BIO 121 Study Guide: Step-by-Step Guidance for Key Concepts

Q1. What are the properties attributed to living organisms?

Background

Topic: Characteristics of Life

This question tests your understanding of the fundamental properties that define living things in biology.

Key Terms:

• Order

• Regulation

• Growth and development

• Energy processing

• Response to the environment

• Reproduction

• Evolutionary adaptation

Step-by-Step Guidance

1. List the main properties that biologists use to distinguish living organisms from non-living things.

2. For each property, write a brief explanation or example (e.g., "Order" refers to the highly organized structure of living things).

3. Think about how these properties might be observed in a familiar organism, such as a plant or animal.

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Q2. Identify the hierarchy of organization, starting from the smallest to the most complex.

Background

Topic: Biological Organization

This question is about the levels of organization in biology, from molecules to the biosphere.

Key Terms:

• Atom

• Molecule

• Organelle

• Cell

• Tissue

• Organ

• Organ system

• Organism

• Population

• Community

• Ecosystem

• Biosphere

Step-by-Step Guidance

1. Start by identifying the smallest unit in biological organization.

2. List each subsequent level, making sure each is more complex than the previous.

3. Check your list to ensure you have included all major levels from atom to biosphere.

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Q3. What do you understand by the words population, community, and ecosystem?

Background

Topic: Ecology - Levels of Organization

This question tests your understanding of ecological terms and how they relate to each other.

Key Terms:

• Population: Group of individuals of the same species in a given area.

• Community: All populations of different species in a given area.

• Ecosystem: The community plus the non-living (abiotic) environment.

Step-by-Step Guidance

1. Define each term in your own words, focusing on what makes each level unique.

2. Think of an example for each (e.g., a population of deer, a forest community, a pond ecosystem).

3. Consider how these levels are nested within each other.

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Q4. What are negative and positive controls in an experiment?

Background

Topic: Experimental Design

This question is about understanding the role of controls in scientific experiments.

Key Terms:

• Negative control: A group where no response is expected.

• Positive control: A group where a known response is expected.

Step-by-Step Guidance

1. Explain why controls are important in experiments.

2. Describe the difference between a negative and a positive control, including what each demonstrates.

3. Give an example of each type of control in a simple experiment (e.g., testing a new drug).

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Q5. Define dependent and independent variables.

Background

Topic: Experimental Variables

This question tests your understanding of how variables are used in scientific experiments.

Key Terms:

• Independent variable: The variable that is changed or controlled by the experimenter.

• Dependent variable: The variable that is measured or observed.

Step-by-Step Guidance

1. Define each variable in your own words.

2. Think of an example experiment and identify the independent and dependent variables.

3. Explain why it is important to distinguish between these variables in experimental design.

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Q6. How does energy flow into an ecosystem and how does it flow out?

Background

Topic: Energy Flow in Ecosystems

This question is about the movement of energy through living systems.

Key Concepts:

• Producers (autotrophs)

• Consumers (heterotrophs)

• Decomposers

• Energy loss as heat

Step-by-Step Guidance

1. Describe how energy enters most ecosystems (e.g., sunlight captured by producers).

2. Explain how energy moves through the food chain (from producers to consumers to decomposers).

3. Discuss how energy is lost from the ecosystem (e.g., as heat during metabolic processes).

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Q7. Describe the 5 steps in a scientific study.

Background

Topic: Scientific Method

This question is about the process scientists use to investigate questions and test hypotheses.

Key Steps:

• Observation

• Question

• Hypothesis

• Experiment

• Conclusion

Step-by-Step Guidance

1. List each step in the scientific method in order.

2. Briefly describe what happens at each step.

3. Think of a simple example (e.g., testing plant growth with different fertilizers) and apply each step.

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Q8. What is a hypothesis?

Background

Topic: Scientific Method

This question is about understanding what a hypothesis is and its role in scientific studies.

Key Terms:

• Hypothesis: A testable statement or prediction based on observations.

Step-by-Step Guidance

1. Define what a hypothesis is in your own words.

2. Explain why a hypothesis must be testable and falsifiable.

3. Write an example of a hypothesis related to biology.

Try solving on your own before revealing the answer!