Mana Barumsaa Bultii Addaa Waldaa Misooma Oromiyaa Dame
Bishooftuu
ኦሮሚያ ልማት ማህበር ልዩ አዳሪ ትምህርት ቤት ቢሾፍቱ ቅርንጫፍ
Oromia Development Association Special Boarding School
Bishoftu Branch
By:- Demisu Abera
UNIT 1
Sub-Fields of Biology
1.1. Sub-fields of biology
1.2. Pure and applied fields of biology
1.3. Major discoveries in Biology
1.4. The contributions of biological discoveries to
society and the environment (e.g. microscope,
penicillin, inheritance, etc.)
1.5. Major discoveries by Ethiopian Biologists
(e.g. Aklilu Lemma, Gabissa Ejeta)
Unit 2: Plants
2.1. Characteristics of 2.5.Seeds (monocots, dicots)
plants
2.6.Seed Dispersal and
2.2.Non-flowering and Germination
flowering plants
2.7.Photosynthesis
2.3.Structure and
function of plant parts
2.8.Transport in plants
2.4.Reproduction in 2.9.Response in plants
plants 2.10. Medicinal plants
2.4.1. Non-flowering 2.11.Renowned Botanists in
2.4.2. Flowering Ethiopia
2.4.3. Pollination
Unit 3: Biochemical Molecules
3.1. Biochemical molecules
3.1.1. Inorganic molecules: water
3.1.2. Inorganic ions
3.1.3. Organic molecules
• Carbohydrates
• Lipids
• Proteins
• Nucleic acids
Unit 4: Cell Division
4.1 What is a cell cycle
4.2 Cell division
4.2.1 Mitosis
4.2.2 Meiosis
4.3 Renowned Geneticist in Ethiopia
Unit 5: Human Biology
5.1. Digestive system
5.2. Circulatory and Lymphatic system
5.2.1. Blood donation
5.2.2. Diseases of the circulatory and lymphatic systems
• leukemia
• varicose vein
• Elephantiasis
• cardiovascular diseases)
5.3. Breathing system
5.4. The excretory system
5.5. The immune system
5.6. Renowned Physicians in Ethiopia
Unit 6: Ecological Interactions
6.1 Trophic levels
6.1.1 Food chains & Food webs
6.1.2 Flow energy and matter through ecosystems
6.2 Cycling of materials in the ecosystem
6.2.1 Water cycle
6.2.2 Carbon cycle
6.2.3 Nitrogen cycle
6.2.4 Phosphorus cycle
Unit 1: Sub-Fields of Biology
• Biology: came from two Greek words
bios means life, and logos meaning study
Biology is the scientific study of life or living things.
Based on the type of organism it studies, biology is
subdivided into three major sub-divisions (sub-
fields ):
Zoology
Botany and
Microbiology
Three major sub-divisions (sub-fields )of Biology :
Class activities
Write down the names of organisms you know
that would be categorized under the three
major divisions of biology.
Zoology Botany
Microbiology
Zoology
Animal biology, is the study of animals
includes disciplines such as :-
– Herpetology -the study of amphibians
and reptiles
– Ichthyology –branch of zoology that
deals with fishes
– Ornithology- the scientific study of birds
– Mammalogy –the study of mammals.
– Entomology -the scientific study of
Zoology is concerned with all aspects of animal
life such as :-
embryonic development to mature adulthood
Behaviour
interactions with other animals
food finding and
genetics
Figure :- Capra walie
(Waliya ibex) (in Simien
Mountains of Ethiopia)
Botany
o Botany is a field of biology that studies about plants.
studies about:-
– plants’ structure, properties, and biochemical
processes.
– plants classification
– diseases of plants and
– the interactions of plants with the environment.
The principles and findings of botany provided the
base for applied sciences such as:-
– Agriculture -the practice of cultivating the land or
raising stock.
– horticulture -production of fruits & vegetables.
– Forestry -the science of planting &caring for forests and
the management of growing timber.
Plants have long been used :-
as a source of food
Shelter
Clothing (cotton)
medicine
E.g- Ruta chalepensis L. (‘Tena Adam’ in Amharic), a
known traditional herbal medicine of Ethiopia.
products made from plants that are used to treat
diseases.
ornament and to make tools.
through the process of photosynthesis
plants convert energy from the Sun into the
chemical energy of food, which allows all life to
exist.
release of oxygen as a by-product of
photosynthesis is the second unique and
important capability of green plants.
Micro-biology
o Microbiology- is the study of microscopic organisms or
microbes that cannot be seen by unaided eye.
o It includes :-
• Bacteria-
• Archaea- micro-organisms that inhabitants in the most
extreme environments on the planet
e.g
hydrothermal vents –hot springs
Highly saline, acidic and
anaerobic environments
• Protista
• Viruses
• microscopic algae and
Microbiology is further subdivided into sub-
disciplines which are frequently defined by specific
microbes.
Bacteriology- is the study of bacteria
Mycology- is the study of fungi
Virology- is the study of virus
Phycology- the study of algae
Protozoology –the study of protozoans
Different fields of biology based on the structure studied
Morphology - Study of external form and
structure, Shape, the texture of leaves, stem, etc
Anatomy- Study of the bodily structure of
humans, animals, and other living organisms,
especially as revealed by dissection and the
separation of parts
E.g Stomach, liver, heart, etc
Histology - Study of the details of tissue structure
E.g- Parenchyma, connective tissue
Parenchyma-the primary tissue of higher plants
composed of thin-walled cells that remain capable
of cell division even when mature constitutes the
greater part of leaves , roots, the pulp of fruits and
the pith of stems
Cytology- branch of biology concerned with the
study of the structure and function of cells as
individual units.
Study of cells
E.g A plant cell, a nerve cell
Cell biology -Study of the structure, function,
and various aspects of cell and its components
E.g- Mitochondrion, ribosome, nucleus, etc
Molecular Biology -Study of structure and
function of informational molecules
E.g DNA, RNA
Branches of Biology concerned with the various life processes
Physiology –studies the normal functions of living
organisms and their parts
E.g Photosynthesis, digestion, respiration etc
Embryology- The studies the formation and
development of embryo, from a single-celled zygote
(fertilized ovum)
Studies the formation of form and shape Structure and
development of ova, sperm
blastula -an early stage of embryonic development
consisting of a hollow ball of cells.
Gastrula- the stage in embryonic development after
blastula during which the embryo develops two layers
Ecology - studies the Interaction of organisms
with the environment
E.g Food chain, biomass, biosphere, etc
Paleontology -Origin, growth, and structure of
organisms remains of the past
E.g Fossils of organisms
Taxonomy- studies Identification, nomenclature,
and classification of organisms
E.g The biological name of a human is
Homo sapiens and it was placed in the animal
kingdom
Evolution- Studies the change in the
characteristics of a species over several generations
that relies on the process of natural selection
E.g The beaks of Darwin’s finches
Genetics- The studies of Heredity and variation
E.g Gene concept, Mendel’s laws
Exobiology -The origin, evolution, distribution, and
future of life in the Universe
E.g Life on Moon, life on Mars
Phylogeny- the studies of evolutionary history of an
organisms
Knowledge taken from other subjects that help to explain biological phenomenon
Knowledge taken from Chemistry is required to:-
understand Living organisms are made of inorganic
and organic compounds
e.g Cell membrane Structure made of lipids and proteins
All metabolic pathways involve chemical change
e.g Formation of Oxyhaemoglobin (haemoglobin with
oxygen)
Transportation of Oxygen (O2) in the body
Homeostasis involves acid-base equilibrium to
maintain the pH of living organisms
e.g. In Excretory system, Absorption and elimination
of salts
During diffusion and osmosis molecules move into
and out of the cell
e.g. Absorption of food like sugars, amino acids, fatty
acids, water, or salts
Energy transfer and transport to Release energy
during respiration, transfer electrons from electron
donors to electron acceptors via redox reactions
Electron transport chain
Knowledge taken from Physics is required to:-
Liquids have certain properties like cohesion and
adhesion to result in surface tension and capillary
action which helps in certain processes
e.g. Transportation of water in plants (Conduction of
water from root to leaves)
