OVERVIEW FOR PART 1

·    Science is a collection of facts and concepts, as well as a process for collecting facts and building concepts.

·    The process of science involves objective observations of nature, controlled testing with measurable variables, and communication of conclusions and methods for verification by others.

·    Scientific studies show all living things share many properties that distinguish them from non-living things, though living things contain the same matter and use the same energy present in the non-living world.  Shared properties include:  acquiring energy, reproducing, being made of cells containing DNA as the genetic material, sensing and responding to the surroundings, and evolving.

·    Variations in the ways living things carry out the activities associated with life and different ancestries allow us to sort living things into groups sharing certain characteristics.  The 3 largest groups are called domains, which are subdivided into kingdoms, which are further subdivided, etc.

·    One property shared by all living things, due to a common ancestor billions of years back in time, is an organizational theme of atoms interacting to form molecules, which interact to form organelles, which interact to form cells.

·    All of these interactions are driven by the shapes and charges of the interacting parts, and follow general rules of energy in the universe; these interactions bring about the activities we associate with life.

·    Interactions among nucleic acids, proteins, lipids, carbohydrates, ions, and water allow most cell parts to be made and to function in life activities.

·    Interactions mainly among specific proteins and lipids help cells to sense and respond to their environments.

·    Interactions mainly among nucleic acids and proteins help cells to copy their information so that more cells of the same kind can be made.

·    Interactions mainly among proteins, lipids, and carbohydrates help cells to capture energy, which is needed to move cell parts, build new molecules, and move matter in and out of cells.

Terms to know:

science	experiment	objective observation
fact/concept	hypothesis	theory
independent variable	dependent variable	controlled variable
sampling error	control sample	experimental sample
taxonomy/taxa	genus, species	domain, kingdom
phylum	prokaryote/eukaryote	scientific name
producers/autotrophs	consumers/heterotrophs/decomposers	population
matter	atom	atomic nucleus
atomic orbital/electron shell	chemical element	proton, electron, neutron
molecule	compound	organic/inorganic molecule
covalent bond	ionic/electrostatic bond	hydrogen bond
monomer/subunit	polymer/macromolecule	ion
hydrophilic/hydrophobic	organelle	cell
carbohydrates	proteins	lipids
nucleic acids	simple sugars/polysaccharides	amino acids
nucleotides	fatty acids/steroids/neutral lipids	membrane-bound organelle
cytosol	phospholipid bilayer	plasma/cell membrane
mitochondrion	nucleus	rough endoplasmic reticulum
smooth endoplasmic reticulum	lysosome	Golgi apparatus
ribosome	cytoskeleton	cell wall
chloroplast/plastid	central vacuole	enzyme/catalyst
substrate	metabolic pathway	metabolism
energy/work	reactants/products	ATP
receptor protein	channel protein	hormone
non-spontaneous/endergonic reaction /energy in	spontaneous/exergonic  reaction/energy out	cell respiration
aerobic/anaerobic respiration	passive transport	diffusion/osmosis
active transport	phagocytosis	semi-permeable membrane
Laws of Thermodynamics	entropy/chaos/disorganization	chlorophyll
photosynthesis	electron transport/oxidative phosphorylation	vitamins and minerals
mutation	replication	transcription
translation	mRNA, tRNA, rRNA	genetic code
codon	anticodon	A, T, G, C, U
complementary base pairs	cytokinesis	chromosome
centromere	sister chromatids	prophase
metaphase	anaphase	telophase
cell plate/cleavage furrow	binary fission	clone
volume/ surface area	cell division cycle	G1, S, G2, M

Ideas to Understand:

• What properties are shared by all living things and distinguish them from non-living things?

• Why are viruses sometimes considered to be living and sometimes non-living?

• How are experiments used to test hypotheses? [Given an example of an experiment, you should be able to identify different kinds of variables and explain how the results are interpreted to support or fail to support a hypothesis.]

• Why is it important to have experimental samples of more than a few individuals?

• What are the three domains of organisms, and four kingdoms of eukarya, and their distinguishing features?

• What kinds of criteria are used to subdivide kingdoms into smaller taxa? Given characteristics of plants and animals, be able to classify them in one of the 4 most common terrestrial phyla of animals or one of the 4 most common plant divisions.

•  Which taxon (grouping) contains organisms sharing the most properties?

• What are the differences and similarities between prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells?

• What are the differences and similarities between plant and animal cells?

• What are the functions of different cell parts? Why do eukaryotic cells need membrane-bound organelles (e.g. nuclei, mitochondria, Golgi, e.r., chloroplasts)?

• How do phospholipids and proteins making up a membrane help the cell sense and respond to stimuli?

• How does the cytoskeleton help cells respond?

• What properties of organic molecules result from the fact that they are built around carbon atoms?

• How are the polymeric structures of proteins and nucleic acids related to their functions in cells?

• What are some of the functions and examples of different kinds of proteins (e.g. enzymes, transporters, contracting fibers)?

• How does the information in DNA determine the proteins and characteristics of an organism?

• What is a metabolic pathway and why are many reactions, rather than one big reaction, used for most cell processes?

• Why are producers so important to other members of the biological community?

• How do cells get energy to make ATP and how do they use energy released from ATP?

• How does ATP help cells link exergonic and endergonic reactions?

• What are the overall reactants and products for photosynthesis and cellular respiration?

• Why is it important that DNA can be replicated and how does complementary base pairing make replication possible?

• How does the make-up and behavior of the chromosomes during mitosis account for the characteristics of daughter cells produced by mitosis and cytokinesis?

Concept Maps may help you study by learning definitions and relating terms. They will be more helpful if you define terms in your own words.  Define terms in boxes and then describe relationships between terms on lines connecting the boxes.
 

Examples of Questions of Different Levels of Difficulty [You will encounter all of these types.]

Level 1: Identifying/Recognizing

1. The subunits of proteins are

2. On the diagram provided, label the following structures or parts….

1. Name a cell part found in both prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells, and describe the function of that cell part.

2. An experiment will be described and you will be asked to identify the variables.

1. Discuss why you would expect different organelles to be made with different proteins in them. Give an example of 2 different organelles and the functions of a protein each might contain.

2. Interpret the results of an experiment and justify the conclusion you draw from them.