Biology Big Ideas
YOUR NAME: ____________________________________________
Use this checklist as a way to gauge your understanding and progress of the big concepts in Biology this year.
Main Topic
Cells
Important Concepts to Master
1. Cell Structure and function:
a. Structure, function, and
interrelatedness of cell
organelles
1. Cell structure and function:
b. Eukaryotic cells and
Prokaryotic cells
2. Cellular Processes:
a. Characteristics of life
regulated by cellular
processes
2. Cellular Processes:
b. Photosynthesis,
chemosynthesis, and
cellular respiration
2 . Cellular Processes:
c. Cell division and
differentiation
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About Learning this Topic:
Biology Big Ideas
Main Topic
Heredity
Important Concepts to Master
1. Cellular genetics: protein
synthesis, replication,
transcription, translation
2. Structure and function of DNA
in cells
3. Genetic mechanisms and
inheritance: incomplete
dominance, sex-linked traits,
pleiotropy, epistasis, dihybrid
crosses, polygenic
inheritance
4. Mutations: DNA alterations
5. Modern genetics: sorting of
genes, DNA applications, ChiSquare test, historical
understanding of DNA,
technologies used in genetics
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About Learning this Topic:
Biology Big Ideas
Main Topic
Evolution
Important Concepts to Master
1. Mechanisms:
a. Natural Selection
1. Mechanisms:
b. Mutation
1. Mechanisms:
c. Genetic drift: Hardy
Weinberg’s Law
1. Mechanisms:
d. Gene flow
(immigration,
emigration)
1. Mechanisms:
e. Sexual selection
1. Mechanisms:
f. Evolution is the
consequence of four
interaction types
1. Mechanisms:
g. History of life on Earth:
fossil record, common
ancestors, cladograms
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About Learning this Topic:
Biology Big Ideas
Main Topic
Evolution
Diversity and
Interdependence
of Life
Important Concepts to Master
2. Diversity of Life:
a. Speciation and biological
classification based on
molecular evidence:
Cladograms
2 . Diversity of Life:
b. Variation of organisms within
a species due to population
genetics and gene
frequency
2 . Diversity of Life:
c. Four ways that populations
evolve over time
1. Classification systems are
frameworks created by
scientists for describing the
vast diversity of organisms
indicating the degree of
relatedness between
organisms: Cladograms
2. Ecosystems:
a. Homeostasis:
Carrying capacity
2 . Ecosystems:
a. Homeostasis:
Equilibrium and
disequilibrium
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