bio102 lecture 1-09 - Biol 101/102 What good is biology(Ch...

1/9/08 Biol 101/102: What good is biology? (Ch. 1, pp 2-5)
1)
Biology studies nature at hierarchical levels: genes, cells, organs/systems, individuals,
populations and landscapes
2)
Although researchers work at one of these levels, to solve a complicated problem such as
anthrax bioterrorism attacks, we need integration across several levels:
a. Need to know about DNA to track samples
b. Need cell biology to understand what anthrax is (and how to weaponize/ kill it)
c. Need to know what happens at individual level to treat people (cutaneous vs.
inhalation)
d. Need to know immune system to treat later stages or prevent with vaccine
e. Need to know the population and landscape to know about disease spread and
risks
3) Anthrax – big questions
a. Where did strains come from?
i. How can we tell anthrax strains apart? Or which ones are similar?
ii. With DNA analysis: example Variable number tandem repeat loci
iii. Mutations in DNA cause different fragment lengths among different
anthrax strains
iv.