Honors Biology Midterm Exam

Student Learning Targets

Intro Unit

I can:

  • Identify what biologists study
  • Explain the 8 characteristics of living things
  • Distinguish between a hypothesis and a theory
  • Identify independent and dependent variables in a controlled experiment
  • Evaluate experimental design

Unit 1: Population & Community Ecology

I can:

  • Identify each macroscopic level of biological organization (organism  biosphere).
  • Distinguish between biotic and abiotic factors.
  • Analyze how a population changes over time.
  • Positive growth
  • Negative growth
  • Analyze how populations are distributed.
  • Clumped
  • Random
  • Uniform
  • Solve mathematical story problems based on data from ecological research.
  • Population size
  • Rate of change (+ or -)
  • Population density
  • Apply mathematical models to estimating the population size of a species.
  • Random sampling method
  • Capture-recapture
  • Quadrant
  • Analyze a graph to determine how a population changes over time.
  • Exponential growth
  • Logistic growth
  • Predator Prey Relationships
  • Carrying Capacity
  • Human demographics
  • Analyze a story problem and identify the species interactions in a community.
  • Symbiosis
  • Mutualism
  • Commensalism
  • Predation
  • Parasitism
  • Determine how a population will respond to specific community interactions.
  • Competition
  • Ecological niche
  • Analyze how a community will change over time.
  • Primary ecological succession
  • Secondary ecological succession

Unit 2: Ecosystems & the Biosphere

I can:

  • Analyze how abiotic factors impact biotic factors in ecosystems.
  • Explain how matter cycles through ecosystems.
  • Carbon cycle

Role of photosynthesis

Role of cellular respiration

Human impact on

  • Explain how energy flows through ecosystems.
  • Trophic levels

Producers, primary consumers, secondary consumers, tertiary consumers, decomposers

Autotroph, heterotroph

Herbivore, carnivore, omnivore

  • Food chains
  • Food webs
  • Solve mathematical story problems based on energy flow in ecosystems.
  • 10% rule
  • Evaluate the impacts of human activities on the environment and biodiversity
  • Deforestation
  • Pollution – air quality, acid rain
  • Introduction of invasive (non-native) species
  • Global climate change

Unit 3: Biochemistry & Cell Structure/Function

I can:

  • Explain the structure and biological function of the following:
  • Organic molecules:

Carbohydrates

  • Cellular organelles

Chloroplast

Mitochondria

  • Explain how energy flows into and out of an organism:
  • Illustrate light energy  chemical energy (glucose)
  • Illustrate chemical energy (glucose)  usable chemical energy (ATP)
  • Explain how matter cycles in the biosphere:
  • Illustrate photosynthesis within an organism:

Identify molecular inputs and outputs.

Apply the goals of this process to experimental results.

  • Illustrate aerobic cellular respiration within an organism:

Identify molecular inputs and outputs.

Apply the goals of this process to experimental results.

Unit 4: Homeostasis of Organisms

I can:

  • Explain how the structure and biological function of the cell membrane maintain homeostasis and/or enable cell to cell communication:
  • Phospholipid bilayer
  • Cholesterol
  • Receptor proteins
  • Channel proteins
  • Semi-permeability
  • Explain how feedback mechanisms maintain homeostasis.
  • Stomata
  • Body temperature
  • Blood glucose level
  • Breathing rate
  • Compare and contrast passive and active transport.
  • Explain the role of passive transport on homeostasis on plant and animal cells and apply it to story problems.
  • Diffusion
  • Osmosis

Hypotonic solutions

Hypertonic solutions

Isotonic solutions

  • Explain the role of active transport on homeostasis on animal cells.