What is life ?

Life
A Short
Summary
Slime Mold
Tardigrade
What is Life?
Composed of organic compounds
Resistance to entropy (disorder)
Requires energy (must be able to gather and process (metabolize) energy)
Ability to maintain a controlled environment
Requires ability to be isolated from environment
Information storage
Self replication
Including ability to pass on information
Ability to adapt to its environment
Undergoes biological evolution
Life on Earth:Organic Compounds
Human Alfalfa Bacteria
Oxygen(O) 62.8% 77.9% 73.7%
Carbon (C) 19.4% 11.3% 12.1%
Hydrogen (H) 9.3% 8.7% 9.9%
Nitrogen (N) 5.1% 0.8% 3.0%
Phosphorous (P) 0.6% 0.7% 0.6%
Sulfur (S) 0.6% 0.1% 0.3%
Carbon is found in all organic compounds
Important Elements
Why Carbon?
Small and Abundant
4th most abundant element in the Solar System
Bonds with a lot of different atoms
Forms lots of different organic compounds
Forms long chains (polymers)
Forms very strong bonds
Hard to destroy (Stable)
Bonds “store” a lot of energy
Forms compounds that are water soluble
Life on Earth:Organic Compounds
Types of Organic Compounds

Lipids - (H,C (hydrocarbons))  Fats and Oils  cell membranes & energy storage
Carbohydrates - (C, H, O)  Sugars, Starches and Cellulose  energy storage & structure

Life on Earth:Organic Compounds
Types of Organic Compounds

Amino Acids  Proteins - (C, H, O, N, S)  Enzymes - catalysts for chemical reactions  also Hair, silk, fingernails, etc.
Nucleic Acids - (C, H, O, N, P)  DNA (Deoxyribonucleic Acid)  RNA (Ribonucleic Acid)  store & transfer genetic information
Organic CompoundsCellsOrganisms
Not Alive

Alive
Life on Earth:Controlled Environment
Cell
Eukaryote
Prokaryote
Prokaryote - E. coli
Small (<5m)
No nucleus
Unicellular
Eukaryote- Frog & Ameba
Larger (> 10 m)
Nucleus
Organelles
Cytoskeleton
Uni- and multi-cellular
Life on Earth:Controlling Entropy
Gathering Energy
Photosynthesis
Carbon Dioxide + Water + Sunlight --> Sugar + Oxygen
Chemosynthesis
Hydrogen Sulfide + Carbon Dioxide + Water + Oxygen
+ Geothermal Heat --> Sugar + Sulfuric Acid
Chloroplasts
Life on Earth:Controlling Entropy
Releasing Energy
Respiration
Sugar + Oxygen --> Carbon Dioxide + Water + Energy
Mitochondria
Life on Earth:Information Storage
DNA - Deoxyribonucleic Acid

RNA - Ribonucleic Acid
Chromosomes
Human Chromosomes
Chromosome Numbers
Life on Earth:Information Storage
DNA - Deoxyribonucleic Acid

RNA - Ribonucleic Acid
DNA
RNA
Protein
Replication
Transcription
Translation
The Universal Genetic Code
AUG - UGC - CAU - AAA - UGA
Start - Cysteine - Histidine - Lysine - Stop
DNA TranslationInstructions: How to make proteins from amino acids
Genetics Produce Variety
Life on Earth:Self Replication
Life on Earth:Self Replication
Cloning (Mitosis)
Life on Earth:Self Replication
Sexual Reproduction
(Meiosis)
Sperm & Egg
Fertilization
(Combination of genes
from 2 parents)
Complete
Organism
What is Life? (Reminder)
Composed of organic compounds
Resistance to entropy (disorder)
Requires energy (must be able to gather and process (metabolize) energy)
Ability to maintain a controlled environment
Requires ability to be isolated from environment
Information storage
Self replication
Including ability to pass on information
Ability to adapt to its environment
Undergoes biological evolution
How is Life Organized: Taxonomy (Linnaeus)
Kingdom
Phylum
Class
Order
Family
Genus
Species
Subspecies
Animalia
Chordata
Mammalia
Primates
Homididae
Homo
sapiens
sapiens
Animalia
Chordata
Osteichthyes
Salmoniformes
Salmonidae
Onchorhynchus
tshawytscha

Plantae
Pinophyta
Pinopsida
Pinales
Cupressaceae
Sequoia
sempervirens
Human
King Salmon
Coast Redwood
Kingdoms of Life
Single Celled - prokaryotes and eukaryotes
Archaea (“extremophiles”)
Bacteria (“germs” & blue-green algae)
Protista (one-celled eukaryotes)
Metazoans - multicellular, eukaryotes
Fungi
Plantae
Animalia
Extremophiles (Archea)
Thermophiles
Halophiles
Methanogens
Cryophiles
Bacteria
Protista
Fungi
Plantae
Animalia
Important Phyla
Porifera (Sponges)
Cnideria (Corals, Jellyfish)
Platyhelminthes (Flatworms)
Arthropoda (Crabs, Insects, Spiders)
Annelida (Segmented Worms)
Mollusca (Clams, Snails, Cephalopods)
Echonodermata (Starfish, Sea Urchins)
Chordata (Fish, Birds, Amphibians, Reptiles, Mammals)
Porifera & Cnideria
Flatworms &
Arthropoda
Annelida & Mollusca
Echondermata & Chordata