Unit 4: The Rock Cycle and Earth History
1.
What are the three types of rock? How are each formed? Sedimentary Rock forms when sediment becomes compacted and cemented. Igneous Rock forms when melted rock cools and hardens.
Metamorphic Rock forms when existing rock is exposed to high pressure, heat or both.
2.
What is the Law of Superposition? What is it used for? The Law of Superposition states that in undisturbed rock layers, the oldest layers are on the bottom and the youngest layers are on the top.
The Law of Superposition is used to determine the relative age of rocks and fossils.
3.
What is the definition of relative age? Relative age is the age of an object or event in comparison to another object or event.
4.
How can you determine the relative age of rocks and fossils? By studying rock layers, you can determine which layers and fossils are older than another.
5.
What is the definition of an index fossil? Index fossils are fossils of organisms that were very common, lived in many areas, only existed during specific spans of time, easy to identify and are well preserved.
6.
We can learn about _ the age of rocks and fossils by comparing them to index fossils.
7.
What is the definition of an ice core? An ice core is a cylinder of ice removed from an ice sheet that contains historical evidence of Earth’s climate.
8.
We can learn about __ the Earth’s past climate history_____ from ice cores.
9.
In what types of rock can fossils be found? Why? Fossils are found in Sedimentary Rock. Fossils are preserved when sediment is cemented and compacted. In other rock, they would be destroyed by heat or pressure.
10.
What is radioactive dating? How is this process useful in determining absolute age? Radioactive dating measures age by comparing the amount of radioactive material to how much is normally present in the material. This process gives us a measurement in years, so we can determine the absolute age of rocks or fossils.
11.
What is the estimated age of the Earth? What have scientists used to determine this age? It is estimated that Earth is 4.6 billion years old. Scientists have used radioactive dating, index fossils and relative dating to determine this age.
12.
__ A mass extinction _________ marks the end of an era? List two examples. The Paleozoic Era ended with a mass extinction of marine animals. The Mesozioc Era ended with the extinction of dinosaurs.
Unit 5: Evolution and Changes over Time
13.
What is the definition of adaptation? An adaptation is a trait that helps an organism survive in a particular environment.

14.
What are some examples of adaptations? Some examples of adaptations include the long neck of a giraffe, the turtle’s shell that allows it to hide from predators, the spines of a cactus provide protection, and a bear hibernates in winter when food is scarce.
15.
Why do adaptations depend on an organism’s environment? A trait that is an adaptation in one environment may not be an adaptation in another environment. The traits that keep a polar bear warm in the arctic would not be adaptations for a hot climate.
16.
Why is genetic variation important for the survival of a species? Species with more variation are more likely to have some members who can survive when conditions change.
17.
How are physical body structures used to support the theory of evolution? Scientists study physical structures to discover how organisms are related. This can show how an organisms has changed over time.
18.
How are the structure of fossils used to help scientists classify organisms? Scientists classify organisms to show how they are related. Fossils help scientists study how species have evolved over time.
19.
How do fossils support the theory of evolution? By studying fossils, scientists can determine similarities and differences. They can study how a species has evolved over time.
20.
What happened to populations of organisms because of continental drift? When separated, two organisms from the same species may evolve differently. They have a common ancestor, but may have different adaptations to their environments.
21.
What is the definition of homologous structure? What is one example? Homologous structures are body parts of different organisms that have a similar structure but not necessarily a similar function.
An example of a homologous structure is a bird wing and a whale flipper.
22.
What is the definition of natural selection? Natural selection is the process by which organisms that are best suited to a particular environment survive and reproduce.
Unit 6: Cells, Microbes and Disease
23. What is the difference between eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells? A eukaryotic cell has a nucleus and organelles. A prokaryotic cell does not.
24. What is the definition of antibiotics? What are they used to treat? Antibiotics are drugs that kill bacteria or slow their growth. They are used to treat bacterial infections.
25. HIV, Measles, the common cold and Influenza are caused by __ viruses _____.
26. Tuberculosis, Cholera, Salmonella food poisoning and Pneumonia are caused by _ Bacteria ___.
27. Ringworm and Athletes Foot are caused by ___ Fungi ________.
28. Malaria and African Sleeping Sickness are caused by ___ parasites ________.

29. What are the dangers of antibiotic overuse? Some bacteria have become resistant to the effects of antibiotics because of overuse. Antibacterial resistance has made it difficult to treat some bacterial infections.
30. Explain how a virus reproduces. To reproduce, a virus attaches itself to a healthy cell and injects its genetic material into the cell. The virus then uses the cell’s structures to make new viruses.
31. What are vaccines? What are they used to prevent? A vaccine is a weakened or dead form of a pathogen that causes an organism to develop immunity against that pathogen. The vaccine stimulates your immune system to make antibodies that destroy the pathogen.
32. What is the definition of an infectious disease? An infectious disease is a disease that can be passed from one organism to another.
33. What is the difference between an epidemic and a pandemic? An epidemic is an outbreak of a disease that affects many people in an area. A pandemic is when an epidemic spreads over a larger area, or throughout the world.
34. How can we prevent the spread of infectious diseases? Washing your hand frequently and bathing regularly is one way to avoid infectious diseases. Covering your mouth when you cough or sneeze will avoid spreading disease. Vaccines can also prevent some diseases.
Chemistry Review
35. What is the difference between an element and a compound? An element cannot be broken down into simpler substances by ordinary chemical means. A compound is made or two or more elements chemically joined together.
36. When atoms combine chemically to form a compound, they share __ electrons ____.
37. Every element has a unique number of __ protons ____ in the nucleus of one of its atoms.
38. How are elements arranged in the periodic table? The elements in today’s periodic table are arranged by atomic number.
39. Elements in the same group have similar __ properties ____.
40. A period is a _ horizontal row _ in the periodic table, while a group is a vertical column _ in the periodic table.
41. In a chemical reaction, what is a reactant? What is a product? A reactant is a substance that is present at the beginning of a chemical reaction. Reactants are always shown to the left of the arrow. A product is a substance that is produced during a chemical reaction. Products are always written to the right of the arrow.