Donna Latham - Backyard Biology: Discover the Life Cycles and Adaptations Outside Your Door with Hands-On Science Activities

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THE STUDY OF
LIFE

Where do you live? In the country, in a city, by the beach, near a desert? Wherever you are, you can find a whole lot of life right outside your door!

Life is everywhere. Life flourishes in deserts, forests, and oceanseven in the Arctic. You can find a place to explore living things almost anywhere you go. But even if you dont have plans to travel anytime soon, you can be a biologist in your own neighborhood.

ESSENTIAL QUESTION

What characteristics do most living things share?

Your community is an ideal place for scientific investigation. Parks, playgrounds, and nature preserves are outdoor science labs. Discover life over your head, under your toes, and at your fingertips. Ask questions, make predictions, and record your observations. Think like a scientist!

WORDS TO KNOW

biologist: a scientist who studies biology.

biology: the study of life and of living organisms.

diversity: a range of different things.

organism: any living thing.

ecosystem: a community of living and nonliving things and their environments.

microorganism: a living thing so small that it can be seen only with a microscope.

species: a group of plants or animals that are closely related and produce offspring.

predator: an animal that hunts another animal for food.

ichthyologist: a scientist who studies fish.

marine biology: the study of life in the water.

microbiology: the study of microorganisms.

botany: the study of plants.

zoology: the study of animals.

adapt: to change to survive in new or different conditions.

camouflage: the use of colors or patterns to blend in with a background.

adaptation: a change a plant or animal has made to help it survive.

LIFE ON EARTH

Biology is the study of life and living things. Earth boasts a mind-boggling diversity of organisms and ecosystems. Plus, all life on Earth is connected. Life forms range from invisible microorganisms squirming under your thumbnail to gigantic blue whales swimming in oceans.

Earths species are so varied and plentiful, its tricky to identify how many there are. According to the National Science Foundation, scientists have named and recorded 1.9 million species out of about 8.7 million species in existence. Scientists are always finding new speciessome believe Earths total number may be closer to 10 million.

Take a look at Squalus clarkae in this video!

Florida Today Squalus clarkae

For example, in 2018, a research team discovered an amazing, newly identified species in deep waters off the coast of Belize. While some people think the creature resembles an anime character, its actually a big-eyed dogfish shark! About 20 to 28 inches in length, this slender shark is an aggressive predator . Scientists named the shark Squalus clarkae, or Genies dogfish to honor Eugenie Clark (19222015), an American ichthyologist and marine biology pioneer. Earth added a new named species to its booming total number.

BOUNTIFUL BIOLOGY

Will you discover a new species? Maybe! As a backyard biologist, youll explore three different branches of biology.

Microbiology is the study of microorganisms. Micro means small. Microorganisms are so tiny, they cant be seen with the human eye alone. To view them, people need microscopes.

Botany is the study of plants. Plants are essential to the natural world. They help make life on Earth possible.

Zoology is the study of animals. Like plants, animals adapt to the world around them.

The prefix BIO means LIFE. The suffix OLOGY means THE STUDY OF.

For example, the mossy leaf-tailed gecko camouflages against surrounding trees and rocks. It disappears as though it was wearing an invisibility cloak. Other animals develop behaviors and physical traits necessary for survival. What adaptations will you observe in your backyard adventures?

Can you spot the mossy leaf-tailed gecko in this photo?

Credit: Frank Vassen (CC BY 2.0)

WORDS TO KNOW

cell: the most basic part of a living thing. Billions of cells make up a plant or animal, while other organisms are single-celled.

reproduce: to make something new just like itself. To have babies.

environment: everything in nature, living and nonliving, including animals, plants, rocks, soil, and water.

life cycle: the growth and changes a living thing goes through, from birth to death.

regurgitate: to throw up partially digested food to feed a baby.

LIVING OR NOT?

Microorganisms, plants, and animals are all living things. Take a look at your surroundings. Whats alive? A friend sitting next to you? A pet snoozing in your lap? Perhaps a bright green wild parakeet chirps outside. Do you see a jackrabbit sniffing around a prickly pear cactus?

Peek around again. What are some nonliving things? What about this book or your tablet? Are you sitting at a desk or table? Using a laptop? Outside, you might see soil and rocks.

Living things on Earth can be wildly different from one another. Imagine a parakeet and the prickly pear cactus. They dont seem much alike, do they? A parakeet is an animal. A cactus is a plant. But both are alive.

Sometimes, its tricky to tell the difference between living and nonliving things. How can you tell when something is alive? All living things share the following common characteristics.

Living things are made up of one or more cells.

Living things need energy to survive.

Living things grow, develop, and die.