TOPICS FOR EXAMINATION 1 - Biology 1406, CAMPBELL AND REESE 8e
KNOW AND UNDERSTAND ALL TOPICS AS A FUNCTION OF THE CONCEPT CHECK
HEADINGS IN YOUR TEXT!! (modified from exam topics sheets developed by Dr. D. Schwartz)
CHAPTER 1
What is the lowest level of biological organization that can perform all the activities required for life? Be
able to recognize and assemble a correct representation of the hierarchy of biological organization. Know
the evidence which indicates a common ancestry for all life on earth. What is a genetic material? What is
the genetic material for all life on earth? Know all levels of classification based on the domain system from
lowest to highest levels. Know and understand why evolution is biology's core theme. Know and understand
the concept of natural selection and how it operates in the living world.
CHAPTER 2
Which four elements make up approximately 96% of living matter? What is the definition of an atom?
What are the properties of protons, neutrons and electrons? Know, understand, and be able to work with
atomic number and mass number. How does the atomic number of an atom correlate with the number of
electrons it normally possesses? What is an isotope? Know the rule of "2, 8 and 8" for electron orbital shells
- what is the maximum number of electrons that can be held in the first orbital shell? In the second and
third orbital shells? Given the atomic number, be able to position electrons correctly in atomic orbitals.
What is meant by valence electrons? What is covalent bonding? What makes covalent bonding likely to be
polar or nonpolar? What is ionic bonding and how is it different from covalent bonding?
CHAPTER 3
What is a hydrogen bond? What property of the water molecule makes hydrogen bonding possible? Be able
to recognize hydrogen bonded chemicals when you see them. Know and understand the four emergent
properties of water that make life on earth possible. What is pH? What is an acid? What is a base? How
many fold (or times) difference is there between two solutions when their pH varies by three units? Four
units? Six units? What are buffers, and why are they important to living things? What does pH 7.0 mean?
Why is pH 7.0 considered neutral pH? (Hint: Know the dissociation of water) What are the differences
between hydrophobic and hydrophilic interactions? What is molarity?
CHAPTER 4
Why can carbon bond so well with itself and the other elements of life? What are isomers? Know and
understand the concepts of hydrophilic and hydrophobic. Know the structure and properties of hydroxyl,
carbonyl (both aldehyde and ketone), carboxyl, amino, sulfhydryl, phosphate, and methyl groups. Know
what effect(s) each of these would have on a chemical molecule if made a part of that molecule.
CHAPTER 5
What is a polymer? What is a monomer? What is dehydration synthesis? What is hydrolysis? WHAT IS
THE DEFINITION OF A BIOLOGICAL MACROMOLECULE? WHAT ARE THE FUNCTIONS OF
CARBOHYDRATES? OF LIPIDS? OF PROTEINS? OF NUCLEIC ACIDS? Be able to recognize and
understand the properties of all monomers used to build biological macromolecules. What is a fat? Know
the general chemical structure of an amino acid. Which carbon in an amino acid is the alpha carbon? What
is an R group, and why is it important? What are peptide bonds, glycosidic bonds? Be able to recognize
these bonds when you see them. What are the four levels of structural organization in proteins? What does
each level mean? What could a change in protein structure at any of these levels lead to, concerning protein
activity? How do purines and pyrimidines base pair in DNA and RNA? What are the names of the purines?
What are the names of the pyrimidines? How does DNA replicate? Why are complementary bases
important? What type of lipid is most important in cell membranes?