BIO 101 study guide

Biology 101 Final Topics – Winter 2010
Nature of Science –
· Explain the steps of the scientific method.
Observation, Problem, hypothesis, procedure, data, conclusion,
· Describe a misconception students may have about a scientific process and how you would help them overcome that misconception.
All scientific process have to be preformed in a classroom. Give daily examples of scientific process and encourage students to identify daily problems such as: what to eat? Problem…
· What is science?
The organization and study of the world in testable questions.
· Discuss the 7 rules for “Scientific Storytelling.”
Reproducibility: can be done repetitively
Predictive Power: can predict things that were not included in the observations
Prospects for Improvement: subject to evolutionary development of the idea
Naturalism: not appeal to the supernatural, but nature can explain.
Uniformitarianism: same natural laws in ancient times apply today
Simplicity: nature is simple enough to understand
Harmony: should not contradict other established explanations
· What makes a question scientifically investigable?
If it can be measured.
Working like a scientist –
· Be able to follow a procedure precisely.
· Be able to accurately measure mass using an electronic scale and volume using a graduated cylinder.
Measure from the bottom of the curve in a graduated cylinder. Set to 0 when taking weight
Pond Water –
· Prepare a wet mount slide.
· Describe how to find the magnification of the viewed image.
Start with low power objective lens and move coarse focus and the condenser lens slowly then move the fine focus knob, and increase the level of objective lens as necessary.
· Use a microscope to observe microscopic organisms.
Carry with arm and base
Do not let it hang on the edge of table
Store low power objective lens/stage down
Start with power objective lens/stage down
Bacteria –
· Describe harmful and useful characteristics of various bacteria.
· What is aseptic technique and why is it important (2 reasons)?
· Describe and demonstrate proper technique for performing the T-streak method on a Petri dish.
Multiplying cells –
· Compare and contrast mitosis and meiosis (i.e. number of cells produced, amount of genetic information in each daughter cell.)
· What are the advantages and disadvantages of each type of cell division?
· Identify and describe each stage of mitosis and meiosis.
· Use a microscope to locate and observe the nucleus of a cell.
Gel Electrophoresis –
· How is gel electrophoresis used to help us understand DNA?
Gel electrophoresis helps us to make a DNA fingerprint and identify species and the heritage by comparing the DNA fingerprints.
· Describe how gel electrophoresis separates DNA segments.
Breaks down the cell wall, cell membrane, nucleus membrane. The put the DNA into a gel and set one side to have a negatively charged and the other have a positive charge. The smaller pieces are able to move through the gel quickly while the longer ones move more slowly.
· What is the role of Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) and Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (RFLP) in carrying out gel electrophoresis?
The PCR can make billions of copies of the single strand of DNA that can then be tested and experimented with while the RFLP is the segment of DNA being tested.

Genetics –
· DNA: Deoxyribonucleic acid; a nucleic acid that contains the genetic instructions used in the development and functioning of all known living organisms
Chromosome: a single piece of coiled DNA containing many genes
Gene: the information to build and maintain an organism and pass genetic and are the part on the Chromosome.
Allele: is one of two or more forms of the DNA sequence of a particular gene for a given loci.
· How does the process of meiosis in gametic cells produce a wide range of genetic diversity?
There is crossing over.
· Draw a Punnett square and show the probability of producing each associated genotype and phenotype.

A A
a Aa Aa
a Aa Aa


· Understand the difference between dominant and recessive.
In the phenotype the dominant allele is are expressed even when the recessive allele is present.
· Know how to work with co-dominant traits on a Punnett square.
Some alleles are equally strong and neither are masked by the other. When both alleles are present, they are both expressed in the phenotype. The hybrid is a blend of both alleles.
Red flower, white flower, creates pink flower
Enzymes –
· catalyst: A substance that speeds up a chemical reaction, but is not consumed by the reaction
Enzyme: are proteins that catalyze in enzymatic reactions, the molecules at the beginning of the process are called substrates, and they are converted into different molecules, called the products. enzymes do differ from most other catalysts by being much more specific and can be reused.
· Describe the role of enzymes in an organism.
Many of the processes need for digestion would not be possible in the appropriate amount of time without enzymes present.
· Give an example of an enzyme and describe how it benefits an organism
A DNA polymerase is an enzyme that catalyzes the polymerization of deoxyribonucleotides into a DNA strand.
· What factors can affect the efficiency of an enzyme? by other molecules. Inhibitors are molecules that decrease enzyme activity; activators are molecules that increase activity. Many drugs and poisons are enzyme inhibitors. Activity is also affected by temperature, chemical environment (e.g., pH), and the concentration of substrate

Populations –
· Graph a sample predator prey relationship and explain the patterns that are formed.
When the hare population rose the lynx population also increased the following year, and conversely when the hare population decreased the lynx population also decreased.
· Define the carrying capacity of an ecosystem.
Number of organisms that can live in a given environment.
· Is eliminating predators from an ecosystem beneficial? Defend your answer.
No, because the predators keep the population below carrying capacity which avoids the problem of starvation or a population crash.
Adaptations –
· Describe the advantages and disadvantages of organisms that have highly specialized adaptations and those that have more generalized adaptations.
An advantage for an organism with highly specialized adaptations is that it will be able to survived better in the specific environment that it has adapted to better than other organisms, but if that environment changes then the generalized adapted species will survive better because it has a different range of genetic traits to help it survive in multiple environments.
· Describe how populations (species) develop traits that allow them to survive and reproduce in their environment.
Through the prose of natural selection, genetic mutations are either increased or eliminated depending on if the mutation gives the species a fitness advantage in the environment.
· Does competition for resources increase or decrease the probability of new adaptations? Defend you answer.
The competition for resources increases the probability of new adaptations arising. The adapations themselves occur unpredicted and randomly because the adaptations are simply mutations that can give the species a fitness advatage, but if there is no need to have a fitness advantage because there is no competition then the mutation will give the species enough of a need for an advantage and therefore there is not enough of a need for the fitness advantage and the organisums have the same fitness or reproductive levels.
· How does natural selection work on genetic variation to enable a population to become better adapted to their environment?
Natural selection: is the process by which traits become more or less common in a population due to consistent effects upon the survival or reproduction of their bearers.
Genetic variation: is the genetic diversity of a species that gives the population differences creating higher and lower fitness levels.
Performance assessments –
· Make accurate measurements (mass, volume) using the appropriate tools.
· Prepare a wet mount slide and identify a cellular structure.
· Set up an experiment with procedures. Identify controlled, dependent, and independent variables. Include replication and randomization.