Name: ______

Date: ______Period ____

Characteristics of Life

And

Scientific Methodology

Objectives for Unit 1A Assessment:

Organisms share common characteristics of life. / How do we know if something is alive? / Nature of Science / Describe the characteristics of life shared by all prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms
Distinguish between the scientific terms: hypothesis, inference, law, theory, principle, fact, observation
Life emerges due to the chemical organization of matter into cells. / How does life result from chemical structure and function? / Inorganic Chemistry / Describe the unique properties of water and how these properties support life on Earth (e.g. freezing point, high specific heat, cohesion)
Organic Chemistry / Describe how biological macromolecules form from monomers
Describe the role of an enzyme as a catalyst in regulating a specific biochemical reaction
Compare the structure and function of carbohydrates, lipids, proteins and nucleic acids in organisms
Explain how carbon is uniquely suited to form biological macromolecules
Explain how factors such as pH, temperature, and concentration levels can affect enzyme function

Name: ______

Date: ______Period ___

Pre-Unit Assessment: Scientific Methodology and Characteristics of Life

Directions: Circle the letter of the answer that best answers the question or completes the statement.

  1. An example of a theory would be the gene-chromosome theory. Which statement BEST describes a theory?
  2. A theory is never revised as new scientific evidence is presented.
  3. A theory is an assumption made by scientists and implies a lack of certainty.
  4. A theory refers to a scientific explanation that is strongly supported by a variety of experimental data.
  5. A theory is a hypothesis that has been supported by one experiment performed by two or more scientists.
  1. Contractile vacuoles pump water out of a paramecium living in a freshwater pond. This is an example of
  2. growth and development
  3. homeostasis
  4. reproduction
  5. metabolism
  1. When you sweat and it evaporates from your skin, it takes heat away from your body. This is an example of an organism
  2. growing and developing
  3. responding to its environment
  4. maintaining a stable environment
  5. both B and C
  1. What is true of all organisms?
  2. Organisms grow and develop.
  3. Organisms always remain the same size.
  4. Organisms grow but never develop.
  5. Organisms always shrink and divide.
  1. Which of the following is NOT a characteristic shared by all prokaryotes and eukaryotes?
  2. They contain DNA in the nucleus of the cell.
  3. They have ribosomes that synthesize proteins.
  4. They have enzymes that catalyze metabolic processes.
  5. They respond to stimuli.

Directions: Read the passage, study the graphic and answer the questions below.

Parts of an Experiment

The following describes an experiment to determine the effect of additional nitrogen on plant growth. Read the paragraph carefully, and then answer the questions.

Dr. Anderson set up an experiment in which she planted bean seeds into two groups, A and B. After the seeds germinated, Group A was fed a balanced application of fertilizer with additional nitrogen as recommended by most plant growers. Group B was grown under identical conditions, except the fertilizer they received contained no additional nitrogen. Dr. Anderson observed the plants for one month. You can see the results above.

  1. In the figure above, which group of plants is the control?
  1. In the figure above, what is the independent variable in this experiment?
  1. Before completing this experiment, the scientist made a hypothesis. What is the hypothesis she is testing?
  1. Why is Group B essential to this experiment?
  1. Based on your observations, conclude what effect nitrogen has on the growth of plants.

Characteristics of Living Things

How do you determine what is living and what is non-living?

Directions: Make a list of the characteristics of living things after reading pages 17-19.

Common Characteristics of Living Things

1. They are ______

2. They are ______

3. They ______

4. They ______

5. They ______

6. They ______

7. They ______

8. They ______

Directions: You will be randomly placed in a group and you must describe and demonstrate a test that shows one of the following: 1) living things have cells, 2) living things have DNA, 3) living things obtain and use energy, 4) living things grow and develop, 5) living things reproduce, 6) living things respond to stimuli, 7) living things maintain homeostasis

Describe your test below, and then show your teacher. Once you are approved and your supplies are purchased or provided by the teacher, then you may demonstrate/perform your test.

______

Directions: Everyone except one person from your group will visit the other groups and have that one person describe the test that their group performed for the characteristic they were assigned. Write down your observations below.

  1. ______
  2. ______
  3. ______
  4. ______
  5. ______
  6. ______

Directions: You will be shown several pictures of items. Place them in the column for which they belong.

Living / Non-living
1.
2.
3.
4.
5. / 1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

1. How did you determine the category in which the items belonged? ______