Biology Exam Study Guide

Chapter 1 (Science of Life):

- Know what science is and is not
- Know how science differs from other disciplines
- Know and understand the steps in the scientific method
- Know the difference between a theory and a hypothesis
- Know the characteristics of living things
- Know vocabulary terms, such as homeostasis, metabolism, etc.
- Know metric measurements
Chapter 2 (Chemistry of Life):
- Know properties of water
- Know the functions of proteins
- Know and pH scale
- Know what are reactants and what are products in a chemical equation
- Know what catalysts are and how they are used
- Know the structure and function of cell membranes
- Know the heat capacity of water
Chapter 3 (The Biosphere):
- Know the difference between food chain and food web
- Know tropic levels
- Know the difference between herbivores, carnivores, and omnivores
- Know what happens as energy that is transferred in an ecological pyramid
- Which organisms feed off dead organisms
- Describe the movement of energy and nutrients
- Explain the role of scavengers
- Describe the bottom level of an ecological pyramid
- What happens to the biomass with each higher level
- Describe a food chain within a food web
- What would happen to a food web if one population died
Chapter 4 (Ecosystems and Communities):
- Give examples of abiotic factors
- What is necessary for several species live in the same habitat
- Compare primary and secondary succession
- Where does primary succession occur
- How would a species be affected if another species within the ecosystem decreased
Chapter 5 (Populations):
- Which population growth models influence its carrying capacity
- What information is necessary to determine a populations age structure
- Using a graph, describe the growth curves for populations
- What does immigration and emigration mean
- Describe the growth pattern of a population (using a graph)

Explain the effects of new species introduced into the environment

Explain how a limiting factor affects a population
How do diseases and death affect other organisms within an environment
Describe the difference between density-dependent and density-independent

Chapter 6 (Humans in the Biosphere):

- Know sources and types of pollution
- Know what biological magnification is and examples of chemicals that have been
magnified (DDT)
- Know what sustainable development is and examples of it
- Know ways that biodiversity is negatively impacted
- Know ways of conserving biodiversity
- Know the function of the ozone layer and what has caused it to thin
- Describe deforestation
Chapter 7 (Cell Structure and Function):
- Know structures involved in cell movement
- Know the difference between cells, tissues, organs and organ systems and how they relate
- Know the structure and function of the cell membrane
- Know what organelles are unique to plant cells and what organelles are unique to animal
cells
- Know the differences between eukaryotic cells and prokaryotic cells
- Know examples of eukaryotic cells and prokaryotic cells
- Know the different types of microscopes (compound light, SEM, TEM)
- Know the three parts of the cell theory
- Know what technological advancement made the discovery of cells possible
Chapter 8 (Photosynthesis):
- Know the difference between autotrophs and heterotrophs and examples of each
- Know the products and reactants of photosynthesis
- Know how photosynthesis and respiration are interrelated
- Know what would happen to rates of photosynthesis if the amount of light, water or
carbon dioxide were to change
- Know what the major atmospheric byproduct of photosynthesis
- Know what happens to chlorophyll when it is struck by sunlight
- Know what is happening to autotrophs and heterotrophs, if any, during photosynthesis
- Know what structures are involved in photosynthesis and respiration in both plants and
animals
Chapter 9 (Cellular Respiration and Fermentation):
- Know the stages of cellular respiration
- Know the equation for cellular respiration
- Know the products and reactants of cellular respiration
- Know where the different steps in cellular respiration take place

Know how the reactants and products of cellular respiration are related to the reactants
and products of photosynthesis
Know what conditions must exist in order for the Krebs cycle to occur
Know where lactic acid fermentation occur
Know what the two types of fermentation are

Chapter 10 (Cell Growth and Division):

- Know what happens to cells volume as the surface area increase, and vice versa
- Know what controls the rate of waste production in cells
- Know why cells must be small
- Know what cell division is and what important events are taking place in each stage
- Know when in the cell cycle are the chromosomes visible?
- Know where in the cell cycle interphase and mitosis take place
- Know what is cancer and what leads to cancer
- Know what cell differentiation is
- Know what stem cells are and why they are important
Chapter 11 and 14 (Genetics):
- Know the difference between heterozygous and homozygous
- Know what the principal of independent assortment is
- Know what codominance, incomplete dominance
- Know multiple alleles and polygenic traits
- Know what crossing over is
- Know punnet squares
- Know the difference between phenotype and genotype
- Know who Gregor Mendel was
- Know the results of meiosis
Chapter 12 &13 (DNA, RNA and Protein Synthesis):
- Know the structure and function of DNA
- Know the structure and function of RNA
- Know what happens when a piece of DNA is missing/lost
- Know DNA replication
- Know transcription and translation
- Know the roles of the different types of RNA
- Know the different types of mutations
- Know what codons/anticodons are and how to read the genetic code table
- Know the base pairing rules for DNA and RNA
Chapter 15 (Genetic Engineering):
- Know the selective breeding is
- Know what a hybrid is
- Know what genetic engineering is and ethical issues related to it
- Know some pros and cons of GM foods
- Know what recombinant DNA is
- Know the uses of DNA fingerprinting

Know what transgenic animals/plants are

Chapter 16 &17 (Evolution):

- Know what homologous structures are
- Know evidence of evolution
- Know what vestigial structures are
- Know what natural selection is and what criterion it needs to occur
- Know causes of speciation (isolation, mutation, etc)
- Know who Charles Darwin was and how he formed his theory
Chapter 19 (History of Life):
- Know what the fossil record is and how its used in science
- Know what an index fossil is
- Know what Proteinoid microspheres are
- Know what macroevolution is
- Know genetic drift and gene flow
- Know punctuated equilibrium versus gradualism
- Know what the endosymbiont theory is
- Know the composition of Earths early atmosphere
- Know what Earths first cells resembled and conditions under which they lived
Chapter 20 (Classification and select plant strands from plant chapters):
- Know what binomial nomenclature is
- Know what makes up a scientific name
- Know what cladistics is
- Know the defining characteristics of the 6 kingdoms
- Know the differences between the three domains
- Know the types and function of plant vascular tissues
- Know what seeds are
- Know the male and female reproductive parts of a flower
- Know the difference between seedless and seeded plants as well as gymnosperms and
angiosperms
- Know the structure and function of roots, stems and leaves in plants
Chapter 30, 31, 33, 34 , & 35 (Human Body):
- Know female and male reproductive structures
- Know where fertilization occurs
- Know how tobacco smoke affects the body
- Know the steps of embryonic development including childbirth
- Know the function of the placenta
- Know how cholesterol affects blood flow and issues related to it
- Know how infectious diseases spread
- Know specific and nonspecific defenses of the body
- Know public health measures to fight disease
- Know what the cerebrum is