Biological Concepts Research Articles

Integrasi Teknologi Digital dalam Pembelajaran Biologi: Analisis Kualitatif terhadap Pemahaman Konseptual dan Keterampilan Abad 21

The development of digital technology has brought significant changes in various aspects of life, including education. In biology learning, digital technology offers innovative solutions to overcome challenges in understanding abstract concepts, increase learning motivation, and develop 21st century skills. Interactive simulations, augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR) and online learning platforms allow students to visualize complex biological concepts, such as photosynthesis and DNA replication, more clearly and deeply. In addition, the integration of digital technology can improve students' critical thinking skills, creativity, collaboration and digital literacy. However, the implementation of digital technology in biology learning faces various challenges, including limited infrastructure, access gaps between urban and rural schools, and lack of training for educators. This study aims to explore the impact of digital technology on students' conceptual understanding and 21st century skills, and identify the main barriers to its implementation. The results of this study are expected to provide recommendations for the development of more effective and innovative biology learning strategies in the digital era

The genomic landscape, causes, and consequences of extensive phylogenomic discordance in murine rodents.

A species tree is a central concept in evolutionary biology whereby a single branching phylogeny reflects relationships among species. However, the phylogenies of different genomic regions often differ from the species tree. Although tree discordance is widespread in phylogenomic studies, we still lack a clear understanding of how variation in phylogenetic patterns is shaped by genome biology or the extent to which discordance may compromise comparative studies. We characterized patterns of phylogenomic discordance across the murine rodents - a large and ecologically diverse group that gave rise to the laboratory mouse and rat model systems. Combining recently published linked-read genome assemblies for seven murine species with other available rodent genomes, we first used ultra-conserved elements (UCEs) to infer a robust time-calibrated species tree. We then used whole genomes to examine finer-scale patterns of discordance across ∼12 million years of divergence. We found that proximate chromosomal regions tended to have more similar phylogenetic histories. There was no clear relationship between local tree similarity and recombination rates in house mice, but we did observe a correlation between recombination rates and average similarity to the species tree. We also detected a strong influence of linked selection whereby purifying selection at UCEs led to appreciably less discordance. Finally, we show that assuming a single species tree can result in substantial deviation from the results with gene trees when testing for positive selection under different models. Collectively, our results highlight the complex relationship between phylogenetic inference and genome biology and underscore how failure to account for this complexity can mislead comparative genomic studies.

The concepts of code biology.

Today there are two dominant paradigms in Biology: the idea that 'Life is Chemistry' and the idea that 'Life is Chemistry plus Information'. There is also a third paradigm, the idea that 'Life is Chemistry, Information and Meaning' but today this is a minority view, despite the fact that meaning is produced by codes and there is ample experimental evidence that hundreds of codes exist in living systems. This is because that evidence has not yet reached the university books, but what exists in nature is bound to exist, one day, also in our books and at that point the codes will become an integral part of biology. This paper is a brief description of the key concepts of that third paradigm that has become known as Code Biology.

Stages and causes of the evolution of language and consciousness: A theoretical reconstruction.

This article presents a refinement of theoretical explanations of the main stages of linguistic and cognitive evolution in anthropogenesis. The concepts of language, consciousness, self-consciousness, the self, the unconscious, the subconscious, and the relation between free will and determinism remain at the center of active and complex debates in philosophy and neuroscience. A basic theoretical apparatus comprising the central concepts of "concern" and "providing structure" (an extension of the biological concept of "adaptation") develops the paradigm of the extended evolutionary synthesis. Challenge-threats and challenge-opportunities are invariably associated with concerns pertaining to sustenance, safety, sexuality, parenthood, status, and emotional support. The consolidation of successful behavioral tries (tries), in response to these challenges occurs through the formation of a variety of providing structures including practices, abilities, and attitudes. These structures are formed through mechanisms of interactive rituals and internalization. These novel practices facilitate the transformation of both techno-natural environmental niches and group niches. The emergence of new structures gives rise to new challenges and concerns, which in turn necessitate undertaking of new tries. In the context of African multiregionalism, hominin groups and populations that experienced favorable periods of demographic growth, active migration, genetic, technological, and skill exchange also underwent significant demographic disasters. During the most unfavorable bottleneck periods only the most advanced groups, populations and species survived. The achieved potential for these abilities was consolidated as complexes of innate assignments in gene pools through the Baldwin effect and the multilevel selection. This logic provides an explanation for the main stages of language and speech complication (from holophrases and articulation to complex syntax), as well as the emergence of new abilities of consciousness (from the expansion of attention field to self-consciousness and the "I"-structure).

IDENTIFIKASI KONSEP BIOLOGI YANG DIANGGAP SULIT OLEH SISWA SEKOLAH MENENGAH ATAS: A SYSTEMATIC LITERATURE REVIEW

As a field of natural sciences that studies living things, biology not only plays an important role but also basis for various essential applied fields such as agriculture, medical, biotechnology and environmental science. However, biology is also a subject that is often reported difficult to learn. This study aims to identify biology concepts that are considered difficult by high school students in Indonesia through a literature review in the form of a Systematic Literature Review (SLR). The results of the analysis of the selected articles show that the concepts that are considered difficult are distributed at all grades in high school level. The concepts of viruses, plantae, animalia, invertebrate, cells, animal tissue structure and function, excretory system, movement system, disorders in the circulatory system, immune system, cell division, metabolism, enzymes, growth and development of organism and plant tissue culture are biological concepts that are considered difficult by high school students. The factors that cause certain biological concepts are difficult to learn as well as the efforts to overcome the difficulties in the biology learning process related to these concepts are analyzed in this study

THE ROLE OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IN IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF BIOLOGY LEARNING

This study aims to explore the role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in improving the quality of biology learning at the secondary education level. This research uses a literature review approach, which is a research method that is carried out by collecting, analyzing, and synthesizing information from various relevant written sources. The results show that AI plays an important role in facilitating the visualization of complex biological concepts, providing adaptive learning experiences tailored to students' individual abilities, and offering virtual laboratories that allow biological experiments without the limitations of physical facilities. However, challenges in its implementation, such as limited infrastructure, lack of teacher training, and high implementation costs, are still major obstacles. Teachers and students' perceptions of AI are generally positive, with many feeling that the technology improves students' understanding and motivation to learn. However, the role of teachers as facilitators remains important in overcoming the technical challenges faced by students. This study concludes that despite the challenges, the application of AI in biology learning has great potential to improve the quality of learning, and there needs to be more attention to aspects of training, infrastructure, and education policies that support the widespread application of this technology.

Content analysis of biology book for the fourth scientific grade according to the levels of depth of knowledge

The research aimed to analyze the content of the biology book for 4th scientific grade in high school according to the levels of (DOK), to know the extent of the availability of indicators of these levels in the scientific content of the book, which would achieve a deep understanding of students in biological concepts and develop strategic and extended thinking in solving scientific problems in a sustainable style. The researchers used a descriptive-analytical approach, and the content of the biology book represented the research community. The sample was made up of the first six chapters. The research tool was built and included (22) indicators and was presented to several arbitrators in teaching methods to verify the validity of the tool. researchers analyzed the content of the biology book, depending on the explicit and implicit idea as a unit of recording, and the Holsti formula was used to calculate the reliability of the analysis. The results showed that the biology book does not contain all indicators, and the levels appeared to vary. level (Recall and reproduction) obtained (63.49%), level (Skills and concepts) obtained (19.07%), level (Strategic thinking) obtained (8.84%), and level (Extended thinking) obtained (8.60%), accordingly the researchers presented several recommendations.

A phylogenetic approach to delimitate species in a probabilistic way.

Different species concepts and their associated criteria have been used to delimit species boundaries, such as the absence of gene flow for the biological species concept and the presence of morphological distinction for the morphological species concept. The need for different delimitation criteria largely reflects the fact that species are generated under various speciation mechanisms. A key question is how to make species delimitation consistent in a species group, especially when we want to delimit the species boundaries over many newly discovered evolutionary lineages and add these new lineages into a comparative analysis. Instead of forcing a single definition of 'species', we can acknowledge different delimitation criteria by modelling how fast lineages in a species group evolve to meet these criteria along a phylogenetic tree. This study presents such a new model and a new delimitation approach that calculates the probability of each possible species identity of a lineage. We use simulations to show that our likelihood function gives accurate estimates of parameters in the model and our approach have high power to correctly identify species identities. We apply the approach to lineages in two real species groups that already have genomic and morphological evidence for their species identities. Our approach gives consistent inference of species identities with these existing pieces of evidence. We also demonstrate how to use our model to test a popular hypothesis about speciation process across all lineages in a species group and discuss further extension of the model to study speciation.

Synthetic Biology‐Based Engineering Cells for Drug Delivery

ABSTRACTAlthough drug delivery technology has promoted the clinical translation of small molecule drugs, there is an urgent need for advanced delivery systems to overcome complex physiological barriers and the increasing development of biological drugs. This review overviews the emerging applications of synthetic biology‐based engineered cells for drug delivery. We first introduce synthetic biology strategies to engineer cells for biological drug delivery and discuss the benefits in terms of specificity, intelligence, and controllability. Furthermore, we highlight the cutting‐edge advancements at the convergence of synthetic biology and nanotechnology in drug delivery. Nanotechnology expands the engineering design and construction concepts of synthetic biology, and synthetic biology drives the development for biotechnology‐driven nanomaterial synthesis. In the future, synthetic biology‐based engineered cells may be developed to be more modular, standardized, and intelligent, leading to significant breakthroughs in the construction of advanced drug delivery systems.

The systemic evolutionary theory of the origin of cancer (SETOC): an update

The Systemic Evolutionary Theory of the Origin of Cancer (SETOC) is a recently proposed theory founded on two primary principles: the cooperative and endosymbiotic process of cell evolution as described by Lynn Margulis, and the integration of complex systems operating in eukaryotic cells, which is a core concept in systems biology. The SETOC proposes that malignant transformation occurs when cells undergo a continuous adaptation process in response to long-term injuries, leading to tissue remodeling, chronic inflammation, fibrosis, and ultimately cancer. This process involves a maladaptive response, wherein the 'endosymbiotic contract’ between the nuclear-cytoplasmic system (derived from the primordial archaeal cell) and the mitochondrial system (derived from the primordial α-proteobacterium) gradually breaks down. This ultimately leads to uncoordinated behaviors and functions in transformed cells. The decoupling of the two cellular subsystems causes transformed cells to acquire phenotypic characteristics analogous to those of unicellular organisms, as well as certain biological features of embryonic development that are normally suppressed. These adaptive changes enable cancer cells to survive in the harsh tumor microenvironment characterized by low oxygen concentrations, inadequate nutrients, increased catabolic waste, and increased acidity. De-endosymbiosis reprograms the sequential metabolic functions of glycolysis, the TCA cycle, and oxidative phosphorylation (OxPhos). This leads to increased lactate fermentation (Warburg effect), respiratory chain dysfunction, and TCA cycle reversal. Here, we present an updated version of the SETOC that incorporates the fundamental principles outlined by this theory and integrates the epistemological approach used to develop it.

Quantifying Competitive Fitness in Yeast with High-Throughput Fluorescence Microscopy Imaging.

Competitive fitness is a fundamental concept in evolutionary biology that captures the ability of organisms to survive, reproduce, and compete for resources in their environment. Competitive fitness is typically assessed in the lab by growing two or more competitors together and measuring the frequency of each at multiple time points. Traditional microbial competitive fitness assays are labor intensive and involve plating on solid medium and counting colonies. Here, we describe a method to quantitatively measure competitive fitness using fluorescence microscopic imaging and machine-learning-enabled image analysis to directly count the number of cells from each competitor in the mixed population. This high-throughput, primarily automated, and efficient process gives accurate and reproducible results for competitive fitness. Here, we describe the entire process, from sample preparation through microscopy to quantification, and provide instructions and scripts for the image analysis, fitness calculations, and sample data visualizations. © 2025 The Author(s). Current Protocols published by Wiley Periodicals LLC. Basic Protocol 1: Sample preparation Basic Protocol 2: Photographing fluorescing and non-fluorescing cells using an EVOS microscope Basic Protocol 3: Counting fluorescing and non-fluorescing cells with Orbit Image Analysis Basic Protocol 4: Getting the average cell counts per well and changing the file names Basic Protocol 5: Calculating competitive fitness using R.

Engineering electrogenetic interfaces for mammalian cell control.

Human body cells and our daily electronic devices both communicate information within their distinct worlds by regulating the flow of electrons across specified membranes. While electronic devices depend on the flow of electrons generated by conductive materials to communicate within a digital network, biological systems use ion gradients, created in analog biochemical reactions, to trigger biological data transmission throughout multicellular systems. Electrogenetics is an emerging concept in synthetic biology in which electrons generated by digital electronic devices program customized electron-responsive biological units within living cells. In this paper, we outline endeavors to design direct electrogenetic interfaces to control cell behaviors in therapeutically engineered mammalian cells. We also discuss prospects for the world of electrogenetics, focusing on how to engineer the next generation of therapeutic cells controlled by electronic devices and the internet of the body.

Biology Teaching Strategies for Greek Primary School Students with Learning Disabilities

The present research examines the impact of teaching strategies, such as structured instruction and ICTs, on the comprehension of biological concepts among Greek primary school students, including those with typical development and learning disabilities (LDs). A preliminary study was conducted with a sample of 20 teachers through semi-structured interviews. The research identified the classes and course units that posed comprehension challenges for primary school students. Interventions were carried out with a sample of 55 6th-grade students, including 13 with LDs. The interventions focused on units related to renewable and non-renewable energy sources, photosynthesis, and the structure of food webs. The first intervention utilized structured instruction with the use of lesson plans and ICTs, such as interactive whiteboards. The second intervention solely relied on ICTs. These groups were compared to students attending traditional lecture-based instruction classes. The results indicated that students with LDs performed less effectively compared to typical development students. Structured instruction proved to be the most effective teaching method for both groups, except for the unit on photosynthesis, where both groups showed decreased performance post-intervention. Students with LDs showed significant improvement in the food webs unit, suggesting that collaborative work enhanced their understanding.

Strengthening teachers' skills in using an enrichment biology e-module based on flipbook integrated with Qur'anic and Sunnah values

Biology teachers at MAN 2 Model Pekanbaru still rely on conventional learning resources that do not fully meet the needs of an Islamic-based curriculum. This limitation has an impact on students' ability to internalize Biology concepts within a holistic Islamic framework. Therefore, workshops and interventions are needed through the provision of flipbook-based Biology e-modules integrated with the values ​​of the Qur'an and As-Sunnah to improve the quality of learning and student understanding. This community service aims to improve the capacity of biology teachers' skills at MAN 2 Model Pekanbaru by using flipbook-based biology enrichment e-modules integrated with the values ​​of the Qur'an and As-Sunnah. The partner profile shows that most teachers at MAN 2 Model Pekanbaru have good pedagogical competence, but need to increase their capacity in utilizing digital technology-based learning resources integrated with Islamic values. This condition requires intensive training and mentoring programs for teachers so that they are able to optimize the use of flipbook-based e-modules that are in accordance with the needs of the curriculum and Islamic values. The results of the workshop showed that biology teachers at MAN 2 Model Pekanbaru were in the category of having quite good skills in using e-modules in learning, but they needed to get used to it so that they could become more skilled.

Effect of Interactive Smart Board Instructional Strategy on Students’ Academic Performance in Cell Biology Concept

The study examined the impact of interactive smart board instructional strategy on students' academic performance in cell biology concept. The study mainly targeted senior secondary students in Maiduguri, Borno State. The study adopts a quasi-experimental design, particularly the pre-test-post-test, for the study. The population comprised all 5,936 SS2 Biology students from public schools’ senior secondary schools in Maiduguri Metropolis. A sample of 125 students from two randomly selected schools was used for the study. The group were divided into an experimental group using an Interactive Smart board and a control group/lecture Method. The Cell Biology Performance Test (CBPT) was used for data collection. (CBPT) was duly validated with a reliability coefficient of 0.90 which was subjected to the Pearson Product Moment Correlation (PPMC). Two research questions and two null hypotheses were formulated to guide the study. Inferential statistics were used to test the null hypotheses at a 0.05 level of significance. Results obtained from data analysis showed students in the experimental grouped performed significantly better than those in control group. Also, there was no significant difference between the performance of male and female students taught biology using Interactive smart board. Based on the findings of this study, it was recommended that biology teachers should effectively make use of an Interactive Smart board in teaching irrespective of gender. In addition, qualified teachers who are already in the field and are not knowledgeable in the act of production and use of Interactive SMART Board technology should be re-trained through seminars, workshops, and conferences.

Community Service: Training on Creating Dry Herbarium As A Learning Media For Senior High School Students

This community service program aimed to enhance the competencies of senior high school teachers and students in creating a simple herbarium as an environmentally based biology learning medium. The program employed tutorials and group mentoring, receiving positive feedback from all participants. During the training, five plant species were successfully identified and converted into herbarium specimens, thereby improving practical knowledge and skills. The findings indicate that the use of herbarium effectively deepens students’ understanding of biological concepts through interactive activities both in the classroom and in the laboratory. Additionally, the program fostered the utilization of local biodiversity within the school environment, raising awareness of ecosystem conservation. Overall, the development of a simple herbarium contributed significantly to achieving biology learning objectives in senior high schools and can continue to serve as a sustainable educational resource.

Design and Analysis of Yoshimura Tubular Origami Mechanisms

The Yoshimura tubular origami mechanism possesses numerous advantageous properties and, when integrated with advanced material technologies, can be applied across various engineering disciplines. However, current research on Yoshimura origami predominantly focuses on centrally symmetric tubular origami mechanisms, which restricts the structural forms and motion patterns of these mechanisms. Drawing inspiration from the biological concept of “morphological variation,” we propose a novel tubular origami mechanism based on the Yoshimura pattern, which is the main contribution of this research. We analyze the Yoshimura planar crease elements and introduce both heterocellular and homocellular tubular origami mechanisms. Furthermore, we establish the origami topology matrices for the Yoshimura tubular origami mechanisms. This research also investigates complex motion forms that differ from traditional Yoshimura origami mechanisms, including macroscopic twisting and compound movements, thereby providing an intuitive design approach and extensive structural guidance for research in Yoshimura tubular origami engineering. Based on the tubular origami mechanism, we created an origami robot and investigate its motion characteristics.

Kingdom within a Kingdom: A solution to the end of nature problem

The end of nature problem can be framed as a dilemma: either all human intentional actions are natural or they are all unnatural and destroy nature as an effect. Given the scope of human influence, the latter entails that there is no nature left on Earth. Therefore, the environmentalist project of protecting nature is either unnecessary or futile. Prevailing attempts to forge a middle path – by, for example, distinguishing natural from unnatural human activities – struggle to find metaphysical grounding. I argue that the biological concept of human proper functioning can ground the relevant distinction between natural and unnatural human activities. Only unnatural activities can destroy nature; specifically, those activities that trace back to beliefs about value that diverge from the human lifeform.

Pontos turísticos de Sergipe: uma caracterização geométrica e ambiental

This study aims to identify geometric and environmental elements in tourist attractions in the state of Sergipe. The aim is to broaden the perspective on these tourist attractions, promoting greater knowledge about the state, fostering a sense of belonging and appreciation, and studying geometry and the environment in a meaningful way. The study was carried out through a Scientific Initiation project, at the high school level, in four stages: (1) search for previous studies that focused on geometry in tourist attractions; (2) obtaining data about tourist attractions in the state of Sergipe and defining the locations to be studied; (3) studying topics in Geometry and the Environment with the creation of an observation itinerary; (4) identifying and studying the geometric shapes present in the listed tourist attractions and environmental characterization. The data were obtained remotely, and the analysis instruments were images, texts and some online documents. The studies made it possible to identify and study different concepts in Mathematics (such as angles, polygons, circles, straight lines, and symmetry, among others), as well as concepts in Biology (such as environment, sustainability, conservation and socio-historical and cultural characterization) in a contextualized, meaningful way that is linked to the improvement of elements related to scientific thought. With regard to plane geometry, polygons stand out as the most frequent elements in the studied tourist attractions of Sergipe, present in 40.7% of those. In spatial geometry, in turn, there was a greater prevalence of round solids. Keywords: Environmental Characterization. Geometric Characterization. Tourist Spots. Sergipe.

Biological Alternative Conceptions of Secondary School Students About Heredity: A Case Study

Primarily the study is intended to diagnose Alternative conceptions of secondary level student about heredity to comprehend the main ideas of the heredity like cell cycle, mitosis, meiosis. Like vise it also explored the main reasons that develop alternative conceptions. To attain the objectives of the study case study was acquired. Four (4) public schools of Bahawalpur city were selected through random sampling. Formerly 200 students of IX grade were selected as a purposive sample of the research work. A distinct instrument labelled as a diagnostic test to quantify the alternative conceptions about heredity (DT). Renowned and experienced subject specialists of biology authenticated the (DT). To find the reliability a pilot test was intended through test retest method. The coefficient relation (r) was (0.96). To measure the internal consistency of the instrument. the Cronbach alpha coefficient was calculated through SPSS 2026 version; its value was (0.87). On the base of result of diagnostic test interview 50 students were selected purposively. The result indicated that 20% items were concept based. So prior weak knowledge, second language difficulty, poor explanation of lecture created alternative conception. On the base of findings recommendations were proposed e.g. (active participation of learning, use of teaching aids) for better understanding.