SB1a. Explain the role of cell organelles for both prokaryotes and eukaryotes cells, including cell membrane, in maintaining homeostasis and cell reproduction. Kiara & Emeka

1)  Describe the function of 5 individual cell organelles within cells. 1. Lysosomes: break down waste & worn-out cell parts; 2. Chloroplast: uses the sun to make food through photosynthesis; only found in plant cells; 3. Cell wall: structure and protection to the plant cells; 4. Cell Membrane: controls what enters and leaves the cell; 5. Mitochondria: turns food into energy.

2)  Explain how 3 organelles in a cell, function together to maintain homeostasis ex.(energy production, transport of molecules, waste disposal, protein synthesis , storage of genetic material and movement)

The golgi body, cell membrane and lysosome all work together to maintain homeostasis because they get rid of things that are old and worn out, and that aren’t needed inside the cell. They also send things outside the cell to stable inside and outside the cell.

3)  Describe how the cell membrane helps the cell maintain homeostasis.

It controls what enters and leaves the cell. So, not everything stays inside or leaves.

4)  Why do bacteria and humans go through cell division?(mitosis)

To pass genetic information to new cells.

5)  Why are cells small?

So that substances can move around more easily.

SB1b. Explain how enzymes function as catalysts. Zaniyyah & Kierra

1)  What do enzymes do within cells? Enzymes speed up the rates of chemical reaction in biological processes.

2)  What environmental conditions affect the rate of enzyme function? Temperature & pH

3)  What macromolecule is an enzyme an example of? Proteins

4)  Describe 2 functions of enzymes within the human body. Saliva- helps to break down food; stomach- helps to digest foods

5)  Describe the lock-and-key structure of enzymes and their substrates The enzymes are the key, the keyhole is the active site, and the lock is the substrate. Only certain enzymes will bind with specific substrates.

SB1c. Identify the function of the four macromolecules (i.e., carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, nucleic acids) TaJuan & Calandria

1)  Identify the functions of the four macromolecules 1. Carbohydrates: stores energy, provides structural support; 2. Lipids: provides long term energy, provides insulation; 3. Proteins: transfers substances; speeds reactions, provides structure, makes hormones; 4. Nucleic Acids: supplies genetic information

2)  Identify the monomers of each of the four macromolecules 1. Carbohydrates: monosaccharides; 2. Lipids: 1 glycerol, 3 fatty acids; 3. Proteins: amino acids; 4. Nucleic Acids: nucleotides

3)  Identify dietary sources (foods) of macromolecules 1. Carbohydrates: bread, rice & pasta; 2. Lipids: fats, oils, & waxes; 3. Proteins: meats, fish, milk, and beans; 4. Nucleic Acids: all things that were once living

4)  Identify the importance of each of the 4 macromolecules see number 1

SB1d. Explain the impact of water on life processes (i.e. osmosis, diffusion) Angel & Leslie

1)  Why is water considered a polar molecule? Because it is both positive and negative; Hydrogen is slightly positive and oxygen is slightly negative.

2)  Describe what elements make up water and what its shape looks like. 2 Hydrogen & 1 Oxygen; Mickey Mouse Head

3)  Why is water called a universal solvent? Because many substances dissolve in it.

4)  How do living things use water to get nutrients and get rid of wastes? Through the cell membrane, nutrients are allowed to enter and waste exits.

5)  Explain how the characteristics of water affect the movement of water in and out or within an organism (Explain capillary action in plants) Capillary Action is when water travels up thin tubes in plants and roots delivering nutrients and water to the plant.

SB2a. Distinguish between DNA and RNA. Kimberly & Chris

1)  What are 3 structural similarities between DNA and RNA? They both have a sugar, phosphate & nitrogenous base

2)  What are 3 differences between DNA and RNA? 1. RNA has ribose, DNA has deoxyribose; 2. RNA is single stranded, DNA is double stranded; 3. RNA has the base Uracil; DNA has the base Thymine

3)  What are the functions of DNA and RNA? RNA helps decode genetic messages and DNA gives the instructions for all living things.

4)  Why is DNA considered to be a genetic code? Because it gives the instructions for genes and appearance.

SB2b. Explain the role of DNA in storing and transmitting cellular information. Lili & Turiya

1)  Describe where DNA is organized in prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells. Eukaryotic-nucleus; Prokaryotic- floating in the cytoplasm

2)  Why does DNA have to replicate? So that the genetic information is copied and passed on to new cells

3)  What are the steps in DNA replication? 1. Enzymes unwind and unzip double helix 2. Each strand serves as a template for building a new DNA molecule 3. Free nucleotides bond to the template strand A-T & C-G forming a complementary strand 4. Two new identical DNA molecules.

4)  What other process is DNA used in? mitosis & meiosis

SB2c. Using Mendel’s laws, explain the role of meiosis in reproductive variability. Andy & Jamardis

1.  What is the law of segregation? States that two alleles for each trait separate during meiosis

2.  How does meiosis maintain the correct number of chromosomes? By producing gametes that contain 23 chromosomes each

3.  Explain the function of meiosis. a reduction cell division process

4.  What is the law of independent assortment? States that a random distribution of alleles occurring during the formation of gametes

5.  How does meiosis contribute to genetic variability? Crossing Over which happens in Prophase I

6.  Describe how mendelian laws can be used to explain genetic variability based on his laws there is 8 million different possibilities of an offspring each time fertilization occurs in humans.

SB2d. Describe the relationships between changes in DNA and potential appearance of new traits including: Courtney & Isaac

1.  What are mutations? Permanent changes in a DNA sequence

2.  What can cause mutations to occur? When cells make mistakes in the order of the DNA base sequence

3.  List and describe 3 examples of mutations. 1. Deletion: when one base is deleted from the sequence; 2. Duplication: when a base is copied twice; 3. Insertion: when one base is inserted in the sequence

4.  How do mutations cause changes in organisms? It leads to genetic disorders which can be harmful, helpful or neither.

SB2e. Compare the advantages of sexual reproduction and asexual reproduction in different situations. Xavier & Nyla

1.  What is sexual reproduction and how does it lead to genetic diversity? Meiosis; crossing over

2.  What is asexual reproduction and what types of organisms does it produce? Mitosis- when organisms inherit all genetic information from a single parent; bacteria, archaebacteria, protists, eubacteria, some animals

3.  What types of organisms go through the process of asexual reproduction? Yeast, some plants, bacteria & fungi

4.  What are 2 types of asexual reproduction? Binary fission, budding, fragmentation

5.  Explain why sexual or asexual reproduction would be advantageous under different environmental conditions. Sexual reproduction is advantageous because it produces more varieties of offspring that asexual reproduction.

SB2f. Examine the use of DNA technology in forensics, medicine, and agriculture. Explain that DNA technology is a useful tool in forensics, medical treatments and the production of medicine as well as world-wide food production. Cydney & Iman

1.  What are 3 ways that DNA technology is used? Genetic Engineering, Identifying Genes for specific genes, Tranferring genes from one organism to another.

2.  What is DNA fingerprinting and what is it used for? Immigration verification, crime scenes, & paternity tests

3.  How can DNA technology determine possible evolutionary relationships between different species? Based on the closeness of the DNA sequences, the organisms will be more closely related or not.

4.  What are 2 different methods used to change the DNA of plants and animals? Isolation of genes to produce recombinant DNA by combining the isolated gene with the bacterial plasmid.

SB3a. Explain the cycling of energy through the process of photosynthesis and respiration

1. Why is energy needed by all living things? To do work

2. What are the different ways organisms obtain energy? Some eat others to obtain energy while others make their own food using the sun.

3. What is the ultimate source of energy? What process is it used in? The sun. Photosynthesis

4. How do we release energy contained in food? It’s released by doing work, lost to the atmosphere as heat or passed on to another consumer

5. What 2 gases are cycled through photosynthesis and respiration? Oxygen & Carbon Dioxide

6. What is the form of energy used to do work? ATP, Mechanical Energy

SB3b. Compare how structures and function vary between the six kingdoms (Archaebacteria, Eubacteria, Protists, Fungi, Plants, and Animals).

1. Explain how all living things carry out common life processes differently. Describe some of the ways that cellular structure determines function. They carry out common life processes such as adapting & evolving, reproduction, and growing & developing. i.e a plant and human do not reproduce the same way.

2. Describe how organisms have specific cellular characteristics that determine how they are classified and how they carry out life processes. See number 1

3. How are organisms classified into a kingdom? (HINT: based on specific structural cellular characteristics such as cell type, presence or absence of cell walls and the presence of certain organelles or membranes that determine mode of obtaining energy, methods of reproduction) the more classification levels two organisms have in common the more closely related they are. The less they have in common, the more distantly related they are.

4. What are the differences between unicellular and multicellular organisms? Unicellular= one cell; Multi cellular = multiple cells.

SB3c Examine the evolutionary basis of modern classification systems.

1. Explain the theory of endosymbiosis. It explains that eukaryotic cells may have evolved from prokaryotic cells.

2. Analyze the evolutionary basis of the six kingdom system.

3. Explain how shared characteristics within a common classification may indicate a common ancestor. The closer they are on a cladogram the more closely related they are.

4. Describe how modern classification systems are based upon biochemical(amino acids and proteins) and genetic evidence(DNA) that indicates evolutionary relationships.

5. How are cladograms and phylogenetic trees used to interpret evolutionary relationships? They are used to classify organisms based on evolutionary evidence that includes homologous structures as well as DNA comparisons.

SB3d Compare and contrast viruses with living organisms.

1. Describe the similarities and differences between viruses and living organisms. Living organisms exhibit the characteristics of movement, respiration, reproduction & growth. Viruses replicate inside a host cell. Similarities are reproduction, some are eukaryotic, and both have either RNA or DNA but not both.

2. Why are viruses not considered living things? They do not have cells yet they can reproduce.

3. Describe the structure of viruses. Viruses are a nucleic acid surrounded by a protein coat and a tail.

4. Can viruses be cured? Why or why not? No bc the human immune system is strong enough to kill certain viruses. They also mutate rapidly which makes it hard to find medicinal cures.

SB4a Investigate the relationships among organisms, populations, communities, ecosystems, and biomes.

1. Describe how organisms both cooperate and compete in ecosystems. Organisms cooperate & compete through symbiotic relationships such as mutualism, parasitism, predation, & commensalism.

2. Explain how environmental factors (abiotic) influence the distribution and relationships of organisms (biotic) within ecosystems. Organisms that live in the same geographical area might share the same biotic factors. Organisms depend on abiotic factors for survival.

3. Describe the ecological hierarchy of the levels of organization within a biome. From smallest to largest: Organisms à Population à Community à Ecosystem à Biosphere

4. Explain how the availability of resources (number and types) determines the number/type of organisms that survive in an ecosystem. When resources are plentiful competition is not as bad but when there aren’t as many resources, the strong eat the weak. Survival of the fittest

SB4b. Explain the flow of matter and energy through ecosystems by

1. How does a food chain show energy flow? Arrows represent the one way energy flow which typically starts with autotrophs and moves to heterotrophs

2. How does the amount of energy change in the steps of an energy pyramid? With each step up there is an energy loss of 90%

3. Explaining the need for cycling of major nutrients (C, O, H, N, P) For energy & survival, the cycling of resources.

4. Explain how energy flows through ecosystems in one direction from photosynthetic organisms to herbivores to carnivores and decomposers. The photosynthetic gets 100% energy from the sun, the herbivore eats the producer and gets 10% energy, the carnivores eat herbivores and get 1% energy, and decomposers eat carnivores and get 0.1% energy.

SB4c. Relate environmental condition to successional changes in ecosystems.

1. Describe how human activities and natural phenomena disrupt the homeostatic nature of the environment(changes the environment) Deforestation, Floods, and Natural Disasters all disrupt the homeostatic nature by causing life to restart.

2. Describe the stages of primary succession on a new piece of land without land present. Pioneer Species à grasses à small shrubs à small trees à animals & large trees.

3. What are the causes of secondary succession? Fire, floods, or natural disasters

4. What are the differences between primary and secondary succession? Primary life starts from scratch and secondary is caused by natural disasters leaving some life in the area.

SB4d. Assess and explain human activities that influence and modify the environment such as global warming, population growth, pesticide use, and water and power consumption.

1. What do humans do to damage the environment? Pollution, littering, air pollution from cars, cutting trees down, deforestation. Identify and assess the impact of human activities on the environment. Factories, cars, coal mines and the impact causes harm to plants and animals and pollutes our air.

2. Explain the human activities that contribute to global warming and describe the impact it has on the environment. See number 1