BIOLOGY I H: MIDTERM REVIEW QUESTIONS

Answer the following questions on a separate sheet of paper WITHOUT using notes or books.

Unit 1—Inquiry

  1. What are important safety rules to follow in lab?
  2. What is the difference between observation and inference?
  3. What is SI? Why is SI used?
  4. What are the basic units to measure mass, length, volume, time and temperature?
  5. What is the difference between quantitative and qualitative data?
  6. What are the steps in the scientific method?
  7. What is a variable? What is the difference between an independent and dependent variable?
  8. What does it mean to have a controlled experiment?
  9. What is a theory?
  10. Describe the seven characteristics of life?

Unit 2—Chemistry

  1. Why is it important to study chemistry in biology class?
  2. What are elements? What is the biological significance of elements?
  3. Describe the structure of an atom.
  4. Define the following: covalent bond, ionic bond, hydrogen bond, peptide bond.
  5. What is an ion? How are positive ions formed? How are negative ions formed?
  6. What does it mean for a molecule to be polar? Give an example.
  7. What is the most abundant compound in most living things?
  8. Describe the unique characteristics of water.
  9. Describe the pH scale and what it means to be acidic or basic.
  10. What is a functional group? Name them.
  11. What are the characteristics of the functional groups?
  12. All organic compounds must contain what element? How many electrons can this element share?
  13. How are hydrocarbons named (prefix, suffix)?
  14. What are the four groups of organic compounds? What are their monomers and polymers?
  15. Give examples of each of the four organic compounds.
  16. What are the functions of the four organic compounds?
  17. Compare and contrast dehydration synthesis and hydrolysis.
  18. Compare and contrast saturated and unsaturated, in reference to lipids.
  19. Explain, in detail, how an enzyme works.

Unit 3—Cells

  1. Who was the first scientist to describe living cells through a simple microscope?
  2. Who was the first scientist to describe cells using a compound microscope? Why is he so important?
  3. Who was the scientist to conclude all animals are made of cells? Who was the scientist to conclude all plants are made of cells?
  4. What are the parts of the cell theory?
  5. Compare and contrast prokaryotes and eukaryotes.
  6. List the organelles of a cell as well as their function.
  7. Compare and contrast active and passive transport processes. Give examples of each.
  8. Describe the different effects of osmosis on cells.
  9. What is cell specialization? What type of cell has cell specialization?
  10. List the levels of organization in a multicellular organism from the simplest level to the most complex level.
  11. How do cells communicate with one another?
  12. Why do cells communicate with one another?

Unit 4—Energy

  1. What is the only usable form of energy? How is energy released?
  2. Where does photosynthesis take place?
  3. What are the basic structures of leaves, and why are they important (stoma, chloroplast, thylakoid, grana, stroma)?
  4. What are the products of photosynthesis? What are the reactants?