Lecture 1

Topic: Introduction to biology . Biology as science, problems, methods of investigation. Place and tasks of biology in education of doctor. Basic properties of living. Levels of organization of life. Human in nature. Biosocial nature of human. Biology of cell . Cellular theory and stages of development, its significance.

Plan:

1. Molecular Biology as system of sciences. Object of investigation and methods of biology.

2. Definition of life. Basic properties of living.

3. Levels of organization of life.

4. Biology of cell. Cell theory, its significance.

I. Biology is the study of living things. It is the science of life. It is divided from two Greek words (“bios” – life, “logos”-knowledge). Term of “biology” was proposed by Zhan Batist Lamark in 1802 year.

The object of study of biology are living things, organisms, their structure, functions and living regularities of origin and development of living organisms. Biology helps us to understand the structure and functioning of organisms.

Molecular biology – study of the nature and arrangement of molecules and their interaction.

Medical genetics is the branch of genetics which deals with the inheritance of characters in man. The foundation of human genetics was laid by sir Archibald Garrod, a British physician, in 1901 by pointing out that he inborn errors of metabolism are controlled by genes are controlled by genes and are inherited in a mendelian fashion. He is known as the “father of human genetics”.

Inheritance in man conforms to the same genetic principles which govern the inheritance in other animals and in plants. About 200 traits are transmitted from generation to generation in humans. These are called hereditary traits. These include dominant as well as recessive traits.

Mendel used hybridological method of study the heredity in cross between plants and animals. Man as object of genetic analysis have some advantages and disadvantages.

Disadvantages: 1) impossible the free crossing and other experiments over man and also impossible creation the experimental parental pairs; 2) humans have a long generation time and after produce a much smaller number; 3) humans have a more number of chromosome (more number of linkage groups) – 23. 4) Humans have a later sex-maturity. 5) Impossible creation the same social conditions, same social environment.

Advantages: in comparison with other living organisms, the man as object of study have high level of studying its phenotype, its anatomical, physiological, biochemical, immunological, behavioral and other traits. As biological object the human subunit to same laws of inheritance as all living organisms.

Biology helps us to understand the structure and functioning of organisms.

The subjects has been divided into subdivisions of zoology and botany. Third subdivision microbiology covers vast number of microscopically animals not included in botany and zoology. Within this group are included two very important subjects, bacteriology and virology dealing with the study of bacteria and viruses respectively.