Name: ____________________________________________
Period: ____
Date: ______________
All numbered items that are in squares must be answered on your own…
Basic Biological Principles--Lesson 1: Characteristics of Life…Read Lesson 1, pages 23-28 and explore all
embedded links.
Introduction
1. What is biology?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Characteristics of Life
2. What are the seven characteristics of life that a living thing must possess in order to be
considered living?
a. ____________________________________________________________________________
b. ____________________________________________________________________________
c. _____________________________________________________________________________
d. ____________________________________________________________________________
e. ____________________________________________________________________________
f. ____________________________________________________________________________
g. ____________________________________________________________________________
CHECKPOINT:
3. Does an organism have to exhibit all seven of the characteristics of life in order to be classified
as a living thing? ________________________________________________________________
-Cells and Organization
4. Explain the difference between a unicellular organism and a multicellular organism.
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
5. What is the highest level of organization? ___________________________________________
6. Define each of the levels of organization of multicellular organisms listed below:
a. Organism: ___________________________________________________________________
b. Organ system: _______________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
c. Organ: _____________________________________________________________________
d. Tissue: _____________________________________________________________________
e. Cell: _______________________________________________________________________
f. Organelle: ___________________________________________________________________
g. Molecule: ___________________________________________________________________
h. Atom: ______________________________________________________________________
7. Explain the difference between growth and development.
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
8. What is metamorphosis? _________________________________________________________
-Obtaining and Using Energy/ Metabolism
9. Name three life processes that require energy.
______________________________________________________________________________
10. Define metabolism (metabolic processes).
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
11. What are autotrophs? heterotrophs?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
CHECKPOINT:
12. What will happen to an organism if it loses its ability to acquire and use energy?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
-Reproduction
13. Define reproduction.
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
14. How many parent(s) are needed in sexual reproduction? ______________ Are the offspring
genetically different or genetically identical to the parent? ____________________________
15. How many parent(s) are needed in asexual reproduction? ______________ Are the offspring
genetically different or genetically identical to the parent? ____________________________
CHECKPOINT:
16. Why is reproduction an essential characteristic of life?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
-Universal Genetic Code (DNA)
17. What do organisms store in DNA?
______________________________________________________________________________
18. How many different nucleotides does DNA contain? ___________________________________
19. What does the order of the nucleotides determine?
______________________________________________________________________________
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20. How is the genetic code passed from generation to generation?
______________________________________________________________________________
-Ability to Change Over Time (Evolution)
21. What process allows evolution to occur? _____________________________________________
22. Define natural selection.
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
23. Define evolution.
______________________________________________________________________________
24. What do genetic mutations create within a population of living things as they evolve?
__________________________________________
25. Define adaptation.
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
CHECKPOINT:
26. Why is evolution referred to as “survival of the fittest”?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
-Maintaining Homeostasis
27. Define homeostasis.
______________________________________________________________________________
28. What are homeostatic mechanisms?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
29. Define thermoregulation.
______________________________________________________________________________
30. Define osmoregulation.
______________________________________________________________________________
31. What is a feedback loop?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
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32. Describe below what each of the listed components of a feedback loop do:
a. Receptor: _____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
b. Control center: ________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
c. Effector: ______________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
Lesson 2: Structural and Functional Relationships at Biological Levels of Organization…Read Lesson 2,
pages 29-49 and explore all embedded links.
Introduction
1. What basic life functions are carried out by cells?
______________________________________________________________________________
Diversity of Cells
2. Are all cells the same size and shape? ____________ Explain why or why not.
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
-Cell Size
3. What limits cell size?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
4. What is the relationship between surface area and volume and a cell’s ability to carry out basic
life processes?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
CHECKPOINT:
5. What is better a large surface area to volume ratio or a small surface area to volume ratio?
_________________________________________________________WHY?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
4
-Cell Shape
6. Why are cell shapes different?
______________________________________________________________________________
Parts of the Cell Common to All Organisms
1. What are the four structures/molecules that all living organisms have in common?
a. ___________________________
b. ___________________________
c. ___________________________
d. ___________________________
2. What is another name for the plasma membrane? ____________________________________
3. What is DNA and what does it contain?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
-The Plasma Membrane
4. What is the function of the plasma membrane?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
5. Define semi-permeability (selectively permeable).
______________________________________________________________________________
6. What is the plasma membrane composed of?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
-The Phospholipid Bilayer
7. What are phospholipids composed of? ______________________________________________
8. Look at the diagram below and briefly describe the structure of a phospholipid bilayer.
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
5
-Other Molecules in the Plasma Membrane
9. What two other types of molecules are found in the plasma membrane?
_________________________________________________
10. What function do cholesterol molecules perform in the plasma membrane?
_________________________________________________
11. What function do protein molecules perform in the plasma membrane?
__________________________________________________
12. What function do glycoprotein molecules and surface carbohydrates perform in the plasma
membrane?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
-Extensions of the Plasma Membrane
13. What are the two types of extensions that the plasma membrane has?
____________________________________________________
14. What is the function of these extensions in unicellular organisms? ________________________
15. Do these extensions perform the same function in multicellular organisms? ____________
-Cytoplasm
16. What is cytoplasm composed of?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
17. What is cytosol?
______________________________________________________________________________
-Functions of the Cytoplasm
18. What are the three main functions of the cytoplasm?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
-Cytoskeleton
19. What is the cytoskeleton composed of?
______________________________________________________________________________
20. Where is the cytoskeleton found? __________________________________________________
21. What is the function of the cytoskeleton?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
22. Do all unicellular have cytoskeletons? _________ do all multicellular organisms? ________
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-Ribosomes
23. What is made on the ribosomes? ________________________________
24. What are ribosomes composed of? _________________________________________________
25. Where are the two places that you can find ribosomes in a cell?
______________________________________________________________________________
Prokaryotic and Eukaryotic Cells
-Two Types of Cells
26. What do eukaryotic cells have that prokaryotic cells do not have? ________________________
27. Prokaryotic cells have DNA which is often concentrated in a part of the cell called the
_________________________.
-Prokaryotic Cells
28. What two groups make up the prokaryotic cells? ______________________________________
29. Besides lacking a nucleus what else do prokaryotes also lack?
_______________________________________
-Eukaryotic Cells
30. Eukaryotic cells can be ______________________ or multicellular.
31. Eukaryotic cells are usually ________________ than prokaryotic cells.
32. Do eukaryotes have membrane-bound organelles? _____________
-Compare and Contrast Prokaryotes versus Eukaryotes
33. Fill in the table below to indicate which characteristics apply to prokaryotes and/or eukaryotes:
Cells are enclosed by a plasma (cell)
membrane
Membrane-bound organelles
Cells contain DNA
Cells contain ribosomes
Have a cell wall
Plants, most fungi,
and some protists
Cells contain a nucleus
Includes unicellular organisms
Includes multicellular organisms
All cells are able to perform all
functions necessary for life
Cells reproduce by binary fission
Cells reproduce through the cell
cycle (mitosis) and meiosis
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-Viruses: Prokaryotes or Eukaryotes?
34. Explain why viruses are not cells.
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
35. What characteristics of life do viruses possess?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
36. Are viruses living things? ________________ Why or why not?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Structures Found Only in Eukaryotic Cells
-The Nucleus
37. What is the function of the nucleus?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
-Nuclear Envelope or Nuclear Membrane
38. Where do you find the nuclear membrane?
_______________________________________________________________
39. What is it composed of?
_______________________________________________________________
40. What is the function of nuclear pores?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
-Nucleolus
41. What is made in the nucleolus? ___________________________
-Mitochondria
42. What is made in the mitochondria? _____________________________________
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CHECKPOINT:
43. Mitochondria have an inner and outer phospholipid membrane as shown in Figure below. The
outer membrane separates the mitochondria from the cytosol. The inner membrane has lots of
folds called cristae, these folds contain proteins that carry out energy-harvesting chemical
reactions. What functionality purpose do these folds provide to the mitochondria? Think surface
area to volume ratio…
Outer membrane
Inner membrane
Cristae
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
-Mitochondrial DNA
44. What does the endosymbiotic theory explain?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
-Endoplasmic Reticulum (ER)
45. What is the function of the ER?
______________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
-Rough Endoplasmic Reticulum (RER)
46. Why is it called the rough endoplasmic reticulum?
______________________________________________________________________________
47. What does the RER produce? ___________________________________________
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-Smooth Endoplasmic Reticulum (SER)
48. What does the SER produce? ___________________________________________ What does it
produce in sex cells? ____________________________________What does it do in the liver
and kidneys? ___________________________________________________________________
-Golgi Apparatus
49. What does the Golgi process and for what purpose?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
-Vesicles
50. What are vesicles?
______________________________________________________________________________
51. What types of organisms have transport vesicles and what are their functions?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
-Lysosomes
52. What do these vesicles contain? _____________________________________
53. What do lysosomes do?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
-Peroxisomes
54. Where are peroxisomes found? _______________________________________________
55. What do they do?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
-Glyoxysomes, Endosomes, Food Vacuoles, and Contractile Vacuoles
56. Where are glyoxysomes found and what do they do?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
57. What do endosomes do?
______________________________________________________________________________
58. What are food vacuoles? __________________________________________________________
59. What are contractile vacuoles? _____________________________________________________
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-Centrioles
60. What do centrioles do and where are they found?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
61. What types of cells have centrioles? ________________________________________
-Further Information
CHECKPOINT:
62. Look at the diagram below that depicts the pathway of protein production; label by numbering
1-5 (in the appropriate blank circles; not all circles will be used) the pathway of protein
production in eukaryotic cells.
Summary of pathway:
1. Code for proteins transcribed to mRNA in nucleus
2. Proteins assembled by ribosomes on the RER.
3. Vesicles transport proteins to the Golgi apparatus.
4. Golgi modifies proteins and packages them in new vesicles.
5. The new vesicles release the proteins that have destinations outside the cell.
Vesicles containing enzymes remain inside the cell as lysosomes, peroxisomes, endosomes, and other
types of vesicles.
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Special Structures in Eukaryotic Plant Cells
63. Name the three structures that are found only in plant cells.
______________________________________________________________________________
-Cell Wall
64. Describe the function of the cell wall and indicate what it is made of.
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
-Central Vacuole
65. List the functions of the central vacuole below:
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
-Plastids
66. _________________________ are plastids that contain the green pigment chlorophyll. They
capture light energy from the sun and use it to make food.
67. _________________________ are plastids that make and store other pigments.
68. _________________________ are plastids that store substances such as starch or make small
molecules such as amino acids.
69. Like mitochondria, plastids contain their own ____________. Therefore, according to
endosymbiotic theory, plastids may also have evolved from ancient, free-living prokaryotes that
invaded larger prokaryotic cells.
Comparison Chart Summarizing the Differences between Prokaryotic and Eukaryotic Cells
Study this and know it…..
Membrane-bound organelles
Nucleus
Cytoskeleton
Endoplasmic reticulum
Ribosomes
Mitochondria
Golgi apparatus
Vesicles
Lysosomes and peroxisomes
Cell wall
Large Central Vacuoles
Plastids
Prokaryotic Cell
Absent
Absent
May be absent
Absent
Present- smaller
Absent
Absent
Present- but fewer types
Absent
Present- usually chemically complex
Absent- only small vacuoles
Absent, chlorophyll scattered in the
cytoplasm
Eukaryotic Cell
Present
Present
Present
Present
Present- larger
Present
Present
Present
Present
Only in plant cells and fungi
(chemically simpler)
Present- plants only
Present- in plants
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Cellular Organization
70. Fill in the blanks below showing the simplest level of cellular organization to the most complex
level using the following terminology: biofilms, unicellular organism, multicellular organism, and
colonies.
a. Simplest level: _______________________________
b. ___________________________________________
c. ___________________________________________
d. Most complex level: ____________________________________
Levels of Organization in Multicellular Organisms
These include cell-level, tissue-level, organ-level, organ system-level and whole organism level.
Relationship between Structure and Function in Biological Levels of Organization
-Organizational Level
71. What are the functions of organelles in unicellular organisms?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
-Cell Structure
CHECKPOINT:
72. How are cells like body systems?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
-Cell Organelles
CHECKPOINTs:
73. What are organelles formed from? _________________________________________________
74. Below is a table summarizing cell organelles and their functions, fill in the missing organelle
names.
Cell Organelle
nucleus
Function
control center of the cell; contains DNA which directs the synthesis of proteins by the
cell
carries on the process of cell respiration converting glucose to ATP energy the cell
can use
endoplasmic reticulum transport channels within the cell
found on the endoplasmic reticulum and free within the cell responsible for the
synthesis of proteins for the cell
cell membrane
selectively regulates the materials moving to and from the cell
food vacuole
stores and digests food
found in many single celled aquatic organisms; pumps out wastes and excess water
from the cell
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chloroplast
found in plant cells and algae; carries on the process of photosynthesis
surrounds and supports plant cells
-Life Functions of Organ Systems
CHECKPOINT:
75. Fill in the names of the missing human organ systems that work to maintain homeostasis using
the provided word bank.
Endocrine system
Muscular system
Urinary system
Reproductive system
Cardiovascular system
Nervous system
Digestive system
Respiratory system
a. The ______________________________coordinates the control mechanisms in an
organism which help it to maintain dynamic equilibrium or homeostasis through hormones
transported by the blood to various organ targets.
b. The _________________________________ aids in the movement of oxygen throughout an
organism’s blood, carries waste like carbon dioxide away from cells (again homeostatic gas
exchanges), regulates acidity, temperature, and water content of body fluids, and helps to
defend against disease.
c. The __________________________________ allows for the making of more organisms of
one’s kind, not needed by an individual living thing but is needed by its species. This system
also releases hormones that regulate reproduction and body processes associated with
reproduction, for example, mammary glands produce milk.
d. The __________________________________ breaks down food molecules so that can
enter the cells and aids in the elimination of solid wastes.
e. The ____________________________________ removes cellular waste products (wastes
may include water, salt, urea) during perspiration, and urine formation, regulates the
volume and chemical composition of blood, maintains an organism’s body mineral balance,
and helps to regulate red blood cell production, all mechanisms of homeostasis.
f. The ___________________________________ aids in movement and posture, and it
produces heat.
g. The _______________________________________ aids in the process which converts the
energy in food to ATP (the form of energy which can be used by cells for
homeostasis),transfers inhaled oxygen to the blood, exhales carbon dioxide (homeostatic
gas exchanges), regulates the acidity of body fluids (keeping them in dynamic homeostatic
equilibrium), and the air flowing out of the lungs through vocal cords produces sound.
h. The __________________________________ regulates body activities through nerve
impulses that help to maintain homeostasis, coordinates response to environmental
changes by muscular contractions and glandular secretions.
Which two of the above human organ systems are the main systems that work to maintain
homeostasis? _____________________________________________________________________
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Cellular Communication
76. What will happen if there is a disruption in communication between the cells nerves and
hormones?
______________________________________________________________________________
-Hormonal Regulation
77. What is a hormone?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
-Nervous Regulation
78. How to nerve cells or neurons aid in maintaining homeostasis?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
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