In the introduction to his textbook Lehninger asks two questions:
How do (bio)molecules confer the remarkable combination of characteristics we call life?
How can a living organism appear to be more than the sum of its inanimate parts?
But before biochemists can attempt to answer those two questions, we have to answer to more fundamental ones:
What is Life?
What distinguishes Life from non-life, Animate from In-animate?
What three features are common to all cell types?
What are the three classes or lineages of cells or organisms?
How big are cells?
What would limit the size of cells?
Sub-groups may be distinguished by habitat and energy source.
What are examples of distinguishing habitat and energy sources?
When did the first cells arise? How many years ago?
What was their habitat and energy source?
What is the typical structure of a prokaryote?
What three things happened as prokaryotes evolved into eukaryotes?
Do eukaryotes have a cell wall?
What are the various intracellular membranes of eukaryotes?
What are the intracellular vesicles/organelles?
What are their functions?
What provides shape to eukaryotes?
What channels movement of cytoplasm and organelles?
Return to BICH 107 page.