UNIT 1

LESSON 1
BIOLOGY AND TECHNOLOGY
 Science is a systematic method of gaining knowledge about the natural world
and social aspects of human society. Generally, it is divided as social and
natural sciences. The study of natural science is divided into three major
subject areas as Biology, Chemistry, and physics.

Science

Natural Science Social Science

Biology Chemistry Physics

 Technology is a general term for the processes by which human beings fashion
tools and machines to increase their control and understanding of material
environment.
 Biology is the study of living things. Biologists are people who study biology or
about living things.
 The word “Biology” came from two Greek words „Bios‟ meaning life, and „Logos‟
meaning study.

Exercise
Define the following terms
1. Technology
2. Biology
3. Social science
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 LESSON 2
The interrelation of biology with technology
 As biology requires the knowledge of technological innovations, so does
technology, which is technology needs the understanding of living systems
for its further improvement and progress of techniques to better serve the
society.
Branches of Biology
 Biology has various branches that are concerned in the detailed and
specified study of living things.
 The three main branches of biology are: -
 Zoology – study about animal
 Botany – study about plant
 Microbiology – study about microorganisms
 The rest branches of biology study about the nature and sub-branches of
the above major groups of branches of biology.

Home Work
I. Identify the specific studies of the following branches of biology.
1. Anatomy 5. Ornithology 9. Taxonomy
2. Cytology 6. Evolution 10. Mycology
3. Physiology 7. Morphology 11. Entomology
4. Ecology 8. Genetics 12. Ecology

II. Find some more sub-branches of biology with their specific studies. (3
marks).
LESSON 3
The relationship of Biology with other science
 Biology is a multidisciplinary field of study that has relationship with various
fields of studies. They are: -
 Biochemistry – Biology + Chemistry
 Biophysics – Biology + Physics
 Biostatistics – Biology + statistics (mathematics)

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 LESSON 4
Industries that utilize Biological knowledge
 Knowledge from all branches of biology is utilized directly or indirectly in
different areas of human activities. The application of biological knowledge
and techniques are necessary to the improvements in the quality of life as
well as the economic benefits they generate.
 The major industrial area in which biological knowledge‟s are applied are: -
 Agriculture
 Medicine
 Food
Agriculture
 Agriculture is an important activity that human beings apply different types
of practices to produce their foods.
 Agricultural practices include
 Cultivation of soil
 Growing and harvesting crops
 Breeding and raising livestock
 Forestry
Biological knowledge is important to study plant nutrients
 Plants require different factors for their growth.
 These includes
 Temperature
 Inorganic nutrients obtained from soil
 Water
 Light and
 Air
 Soil plays a major role in determining the kinds of plants that grow on it.
 Biological knowledge is used to increase productivity of crops in many ways.
 Agricultural industries use agro – chemicals like fertilizers herbicides (weed
killers) and pesticides to increase productivity.
 Agro-chemical means a chemical used in the agricultural practices.
 Biological knowledge is utilized for the preparation and use of the right
quantities and equalities of agrochemicals.

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 In addition to agrochemicals biology gives knowledge of crop rotation and
soil conservation.
 Crop rotation: means growing different crops in succession on the same
effect of pests and keep the soil fertile moreover, it increases the yield.
Yield means product of agriculture.
 Soil conservation: is the technique of keeping and protecting the top surface
of the soil from poor agricultural practices such as:
 Overgrazing
 Burning of vegetation cover
 Over fertilization and
 Vertical plaguing
Exercise
I. Write the answer for the following questions.
1. What is agriculture?
2. State the users of biological knowledge to agriculture.
3. What are agrochemicals?
Medicine
 Medicine is a science and art of diagnosing, treating and preventing disease
and injury. Thus biological knowledge is central and key in the field of
medicine.
 Medical scientists are engaged in:
 Searching for new drugs.
 Effective ways of treating diseases.
 Application of advanced technologies used in medical sciences.
 Drug: is a medicine or any chemical substance which has marked physiological
effects when taken into or applied on the body.
 Antibiotics: are chemicals substances that kill or slow down the growth of
bacteria. They have a property of selective toxicity which makes them fight
disease.
 Drug abuse: refers to incorrect or improper use of drug.
 This leads addicted people into severe problems such as distress and health
problems.
 Drug abuse characterized by:

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  Taking more than recommended dose of prescribed or medicinal drugs.
 Taking drugs without prescription.
 Using illegal drugs such as marijuana, cocaine, heroin etc.
 Prescribed drug: is a medicine (drug) that is recommended by a health
professional.
 Biological knowledge is important in creating awareness among people about
the proper uses of drugs and the drug abuse.
Exercise
I. Write the answer for the following questions.
1. What is the difference between drug and antibiotics?
2. What does it mean by drug abuse?
3. State the specific tasks of medical scientists.
Food
 Biological knowledge utilized in food industries by defining food, how food
digested, to provide safe and quality food, deficiency disease, and balanced
diet.
 Food: is anything to be eaten to provide energy for the body, provide raw
materials for growth, fighting disease and maintain a healthy body.
 Food consists of substances that are known as nutrients. The food we eat
should contain the nutrients in a balanced proportion.
 The major groups of nutrients found in a food are carbohydrates, protein,
fat (lipids), vitamins minerals and water.
 Biological knowledge also helps to know about the process of nutrition.
 Nutrition: is the process of obtaining and utilizing food.
 The major steps of nutrition are: -
 Ingestion – Digestion – Absorption – Assimilation
 Balanced diet: is the food which contains the necessary nutrients in proper
amount.
 Deficiency diseases: are disease caused by a lack of nutrient in the diet.
Some of the deficiency diseases are: -
(Copy table 1.2. from your on page 9)

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 Exercise
I. Write the causes of the following deficiency diseases.
1. Marasmus 5. Goiter
2. Kwashiorkor 6. Rickets
3. Scurvy 7. Anemia
4. Night blindness 8. Pellagra

LESSON 5
The study of agrochemicals reduces on/in food need biological knowledge
 Agrochemicals have been used for long to increase productivity in
agriculture. However, most of the chemicals used remain as residues on
plants and can cause health problems when consumed by people.
The practice of selective breeding requires biological knowledge
 Selective breeding is a technique of breeding plants/ animals with desirable
trait or economically important individuals in order to preserve only those
organisms with best possible traits.
 These possible traits can be high yield, disease resistant drought tolerant.

Do Exercise 1.2. from your text on Page 9 -10

LESSON 6
The relevance of biology to the society
 Biological science is a scientific study that contributes to the life of the
society in various forms.
 Some of the major ways by which biological knowledge is relevant to the
society are:
 Medicine
 Agriculture
 Nutrition
 Environment
 Energy

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 HEALTH
 Biology is involved in understanding the human body and describes its normal
and abnormal conditions.
 Drugs are used to fight diseases by curing sick people or by preventing
diseases before it occurs. The use of drugs illegally or too much of
instructed drugs is known as drug abuse.
 Drugs like penicillin are well-known antibiotics that have been used to fight
much infectious disease.
 Infectious diseases are diseases that are cause by microorganisms like
bacteria.
 Biology is relevant to characterize effects of antiseptics and disinfectants:
 Antiseptics are antimicrobial substances that destroy potential germs used
on living body.
 Disinfectants: are chemical substances that are used to destroy
microorganisms that contaminated non-living objects.
 Biology is relevant to describe the healthy status of an individual:-
 Healthy people are those people whose body parts properly work,
have good mental status and interact with other people properly.
 Unhealthy people are those either their body parts, mental condition
or interaction with other people is affected in a negative way or all of
them are affected.
 Analyzing the body weight and describing the health status of an
individual requires knowledge of biology.
Exercise
I. Write the answers for the following questions.
1. Define the term: -
Health
Infectious disease
Disinfectant
2. Distinguish between antiseptics and disinfectant
3. State the health status of people

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 NUTRITION
 Nutrition: is a branch of biology that studies different aspects of food we
eat. The process include in nutrition are: -
 Ingestion
 Digestion
 Absorption
 Assimilation
 Nutrition study about the group of food we eat: -
 Fats and sweets
 Milk and meat groups
 Fruits and vegetable groups
 Bread and cereals groups
 All this food types grouped under the nutrients they have: -
 Carbohydrates
 Proteins
 Fats
 Vitamins
 Minerals and
 Water
 Having all this groups of nutrients from the food we eat in proper amount is
called balanced diet.
Exercise
I. Write the source of food items that we can get the following nutrients: -
a. Carbohydrates
b. Proteins
c. Fats
d. Vitamins
e. Minerals
Environment
 Environment: Are a surroundings or conditions in which organisms live and
interact.
 Biology studies the environment, organisms and their interactions.
 Biology relevant to increase agricultural productivity: -

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  Farming is a collection of activities done in an area of land and building
to grow crops and to rear animals.
 The main activities in farming include: -
 Cultivation of soil
 Growing plants and
 Animal husbandry practice
 These practices can include: -
 Good farming practice
 Bad farming practices
 Good farming practices consists of
 Afforestation
 Contour farming (plowing steep lands horizontally)
 Terracing
 Crop rotation
 Reduce overgrazing
 Using organic fertilizer
 Bad farming practices consists of: -
 Deforestation
 Plowing steep land vertically
 Mono-culturing
 Overgrazing
 Burning of vegetation cover
 Using more chemical fertilizer
 Biological knowledge is necessary to examine whether the farming practices
good or bad.
Biology is relevant to conserve natural resources
 Conservation is the wise use and protection of the environment.
 The natural environment consists of:
 Plant  Air
 Animal  Fossil fuels
 Minerals
 Soil
 Water

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 Conservation of natural resources has the following importance economic,
biological, recreational value as well as its natural beauty and importance for
survival of human being.
 Biological knowledge plays a significant role in conserving natural environment.
 Some of the conservation mechanisms important to keep the natural resources
are: -
 Afforestation
 Good farming practices
 Protection and preservation of natural resources
Biology is relevant to control the effect of deforestation
 Deforestation is a human activity that leads to removing plant cover from a
given land for agricultural, firewood or settlement purpose.
 These practices expose the soil and lead to loss of top soil due to wind erosion
and water erosion.
 Plants are also an important defense against global climate change.
 Forests produce lifesaving oxygen and consume carbon dioxide and reduce
global warming.
 Biological knowledge in necessary to select and grow the appropriate plant
suitable for a given area and to care as well for the growing of plants.

Biology is relevant to study the effects of atmospheric pollution

 Pollution is contamination of the environment with materials that harm
health quality of life or the natural functioning of living organisms and their
surroundings.
 Pollutant: substances that can cause pollution. Pollutants can pollute water,
air and land.
 The major causes of pollution are:
 Burning of fossil fuels
 Deforestation
 Industrial wastes
 Burning of solid wastes etc.
 Biological knowledge his useful to reduce pollution.

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 Exercise
I. Write the answer for the following question.
1. Write the good farming practice inverse of the following bad farming
practice:
 Deforestation
 Mono-culturing
 Overgrazing
 Using chemical fertilizer
 Plowing steep land vertically
2. State the conservation mechanism of natural resources.
3. What is pollution?
LESSON 7
Population
 Population refers to the total number of individuals of the same species that
are living in a specific space.
Example: human, birds, plants etc.
 Controlling the number of population is necessary knowledge of biology is
relevant in designing the activities that are used to control the number of
population.
 The increase or decrease of human population has its own effect.
 To control the increment of human population biologists design
contraceptives or birth control method.
 To stop or minimize the death of human population biology design vaccine.
 Vaccine is a substance which improve the immune system.
 Immunization is one of the most effective weapons available to combat the
spread of infectious diseases.
 The most known vaccine spread for the population are tetanus vaccine,
meningitis, small pox, polio, hepatitis and others.
 Vaccine is the process of safe and effective use of small amount of a
weakened virus or bacteria to prevent infection.
 The other effects which decrease the number of population in a given area
are harmful traditional practices.
 Harmful traditional practices in Ethiopia are: -

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  Female genital mutilation (FGM)
 Early marriage
 Rape and
 Illegal abortion
 Education as a whole and biology education in particular are relevant to reduce
the extent of these traditional practices.

LESSON 8
Biology and Technological Innovation
 The discoveries are and their importance in changing the living pattern of
human.
 Some of the technological innovations introduced by human beings are linked
with understanding of the biological principles in order to meet the practical
needs of human beings.
 Some of the innovations are: -
 Human eye and camera
 Birds versus Airplane
 Fish versus submarine
Human eye and camera
 A human eye and a camera share a number of features. Both the human eye
and a camera are composed of comparable parts:
 Lens
 Iris – Diaphragm
 Pupil – aperture
 Retina – film
 Choroid – black point
Bird versus Airplane
 The flight of birds maintained due to their anatomical and physiological
nature such as
 Have feathery wing
 Light body weight
 Well-developed circulatory system and four chambered heart.
 Have muscles attached to sternum.

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  Have a hallow bones to reduce weight.
 Human copying this nature and making a modified airplane. The first
successful piloted flight wright and Wilbur write.
Fish versus submarine
 Fish are animals that have special breathing organ called gill which makes
them capable of breathing and living in the water. Thus human beings
invented submarines by copying the body plan, structure and functions of
fish. The first submarine appeared during the 19th century.
Exercise 1.4
Page 20
LESSON 9
Values in Biology Education
 Biology raises a wide range of issues like,
 Ethics in relation to using animals during experiment.
 Conservation of nature
 Environmental protection
 Sustainable development
 These issues can serve as a base for an economically efficient, socially
reasonable and environmentally sustainable development.
 Values that can develop by learning biology are:
 Curiosity
 Love
 Freedom
 Honesty
 Respect
 Cooperation
 Tolerance
 Humility
 Reasoning
 Openness
 Curiosity – strong feeling to know about something.
 Love – a strong feeling for life.
 Freedom – is being able to go where you want and do what you want to do.

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 Honesty – is a behavior in which someone does not steal or cheat.
 Respect – the ability to do with other by admiring their knowledge.
 Cooperation – doing different activities in group by having respect to
others.
 Tolerance - having a patience for others idea and behavior.
 Humility – humble way of listening to what others are saying, respecting
and accepting the view of others.
 Reasoning – critically evaluate and develop sense of pattern among pieces
of information collected.
 Openness – should not restrict yourself to what you are only told.
Do Exercise 15 from your text on Page 22

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