Biology’s Themes and Everyday Life

To appreciate and enjoy a human life to its fullest one simply has to look at the same four themes that a biologist would consider in studying life from a scientific perspective. They are

(1) unity

(2) diversity

(3) continuity and

(4) interaction

Unity The basic unit of any life form is the cell. Whether we look at an amoeba or at an elephant cell, the same basic processes are involved: cell division, intake of nutrients, waste-output, and some form of communication with the outside world. Furthermore, to paraphrase Schrodinger, all living cells are united in their struggle to use energy in order to fight entropy.

It is only late in the 20th century when those who use their grey matter realized that the term "race" has no biological basis, that all humans alive for the past 25 000 years are of the same species. The differences within any group of people always outnumber the differences between groups. So it is a waste of time to single out groups like "blacks" because the only differences between them and another group of people include a few things like the percent of melanin in their skin and a higher incidence of sickle cell anemia. On the other hand, the differences within any so-called race are innumerable: there are bright and unattractive ones, strong and lazy types, the warm-hearted and the criminally inclined, like in every group of our species. Thus, between any two people, there is always that common bond of humanity, both spiritually (because we have similar aspirations and fears) and biologically (because we share a great deal of DNA, being descended from the same group of Africans.)

Diversity Life presents us with a great deal of differences which we can celebrate. Not only are there various forms with different survival strategies ( from rooting oneself in the sun and photosynthesizing all day long to hunting for gazelles), but within our own species there are, in a range of climates, a multitude of cultures who speak their own language, practice their own rites, prepare various foods and play different music, most of which can be enjoyed by almost everyone. Linguists maintain that each language embodies a unique vision of the world. If they're right, what greater motivation is there for learning foreign languages? (Although I am tempted to argue that each artform and science represents a vision of the world.) To live a full life, explore that diversity by going abroad with the power of both physical travel and that of imaginative works.

Continuity Thanks to nucleic acids, the code of life in all forms is passed on from one generation of life to another. Because of the planet's limited resources, an individual's stay here is brief. But we can turn that harsh truth into a delight by partaking in life's continuity. As sexual beings, we can pass on our genetic material by selecting and loving a mate, and we can also pass on our ideas and images by cultivating our creativity. Our own children will do the same, so that both our species and culture will continue to evolve.

Interaction Even clouds seem alive, and in a sense they are, because like living things they are involved in partnerships with other entities on the planet. Many clouds are born from condensation nuclei that are basically sulphur compounds whose parent structures are used by algae to maintain homeostasis. Rain from clouds then washes sulphur from the land and returns the mineral to the algae at sea.

Competition is interaction not yet perfected. In lichen, algae and fungi do not compete. The algae provide sugars to the fungi, which in turn benefits the former by supplying it with nutrients. A similar arrangement occurs in the nodules of Leguminosae plants where bacteria convert atmospheric nitrogen into nitrates that are valuable for the plant. In turn the legumes provide the bacteria with sugars. Advanced arrangements between organisms of all forms, including those of the human kind, are beneficial to all concerned. Parties exchange specialized services and bond to form a stronger whole. Symbioses of this nature include friendships, marriages, companies, schools: units that in turn interact to form human societies.