recap

1.3 recap

Biology informs us about the structure, processes, and interactions of the living organisms that make up our world. Informed decisions about food and energy production, health, and our environment depend on biological knowledge. Biology also addresses the human need to understand the world around us, and helps us appreciate the diverse planet we call home.

learning outcomes

You should be able to:

  • Explain the relevance of biology to people’s daily lives.

  • Apply biological knowledge to answer a question that pertains to everyday life.

Question 1

Describe an example of how modern biology is applied to agriculture.

Modern biology is used to improve agricultural species—both plants and animals. An example is the genetic improvements of the plants that produce food grains. Biology is also used to treat diseases in agricultural species (e.g., antibiotics given to food animals) and to yield food plants resistant to herbicides.

Question 2

Discuss an example of a biological problem that is directly related to global climate change.

The Investigating Life thread in this chapter makes evident that global warming presents an enormous threat to reef-building corals, which support a high level of diversity in the marine ecosystem. Another notable example is the plight of the polar bear, which depends on sea ice to be able hunt its prey—seals. With the decrease in sea ice in the Arctic, the hunting areas and therefore hunting abilities of the polar bear have become more and more limited.

Question 3

Why are some antibiotics no longer as effective for treating bacterial diseases as they were when these drugs were introduced?

The use of antibiotics creates a situation of artificial selection analogous to natural selection. Any disease organism that survives the antibiotic because of its genetic makeup will transmit that trait to its offspring. As the antibiotic continues to be used, the disease organisms with the resistance trait will multiply, resulting in decreased efficacy of the drug.

This chapter has provided a brief roadmap of the rest of the book. Thinking about the principles outlined here may help you clarify and make sense of the pages of detailed description to come.