Overview

Almost anyone, if asked, can recognize when something is alive. In fact, when playing games like 20 questions, "Is it alive?" may well be one way your friends sort out the unknown object. Well, recognizing "life" is easy, knowing just what makes something alive when talking about viruses, for example, may not be so easy. And the question can become philosophical as well as scientific, depending on the culture you live in. So let’s explore ideas on the nature of life using very interesting sites loaded with great visuals and activities to create broader understanding.

Outline

1. What are the attributes of "life"?

2. What is matter and how does it exist?

3. How do compounds differ from mixtures?

4. Conquering the vocabulary: What are acids, bases, salts, carbohydrates, lipids, proteins and protoplasm?

5. What are the forms of energy?

6. Activities: Put your knowledge to the test

Begin the Quest!

1. What are the attributes of "life"?

The most basic concept in this course is "life." Just what it is no one really knows, but we can describe it and it is best characterized as the capacity for 1) metabolism, 2) growth, 3) reaction to stimuli and 4) reproduction. To uncover its complexity, join in the activities in this section and explore the various dimensions of what we humans call "life."

url: http://esg-www.mit.edu:8001/esgbio/chem/chemdir.html

• Illustrations and brief discussions of bonds, pH, organic functional groups, with structural models and problems. This award-winning, innovative site effectively deals with complex ideas in a straightforward presentation.

url: http://www.biology.arizona.edu/biochemistry/tutorials/chemistry/main.html

• This well-illustrated, interactive tutorial walks you through the chemistry that you need if you are to understand biology, including bonds and attractive forces, water and organic molecules. Site includes vocabulary and test questions.

url: http://www.mpm.edu/exhibit/third/tp0.html

• A tour enriched with the actual exhibits and descriptions which give a vivid history of the evolution of life on earth.

2. What is matter and how does it exist?

We know that matter occupies space and has substance with observable properties. But if you want to read more about it - these sites are for you.

urls: http://hyperion.advanced.org/3659/states/

http://antoine.fsu.umd.edu/chem/senese/101/matter/slides/sld001.htm

http://antoine.fsu.umd.edu/chem/senese/101/matter/index.shtml

• What is matter? Slides, diagrams and outlines. Plus glossaries and a frequently asked questions section make mastering matter marvelous!

url: http://128.252.223.239/~ysp/MSN/posts/archives/mar97/849728512.Ph.r.html

• Pictorial portrayal of the inside of an atom. This very visual site gets inside the "smallest stable subdivision" of an element.

urls: http://pearl1.lanl.gov/periodic/

http://wulff.mit.edu/pt/

• The Periodic Table of Elements on the web. Depending on your selection, see names, atomic numbers, atomic mass, electron configurations, number of neutrons, melting point, boiling point, date of discovery, crystal structure, and families. Get help learning to use the table, plus information on naming new elements. Then, test yourself with the interactive table.

url: http://www.campus.bt.com/CampusWorld/pub/ScienceNet/database/Physics/Atomic/p00430c.html

• Want more on the meaning of the numbers on the Periodic Table and just what they mean? Then this is the site for you. It's clear and easy to understand.

url: http://www.prm.unisa.edu.au/h&patoms.htm

• The basics on elements plus diagrams about atoms, molecules and bonds.

url: http://www.campus.bt.com/CampusWorld/pub/ScienceNet/database/Physics/Atomic/p00431c.html

• If you’ve been asking yourself how the nucleus stays together, given that protons repel each other, then this brief and easily understood explanation will be just what you want to read.

3. How do compounds differ from mixtures?

url: http://www.psinvention.com/molcomb.htm

• Introductory material to supplement your text. Select the words "Compounds" and "Mixtures" to go to the next level of material.

url: http://hyperion.advanced.org/3659/atommole/matter.html

• Concise outline of compounds and mixtures which is part of a chemistry series. As part of a series, provides focused topical information in addition to context.

url: http://antoine.fsu.umd.edu/chem/senese/101/compounds/index.shtml

• Find the Lecture Outline section on the "Home Study" chemistry site for a more advanced treatment of mixtures and compounds. Lecture outline with glossary and visuals if you are looking for more information.

4. Conquering the vocabulary: What are acids, bases, salts, carbohydrates, lipids, proteins and protoplasm?

url: http://www.biology.arizona.edu/biochemistry/problem_sets/large_molecules/large_molecules_problems.html

• A tutorial with problems to reinforce your knowledge. If you get the answer correct, an explanation reinforces it, but if you get it wrong, you are linked to sections that will help you solve the problem. Plus vocabulary.

url: http://www.prm.unisa.edu.au/h&pacba.htm

• Read this description with formulas to master the basics on acids, bases and buffers.

url: http://library.advanced.org/3659/reference/watersolubility.html

• This "CHEMystery" site provides a table of salts.

url: http://biotech.chem.indiana.edu/pages/science/metabolism.html

• Read here for more information on carbohydrates.

url: http://biotech.chem.indiana.edu/pages/science/metabolism.html

• Discover lipids on this site.

url: http://biotech.chem.indiana.edu/pages/science/protein_intro.html

• Uncover the properties of proteins here.

5. What are the forms of energy?

url: http://hyperion.advanced.org/3659/energy/

• Just what is energy? This "CHEMystery" site covers energy, matter and energy, and the law of conservation of matter and energy. With outlines, diagrams and illustrations plus hands-on projects.

url: http://www.energy.ca.gov/education/puzzles/puzzles-html/crossword_chapter1.html

• Artistically designed site covering energy basics in an interesting manner with activities to insure knowledge.

url: http://www.energy.ca.gov/education/projects/projects-html/peanut.html

• This site has lots of science experiments that are easy to do with what you have around the apartment everyday. The simple peanut experiment helps you see first hand the different types of energy.

url: http://www.energy.ca.gov/education/scientists/index.html

• This "Gallery of Energy Pioneers" holds some surprises! Click on the pictures to learn about scientists' lives and discoveries, with more advanced readings for those interested. Among the pioneers, find women and African Americans in this gallery with references to further readings on their contributions.

url: http://ecep1.usl.edu/ecep/sources/a/a.htm

• Explore the time frames required for the different forms of energy to develop and gain perspective of the predominant form of energy used in the United States at different times in our history. Colorful pictures and graphs to reinforce the presentation.

6. Activities: Put your knowledge to the test

url: http://news1.news.wisc.edu/coolimages/

• "Cool Science Images" in "The Why Files" provide interesting viewing of striking biological pictures with their amazing stories. Indicate which images illustrate the following characteristics of life.

"Cool Image"

Metabolism

Growth

Reaction to stimuli

Reproduction

Revenge of the cats

       

Dragon of the air

       

Methuselah microbe

       

This might have made you sneeze

       

Ere’s a drysophyla

       

How genes build a fly

       

A nose for nectar

       

Is there a mycologist in the house?

       

The peerless squid

       

Pea greens

       

url: http://www.domtar.com/arbre/english/start.htm

• Follow a year in the life of this tree—see the changes and provide evidence that the tree is alive.

Characteristics of Life

Evidences of Life

Metabolism

1. _________________________________________

2. _________________________________________

3. _________________________________________

Growth

1. _________________________________________

2. _________________________________________

3. _________________________________________

Reaction to Stimuli

1. _________________________________________

2. _________________________________________

3. _________________________________________

Reproduction

1. _________________________________________

2. _________________________________________

3. _________________________________________

url: http://www.campus.bt.com/CampusWorld/pub/ScienceNet/database/Chemistry/Organic/c00151a.html

• Part l. What are living things made of? Use the "ScienceNet" to answer this question. There are three levels of answers.

Level l. _____________________________________________________________

Level 2. _____________________________________________________________

Level 3. _____________________________________________________________

url: http://magna.com.au/~prfbrown/eastman0.html

• Part 2. "The Soul of the Indian" is an interpretation by Dr. Charles Alexander Eastman, 1911, born Ohiyesa of the Santee Sioux in 1858. This site provides an entirely different answer to the question, "What are living things made of?"

ACTIVITY A:

THE TWO SITES DESCRIBE VERY DIFFERENT VIEWS, ONE BASED IN SCIENCE, THE OTHER IN "NATURAL LAW." WHY DO SUCH DIFFERENT VIEWS EXIST?

 

 

ACTIVITY B:

COMPARE THE TWO DIFFERENT ANSWERS TO THE QUESTION "WHAT ARE LIVING THINGS MADE OF?"
ScienceNet The Soul of the Indian

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

urls: http://pearl1.lanl.gov/periodic/

http://wulff.mit.edu/pt/

• Using the information at these sites, complete the table below on the elements that are most commonly found in plants.

Symbol

Name

Number Neutrons

Number Protons

Charge

Date of Discovery

Element Group

H

           

B

           

C

           

N

           

O

           

Mg

           

P

           

S

           

CL

           

K

           

Ca

           

Fe