Keystone Biology Review

Basic Biological Principles

Explain the characteristics common to all organisms

o What do prokaryotes & eukaryotes have in common?
Describe relationships between structure & function at biological levels of
organization
o Put the following in order from smallest to largest:
Tissue, organ, cell, organelle, organ system, multicellular
organism

Chemical Basis of Life

Describe how the unique properties of water support life on Earth

o List the properties of water
Describe & interpret relationships between structure and function at various
levels of biochemical organization
o How is carbon uniquely suited to form biological molecules?
o Describe how biological macromolecules form from monomers?
o Compare the structure & function of carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, &
nucleic acids
Explain how enzymes regulate biochemical reactions within a cell
o What is the role of enzymes as biological catalysts?
o Explain how factors such as pH, temp., & concentration effect enzyme
function

Bioenergetics

Identify & describe the cell structures involved in processing energy

o What is the role of mitochondria & chloroplasts in energy
transformations?
Identify & describe how organisms obtain and transform energy for their life
processes
o Compare energy transformations in photosynthesis & cellular
respiration
o Describe the role of ATP in biochemical reactions

Homeostasis & Transport

Identify & describe the cell structures involved in transport of molecules into,
and out of, a cell
o How does the plasma membrane work to regulate cell transport? Why
is it good at what it does?
o Compare the different types of passive & active transport
o Describe how other organelles are involved in the transport of
materials from a cell
Explain mechanisms that permit organisms to maintain homeostasis
o Describe thermoregulation, water regulation, & oxygen regulation

Cell Growth & Reproduction

Describe the 3 stages of the cell cycle: Interphase, nuclear division, &
cytokinesis

o Describe mitosis & meiosis

o Compare/contrast mitosis & meiosis
Explain how genetic information is inherited
o Describe how the process of DNA replication results in the transmission
and/or conservation of genetic information
o Explain the functional relationships between DNA, genes, alleles, &
chromosomes and their role in inheritance.

Genetics

Compare Mendelian & non-Mendelian patterns of inheritance

o Describe and/or predict observed patterns of inheritance (i.e.
dominant, recessive, co-dominant, incomplete dominance, sex-linked,
polygenic, and multiple alleles)
o Describe processes that can alter composition or number of
chromosomes (i.e. crossing-over, nondisjunction, duplication,
translocation, deletion, insertion, and inversion)
Explain the process of protein synthesis (DRCAP)
o Describe the processes of transcription & translation
o Describe the role of ribosomes, ER, golgi, & the nucleus in the
production of proteins
Explain how genetic information is expressed
o Describe how genetic mutations alter the DNA sequence and may or
may not affect phenotype (i.e. silent, nonsense, & frame-shift
mutations)

Evolution

Explain the mechanisms of evolution

o Explain how natural selection can impact allele frequencies of a
population
o Describe the factors that can contribute to the development of a new
species (i.e. isolating mechanisms, genetic drift, founder effect,
migration)
o Explain how genetic mutations may result in genotypic and phenotypic
variations within a population
Analyze the sources of evidence for biological evolution
o Interpret evidence supporting the theory of evolution (i.e. fossil,
anatomical, physiological, embryological, biochemical, & universal
genetic code)

Ecology

Describe ecological levels of organization in the biosphere

o Describe the levels of biological organization (organism, population,
community, ecosystem, biome, biosphere)
o Describe biotic & abiotic components to aquatic & terrestrial
ecosystems
Describe interactions and relationships in an ecosystem
o Explain how energy flows through an ecosystem (food chain, food web,
energy pyramid)
o Describe biotic interactions in an ecosystem (competition, predation,
mutualism, commensalism, parasitism)

o
o

Describe how matter cycles through an ecosystem (water,

carbon/oxygen, phosphorus, nitrogen)
Describe how ecosystems change in response to natural and human
disturbances (climate changes, succession, introduction of new
species, pollution, fires)
Describe the effects of limiting factors on population dynamics and
potential species extinction (also be able to explain the characteristics
of populations)