Science of Life: Projects and Principles for Beginning Biologists
Acknowledgments MY DEEPEST GRATITUDE goes out to everyone who had an influenc on the final outcome of this book I especially want to thank Stacy Kimberley Monica Bottone Jane Katergis Mair Downing Kathleen Veness-Meehan M D and of course my parents for all of their kind words encouragement and insightful criticisms A special thanks goes out to Dr Paul M Resslar professor of biology Virginia Wesleyan College for his critical reviews of the manuscript and the inspiration he and Dr James F Harris continue to provide to so many students such as myself who spent time in the laboratories of Virginia Wesleyan College vi
Safety First THE FIRST LESSON that every beginning biologist should learn is that safety must always come fi st Whether you are planning to perform the exercises in this book at home or at school the fi st step you should take is to become aware of your surroundings Begin by making sure there is an adult nearby at all times in the event of an emergency or just to assist you with a procedure Next locate a sink with running water in case you get something in your eyes or on your skin and need to rinse the affected area Finally look for tripping hazards such as clutter on the flo r of your pri mary walkways and remove them If you are working with a stove or burner make sure that you have access to water or a fire extin guisher in case of fir Here are a few more safety tips 䉴 Never eat or drink anything while you are working on an experiment Never eat the Jell-O or SlimFast used in this book The bacteria that you grow on these foods could make you sick 䉴 Never eat fruit from the wild 䉴 Always throw away items such as disposable cups leaves sugar solutions soil seeds or any food items as soon as you are fin vii
viii THE SCIENCE OF LIFE ished with them so that you or someone else do not accidentally use or eat these items 䉴 Iodine is used in this book and it can be poisonous if you swal low it If you get any iodine on you rinse the affected area immediately with water for several minutes and tell an adult Dispose of any food that has been contaminated with iodine Dispose of the items once they have been exposed to iodine 䉴 Always use caution when handling chemicals Even common household chemicals such as those in Lysol and other disinfec tants or antiseptics can be harmful because they may irritate your skin If you get any on your hands or in your eyes rinse the affected area immediately with plenty of water 䉴 Take special precautions when working with plants insects and spiders that are naturally found outdoors because they may be poisonous bite or cause you to have an allergic reaction Never experiment with plants such as ivy or mushrooms from the wild they may be poisonous or cause your skin to break out in a rash Some spiders generally those with bright yellow or red markings are poisonous so be careful when handling them 䉴 Only operate a stove or blender under adult supervision and always wear a pair of oven mitts when handling hot liquids 䉴 Wash your hands before and after each experiment if you take a food break during an experiment 䉴 If you live in an area where Lyme disease is present do not perform any outdoor experiments without fi st getting your parent’s permission 䉴 If you are allergic to mold do not perform any of the experi ments in the chapter about fungi
Introduction What Is Biology Biology is a fascinating science that helps us understand most of what we see hear feel and even taste in our world today All human beings experience the science of biology fi sthand in their everyday lives although they may not always be aware of it In order to become more aware of the biology that surrounds you you need to be able to define and understand what biology is So you may be asking yourself what exactly is biology Biology is the science of life and all that deals with the life of animals and plants including their morphology form and structure physiology function and activities of their cells and organs origin and devel opment how they grow and reproduce and distribution where they live As you will soon learn biology encompasses a much wider range of organisms than just plants and animals Biology is more than the study of living organisms It deals with the compounds they produce and the reactions they perform More simply put biol ix
