Biology Syllabus
North Penn High School
2015-2016
Biology Textbook:
Miller and Levine Biology
Topics and corresponding textbook sections
Chapter
Chapter 1
Section
1.1
1.3
Topic
Scientific Methodology
Time
Distinguish between the scientific terms: hypothesis,
inference, law, theory, principle, fact, observation
1.5 cycles
Characteristics of Living Things
Describe the characteristics of life shared by all
prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms
Compare cellular structures and their functions in
prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells
Chapter 2
2.2
Properties of Water
Describe the unique properties of water and how these
properties support life on Earth (e.g. freezing point, high
specific heat, cohesion)
2.3
4.5 cycles
Carbon Compounds
Explain how carbon is uniquely suited to form biological
macromolecules
Describe how biological macromolecules form from
monomers
Compare the structure and function of carbohydrates,
lipids, proteins and nucleic acids in organisms
2.4
Chemical Reactions and Enzymes
Describe the role of an enzyme as a catalyst in regulating
a specific biochemical reaction
Explain how factors such as pH, temperature, and
concentration levels can affect enzyme function
Chapter 7
7.1
7.2
Microscopes/Life is Cellular
Cell Structure
Compare cellular structures and their functions in
prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells
Describe and interpret relationships between structure
and function at various levels of biological organization
(i.e. organelles, cells, tissues, organs, organ systems and
3.0 cycles
multicellular organisms)
Describe how membrane-bound cellular organelles (e.g.
endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi apparatus) facilitate the
transport of materials within a cell
Describe the role of ribosomes, endoplasmic reticulum,
Golgi apparatus, and the nucleus if the production of
specific types of proteins
7.3
Cellular Transportation
Describe the role of ATP in biochemical reactions
Describe how the structure of the plasma membrane
allows it to function as a regulatory structure and/or
protective barrier for a cell
7.4
Compare the mechanisms that transport materials
across the plasma membrane (i.e. passive transport diffusion, osmosis, facilitated diffusion; and active
transport - pumps, endocytosis, exocytosis)
Homeostasis
Describe the role of ATP in biochemical reactions
Explain how organisms maintain homeostasis (e.g.
thermoregulation, water regulation, oxygen regulation)
Chapter 8
8.2
Photosynthesis
Describe the fundamental roles of plastids (e.g.
chloroplasts) and mitochondria in energy transformation
2.0 cycles
Compare the basic transformation of energy during
photosynthesis and cellular respiration
Explain how factors such as pH, temperature, and
concentration levels can affect enzyme function
Describe the role of ATP in biochemical reactions
8.3
Chapter 9
9.1
Factors Affecting Photosynthesis
Overview of Cellular Respiration
Compare the basic transformation of energy during
photosynthesis and cellular respiration
Describe the role of ATP in biochemical reactions
Chapter 12
12.1
The Role of DNA
1.0 cycle
Describe how the process of DNA replication results in
the transmission and/or conservation of genetic
information
12.2
Structure of DNA
Mid-term
12.3
DNA Replication
Describe how the process of DNA replication results in
the transmission and/or conservation of genetic
information
Chapter 13
13.1
13.2
RNA
Protein Synthesis
Last week
of Jan.
2.0 cycles
Describe how membrane-bound cellular organelles (e.g.
endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi apparatus) facilitate the
transport of materials within a cell
Describe how the processes of transcription and
translation are similar in all organisms
Describe the role of ribosomes, endoplasmic reticulum,
Golgi apparatus, and the nucleus in the production of
specific types of proteins
13.3
Chapter 10
10.1
Mutations
Describe processes that can alter composition or
number of chromosomes (i.e. crossing-over,
nondisjunction, duplication, translocation, deletion,
insertion, and inversion)
Cell Growth, Division, Reproduction
Describe the events that occur during the cell cycle:
interphase, nuclear division (i.e. mitosis or meiosis),
cytokinesis
10.2
10.3
Chapter 11
11.4
2.0 cycles
Process of Cell Division
Regulating the Cell Cycle
Meiosis
Describe the events that occur during the cell cycle:
interphase, nuclear division (i.e. mitosis or meiosis),
cytokinesis
Describe processes that can alter composition or
number of chromosomes (i.e. crossing-over,
nondisjunction, duplication, translocation, deletion,
insertion, and inversion)
Compare the processes and outcomes of mitotic and
meiotic nuclear divisions
Chapter 11
11.1
Work of Mendel
Explain the functional, relationships between DNA,
genes, alleles, and chromosomes and their roles in
inheritance
11.2
Probabilities and Punnett Squares
Describe and/or predict observed patterns of inheritance
(i.e. dominant, recessive, co-dominance, incomplete
dominance, sex-linked, polygenic, and multiple alleles)
4.0 cycles
Other Inheritance Patterns
Chapter 14
11.3
Describe and/or predict observed patterns of inheritance
(i.e. dominant, recessive, co-dominance, incomplete
dominance, sex-linked, polygenic, and multiple alleles)
14.1
14.2
Human Chromosomes/Karyotypes
Human Genetic Disorders
Describe how genetic mutations alter the DNA sequence
and may or may not affect phenotype (e.g.silent,
nonsense, frame-shift)
14.3
Chapter 15
15.1
15.2
15.3
Human Genome
Selective Breeding
Recombinant DNA
Applications of Genetic Engineering
.5 cycles
Explain how genetic engineering has impacted the field
of medicine, forensics, and agriculture (e.g. selective
breeding, gene splicing, cloning, genetically modified
organisms, gene therapy)
Chapter 16
16.3
16.4
Natural Selection
Evidence of Evolution
2.0 cycles
Interpret evidence supporting the theory of evolution
(i.e. fossil, anatomical, physiological, embryological,
biochemical, and universal genetic code)
Chapter 17
17.1
17.2
Genes and Variations
Population Genetics
Explain how natural selection can impact allele
frequency of a population
Explain how genetic mutations may result in genotypic
and phenotypic variations within a population
17.3
Chapters 3-6
3.1-3.3
Speciation
Describe the factors that can contribute to the
development of new species (e.g. isolating mechanisms
genetic drift, founder effect, migration)
What is Ecology – Energy Flow in
Terrestrial and Aquatic Ecosystems
Describe the levels of ecological organization (i.e.
organisms, population, community, ecosystem, biome,
and biosphere)
Describe characteristic biotic and abiotic components of
aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems
Describe how energy flows through an ecosystem (e.g.
food chains, food webs, energy pyramids)
Describe biotic interactions in an ecosystem (e.g.
competition, predation, symbiosis)
3.0 cycles
Biogeochemical Cycles
3.4
4.2
4.3
5.1
5.2
Describe how matter recycles through an ecosystem (i.e.
water cycle, carbon cycle, oxygen cycle, and nitrogen
cycle)
Communities
Succession
Describe how ecosystems change in response to natural
and human disturbances (e.g. climate change,
introduction of nonnative species, pollution, fires)
Population Growth
Limits to Growth
Describe how ecosystems change in response to natural
and human disturbances (e.g. climate change,
introduction of nonnative species, pollution, fires)
Describe the effects of limiting factors on population
dynamics and potential species extinction
6.1-6.4
Human Effects on Biodiversity
Describe how ecosystems change in response to natural
and human disturbances (e.g. climate change,
introduction of nonnative species, pollution, fires)
*After each major cycle designation, there may be a common unit based assessment
provided for all biology courses