Life Science Notes1 - Introduction to Cells

We have been using this new online text book for a couple of weeks now and I really do love it - how great is it to have the you tube videos built right into the text book?  So, now that I'm pretty sure we are keeping this one, it's time to start sharing our notes with you.  Just so you don't think I've gone completely crazy, we skipped the first two chapters of this book.  Doodle Bug has a great understanding of them already, since we covered that with her not-so-great standard textbook.  Feel free to start there if you so desire.

Chapter 3  - Cells and Their Structures

3-1 Introduction to Cells

Vocabulary

• organ: a group of tissues that work together to perform a common function
• organ system: a group of organs that work together to perform a common function
• tissue: a group of specialized cells that function together

Note: at this point Doodle Bug asked "what exactly is a common function?"  My response "Think of it like a team - each member has their own identity (like their number) but they are all working together to get something accomplished, like winning a game"

Cell Theory
   1. All organisms are composed of cells.

   2. Cells are alive and the basic living units of organization.

   3. All cells come from other cells.

Levels of Organization

• organelle
• cell
• tissue
• organ
• organ system
• organism

Note: the book also included "atom" and "compound or molecule" before organelle.  While I agree that everything starts at the atomic level, it really wasn't something that I felt necessary for a life science (as opposed to a biology) level.

Part of this lesson also covers the correct way to use a light microscope.  We watched the you tube video of it, but really didn't include much as this is much more hands-on type skill and we will cover it when we actually have a microscope to use.  However, if you wanted to add more to your study on the microscope and it's parts, there are a lot of printables over at about that you might want to check out.

We didn't really do a lot of special things for the notes for this lesson - they are pretty straight forward.  But, if you wanted to spice up your notebooks a bit, you could easily make a flap book showing the cell theory and a layer book showing levels of organization.