CHAPTER 1

How is chemistry important for learning biology?

Recognize that cells are composed primarily of a few elements (e.g. carbon, hydrogen,
oxygen, nitrogen, phosphorous, and sulfur, + others)
Explain how elements combine to form compounds through ionic and covalent bonding
What distinguishes organic and inorganic molecules?
Compare and contrast the structure, properties, and uses of organic compounds (e.g.
hydrocarbons, alcohols, sugars, fats, and proteins)
What role does water play in the life of an organism?
Understanding thermoregulation in endotherms to hydrolysis of macromolecules
What are the four basic types of macromolecules?
Describe the basic molecular structure and primary functions of carbohydrates, lipids,
proteins, and nucleic acids
How do enzymes facilitate reactions?
Understand that energy is transferred in metabolic reactions and enzymes as biological
catalysts
Describe how protein function depends on the amino acid sequence and the shape it takes
as a consequence of interactions between those amino acids
How does energy get transferred in chemical reactions?
Explain how matter and energy is transformed and transferred among organisms in an
ecosystem, and how energy is dissipated as heat into the environment
Describe the factors that affect the rate of a chemical reaction, including temperature,
pressure, mixing, concentration, particle size, surface area, and catalyst
Know that endergonic reactions have a +ΔG and exergonic reactions have a –ΔG.

CHAPTER 2
How do cells obtain/use energy?
Compare passive and active transport
How do plant and animal cells differ in structure and function?
Explain the function and importance of cell organelles as related to the basic cell processes
of respiration, photosynthesis, protein synthesis, and cell reproduction
What distinguishes prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells?
Describe how viruses, prokaryotic, and eukaryotic cells differ in relative size, complexity, and
general structure
What are the key components of the cell cycle?
Explain mitosis
What is cellular respiration?
Differentiate between photosynthesis and respiration in terms of energy flow, beginning
reactants, and end products with words and equations
Why do all cells come from pre-existing cells?
CHAPTER 3
How do prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells differ in reproduction?
Asexual v. sexual reproduction
Use the processes of mitosis and meiosis to explain the advantages and disadvantages of
the two
How is heritable information passed down in organisms?
Explain the relationship of DNA, genes, and chromosomes
What is Mendelian inheritance?
Use the concepts of Mendel’s Law of Segregation and Independent Assortment to explain
how sorting and recombination (crossing over) of genes during sexual reproduction
(meiosis) increases the occurrence of the variation in a species
Heritable characteristics
What determines is an allele will be expressed in an organism?
In the context of monohybrid cross, apply the terms phenotype, genotype, allele,
homozygous, and heterozygous
What a test cross is
How do homozygous and heterozygous individuals differ?
What are polygenic traits?

How does cancer develop?

Explain how mutations like deletions, insertions, rearrangements, and substitutions of DNA
segments in gametes may have no effect, may harm, or rarely be beneficial and result in
genetic variation within a species
Recognize that a gene mutation in a cell can result in uncontrolled cell division
Exposure to certain chemicals and radiation increases chance of cancer – series of mutations
(some may be heritable)
Solve Punnett Squares for monohybrid and dihybrid crosses – indicate genotypic and phenotypic
ratios; calculate probability of outcomes;

CHAPTER 3
How does biological evolution provide a scientific explanation for the fossil record of ancient life
forms as well as for the striking molecular similarities observed among diverse species of living
organisms?
Darwin’s theory of natural selection and descent with modification
Fossil record, homologous structures, analogous structures, genetic or biochemical markers
– and how they show relationships among species (cladistics)
Artificial selection
Genetic variation as essential for evolution
Competition for finite resources and changing environment promotes natural selection of
offspring and breeding
Two populations of species may exhibit genetic variation due to different selective pressures
– can lead to speciation
Species can change over time
Genetic variability
5 Kingdom (3 Domain) classification of organisms
How does the environment and interactions between organisms affect the number of species
and the diversity of species in an ecosystem?