First Semester Biology Exam Review
The information listed below will help you study for your semester exam for Biology. If you understand all of the
information listed below, you should do well on your exam.
 Draw a graph of and explain what happens in
Chapter 1: The Study of Life
an endothermic reaction.
 Terms to know: organism, abiotic, biotic,
 Draw a graph of and explain what happens in
extinct, species, biology, botany, zoology
an exothermic reaction.
 List the characteristics of all living things
 List and define the two components of a
solution.
 Know the levels of organization for living
things (see page 10)
 Chemistry of Water
o List the chemical formula for water
Chapter 2: Methods and Tools of Biology
o What type of bond exists between the
 Terms to know: hypothesis, variable, control,
oxygen and hydrogen in water?
prediction, quantitative data, qualitative data
o Why is water called a polar molecule?
o Why is water a good solvent?
 Identify and explain the steps of the scientific
o What types of things can easily
method
dissolve in water? Why?
o Be able to identify the steps of the
o Define cohesion and adhesion.
scientific method in a written scenario
o Describe the properties of water.
o Be able to define parts as they apply to
Provide an example of each
a situation
demonstrating how living things
o Be able to write a hypothesis for a
benefit from the properties.
sample lab
(high specific heat, high heat of
 Contrast the magnification levels and uses of a
vaporization, floats as a solid, surface
light microscope, a scanning electron
tension, transparent, cohesion and
microscope (SEM), and a transmission
adhesion)
electron microscope (TEM)
 Draw the pH scale. Indicate which numbers
 Know the parts and functions of the light
would indicate and acid and which numbers
microscope as identified in class
would indicate a base.
 Review safety rules and equipment worksheet
 Know what ions acids release and what ions
 Identify the metric units used to measure
bases release.
length, mass, and volume
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In a neutralization reaction, acids and bases
 Draw the metric conversion table (going
combine to produce ___________ and a
from milli to kilo); be able to make
____________.
conversions within metric units based on
this
Chapter 3: Introduction to Chemistry
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Terms to know: matter, volume, mass, density,
physical properties of matter, chemical
properties of matter, element, atom,
compound, atomic number, atomic mass,
isotopes, ion, ionic bond, covalent bond,
chemical reactions
Draw an atom of Oxygen. Label the correct
number of protons, neutrons, and electrons
(be sure to have the electrons in the correct
energy levels).
Define and give examples of ions. Tell their
importance to living things.
Describe how carbon-12, carbon-13, and
carbon-14 are isotopes (be sure to indicate
number of protons, electrons, and neutrons in
each of the atoms of carbon).
Contrast ionic bonds and covalent bonds.
Chapter 4: The Chemical Basis of Life
 Terms to know: organic, inorganic, monomer,
polymer, carbohydrate, lipid, protein, nucleic
acid, amino acid, nucleic acid
 The Chemistry of Carbon
o Carbon forms ___ covalent bonds
(which means that carbon has ___
electrons to share) with itself or other
elements.
o List the 3 types of bonds formed by
carbon.
 Write the formula for the following functional
groups: amine, phosphate, carboxylic acid,
and alcohol
 Carbohydrates:
o List the monomer and polymer
o List the elements that compose
carbohydrates (know the ratio of these
elements to one another).
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List examples of foods that are
carbohydrates.
Contrast monosaccharides,
disaccharides, and polysaccharides.
Contrast starch, glycogen, cellulose,
and chitin.
Which polysaccharides are for storage
and which are for structure?
Why is glucose the most important
carbohydrate?
Which carbohydrate is called “table
sugar?”
Lipids:
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List the monomer and polymer.
List the elements that compose lipids.
List examples of foods that are lipids.
Contrast saturated fats, unsaturated
fats, and polyunsaturated fats. Which
one is best for you?
o Contrast animal fats and plant oils
(include state of matter at room
temperature and type of fat: saturated
or unsaturated).
o Describe lipids as: insulators, waterproofers, important components of the
cell membrane
Proteins:
o List the monomer and polymer.
o List the elements that compose
proteins.
o List examples of foods that are
proteins.
o Name the special type of covalent
bond found only in proteins.
o List the 7 functions of proteins.
o What is an enzyme?
o Draw an example of how an enzyme
works in a chemical reaction.
o Discuss the importance of the active
site.
o Describe the “induced fit” hypothesis.
Nucleic Acids:
o List the monomer and polymer.
o List the elements that compose nucleic
acids.
o List 2 examples of nucleic acids.
o Contrast the types of sugars in DNA
and RNA.
o List the 4 nitrogen bases in DNA.
o List the 4 nitrogen bases in RNA.
o What is the name of the shape of DNA?
Chapter 5: The Structure and Function of Cells
 Terms to know: organelle, fluid mosaic model,
chromosomes, diffusion, osmosis, semipermeable membrane, concentration gradient
 Know the 3 parts to the cell theory.
 Know the contributions of the following
people: Galileo, Leeuwenhoek, Hooke,
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Brown, Schwann, Schleiden, Virchow, Pasteur,
Redi
Contrast prokaryote and eukaryote. What
type of organisms would be prokaryotic and
what type would be eukaryotic?
Draw an animal cell and a plant cell. In each
cell, identify the following organelles as
needed: cell membrane, cell wall, nucleus,
chromosomes, cytoplasm, ribosome, rough
endoplasmic reticulum, smooth endoplasmic
reticulum, golgi bodies, mitochondria,
lysosomes, vacuoles, and chloroplasts.
Draw a phospholipid bilayer (cell membrane).
Identify the hydrophobic tails, hydrophilic
heads, and proteins. What is the name given
to this model of the cell membrane?
Draw a cell containing 70% water in each of
the following types of solutions: hypertonic,
hypotonic, and isotonic. Tell what would
happen to the cell in each type of solution.
Describe facilitated diffusion.
How is active different from passive transport?
Contrast endocytosis and exocytosis.
Contrast pinocytosis and phagocytosis.
Chapter 7: Cellular Reproduction
 Terms to know: interphase, mitosis,
replication, sister chromatids, cytokinesis,
cleavage furrow, cell plate formation, meiosis,
gametes, diploid, haploid, fertilization, zygote,
homologous pairs, crossing over
 Make a table describing each stage of mitosis
and include a drawing of each stage in your
table.
 Make a table describing each stage of meiosis
and include a drawing of each stage in your
table.
 Draw the cell cycle and describe the
processes occurring in each.
 Where in an onion root tip does mitosis occur?
 Draw an onion root tip and label its regions.
 Tell how mitosis and meiosis differ.
 What cells undergo mitosis?
 What cells undergo meiosis?
 Draw the stages of mitosis and tell what occurs
during each stage.
 Draw the stages of meiosis (I and II) and tell
what occurs in each stage.
 When does crossing over occur? Why is it
important?
 Define gametogenesis. How do
spermatogenesis and oogenesis differ?
Where do each occur? What do each produce?
 Define haploid and diploid. Give an example
of cells for each.
 Define homologous chromosomes.
 What is the end result of meiosis?
 Describe fertilization of an egg cell by a sperm
cell.
Photosynthesis and Respiration
 Write the equation for both of these
processes.
 How do the two processes relate to
each other?
 Where do both take place?
 Tell the importance of chlorophyll in
photosynthesis.
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How do breathing and cellular
respiration differ?
List the steps involved in the
production of ATP from a molecule of
glucose.