This document discusses the environment and what constitutes life from a biological perspective. It explores the hierarchy of organization in nature from subatomic particles to the universe. Living things are defined by their complex organization, ability to maintain homeostasis, self-perpetuation, growth and development, interactions with their environment to obtain energy and matter, adaptation, and response. Humans are part of this biological hierarchy but are unique in that they can modify their environment to suit themselves, whereas other organisms adapt to the environment. The human environment consists of both natural spheres like the biosphere, atmosphere, lithosphere and hydrosphere, as well as man-made environments like anthropogenic ecosystems and physical structures.

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Man and Environment
Asst. Dr. Nantana
Gajaseni
<gnantana@chula.ac.th>

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What is environment?
Q. What is environment?
A. It depends!
Q. Depends on what?
A. Depends on "Environment
of whom?"

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Q. How about
“environment of human”?
A.Wait and see!

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Q. Who is "human"?
A. Wait until the next section!
Q. Is human a living object?
A. ?

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The human animal

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Q 1. What is living object?
Q 2. What are differences
between living and non-living
objects?

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A. From biological perspective:
Life = biosystems organized by
interactions between biological
components interacting with physical
environments, and become a unified
whole with capacity to maintain
homeostasis and self-perpetuation

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Sign of life
1. Highly complex organization =
all other characteristics of life
emerge from an organism’s
complex organization

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2. Self-homeostasis =
Self-maintenance of a
steady-state internal
environment in the
variations of external
environment.

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3. Self-perpetuation
= Life comes only from life.

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4. Growth and development =
the increment of volume and
changes in structure and
functions to suit with new
form of life

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Insert larva picture

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5. Interactions = Life needs
energy and matter utilization
for maintenance of life

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6. Adaptation = Life evolve as a
result of the interaction
between organisms and their
environments

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7. Response = Life adjusts
itself to the environment.

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From biological perspective,
these are biological
spectrum
Biotic components

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รรร biotic
component
Cell
Gene
Org
an
Organi
sm
Popula
tions
Comm
unities

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Biotic components cannot
survive in isolation.
They must interact with physical
or a biotic environments.

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Generalized diagram of inputs, throughputs,
and outputs in a system
System Throughputs (flows)
System Inputs
System Outputs
Information
Energy
Matter
Useless
information
Waste heat
Waste
matter

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Interaction between each biotic
level with physical environment
through energy, matter, and
information produces
characteristic functional system.
"Biosystem" or "life"

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Organizational hierarchy in nature
can be seen from "universe"
down to "subatomic particles".

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รรร solar
system
Milky way
Galaxy
Universe
Solar system
Earth

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The natural world is organized,
diverse, dynamic, and yet
complex.

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Q. How can life be
seen in nature?
A. A hierarchy of
organization of matter.

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Fig 3-6

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Then, there is hierarchy
of biosystems.

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Q. What is the determinant of
life?
A. Environment by
evolutionary processes.

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Fig 20’

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Q. How did life emerge on the
Earth?

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Fig 8-11
(21’)

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Transparen
cy 78
Fig 6-5 summary of the evolution
of the earth and its life.
Chemical
evolution
1 billion
years
Biological
evolution
3.7 billion
years

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Q. Is human a hierarchy of
organization of matter?

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Q. What is the difference of
“interaction between man and
environment” and “interaction
between other organisms and e
nvironment”?

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A. Organisms adapt themselves
to the environments.
While
“Human modify environments to
suit themselves ”.

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Human environment
2 groups

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1. Natural environment:
4 spheres
1.1 Biosphere = Space occupied by life
1.2 Atmosphere = Space occupied by air
1.3 Lithosphere = Space occupied by solid
1.4 Hydrosphere = Space occupied by
water

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How do the 4 spheres really
exist?

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Atmosphere
Hydrosphere
Lithosphere
Ecosphere
Biosphere

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2. Man-made environment
2.1 Anthropogenic ecosystems
2.2 Physical structures

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What are the Functions of
Natural Environment?