Objectives for Chapter 1

Chapter 1 is a "monster" of a chapter as it provides an introduction to the truly vast discipline of Biology, reviews the basic organization of life, gives a preview of the Darwinian theory of evolution by natural selection, and explains how Biology functions as a science  (Phew!).  As you read chapter 1 and prepare for class, it would be wicked cool if you would pick one of the following areas and come to class prepared as an expert in that area.

• the hierarchy of biological organization

• the diversity of life

• Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection

• the practice of modern science

If you want to know it all (and what student aspiring to excellence doesn't want to know it all?), here are the things that a master student should be able to do after completing this chapter and attending its corresponding class.

Diagram the hierarchy of structural levels that characterize biological systems and explain the relationships among these levels
Distinguish between prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells
Explain what is meant by the phrase, "form fits function"
Briefly describe Darwin's ideas about evolution and how they provide a conceptual framework for modern Biology (we will be spending weeks on these ideas, but you should start to build a context for that learning)
Outline the steps of the scientific method and be able to illustrate these steps by stating a hypothesis and designing an experiment to test it (your research experience will make you expe3rt in the practice of science, but you should start to become comfortable with the structure of scientific logic)