIFE
Theme 3: Structure and Function What something does
in an organism is
directly related to its
shape or form
Structure and
function are related at
the level of chemicals
in cells.
Structure and function
are also related to the
level of the organism.
 The structure determines function, and
function reflects structure.

13. TEN THEMES THAT UNIFY THE STUDY OF LIFE
Theme 4: Reproduction and Inheritance
In humans, an egg cell from the mother fuses with a sperm cell from the father,
resulting in a fertilized cell containing a combination of DNA from both parents.
The inherited DNA directs the transformation of the fertilized egg into a person
with his/her eye color, facial features, and other characteristics. The inherited
information of DNA enables organisms to reproduce their kind.

14. TEN THEMES THAT UNIFY THE STUDY OF LIFE
Theme 5: Life Requires Energy Transfer and Transformation
SUN PRODUCERS
(Plants)
CONSUMERS
(Animals)
Thermal
Energy (Lost
Heat)

15. Theme 6: Organisms Interact with Other Organisms And The Physical
Environment
TEN THEMES THAT UNIFY THE STUDY OF LIFE
In an ecosystem, each organism
interacts continuously with its
environment, including other
organisms and physical factors.
"No man is an island." This
saying is also true for organisms
in an ecosystem. No organism
exists in isolation. Individual
organisms live together in an
ecosystem and depend on one
another.
Interactions of an African acacia tree with other
organisms and the physical

16. TEN THEMES THAT UNIFY THE STUDY OF LIFE
Theme 7: Organisms Must Maintain Homeostasis to Survive in a Diverse
Environment
Homeostatic Regulation of Temperature in Human
Homeostasis is the
maintenance of constant internal
conditions in an organism.
In negative feedback, a change
in a system causes a response
that tends to return that system
to its original state.
The ability of mammals and birds
to regulate body temperature is
another example of homeostasis
or "steady-state."

17. TEN THEMES THAT UNIFY THE STUDY OF LIFE
Theme 8: Evolution and
Adaptation
Evolution is the change
in living things over time.
It is a change in the
genetic makeup of a
subgroup, or population,
of a species.
Natural selection of
genetic traits can lead to
the evolution of a new
species. In the end, this
genetic diversity is
responsible for the
diversity of life on Earth.

18. TEN THEMES THAT UNIFY THE STUDY OF LIFE
Theme 9: Scientific Inquiry
In scientific inquiry, scientists observe (collect data) and use inductive
reasoning to draw a general conclusion, which can be developed into a testable
hypothesis.
Humans learn about the solution to various problems
The scientific method can give direction and pace for every inquiry, and
technology produced machinery to lengthen the life of perishable goods
The technology applies scientific knowledge in new ways.

19. TEN THEMES THAT UNIFY THE STUDY OF LIFE
Theme 10: Biology and Society
The relationship of science to society becomes clearer when we add
technology to the picture.
The goal of science is to understand
natural phenomena.
SCIENCE (Biology) TECHNOLOGY
Applies scientific knowledge for
some specific purpose
Speak of "discoveries" Speak of "inventions."
Science and technology are interdependent. Modern biology is changing
humans' everyday lives.

20. Activity 1
Direction: Inside the box are the characteristics of life. Use this to identify which
characteristics of living things are referred to in each of the items below.
Comment your answers in the comment section.
__________1. Plants make use of carbon dioxide, water and sunlight to
produce their own food during the process of photosynthesis.
__________2. Bacteria reproduce through the process of binary fission.
__________3. It is thought that humans and chimpanzees once shared a
common ancestor.

21. __________4. Sunflowers keep changing its direction following the movement
of the sun.
__________5. E. coli is a unicellular organism.
__________6. Endotherms use their circulatory systems to help maintain body
temperature.
__________7. Traits, such as color and size, are inherited by an offspring from
its parents.
__________8. The roots of a plant grow towards the source of ground water.
__________9. Dragon fruit opens its flowers late in the evening then closes as
the sun rises.
__________10. Caterpillars hibernates in a cocoon and emerges as a butterfly.

22. ANSWERS TO PRETEST: Let us check what you already know about the
lesson today. Analyze the statement carefully and choose the letter of the
correct answer.
1. It refers to the internal balance that a cell maintains with its external
environment.
a. Homeostasis b. Circulation
c. Diurnal d. Dyshomeostasis
2. The term used for the one-celled organism.
a. Multicellular b. Colonial
c. Unicellular d. Plant Kingdom

23. 3. A reproduction that only involves one parent.
a. Sexual b. Budding
c. Asexual d. Binary Fission
4. It is where almost all energy for life originates.
a. In sugars b. In plants
c. In animals d. In the sun
5. The driving force behind evolution,
a. Sexual b. Reproduction
c. Energy d. Natural Selection

24. PERFORMANCE TASK: TERRARIUM
Direction:
1. Make a terrarium using recycled or
indigenous materials available in your
home.
2. It must contain plants (small),
animals (small) related to the food
chain, and non-living things such as
soil, rocks or pebbles, and water.
3. It can be in any size, and the design
is only limited to the base and cover.
See the sample picture on the right.
Note: Materials should be recycled or
indigenous.
4. Take a photo of your terrarium and
post it in the comment section.