Natural Science: Biology

Content Knowledge
Comprehend
• Concepts related to biological change and evolution such as:
o How DNA and protein sequences are used to infer evolutionary relationships among organisms
o The concept of natural selection
o Evolutionary theory and how genetic change among individuals of populations is the raw material for evolution of new forms
• Genetic principles such as:
o Mendal’s laws of heredity and how they relate to the movement of chromosomes to gametes during meiosis for determination of traits such as
sex
o The chemical and structural properties of DNA in heredity and protein synthesis
o How recombinant DNA technology allows scientists to analyze the structure and function of genes
• Living systems classification related to:
o How multicellular organism have a variety of specialized cells, tissues, organs, and organ systems that each perform specialized functions and
integrate to make a functional organism
o How an organisms internal and external structure, their development, and relatedness of DNA sequence are basis for their classification
• Function and structure of cells such as:
o Knowing that all living systems are composed of cells, which are the fundamental units of life, and that organisms may be unicellular or
multicellular
o Knowing the importance of both water and the element of carbon to cells, and further understand the important types of macromolecules that
are different in chemical properties with specific functions
o The diversity and unity among cells
o Knowing that there are different types of cells (prokaryotic and eukaryotic), but all share the same characteristics
o How multicellular organisms consist of different types of cells that perform different functions
o The difference between plant and animal cells that have different cellular specialization suited to the organism’s lifestyle
o The processes of cell division (mitosis and meiosis) particularly as those processes relate to production of new cells and to the passing of
genetic information between generations
o How in eukaryotic cells, the organization of DNA into chromosomes is key to both duplication and distribution of the genetic information to
new cells or organisms
o That in order to be alive, cells must exchange materials with their environment or with other cells
o That cells transform energy for one form to another through the processes of photosynthesis and respiration
o How these processes lead to the production of ATP
o The chemical reactions involved in cell functions
o How such exchanges involve a variety of mechanisms for transporting materials across a membrane, including diffusion, osmosis, and transport
involving specialized membrane proteins
Standards for Success (S4S)
Natural Science: Biology
Successful students:
A. Understand the concepts of biological change and the evolution of species
B. Understand the genetic principles that guide the inheritance of biological traits
C. Understand the organization and classification of living systems
D. Know the general structure and function of cells