The flower featured on the cover of this book and in
Figure 1.1 is from a magnolia, a tree ofancient lineage
that is native to Asian and American forests. The magnolia
blossom is a sign of the plant's status as a living organism,
for flowers contain organs of sexual reproduction, and reproduction
is a key property oCHfe, as you will learn later.
Like all organisms, the magnolia tree in Figure 1.2 is living
in close association with other organisms, though it is a lone
specimen far from its ancestral forest. For example, it depends
on beetles to carry pollen from one flower to another, and the
beetles, in turn, eat from its flowers. The flowers are adapted to
the beetles in several ways: Their bowl shape allows easy access,
and their multiple reproductive organs and tough petals
(see Figure 1.1) help ensure that some survive the voracious
beetles. Such adaptations are the result of evolution, the
process of change that has transformed life on Earth from its
earliest beginnings to the diversity oforganisms living today. As
discussed later in this chapter, evolution is the fundamental organizing
principle of biology and the main theme of this book.
Although biologists know a great deal about magnolias and
other plants, many mysteries remain. For instance, what exactly
led to the origin of flowering plants? Posing questions
about the living world and seeking science-based answersscientific
inquiry-are the central activities ofbiology, the sci-
... Figure 1.1 What properties of life are demonstrated by
this flower?
entific study of life. Biologists' questions can be ambitious.
They may ask how a single tiny cen becomes a tree or a dog,
how the human mind works, or how the different forms of life
in a forest interact. Can you think ofsome questions about living
organisms that interest you? When you do, you are already
starting to think like a biologist. More than anything else, biology
is a quest, an ongoing inquiry about the nature of life.
Perhaps some of your questions relate to health or to societal
or environmental issues. Biology is woven into the fabric
of our culture more than ever before and can help answer
many questions that affect our lives. Research breakthroughs
in genetics and cell biology are transforming medicine and
agriculture. Neuroscience and evolutionary biology are reshaping
psychology and sociology. New models in ecology are
helping societies evaluate environmental issues, such as global
warming. There has never been a more important time to em·
bark on a study of life.