NYS Living Environment Core Curriculum
Standard 4: Students will understand and apply scientific concepts, principles, and theories
pertaining to the physical setting and living environment and recognize the historical
development of ideas in science.
Performance Indicator 1.2 Describe and explain the structures and function of the human body at
different organizational levels (e.g. systems, tissues, cells, organelles)
 Important levels of organization for structure and function include organelles, cells,
tissues, organs, organ systems, and whole organisms.
 The components of the human body, from organ systems to cell organelles, interact to
maintain a balanced internal environment. To successfully accomplish this, organisms
possess a diversity of control mechanisms that detect deviations and make corrective
actions.
 If there is a disruption in any human system, there may be corresponding imbalance in
homeostasis.
 Cells have particular structures that perform specific jobs. These structures perform the
actual work of the cell. Just as systems are coordinated and work together, cell parts must
also be coordinated and work together.
 Each cell is covered by a membrane that performs a number of important functions for the
cell. These include: separation from its outside environment, controlling which molecules
enter and leave the cell, and recognition of chemical signals. The processes of diffusion
and active transport are important in the movement of materials in and out of cells.
 The structures present in some single-celled organisms act in a manner similar to the
tissues and systems found in multi-cellular organisms, thus enabling them to perform the
life processes needed to maintain homeostasis.
 Receptor molecules play an important role in the interactions between cells.
Performance Indicator 3.1
 Billions of years ago, life on Earth is thought by many scientists to have begun as
simple, single-celled organisms. About a billion years ago, increasingly complex multicellular organisms began to evolve.
Curriculum-Based Questions
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What is homeostasis? What do unicellular and
multi-cellular organisms do to maintain
homeostasis?
Contractile vacuole is an organelle found in
paramecium, a group of unicellular organisms.
Contractile vacuoles pump out fresh water that
accumulates in the organism by osmosis.
Explain how this is an example of the way
paramecium maintain homeostasis.
Explain what a receptor means in biology,
cellular communication and physiology.
How does a cell transport material across a
membrane?
What would happen to the cells of a salt water
plant if the plant was placed in fresh water?
Key Vocabulary: Diffusion, facilitated diffusion, osmosis, isotonic,
hypertonic, hypotonic, osmotic pressure, equilibrium, cell
membrane, concentration, solute, solvent, solution, soluble,
molecule, animal cell, plant cell, Active transport, Passive transport,
protein pump, endocytosis, exocytosis, homeostasis, tissue, organ,
organ system, receptor, unicellular, multicellular,
Some Past Part B-1, B-2, C Questions:
August 2012 Questions 46, 53, 54, 55
August 2011 Question 33, 38
June 2011 Questions 37, 38, 39, 46
Released Regents Tests:
http://www.nysedregents.org/livingenvironment/
Some Past Part A Questions
A. The movement of water molecules across a selectively
permeable membrane is known as
1. exocytosis
2. phagocytosis
3. endocytosis
4. osmosis
D. A tissue is composed of a group of
1. similar cells
2. related organelles
3. organ systems
4. related organs
B. A substance that moves by passive transport tends to move
1. away from the area of equilibrium
2. away from the area where it is less concentrated
3. away from the area where it is more concentrated
4. toward the area where it is more concentrated
C. Which of the following is true of ALL single- celled organisms?
1. They are all prokaryotes.
2. They are all bacteria.
3. They all reproduce.
4. They all have a nucleus
Readings
Prentice Hall Biology
p. 184-193
Holt Living Environment
p. 175-183
Holt Living Environment
Spanish
p. 175-183
Resources for Learning
Websites
http://www.brainpop.com/science/cellularlifeandgenetics/cells/
http://www.brainpop.com/science/diversityoflife/bacteria/
https://www.khanacademy.org/science/biology/celldivision/v/diffusion-and-osmosis
http://www.untamedscience.com/biology/cell-biology
http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/begin/cells/insideacell/
http://www.nysedregents.org/livingenvironment/
Videos
March of the Penguins
(Ecology)
In-Class Activities
Curriculum Tool Guide
Worksheet station
Disney’s Nature Earth
(Ecology)
Activity stations
Dr. Seuss’s The Lorax
(Human Impact)
Common Core Writing
Prompt
EXPERIMENT
http://www.brainpop.com
/science/diversityoflife/bac
teria/experiment/
Miller & Levine Biology
p. 208-213, 214217
THE FOLLOWING ARE REQUIRED INDEPENDENT WORK:
http://www.brainpop.com/science/cellularlifeandgenetics/cells/quiz/
http://www.brainpop.com/science/diversityoflife/bacteria/quiz/
Dr. Seuss’s Horton
Hears a Who! (cells)
Holt McDougal Biology
p. 77-87
EMAIL TO: christinehunkele@yahoo.com or mcneilnakita@yahoo.com
Osmosis Jones (cells)