Name:
9th grade Biology Midterm STUDY GUIDE

What day is my biology midterm exam?

What time is my biology midterm exam?

What is going to be on the midterm exam?
The exam will ask questions about topics you have learned for the 1st and 2nd marking periods. Expect to
see questions about the following topics:
o Scientific Method
o The Cell & Microscope
o Cellular Energy (Photosynthesis & Cellular Respiration)
o Enzymes
o DNA
o Human Impacts on the Environment

How is the test organized? What type of questions should I expect?
The midterm exam will consist of two parts, and is worth a total of 125 points.
Part I (known as the “core””) will be worth 75 points and consist of 75 multiple choice questions. This
part of the test was created by all of the biology teachers of the science department.
Part II (known as the “addendum”) will be worth 50 points and contain short answer questions and
some multiple choice. This part of the exam is created by just your teacher.

How will this review packet help me study for the midterm exam?
You have learned many details of biology so far this school year, the midterm will not cover every little
detail. This packet will let know you what specific vocabulary words and biology topics will be asked on
the midterm exam.

How will the midterm exam be calculated into my grade?
Your midterm exam score will count towards 10% of your overall biology grade. Your overall grade will be
calculated at the end of the school year. Here is the breakdown:
1st MP = 20%
2nd MP = 20%
Midterm Exam = 10%
3rd MP = 20%
4th MP = 20%
Final Exam = 10%

How can I study smarter instead of longer?
o Cramming & all-nighters can negatively affect your memory. Study sessions are best as repeated
small chunks (20-30 minutes). Set a goal on what you want to study during each session, focus on
one topic.
o Study flash cards. Use Quizlet or make your own.
o Teach the topic you have just studied to someone else (friend, parent, sibling, etc). Your brain will
organize the information in a more logical and coherent manner. If you can’t find someone, you can
always talk out loud and teach to yourself.
o Have a designated place for studying. Somewhere with minimal distraction. Make sure it has
everything you will need to help you study. If your home or bedroom is distracting consider going to
the public library. They have quiet study rooms that you can request to use.
o Avoid listening to your favorite music, classical music is okay.
o Put away your phone!!!! Give it to someone so you are not tempted to check notifications and updates.
MIDTERM VOCABUALRY
Scientific Method
Problem Statement
Independent Variable
Dependent Variable
Hypothesis
Control Group
Experimental Group
Controls/Constants
Conclusion
Validity
Qualitative data
Quantitative data
Cell Energy Continued
Autotroph
Heterotroph
Reactants
Products
Enzymes
Enzyme
Substrate
Active Site
Denaturation
Acid
Base
pH
Microscope
Eye piece
Stage
Objective lenses
Coarse adjustment
Fine Adjustment
Base
Total magnification
DNA
Nucleotides
Gene
Chromosome
DNA Replication
Guanine
Cytosine
Thymine
Adenine
Uracil
DNA
RNA
Ribosome
Amino Acids
Codon
Protein
Cell Structure & Function
Nucleus
Ribosomes
Cell membrane
Cytoplasm
Mitochondria
Vacuole
Cell Wall
Prokaryote
Eukaryote
Diffusion
Osmosis
Active Transport
Passive Transport
Semi-permeable
Permeable
Impermeable
Human Impacts on the Environment
Renewable Energy
Fossil Fuels
Methane
CFC
Carbon Dioxide
Greenhouse Effect
Global Warming
Carbon Cycle
Brownfield Site
Remediation
Eutrophication
Bioaccumulation
Landfill
Incinerator
Cell Energy
Carbohydrates
Lipids
Protein
Nucleic Acids
Photosynthesis
Cellular Respiration
ATP
Glucose
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SCIENTIFIC METHOD:
Read the definition and identify the vocabulary word.
the investigation or question to be answered.
: A statement that accurately defines the goal(s) of
: An educated guess that addresses the problem
statement, is testable, and predicts the effect of the independent variable on the dependent variable.
: The variable in an experiment this is purposely
changed or manipulated, either in quality or quantity, by the researcher. “What I change at the
beginning of the experiment”.
: The variable in an experiment that changes in
response to the independent variable. “What I measure at the end of the experiment”.
: The group or trials in an experiment that receive all
the same conditions except varying amounts or qualities of the independent variable.
: The group in an experiment that receives the exact
treatment as the experimental groups except it does not receive any change of the independent
variable. It is the group to which the experimental groups are compared.
: Factors within an experiment that are kept the
same for all groups or trials to ensure that all trials of an investigation were equally impacted by the
controlled variables, therefore allowing one to see the impact of the independent variable.
: The replication of experimental and control groups;
used to decrease the influence of variations associated with the independent variable or researcher
measurement error.
: Data that describe characteristics of qualities, such
as color, odor, or texture, or data that describes category frequency or ratings (ex. flower stem
sturdiness is “sturdy” or “somewhat sturdy”).
(liters, grams, meters, Celsius, minutes etc.)
: Data that use numbers with a unit of measurement
Describe two ways a scientist can make sure their lab experiment is considered VALID:
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The Motts Apple Juice Company wanted to improve apple juice production. The company knows
that it can use an enzyme to help break down apple sauce into apple juice, but wants to figure out
which enzyme will work best. Motts designed and conducted experiments to determine which
enzyme, cellulase or pectinase, when added to apple sauce, would give the greatest amount of apple
juice. Below is the procedure and results of an experiment.
PROBLEM STATEMENT-
INDEPENDENT VARIABLE –
DEPENDENT VARIABLE –
Write a proper HYPOTHESIS –
CONTROL GROUP-
EXPERIMENTAL GROUP(S)-
CONTROLLED VARIABLES (CONSTANTS) –
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THE CELL and MICROSCOPE
1. Know the parts of the microscope.
Base
Coarse adjustment
Diaphragm
Eye piece
Fine Adjustment
Light source
Objective lenses
Stage
2. When you are using the microscope, what is the function of the coarse adjustment verses using
the fine adjustment?
3. Calculate total magnification.
4.A student looked at onion cells through a microscope. Underneath each picture write down if the
student used HIGH, MEDIUM or LOW power objectives to see the onion cells.
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5. We use microscopes to look at cells. What is a cell?
6. Describe a prokaryotic cell. Name one type of cell that is prokaryotic.
7. Describe a eukaryotic cell. Name two types of cells that are eukaryotic.
8.
Fill in the chart below
Organelle
Function
Cell
membrane
Cell wall
Mitochondria
Chloroplast
Nucleus
Ribosome
Vacuole
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Found in:
Plant cell?
Animal cell?
Bacteria cell?
9. Label the plant and animal cell images. DRAW IN THE RIBOSOMES (they are missing in the
picture). Cell Wall, Cell Membrane, Nucleus, Cytoplasm, Mitochondria, Chloroplast, Vacuoles
10. One of cell’s functions is to transport materials across the cell membrane. Write down the
definitions of each type of cellular transportation.
CELL TRANSPORTATION
PASSIVE TRANSPORT:
ACTIVE TRANSPORT:
What does it mean for a cell membrane to be…
DIFFUSION:
a. semi-permeable:
OSMOSIS:
b. permeable:
c. impermeable:
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11. Scientists model the process of diffusion and osmosis using specialized plastic bags. Consider
the following experiment: a bag containing starch and water is placed in a
beaker of water containing an iodine solution. When iodine and starch
come in contact, a bluish-black color is formed. At the beginning of the
experiment, the bag contained a solution of water + starch (which was clear
in color) and the beaker contained a solution of water + iodine (which was
brown in color). The end the bag swelled up and weighed heavier than
initially.
Was it permeable, impermeable or
semipermeable to the bag?
What is the evidence to support your
answer?
Iodine
Starch
Water
CELL ENERGY
12. Describe the function of the organic molecules listed in the chart below and provide
examples for each.
Carbohydrates
Lipids
Protein
Function
Examples
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TWO
Nucleic Acid
13. What are the names of each of the molecules shown below? Which one is the molecule your
cells need to perform cellular activities?
14. Photosynthesis and cellular respiration are important chemical reactions that provide energy
for cells. Complete the chart to help you compare the two.
Definition
Reactants
Products
Organisms
that perform
this process
Autotrophs or
Heterotrophs
or both
Organelle
Respiration
Cellular
Photosynthesis
Process
Photosynthesis and Cellular Respiration are interdependent, which means they rely on each other.
Explain why.
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15. Using the information you gathered previously, write the formula for photosynthesis. Use
words, you don’t have to memorize the chemical formula version.
16. Write the formula for cellular respiration. Use words, you don’t have to memorize the chemical
formula version.
ENZYMES
17. What is the role or function of enzymes?
18. Which type of organic molecule are enzymes made of?
19. Label the image below with the following vocabulary terms. ACTIVE SITE, ENZYME,
SUBSTRATE, & PRODUCT.
20. Specific enzymes react with specific substrates. Explain why.
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21. Enzymes reaction are sensitive to temperature
conditions. Describe the rate of enzyme activity and
why this is happening for the following temperature
conditions:
a) 0 oC – 39 oC
b) 40 oC
c) 41 oC – 65oC
22. Enzyme reactions are also sensitive to pH levels.
a) pH levels 1 – 6 are known as
b) pH level 7 is known as
c) pH levels 8 – 14 are known as
23. When an enzyme is exposed to temperatures of pH conditions beyond its optimal range the
process of denaturation occurs. Explain what it means for an enzyme to be denatured and why this
is a problem.
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DNA and PROTEIN SYNTHESIS
24. What are the building blocks of DNA called? Label the diagram.
25. What makes one person’s DNA different from another?
26. List and describe the 3 steps of DNA replication.
STEP 1:
STEP 2:
STEP 3:
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27. Compare DNA & RNA.
single-stranded
ribose sugar
guanine (G)
uracil (U)
double-stranded
deoxyribose sugar
made of nucleotides
adenine (A)
phosphate
DNA
Both
28. Label the diagram. Using the following
word bank:
Amino Acids
DNA
Nucleus
Protein
Ribosome
RNA
29. What is the purpose and function of
RNA?
30. What are the building blocks of
proteins?
31. What is a codon?
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thymine (T)
cytosine (C)
RNA
32. Protein Synthesis takes place through two steps. Fill in the chart below to explain the process.
Process
Location in the Cell
What is happening during this process?
Which molecules are involved?
TRANSCRIPTION
TRANSLATION
33. Transcribe the DNA and then translate the RNA strand to create an amino acid chain. You will
be provided a amino acid / codon chart to help you on the midterm exam.
WARNING: the start and stop codon was not included for this sequence.
DNA
A G T T A T C A C G A A C C A T G C C C C T T G
RNA
Amino Acid
Chain
(PROTEIN)
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HUMAN IMACTS ON THE
ENVIRONMENT
34. The following diagram describes
the process of the greenhouse effect.
How do greenhouse gases affect the
atmosphere?
35. Name three examples of greenhouse gases.
36. Global warming is the enhancement of the greenhouse effect. How are human contributing to
global warming?
37. What is a Brownfield Site?
38. What is the name of the process that cleans Brownfield sites? How does it work?
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Below are two examples of water pollution caused by humans. Answer the following questions:
EUTROPHICATION
39. What is Eutrophication? What initially
causes this to occur? Why is this a problem?
BIOACCUMULATION (MAGNIFICATION)
40. What is Bioaccumulation (also known as
biological magnification)? Why is this problem?
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Scientists study biogeochemical cycles. In class we studied one of them called Carbon Cycle.
Review the diagram below and answer the questions that follow.
41. What type of organisms release CO2 into the atmosphere?
42. What is the name of the process these organisms perform to release CO2 into the atmosphere?
43. What type of organisms take in CO2 from the atmosphere?
44. What is the name of the process these organisms perform to take in CO2 from the atmosphere?
45. What type of human activities causes extra carbon dioxide to accumulate into the atmosphere?
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46. List Pros/Cons on the following types of waste management. The reasons have to relate to the
ENVIRONMENT, ECONOMICS or HEALTH (nothing personal or subjective).
PROS
CONS
LANDFILL
INCINERATOR
RECYCLING
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