534 BIOLOGY FOR BEGINNERS 



Evolution of Life Functions. Biology teaches that all living 

 things are alike in their fundamental life processes, that all forms 

 are related by descent from common ancestors; that as develop- 

 ment proceeds, they become better fitted to perform their life 

 functions, or in other words, become more highly specialized. 



The accompanying tables are intended to summarize this de- 

 velopment in life processes, as shown in the forms which we have 

 studied. It is necessarily much condensed, but careful study will 

 reveal many of the facts brought out during the course. 



COLLATERAL READING 



Osmosis: Fundamentals of Botany, Gager, pp. 54-60; The Living 

 Plant, Ganong, pp. 165-179; Principles of Botany, Bergen and Davis, 

 pp. 36-39; Introduction to Botany, Stevens, pp. 35-39; Plant Physiology, 

 Duggar, pp. 64-83; Textbook of Botany, Coulter, Vol. I, pp. 302-309; 

 Applied Biology, Bigelow, pp. 85-97; Elementary Biology, Peabody and 

 Hunt, pp. 32-38; The Science of Plant Life, Transeau, pp. 166-178; General 

 Physiology, Eddy, pp. 136-142; College Botany, Atkinson, pp. 13-21. 



SUMMARY 



1. Osmosis in life processes (tabulated in text). 



2. Oxidation, the release of energy. 



Plants the ultimate source of food. 

 The sun the ultimate source of energy. 



3. Circles in nature. 



(a) The carbon circle (see diagram). 



(b) The oxygen circle (see diagrams). 



(c) The nitrogen circle (see diagrams). 



(d) Other elements. 



4. Evolution of life functions (tabulated in text). 



