Biology Study Guide
Biology Midterm Outline
Topics:
* Topic One: Chemistry of Living Things (p2-4) * Topic Two: The Cell (p5-6) * Topic Seven: Evolution (p23-27) * Topic Ten: State Labs (37-40)
Topic One: Chemistry of Living Things
I. All living things must maintain homeostasis in order to stay alive.
A) Homeostasis: A balanced state in an organism’s body.
B) Failure to maintain homeostasis results in disease or death.
C) Homeostasis is often maintained using feedback mechanisms.
1. Feedback mechanisms are cycles in which the product of one reaction causes another to start or stop.
D) While organisms are balanced, they are not unchanging. The term used to describe the balanced state is dynamic equilibrium.
1. Dynamic Equilibrium: A balanced state created by many small, opposing changes.
II. Life Processes: All living things carry out the same basic chemical processes. Taken together, these processes make up an organism’s metabolism.
A) Metabolism: All the chemical processes that take place in an organism.
1. Nutrition: Using nutrients for growth, synthesis, repair and energy.
2. Respiration: Converts energy in food into a usable form (ATP).
3. Synthesis: Making complex chemicals from simple substances.
4. Transport: Absorbing and distributing materials throughout the body.
5. Regulation: The control and coordination of life processes.
6. Excretion: Removing of wastes produced by metabolic activities.
7. Reproduction: Passes on genes to offspring.
III. Inorganic Chemicals: Simple compound
A) Acids and Bases:
Measured by the pH scale
Very high and very low pHs are usually lethal.
pH can affect rates of chemical reactions; for example, digestive enzymes work fastest in acidic environments, which is why we make stomach acid (hydrochloric acid, or HCl).4
IV. Organic Compounds: Larger, more complex chemicals. Always contain the elements carbon
(C)and hydrogen (H). Synthesized from simpler substances (building blocks).
A)
Topics:
* Topic One: Chemistry of Living Things (p2-4) * Topic Two: The Cell (p5-6) * Topic Seven: Evolution (p23-27) * Topic Ten: State Labs (37-40)
Topic One: Chemistry of Living Things
I. All living things must maintain homeostasis in order to stay alive.
A) Homeostasis: A balanced state in an organism’s body.
B) Failure to maintain homeostasis results in disease or death.
C) Homeostasis is often maintained using feedback mechanisms.
1. Feedback mechanisms are cycles in which the product of one reaction causes another to start or stop.
D) While organisms are balanced, they are not unchanging. The term used to describe the balanced state is dynamic equilibrium.
1. Dynamic Equilibrium: A balanced state created by many small, opposing changes.
II. Life Processes: All living things carry out the same basic chemical processes. Taken together, these processes make up an organism’s metabolism.
A) Metabolism: All the chemical processes that take place in an organism.
1. Nutrition: Using nutrients for growth, synthesis, repair and energy.
2. Respiration: Converts energy in food into a usable form (ATP).
3. Synthesis: Making complex chemicals from simple substances.
4. Transport: Absorbing and distributing materials throughout the body.
5. Regulation: The control and coordination of life processes.
6. Excretion: Removing of wastes produced by metabolic activities.
7. Reproduction: Passes on genes to offspring.
III. Inorganic Chemicals: Simple compound
A) Acids and Bases:
Measured by the pH scale
Very high and very low pHs are usually lethal.
pH can affect rates of chemical reactions; for example, digestive enzymes work fastest in acidic environments, which is why we make stomach acid (hydrochloric acid, or HCl).4
IV. Organic Compounds: Larger, more complex chemicals. Always contain the elements carbon
(C)and hydrogen (H). Synthesized from simpler substances (building blocks).
A)