Biology 101 Lab Study Guide
Exercise 1 - Introduction to the Laboratory & Scientific Method
After you complete this lab you should
1. know the steps in the scientific method
2. understand how the scientific method helps protect against experimenter bias and error
3. know what is meant by a controlled experiment
4. know the difference between hypothesis and theory
Exercise 2 - The Microscope and Measurement
After you complete this lab you should
1. know the parts of a compound light microscope and their functions
2. know the effect of increasing magnification on field diameter and depth of focus
3. know how to calculate the total magnification
4. know how to determine the size of an object under the microscope when given the field diameter.
5. know the names of the glassware and equipment listed in the lab manual.
Exercise 3 - The Chemical Aspects of Life
After you complete this lab you should
1. know the major classes of macromolecules (carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, nucleic acids) and any
subclasses (for example, mono-, di-, polysaccharides)
2. know the “monomers” which make up the macromolecules
3. know the typical uses of each class of macromolecule
4. know the chemical tests used in lab to detect each type of molecule
5. be able to predict the outcome of “experimental” situations involving these tests
6. know the chemical composition of the foods tested in lab
Exercise 4 - Cells, Tissues and Organs
After you complete this lab you should
1. know what the Cell Theory states
2. know the structures found in plant and animal cells
3. know the function of structures found in plant and animal cells
4. know how the structure of plant and animal cells differ
5. know the relationships between cells, tissues and organs
Exercise 5 - Diffusion and Osmosis
After you complete this lab you should
1. know the meaning of diffusion and osmosis and the conditions under which each occurs.
2. understand how the rate of diffusion is affected by molecular weight and molecular concentration
3. understand the experiments that you did relating to diffusion
4. know the meaning of plasmolysis , the conditions under which plasmolysis will occur, and the effect
of plasmolysis on the plant
Exercise 6 - Cell Respiration
After you complete this lab you should
1. know why a cell needs energy. What is ATP?
2. know the reactions that occur in both aerobic respiration and anaerobic respiration
3. know the various chemical products made during fermentation by each of the organisms discussed in
lab. What commercial uses are there for each of these products?
4. know the organelle that is required for aerobic respiration
5. understand the experiments that you performed on living tissues and be able to interpret similar
experiments
6. know the various forms of respiratory organs found in plants and animals
Exercise 7 - Photosynthesis
After you complete this lab you should
1. know the meaning of autotrophic and heterotrophic
2. know the equation for photosynthesis: the reactants, the products, and cell organelles
3. know the parts of the leaf (epidermis, mesophyll cells, stomata, guard cells, xylem and phloem) and
their general functions
4. understand the experiments that show the conditions under which photosynthesis occurs.
5. know what chromatography is and what it is used for
6. know how the processes of photosynthesis and glucose metabolism are “linked” together.
Exercise 9 – Mitosis and Asexual Reproduction
After you complete this lab you should
1. know the purpose of mitotic cell division
2. know what occurs during Interphase.
3. know the events in each stage of Mitosis: structures that are visible, chromosome movements,
number of chromosomes that are present
4. know the method of Cytokinesis used by plant cells and by animal cells.
5. know the preparations that we used in class to study mitosis: Onion (Alium) root tip and Whitefish
Blastula. Why were these good locations in which to find cells dividing?
6. be familiar with the methods of asexual (vegetative) reproduction used by plants.
Exercise 11 - Genetics
After completing this lab you should
1. know what meiosis is, organs where it occurs, and what it produces
2. know how to solve some simple genetics crosses.
3. know what monohybrid and dihybrid crosses produce in the F1 and F2 generations
4. know how gender is determined in humans and the meaning of sex linkage
Exercise 14 - Diversity in Archaea, Bacteria, and Eukarya
After completing this lab you should
1. understand the criteria used for the classification of organisms in each domain and kingdom (cell
type, number of cells, means of acquiring energy)
2. know the names of the taxonomic groups (domain, kingdom, phylum …..)
3. be able to recognize members of the domains and kingdoms based upon a brief written description
4. know the names of some of the common representative organisms in each of the kingdoms. For
example, Euglena is one genus of Protist
5. know something about the “lifestyles” of the organisms in each kingdom and some of their notable
physical features: Where do they live? (freshwater, marine, land) How do they obtain their
nutrients? (photosynthesis, or ingestion, or absorption) If they move, how do they do it? (Cilia, or
flagella, or pseudopodia)
Exercise 15 - Diversity in Animals
After completing this lab you should
1. understand the criteria used for the classification of the phyla in the Kingdom Animalia:
symmetry, body plan, digestive system, segmentation, skeleton
2. know the characteristics of each of the nine major phyla
3. know the names of representative organisms in each of the phyla. For example, leeches are Annelids
4. know something about the “lifestyles” of the organisms in each phylum
Where do they live? (freshwater, marine, land) Are they free-living or parasitic?
5. know the characteristics and representative examples of the major classes within the Phylum
Chordata and Phylum Arthropoda.
You do not need to learn the names of all the structures that are labeled in the drawings in the lab manual,
just those few structures that are relevant to classification.
Exercise 16 – Evolution & Paleontology
After you complete this lab you should
1. know the definition of evolution
2. know the major components to the Theory of Evolution by Natural Selection. Who proposed this
theory? When did he live?
3. know the meaning of Natural Selection.
4. know the evidence for evolution
5. explain the meaning of Adaptation and give examples
6. know the meaning of Fossil
Exercise 13 - Ecology
After you complete this lab you should
1. know what Ecology is
2. know what an ecosystem is
3. know the following terms: Community, Habitat, Niche
4. know the meaning of Producer, Consumer, Decomposer, Food Web
5. know the meaning of Ecological Succession. What are Pioneer and Climax Communities?
6. be able to describe the pond ecosystem using the terms above.