The Methods of Biology (The Scientific Method)

Section 1.2 in the book Biology: The Dynamics of Life deals with the Methods of Biology. In this section, I talk about the Scientific method, which shows the steps that are used to answer questions scientifically. Of course, when talking about the scientific Method, you have to include a discussion of Controlled experiments.

0 Comments

What is Biology

In this section, I give an introduction to what biology is. This is the first section in the book, Biology, the dynamics of life. It gives the foundation of everything we cover in my Biology 1 class.

I go talk about what an organism is and talk about the 5 characteristics of living things.

0 Comments

The Endocrine System

Internal control of the body is directed by two systems: 1, The Nervous System and 2, The Endocrine System. In this lecture, I discuss the endocrine system and how endocrine glands control functions in the body through the release of hormones. The pituitary gland is known as the Master Endocrine Gland and plays a major role in controlling the other glands of the endocrine system.

7 Comments

Nutrition

McDonald’s, Wendy’s, Olive Garden and China Garden – they all have something in common, they all serve FOOD. But all foods are not created equally. I you want to be healthy, you want to make sure that you are getting what you need. In this lecture, I talk about nutrition, starting with the 6 vital nutrients and where you ind them and how your body deals with those nutrients.

I end the section by talking about Calories and metabolism. What determines how many calories we need on a daily basis? Watch the video to find out.

0 Comments

Following Digestion of a Meal

Do you like to eat? I do, and since I’m a biologist, I like to also look at what happens in our bodies when we take stuff in. In this lecture, I first deal with the functions of the digestive system. We then take a journey through the digestive system by following your food from your mouth all the way through your body and even through the elimination of waste.

1 Comment

Muscles for Locomotion

What would the skeletal system be without muscles to move our bones. Muscles are an essential part of what makes us humans and in this lecture, I talk about the three types of muscle, and more importantly, how they work. How does muscle contraction happen at the cellular level? Why does the heart beat on its own? What is actin and myosin and what happens to our muscles in response to exercise? These are a few of the questions I answer in this lecture.

0 Comments

The Skeletal System, its Structure and Function

The skeletal system is an awesome structure, and is essential for the protection of our Internal organs, providing a framework for our bodies, producing blood cells and producing blood cells. In this lecture, I deal with the structure of its two main parts: The axial and appendicular skeletons, how bones are formed and details about the functions associated with the skeletal system. I end the lecture by talking about bone injury and disease, such as Osteoporosis.

1 Comment

The Skin, its structure, function and response to injury

Section 34.1 deals with the Skin, starting with its structure, with the two layers: Epidermis and dermis. I also talk about the functions of the skin, from regulating internal temperature to functioning as a sense organ, producing vitamin D and protecting the underlying tissue. The lecture concludes with a discussion of what happens to the skin in response to an injury.

0 Comments

Mutations

In this section, I talk about changes to DNA Sequence, a.k.a Mutations. Mutations can lead to some significant problems, but in some cases, they can also lead to a trait that is beneficial to an organism, helping it better survive in its particular environment. There are different types of mutations, and these different types vary in how much of a difference they can make in an organism’s genetic code. Any change to the genetic code can result in a change in the proteins, which can result in a significant change in an organism’s traits.

0 Comments

From DNA to Protein

DNA is expressed and put into action through proteins. These proteins are involved in structural support and they also act as enzymes. Enzymes are involved in all of the chemical reactions that happen in the body. In this lecture, I first talk about the relationship between DNA and Protein and how this relationship leads to all of the traits that an organism expresses. I then go into the differences between DNA and RNA.

0 Comments