Life science, also known as biology, is the study of living things including animals, plants, fungi and microbes. Life science has several branches of study that often overlap, focusing on topics like how organisms are diverse yet share characteristics like being made of cells, requiring energy, and growing over their lifetimes. Groups of organisms evolve over many generations through the gradual process of change known as evolution. The structure and function of organisms are complementary, with an organism's structure allowing it to perform functions necessary for survival. Organisms also operate based on the same physical principles as the natural world.

1. Chapter 1 What is Life Science?
Section 2:
The Study of Life
Life Science: the study of living things
a.k.a.: biology — the study of life

2. Chapter 1 What is Life Science?
Organism
a living thing
May be an animal, a plant, a fungus or a microbe

3. Chapter 1 What is Life Science?
Branches of Life Science
Different fields of study often overlap.

4. Chapter 1 What is Life Science?
Big Ideas in Life Science
1. Organisms are diverse, yet share similar characteristics
all organisms are made of cells (building blocks of life)
• Multicellular versus unicellular
• All organisms require energy
• All organisms grow and develop (process of change that
causes an organism to become more complex during its
lifetime)

5. Chapter 1 What is Life Science?
Big Ideas in Life Science
2. Groups of organisms change over time
• evolution: gradual process of change that occurs in
groups of organisms
• Evolution occurs over many, many generations

6. Chapter 1 What is Life Science?
Big Ideas in Life Science
3. the structure and function of organisms are
complementary
• the structure of an organism allows it to function
• Structure: way that an organism is put together as a
whole
• function: process that enables an organism to survive
• Complementary: when structure and function work
together to meet the needs of the organism

7. Chapter 1 What is Life Science?
Big Ideas in Life Science
4. Organisms operate on the same physical principles as
the rest of our natural world