Introduction to Biology

What you’ll learn

• All living things are made of cells; cells are the basic unit of life (Cell Theory)
• DNA carries the genetic instructions that determine an organism's traits and is passed from parents to offspring
• Photosynthesis (in plants) converts sunlight into glucose and oxygen, while cellular respiration (in all organisms) breaks glucose down to release energy
• Mitosis is the process of cell division that produces two identical daughter cells, enabling growth and repair
• Natural selection drives evolution: organisms with traits best suited to their environment are more likely to survive and pass those traits to offspring
• Ecosystems are organized in levels, from individual organisms to populations, communities, ecosystems, biomes, and the biosphere