Unit 1: The Science of Life. -
Essential Questions for this unit:
* How can one understand different living organisms by unifying themes of Biology? * How can you use the same skills and strategies as a scientist to learn about your world? * What systematic procedure are necessary to investigate biological problems? * Why is the scientific method a logical process for observing the natural world? |
By the end of this unit students will understand:
* Biology is important to human society * Biology is an organized and scientific framework. * Complex biological relationships exist. * Science uses tools and standard measurements to maintain consistency. |
Unit 1 Vocabulary.pdf | |
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Unit 2: The Chemistry of Life -
Essential Questions for this Unit:
* How will a basic knowledge of chemistry help you understand and explain biological processes? * How do the properties of water support life on Earth? * What is the relationship between atoms, elements and molecules? * What is a chemical reaction and how does a catalyst affect it? |
By the end of this unit students will understand:
* Chemistry dictates biological processes. * The roles of reactants and products in chemical reactions and how enzymes affect the rate of reaction. * How the polarity of water affects its ability to dissolve and contributes to water's unique properties. |
Unit 3: Biochemistry -
Essential Questions for this Unit:
* How do organic molecules sustain living things? * What influences do water and macromolecules have on life processes? *What are the major groups of organic compounds and how do they function in living things? |
By the end of this unit students will understand:
* Life is sustained through organic molecules. * Water plays a role in the formation and breakdown of organic molecules. *The arrangement of the basic materials of life, CHNOPS, influences the function of organic molecules. |
Unit 4: Cell Structure and Function -
Essential Questions for this Unit:
* What are the activities cells carry out that are necessary to sustain life? *How do we differentiate living from non-living? |
By the end of this unit students will understand:
*The cell is the basic unit of life. *Some organisms are unicellular and others are multicellular. *The structures and functions of the cell organelles in an animal and plant cell. *The components of the cell theory. |
Unit 5: Homeostasis & Cell Transport -
Essential Questions For This Unit
*How do cell maintain homeostasis? *How does the cell membrane regulate the movement of materials into and out of the cell? *How do concentration gradients impact the movement of materials across the cell membrane? |
By the end of this unit students will understand:
*The structure and function of the cell membrane. *The role of the cell membrane during passive transport including diffusion, osmosis (including isotonic, hypertonic, and hypotonic solutions) and facilitated diffusion. *The role of the cell membrane during active transport including endocytosis (pinocytosis and phagocytosis) and exocytosis. |
Unit 6 & Unit 7: Photosynthesis and Cellular Respiration
Essential Questions For This Unit:
*Why do living this make or eat food? *How is the sun the ultimate source of energy for all living things? *What is the relationship between photosynthesis and Cellular respiration and their impact on the energy flow in an ecosystem? *How do cells use adenosine triphosphate (ATP) to provide energy for cellular functions? |
By the end of this unit students will understand:
*The sun's energy is converted to chemical energy by autotrophs. *Organic Compounds are broken down into simpler molecules, a process that releases energy to power cellular activities. *Plants use photosynthesis to produce sugar and both plants and animals use the sugar in cellular respiration to make ATP. * The hydrolysis of ATP releases energy for cellular functions. |
MidTerm Exam -
Unit 8: Cell Reproduction -
Essential Questions For This Unit:
*What are the essential components of the cell's life cycle, including both mitosis and meiosis and it's role in the formation of new cells and maintaining genetic material for reproduction? * How does the chromosome number in parent cell and daughter cells differ with regards to mitosis and meiosis? *What are the relationships between mutations, the cell cycle, and uncontrolled cell growth that potentially result into cancer? *How does crossing over act as a genetic mechanism for diversity? |
By the end of this unit students will understand:
* The different events that occur during each phase of the cell cycle and how they impact the function of the cell. *How mitosis can be used as a means of asexual reproduction in some unicellular organisms. *A mutation can impact the life of a cell, including the potential for cancer. *Means of genetic variation in meiosis and how it contributes to the production of unique individuals. |
Unit 9: Fundamentals of Genetics -
Essential Questions For This Unit:
*How do Mendel's laws influence diversity in living things? *What are the potential effects of genetic recombination and mutation on organisms? *How do parents influence their offsprings' characteristics? *Does the environment or heredity have the greatest impact on an individual's characteristics? |
By the end of this unit students will understand:
* The characteristics of a species are controlled by their inheritance. * An individuals characteristics rely on both their genetic makeup and the influences of the environment. *Use probability to make predictions of genotype and phenotype inheritance (monohybrid and dihybrid cross.) |
Unit 10: DNA, RNA and Protein Synthesis -
Essential Questions For This Unit:
* How does DNA function as the basic set of instructions for all living things? |
By the end of this unit students will understand:
* DNA and RNA are structurally different and have different functions/roles. *The flow of genetic information travels from DNA, RNA to proteins. |
Unit 11: Inheritance Patterns -
Essential Questions For This Unit:
*What is the relationship between gene expression and the inheritance of a trait? |
By the end of this unit students will understand:
*The patterns of inheritance are based on gene expression or phenotype. *The effect of mutation or disease on gene expression. |
Unit 12: Human Anatomy-
Essential Questions For This Unit:
*How do the body systems coordinate & interact to maintain homeostasis of the whole organism? |
By the end of this unit students will understand:
* The different organ systems in the human body and how these systems functions to maintain homeostasis. |