Where to begin?
The study of biology can begin at a number of places. Each instructor will have their preferred
starting point. Biology is defined as the study of the science of life and of living organisms,
including their structure, function, growth, origin, evolution, and distribution.
Let's start our study of biology by looking up from the computer screen at the world around us.
Focus on something that you know is living. If you are in a room with a window, look outside and
you might see a humming bird
or a tree.
If you are in a computer
lab or your dorm room, you might be the only living thing available, except perhaps the mold
growing in your coffee mug. How do we know that
something is alive? How do we know that you, the bird, the tree, and the mold are alive while the
coffee mug is not? This topic of has been discussed and debated for many years by people in many
disciplines. Formulate an answer in your mind before continuing to the next section.
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