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Activity 4.26 Check your notes for Topic 4: Biodiversity and natural resources
Purpose

To help you get your notes in order at the end of this topic.

Topic 4 summary
Make sure your notes cover the following points. The points are listed in the approximate order they appear within the topic. All the points are covered in the textbook but where there is supporting information within the activities this is indicated. There are suggestions on making notes and on revision in the Exam/coursework support. You should be able to:

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Describe the concept of niche. (Activities 4.3 and 4.5) Discuss examples of adaptation of organisms to their environment (behavioural, physiological and anatomical). (Checkpoint question 4.1) (Activities 4.4 and 4.5) Describe how natural selection can lead to adaptation and evolution. (Checkpoint question 4.2) (Activity 4.6) Explain the terms biodiversity and endemism. (Activity 4.7) Discuss the process and importance of critical evaluation of new data by the scientific community, which leads to new taxonomic groupings (i.e. three domains based on molecular phylogeny). (Checkpoint question 4.3) (Activities 4.9 and 4.10) Describe how biodiversity can be measured within a habitat using species richness and within a species using genetic diversity, e.g. variety of alleles in a gene pool. (Activities 4.11 and 4.12) Compare the structure and ultrastructure of plant cells (cell wall, chloroplasts, amyloplasts, vacuole, tonoplast, plasmodesmata, pits and middle lamella) with that of animal cells. (Checkpoint question 4.4) (Activity 4.13) Compare the structure and function of the polysaccharides starch and cellulose including the role of hydrogen bonds between -glucose molecules in the formation of cellulose microfibrils. (Checkpoint question 4.5) (Activity 4.14) Compare the structures, position in the stem and function of sclerenchyma fibres (support) and xylem vessels (support and transport of water and mineral ions). (Activities 4.15 and 4.16) Identify sclerenchyma fibres and xylem vessels as seen through a light microscope. (Activity 4.15) Explain how the arrangement of cellulose microfibrils in plant cell walls and secondary thickening contribute to the physical properties of plant fibres, which can be exploited by humans. (Checkpoint question 4.6) (Activities 4.14, 4.15 and 4.18)

Salters-Nuffield Advanced Biology, Pearson Education Ltd 2008. University of York Science Education Group. This sheet may have been altered from the original.

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A4.26S

Activity 4.26 Check your notes for Topic 4

Student

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Describe how to determine the tensile strength of plant fibres practically. (Activity 4.18) Describe how the uses of plant fibres and starch may contribute to sustainability, e.g. plantbased products to replace oil-based plastics. (Activity 4.22) Explain the importance of water and inorganic ions (nitrate, calcium ions and magnesium ions) to plants. (Activity 4.17) Describe how to investigate plant mineral deficiencies practically. (Activity 4.17) Compare historic drug testing with contemporary drug testing protocols, e.g. William Witherings digitalis soup; double blind trials; placebo; three-phased testing. (Activity 4.20) Describe how to investigate the antimicrobial properties of plants. (Activity 4.19) Discuss and evaluate the methods used by zoos and seedbanks in the conservation of endangered species and their genetic diversity (e.g. scientific research, captive breeding programmes, reintroduction programmes and education). (Checkpoint question 4.7) (Activities 4.23, 4.24 and 4.25)

Salters-Nuffield Advanced Biology, Pearson Education Ltd 2008. University of York Science Education Group. This sheet may have been altered from the original.

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