...Biology From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia For other uses, see Biology (disambiguation). Biology deals with the study of the many varieties of living organisms. Clockwise from top left: Salmonella typhimurium, Phascolarctos cinereus, Athyrium filix-femina, Amanita muscaria, Agalychnis callidryas, and Brachypelma smithi Biology is a natural science concerned with the study of life and living organisms, including their structure, function, growth, origin, evolution, distribution, and taxonomy.[1] Biology is a vast subject containing many subdivisions, topics, and disciplines. Among the most important topics are five unifying principles that can be said to be the fundamental axioms of modern biology:[2] 1. Cells are the basic unit of life 2. New species and inherited traits are the product of evolution 3. Genes are the basic unit of heredity 4. An organism regulates its internal environment to maintain a stable and constant condition 5. Living organisms consume and transform energy. Subdisciplines of biology are recognized on the basis of the scale at which organisms are studied and the methods used to study them: biochemistry examines the rudimentary chemistry of life; molecular biology studies the complex interactions of systems of biological molecules; cellular biology examines the basic building block of all life, the cell; physiology examines the physical and chemical functions of the tissues, organs, and organ systems of an organism; and ecology...
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...1. Write an essay on protein structure and synthesis Protein synthesis is a cellular process leading to the production of proteins. This term is also synonymous to protein translation. It begins with a sequential process of transcription of DNA into mRNA, which is then used as input for translation after exon-intron splicing. The addition of successive tRNA molecules based on the code of mRNA matched up by base-pairing through their anti-codons in the ribosomes creates the nascent protein. After the protein chain has been synthesized, post-translation modification occurs, e.g. phosphorylation, motifs added to the protein. This may happen at various levels: secondary (alpha-helix, beta-sheets, turn, random coiling), tertiary and quarternary. Protein synthesis is also the process wherein peptide bonds between two amino acids whose formation is controlled. The synthesis begun when the mRNA combines in a little subunit of ribosomes close to an AUG sequence in mRNA. Start codon which is the AUG codon is being such because it does the coding of the first amino acid to be made of protein. “The AUG codon base-pairs with the anticodon of tRNA carrying methionine. A large ribosomal subunit binds to the complex, and the reactions of protein synthesis itself can begin. The aminoacyl-tRNA to be called for next is determined by the next codon (the next three bases) on the mRNA. Each amino acid is coded for by one or more (up to six) codons” (Center for Bioenergy and Photosynthesis...
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...Molecular biology is the study of genes and the specific details that regulate the transcription and translation of DNA, from generation to generation. This type of biology allows biotechnology to use this knowledge in order to manipulate organisms’ DNA to help solve human issues including overcoming diseases and physical handicaps. Biotechnology has made breakthroughs in various nucleic acid and protein studies, and it has given scientists the ability to comprehend the complicated construction of DNA. Understanding the blueprints of DNA and how it is translated into proteins gives chemists the opportunity to define features like a genome, which is an organism’s complete set of DNA. Our DNA is important because it is our hereditary code, and that is what controls our appearance, behavior, and tendencies....
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...including their structure, function, growth, evolution, distribution, and taxonomy.[1] Modern biology is a vast and eclectic field, composed of manybranches and subdisciplines. However, despite the broad scope of biology, there are certain general and unifying concepts within it that govern all study and research, consolidating it into single, coherent fields. In general, biology recognizes the cell as the basic unit of life, genes as the basic unit of heredity, and evolution as the engine that propels the synthesis and creation of new species. It is also understood today that all organisms survive by consuming and transforming energy and by regulating their internal environment to maintain a stable and vital condition. Subdisciplines of biology are defined by the scale at which organisms are studied, the kinds of organisms studied, and the methods used to study them: biochemistry examines the rudimentary chemistry of life; molecular biologystudies the complex interactions among biological molecules; botany studies the biology of plants; cellular biologyexamines the basic building-block of all life, the cell; physiology examines the physical and chemical functions oftissues, organs, and organ systems of an organism; evolutionary biology examines the processes that produced the diversity of life; and ecology examines how organisms interact in their environment.[2] HistoryThe term biology is derived from the Greek word βίος, bios, "life" and the suffix -λογία, -logia, "study of."[3][4] The...
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...Report on the connection between the Central dogma of Molecular Biology/ Bioinformatics, Model Organism and Drug Designing. The basis of the central dogma of molecular biology is the expression of the genetic information in any call. It is a universal process that occurs in every cell. The genetic information is stored in the DNA. During gene expression DNA is transcript to RNA and these RNA are transcribed to proteins. Bioinformatics deals with the genetic information which involves collecting, analyzing, manipulating and predicting etc. For the functioning of bioinformatics it is essential to know the genetic information that is stored in DNA. Therefore sequencing of DNA, genes or genomes is the fundamental need in bioinformatics. Organisms that are used in biological experiments in laboratories are called ‘model organisms’, of which most genomes are sequenced at present (rat, yeast, Arabidopsis; plant model organism) These sequenced genomes could be analyzed using bioinformatics tools in order to identify genes of significance as in drought tolerance genes in plants etc. Information revealed from sequencing could be studied using bioinformatics tools to understand its underlying mechanisms and to generate models that could be used in further studies. This information could also be used in evolutionary studies, micro array analysis, identification of genetic disorders (Alzheimer’s disease, breast cancer, cystic fibrosis, spinal muscular atrophy etc.) ...
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... In this, computers are used in gathering, storing, analysis and the merging of biological data. Bioinformatics is not a research area by itself but lies between biological sciences and computational sciences. The main goal of bioinformatics is to review the value of biological information that is hidden in the large amount of data come up a clear picture of the basic biology of organisms. There are several fields that have been revolutionized by the technology used in bioinformatics (Ouzounis & Christos, 2012). These fields include human health, the environment, agriculture, energy and biotechnology. This science of bioinformatics is also called computational biology and has found a lot of use in increasing the quality of life. Bioinformatics developed due to the great need to internalize the DNA which is the code of life. Growth in the field of bioinformatics has been facilitated by development of many DNA sequencing projects. The basic biology of life is controlled by the basic molecule of life called DNA. The DNA acts as the blue print for genes which code for proteins. The proteins coded for by these genes determine the biological composition of all the living organisms. The variation and errors that occur in the replication, transcription and translation of genomic DNA determines whether one develops a certain disease or resistance to the same disease (Vivian, Lópe, Luis, María ,Moreno, & Corchado, 2012). Bioinformatics is currently in use and more uses are expected in...
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...Fundamentals of Biology II BIO2000, T/F 7:30-‐8:55am DAC 407 Instructor: Dr. Brent A. Berger Office: 257 SAH 718-‐990-‐6790 bergerb@stjohns.edu Office Hours: Monday and Thursday 2:00-‐3:30pm, 257 SAH The purpose of office hours is to discuss questions, concerns, or comments you have about the course. You are welcome to talk to me before or after class, or set up an appointment to meet at another time. If you plan on attending office hours, please send me an email ahead of time. General Course Overview Fundamentals of Biology II is an introductory biology course designed to familiarize students with basic biology vocabulary and knowledge of core biological principles, including: the chemistry of life, structure/function of cells, energy transfer in living systems, Mendelian and chromosomal basis of heredity, DNA replication and repair, gene expression, virus and biotechnology. Student...
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...The first cancer-causing genes to be discovered were Oncogenes. The early insights into how neoplastic growth in cells occurred initially derived from studies of viruses that cause cancer in animals. The results produced from these experiments led to the identification of oncogenes. (Rous , 1910)(8) isolated a tumour from a barred Plymouth Roth hen and demonstrated that through a cell free filtrate , sarcomas can be induced into healthy chickens. The Rous Sarcoma Virus (RSV) was identified as the causative agent. (molecular biology of cancer). Further studies of RSV mutants by Peter Vogt (1971)(9) revealed that the RSV contained a single extra gene in its genome that did not function in viral replication. But were necessary to induce both transformation of fibroblast in tissue culture and sarcomas in chickens (oncogenes...
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...physicist who sparked a revolution in biology Erwin Schrödinger introduced some of the most important concepts in biology, including the idea of a 'code' of life Share 642 inShare9 Email Redeye tree frog Insights from biology and computing built upon Schrödinger's genius, changing our view of life forever. Photograph: Rick Sammon/AP Seventy years ago, on 5 February 1943, the Nobel prizewinning quantum physicist Erwin Schrödinger gave the first of three public lectures at Trinity College, Dublin. His topic was an unusual one for a physicist: "What is Life?" The following year the lectures were turned into a book of the same name. One of Schrödinger's key aims was to explain how living things apparently defy the second law of thermodynamics – according to which all order in the universe tends to break down. It was this that led my colleague Professor Brian Cox to use Schrödinger as the starting point of his BBC series Wonders of Life, leading to What is Life? shooting up the Amazon sales chart. But Schrödinger's book contains something far more important than his attempt to fuse physics and biology. In that lecture 70 years ago, he introduced some of the most important concepts in the history of biology, which continue to frame how we see life. At a time when it was thought that proteins, not DNA, were the hereditary material, Schrödinger argued the genetic material had to have a non-repetitive molecular structure. He claimed that this structure...
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..."Molecular Structure of Nucleic Acids: A Structure for Deoxyribose Nucleic Acid" was an article published by Francis Crick and James D. Watson in the scientific journal Nature in its 171st volume on pages 737–738 . It was the first publication which described the discovery of the double helix structure of DNA. This article is often termed a "pearl" of science because it is brief and contains the answer to a fundamental mystery about living organisms. This mystery was the question of how it is possible that genetic instructions are held inside organisms and how they are passed from generation to generation. The article presents a simple and elegant solution, which surprised many biologists at the time who believed that DNA transmission was going to be more difficult to deduce and understand. The discovery had a major impact on biology, particularly in the field of genetics, enabling later researchers to understand the genetic code . Origins of molecular biology The application of physics and chemistry to biological problems led to the development of molecular biology. Molecular biology is particularly concerned with the flow and consequences of biological information at the level of genes and proteins. The discovery of the DNA double helix made clear that genes are functionally defined parts of DNA molecules and that there must be a way for cells to make use of their DNA genes in order to make proteins. Linus Pauling was a chemist who was very influential in developing...
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...an understanding of the biochemical and molecular differences in bacteria and introduces the concept of identifying species based on characeristic gene sequences. Students work through two types of identification procedures, one classical and one involving DNA sequencing, then compare the results of the two methods. Educational Context The lab was created to accompany lecture topics in bacterial genetics and biochemistry. The main topics covered in lecture that relate to this lab are prokaryotic replication, transcription, and translation, enzyme function, and cellular respiration. This lab was tailored for second semester freshmen who are in their first semester of a three-semester introductory biology course. The first semester focuses on molecular biology, bacterial genetics, and introductory biochemistry. This lab was designed for 500 students split into lab sections of 20. However, this curriculum is easily adaptable to accommodate any number of students. In this lab, students identify an unknown bacteria using a biochemical method and a molecular method. For the biochemical method, students use a combination of differential growth tests and enzyme tests developed for clinical use. For the molecular method, students PCR amplify and sequence the 16S rRNA gene from their bacteria, then use BLAST to search the bacterial database and identify the species that most closely matches their sequence results for this gene. Summary This section contains a brief...
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...One major technique of plant breeding is selection, the process of selectively propagating plants with desirable characteristics and eliminating or "culling" those with less desirable characteristics. [3] Another technique is the deliberate interbreeding (crossing) of closely or distantly related individuals to produce new crop varieties or lines with desirable properties. Plants are crossbred to introduce traits/genes from one variety or line into a new genetic background. For example, a mildew-resistant pea may be crossed with a high-yielding but susceptible pea, the goal of the cross being to introduce mildew resistance without losing the high-yield characteristics. Progeny from the cross would then be crossed with the high-yielding parent to ensure that the progeny were most like the high-yielding parent, (backcrossing). The progeny from that cross would then be tested for yield (selection, as described above) and mildew resistance and high-yielding resistant plants would be further developed. Plants may also be crossed with themselves to produce inbred varieties for breeding. Classical breeding relies largely on homologous recombination between chromosomes to generate genetic diversity. The classical plant breeder may also make use of a number of in vitro techniques such as protoplast fusion, embryo rescue or mutagenesis (see below) to generate diversity and produce hybrid plants that would not exist in nature. Traits that breeders have tried to incorporate into...
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...until 1937, the cause of this disease remained unknown. Modern studies began in 1803 when a Philadelphia physician named Dr. John Conrad Otto wrote a review about a hemorrhagic disposition that occurred in families affecting males. Following that, Nasse gave the first review in 1820 and Wright demonstrated evidence of laboratory defects in blood clotting in Aaron Chan Biology 330 06261560 1893. Our forces strengthened exponentially in 1937 after Patek and Taylor found the role of the soon to be named factor VIII describing its action in hemostasis. They characterized and named it an “antihemophilic globulin substance”. Not long after, the protein was purified and the gene was open to study for many scientists. The root of this evil The mastermind behind Hemophilia A is the gene coagulant factor VIII. The factor VIII gene sits on the long arm of chromosome 10 at location 28, more specifically, from base pairs 154,064,062 to 154,255,350. Its protein sequence is 2351 amino acids long transcribed from a 191,288 mRNA. This gene produces two alternatively spliced transcripts. Transcript variant 1 consists of 26 exons that encodes a large glycoprotein called isoform a, which circulates in the plasma and undergoes multiple...
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...Many people overlook the significance of the biological influence on human behavior. They fail to realize what a big impact our biology as humans have on characteristics, views and behavior. Mutations in our biology and neurological systems are the cause of many of the psychological disorders that people suffer today. Our environment as well as the way we think and feel influence our everyday behaviors. These thoughts and feelings are processed by neurons in the brain and nervous system. Neurotransmitters in our brain and nervous system control all of our functions. When these neurotransmitters don’t function properly, such serotonin which controls sleeping, eating, mood, pain and depression, psychological disorders may arise. Molecular genetics seeks to identify specific genes that are associated with behavior and psychological disorders (Feldman, 2009). Research in molecular genetics has helped to identify genetic markers that are linked to many psychological disorders such as schizophrenia and depression. Research into this field may help develop earlier detection and treatment for these disorders and may also lead to effective gene therapy that can be used to potentially treat these same diseases. Aside from psychological disorders that can be genetically identifiable, physical characteristics that result from our biology and genetics can also affect us psychologically. Although environment also plays a role, physical characteristics such as weight, tone...
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...MCDB1A Lecture Schedule, Fall 2013 Part 1: Introduction to Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Dr. Stuart Feinstein Email: stu.feinstein@lifesci.ucsb.edu Office: Bio II, Rm. 5123; Office Hours: T and F after Lecture, in front of Campbell Hall and by appointment (after Oct. 22, T at 9 AM in Bio II, Rm. 5123). Approximate Lecture Schedule for Biochemistry/Molecular Biology Date | TOPIC | Reading in Text*[chapter (pages)] | | | | 9/27 | Introduction to class and Biochemical Principles | 1 (1-20); 2 (21-37) | | | | 9/30 | Introduction to Macromolecules/ Lipids and Polysaccharides | 3 (39-42; 51-61);6 (105-109) | | | | 10/1 | Macromolecules: Polysaccharides and Proteins | 3 (42-51) | | | | 10/2 | Macromolecules: Proteins and Nucleic Acids | 4 (62-67);13 (259-280) | | | | 10/4 | Macromolecules: Nucleic acids as Genetic Material | 13 (259-280) | | | | 10/7 | The Central Dogma: DNA Replication | 13 (259-280) | | | | 10/8 | The Central Dogma: Transcription and Translation | 14 (281-303) | | | | 10/9 | The Central Dogma: Translation and Mutations | 14 (281-303)15 (304-308) | 10/10 | First Honors Meeting | | 10/11 | The Central Dogma: Post-Translational Modifications, Alternative RNA Splicing and MicroRNAs | 14 (300-304;312-313) 16 (346-349) | | | | 10/14 | Energy, Enzymes and Metabolism | 8 (144-164) | | | | 10/15 | Chemical Pathways that Harvest Chemical Energy | 9 (165-184)...
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