BIOLOGY SECOND SEMESTER STUDY GUIDE
CHAPTER 12
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Important definition terms and concepts:
Transformation
 Messenger RNA
Bacteriophage
 Ribosomal RNA
Nucleotide
 Transfer RNA
Base pairing
 Transcription
Chromatin
 RNA polymerase
Histone
 Promoter
Replication
 Intron
DNA polymerase
 Exon
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Important discussion ideas:
Describe the overall structure of the DNA molecule.
What is Chargaff’s rule? What did Watson & Crick discover?
Summarize the events of DNA replication.
Compare and contrast RNA and DNA.
Describe transcription, editing of RNA, and genetic code.
Identify the genetic code.
List/explain the types of mutations; contrast gene mutations and chromosomal mutations.
CHAPTER 13 RNA and Protein Synthesis
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Important definition terms and concepts:
 RNA
 intron
 Gene expression
 exon
 Mutation
 Ribosomal RNA
 polypeptide
 point mutation
 Transfer RNA
 genetic code
 frameshift mutation
 Transcription
 codon
 mutagent
 RNA polymerase
 translation
 polyploidy
 Promoter
 anticodon
 operon
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Codon
Translation
Anticodon
Mutation
Point mutation
Frameshift mutation
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IV.
Important discussion ideas:
 How is the genetic code read?
 What are mutations?
 What are the effects of mutations on genes?
 What role does the ribosome play in assembling proteins?
 Compare and contrast DNA and RNA.
Chapter 16 Evolution
Explain how the finches and tortoises that Charles Darwin observed on the Galápagos Islands
influenced his thinking.
 Suppose selective breeding has produced a population of very similar chickens. Would that
population survive if it were released into the wild? Explain.
 State a general observation that Charles Darwin made about organisms and their environments.
 What evidence did Charles Darwin collect in addition to specimens of organisms alive during his
time?
 Discuss Jean-Baptiste Lamarck’s contribution to the overall theory of evolution.
 How did Thomas Malthus’s ideas about human population growth inspire Darwin’s thinking about
evolution?
Chapter 30 Digestive and Excretory Systems
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Important definition terms and concepts:
 Epithelial tissue
 Connective tissue
 Nervous tissue
 Muscle tissue
 Homeostasis
 Feedback inhibition
 Calorie
 Carbohydrate
 Fat
 Protein
 Vitamin
 Mineral
 Mechanical digestion
 Chemical digestion
Amylase
 Esophagus
 Peristalsis
 Stomach
 Pepsin
 Chyme
 Small intestine
 Villus
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II.
Large intestine
Excretion
Ureter
Urinary bladder
Urethra
Nephron
Filtration
Glomerulus
Bowman’s capsule
Reabsorption
Loop of Henle
Important discussion ideas:
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How is the human body organized?
What is homeostasis?
Why do we need to eat?
What nutrients does your body need?
What is meant by the term balanced diet?
What are the functions of the digestive system?
What occurs during digestion?
How are nutrients absorbed and wastes eliminated?
What is the principal role of the structures of the excretory system?
How do the kidneys clean the blood?
How do the kidneys help maintain homeostasis?
Chapter 31 Nervous System
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Important definition terms and concepts:
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Peripheral nervous system
Central nervous system
Cell body
Dendrite
Axon
Myelin sheath
Resting potential
Action potential
Threshold
Synapse
Neurotransmitter
Reflex
Cerebrum
Cerebral cortex
Thalamus
Hypothalamus
Cerebellum
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Brain stem
Dopamine
Important discussion ideas:
 What are the functions of the nervous system?
 What is the function of the neurons?
 How does a nerve impulse begin?
 Where does processing of information occur in the nervous system?
 How do drugs change the brain and lead to addiction?
Chapter 33 Circulatory and Respiratory Systems
I.
Important definition terms and concepts:
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II.
Myocardium
Ventricle
Valve
Pulmonary circulation
Systemic circulation
Pacemaker
Artery
Capillary
Vein
Pharynx
Trachea
Larynx
Bronchus
Alveolus
Diaphragm
Important discussion ideas:
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What are the functions of the circulatory system?
How does the heart pump throughout the body?
What are three types of blood vessels?
What is the function of the respiratory system?
How are oxygen and carbon dioxide exchanged and transported throughout the body?
What mechanisms are involved in breathing?
How does smoking affect the respiratory system?
Chapter 34 Reproduction
I. Important Definitions
 Estrogen
 Testosterone
 Puberty