BackBIO 111 Final Exam Review – Step-by-Step Study Guidance
Study Guide - Smart Notes
Tailored notes based on your materials, expanded with key definitions, examples, and context.
Q1. What is biology the study of?
Background
Topic: Introduction to Biology
This question tests your understanding of the basic definition and scope of biology as a scientific discipline.
Key Terms:
Biology: The scientific study of life and living organisms.
Organism: Any living thing, such as plants, animals, fungi, or microorganisms.
Step-by-Step Guidance
Think about what all living things have in common and what scientists study when they investigate life.
Consider the different levels of organization in living systems, from molecules to ecosystems.
Recall the main focus of biology as a science and how it differs from other sciences like chemistry or physics.
Try solving on your own before revealing the answer!
Q2. What are the seven aspects of life? How many does an organism need to possess to be considered ‘alive’?
Background
Topic: Characteristics of Life
This question is about the defining properties that all living things share and what criteria are used to determine if something is alive.
Key Terms:
Aspects of Life: Also called characteristics or properties of life (e.g., order, reproduction, growth and development, energy processing, response to environment, regulation, evolutionary adaptation).
Step-by-Step Guidance
List the seven commonly accepted characteristics that define life.
Think about examples of each characteristic in living organisms.
Consider whether an organism must have all seven characteristics to be considered alive, or if some can be missing.
Try solving on your own before revealing the answer!
Q3. How does a theory differ from a hypothesis?
Background
Topic: Scientific Method
This question tests your understanding of the difference between a scientific theory and a hypothesis, which are both important in scientific investigations.
Key Terms:
Theory: A broad, well-supported explanation for a wide range of phenomena.
Hypothesis: A specific, testable prediction or explanation for a particular observation.
Step-by-Step Guidance
Define what a hypothesis is and what role it plays in scientific research.
Define what a theory is and how it is developed from multiple lines of evidence.
Compare the scope, evidence, and acceptance of theories versus hypotheses.
Try solving on your own before revealing the answer!
Q4. What is an atom? What are the components (protons, neutrons, etc.), their charges and locations?
Background
Topic: Basic Chemistry for Biology
This question is about the structure of atoms, which are the building blocks of matter, and the properties of their subatomic particles.
Key Terms:
Atom: The smallest unit of an element that retains its chemical properties.
Proton: Positively charged particle found in the nucleus.
Neutron: Neutral particle found in the nucleus.
Electron: Negatively charged particle found in orbitals around the nucleus.
Step-by-Step Guidance
Define what an atom is in the context of chemistry and biology.
List the three main subatomic particles and their charges.
Describe where each particle is located within the atom.
Try solving on your own before revealing the answer!
Q5. How do you determine the number of protons, electrons and neutrons an element has?
Background
Topic: Atomic Structure
This question tests your ability to use atomic number and mass number to find the number of subatomic particles in an atom.
Key Terms and Formulas:
Atomic Number (Z): Number of protons in the nucleus.
Mass Number (A): Total number of protons and neutrons.
Number of Neutrons:
Step-by-Step Guidance
Find the atomic number (Z) for the element; this gives the number of protons.
For a neutral atom, the number of electrons equals the number of protons.
Find the mass number (A), then subtract the atomic number to get the number of neutrons:
Try solving on your own before revealing the answer!
Q6. What is an isotope?
Background
Topic: Atomic Structure
This question is about the concept of isotopes and how atoms of the same element can differ in their number of neutrons.
Key Terms:
Isotope: Atoms of the same element with the same number of protons but different numbers of neutrons.
Step-by-Step Guidance
Recall that all atoms of an element have the same number of protons.
Think about how the mass number can vary due to different numbers of neutrons.
Consider examples of isotopes (e.g., carbon-12, carbon-14).
Try solving on your own before revealing the answer!
