I.
II.
Ecology
A.
Physical Environment
1.
Identify and define biotic and abiotic factors of an environment
2.
List the major biomes and describe the characteristics of each
3.
Describe world distribution of biomes due to climatic patterns, latitude, and altitude
4.
Compare and contrast metabolic styles of animals: endothermy/ectothermy, autotroph/heterotroph
5.
Explain three animal responses to the environment: behavioral, physiological, morphological
6.
Define population, community, ecosystem, biome, biosphere, and the relationship between them
B.
Populations
1.
Define population density and describe types of dispersion
2.
Provide examples of field methods used to estimate population size
3.
Describe differences between exponential and logistic growth models
4.
Calculate population changes using exponential and logistic growth models
5.
Construct and explain graphs representing exponential and logistic growth
6.
Compare and contrast r-selected and k-selected species in regards to their reproductive strategies, growth curves, and survivorship curves
C.
Communities
1.
Define ecological niche and relate to the competitive exclusion principle
2.
Distinguish between and give examples of the three forms of symbiosis
3.
Discuss the roles of competition and predation in the structuring of a community
4.
Name and describe types of animal adaptations such as mimicry, camoflage, coevolution
5.
Explain principles involved in ecological succession
6.
Identify stages in forest and lake succession
7.
Define terms used to characterize a community such as: species diversity, relative dominance, relative abundance, stability
D.
Ecosystems
1.
Draw and explain energy flow pyramids using proper terms to identify trophic levels
2.
Describe trends that occur as energy flows from one trophic level to another, such as changes in biomass, species diversity, population numbers, energy lost
3.
Draw and explain steps of biogeochemical cycles: water, carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus
4.
Discuss ecological problems such as: greenhouse effect, hole in ozone layer, acid rain, deforestation, biomagnification of toxins, eutrophication, soil erosion and soil salinization
The Cell – Structures and Functions
A.
Compare and contrast prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells
B.
Explain endosymbiotic theory of the evolution of eukaryotic cells from prokaryotes
C.
List structures and functions of plant and animal cells
D.
Cell Membranes
1.
Explain the Fluid Mosaic Model with emphasis on how the chemical makeup and arrangement of molecules affects functioning
2.
Compare and contrast different forms of transport across membranes
3.
Understand the workings of the sodium-potassium pump as an example of active transport
4.
Define electrochemical gradient across cell membranes and give examples of how this condition is used in the functioning of cells
5.
Use terms hypotonic, hypertonic, isotonic in discussion of how environment affects movement of materials across cell membranes

III.
IV.
Unique Properties of Water
A.
Define the following properties of water and give an example of how each contributes to the fitness of Earth for life: cohesion, adhesion, surface tension, high specific heat, high heat of vaporization, solvent ability, low density of ice
B.
Explain hydrogen bonding in water as the cause for all of these properties
Chemistry of the Cell
A.
Cell Energy and Enzymes
1.
List and define three kinds of cellular energy
2.
Understand the structure, role of ATP, and reasons for its high energy bond
3.
Understand the concept of energy coupling to explain how ATP drives cellular work, and how ATP is regenerated
4.
Understand enzymes are proteins, their three dimensional shape is important in creating an active site, and the concept of enzyme specificity
5.
Explain catalyst effect of enzymes in terms of lowered activation energy and the substrate-enzyme complex or induced fit
6.
Define competitive and noncompetitive inhibition
7.
Explain concept of enzyme chains and biofeedback inhibition
8.
Define allosteric regulation
9.
Discuss how temperature and pH affect enzyme function
B.
Organic Molecules
1.
Define monomer, polymer, dehydration, hydrolysis, functional group
2.
List the four major families of molecules in living cells: carbohydrates, fats, proteins, nucleic acids
3.
Describe and recognize the following characteristics for each of the previous molecule families: a.
monomers used to build them b.
functional groups found in monomers c.
name of bond between monomers d.
polymer form and where the bond between monomers is found e.
general characteristics and functions in the cell
4.
Explain primary, secondary, tertiary, and quatrenary protein structure and concept of denaturing
C.
Cellular Respiration
1.
Write overall balanced reaction
2.
List three major enzyme systems involved: Glycolysis, Kreb’s Cycle, Electron Transport Chain
3.
Describe for each of the above enzymatic processes: a.
what molecule goes in b.
what molecules come out c.
where in the cell each occurs d.
energy yield in form of ATP, NADH, FADH2
4.
Identify overall ATP yield of complete oxidation of glucose
5.
Explain anaerobic process of fermentation in various organisms
6.
Discuss metabolic styles of organisms such as aerobes, obligate aerobes, anaerobes, faculatative anaerobes
7.
Explain the chemiosmotic theory of ATP production and relate to anatomy of the mitochondrion
8.
Connect details with the big picture as to why animals need to eat food, breathe oxygen, exhale carbon dioxide

D.
Photosynthesis
1.
Write overall balanced equation and make connection that it is cellular respiration in reverse
2.
Distinguish similarities to cell respiration in respects of enzyme pathways and the anatomy of a chloroplast as compared to a mitochondrion
3.
Identify two major enzyme pathways as the light reaction and dark reaction
4.
Describe for both light and dark reaction a.
where in the chloroplast they occur b.
what molecules go in c.
what molecules come out d.
the middle chemical participants e.
the main purpose of each
5.
Explain the dependency of the dark reaction on the light reaction
6.
Define photosystems, cyclic and noncyclic photophosphorylation
7.
Discuss process of photorespiration
8.
Describe C4 and CAM plant adaptations
9.
Draw and label a cross section of a leaf
10.
Construct and interpret an absorption spectrum for chlorophyll
V.
Cell Reproduction
A.
Mitosis and Meiosis
1.
Describe events and differentiate between the stages of mitosis and meiosis
2.
Recognize cells in various stages
3.
Compare and contrast spermatogenesis and oogenesis