BIOL 1406: Themes of Biology & Scientific Inquiry

• The following is a list of topics for BIOL 1406 lecture exams

Evolution, the Themes of Biology, and Scientific Inquiry

• Reductionism's concept, advantages, and disadvantages should be understood
• The concept of emergent properties should be understood
• The levels of the biological organization must be be understood
• The structural components of DNA should be identified
• Distinguish between autotrophs and heterotrophs
• Different types of feedback systems should be understood
• Examples of different types of higher organizational level interactions should be identified
• Correctly format binomial nomenclatures should be known
• The steps of the scientific method must be understood
• Formulate a hypothesis according to specified conditions

The Chemical Context of Life

• Elements and compounds distinguished
• The different components of an atom should be identified
• Understand how to interpret the periodic table and identify each element by its atomic number and mass number
• How isotopes affect an element's atomic mass should be understood
• Potential energy and how it applies to electrons should be understood
• Interpret the potential energy of each electron shell should be understood
• Understand what polar and nonpolar covalent bonds are, and identify examples

Water and Life

• The molecular structure of water molecules including types of charges and bonding should be understood
• The relationship between kinetic energy and motion has to be understood
• The difference between temperature and thermal energy should be understood
• What a solution is and how to identify the different components
• The difference between hydrophilic and hydrophobic substances should be understood
• The molecular mass of different molecules should be calculated
• How different ions affect the pH scale should be understood

Carbon and the Molecular Diversity of Life

• The general purpose of the Miller-Urey Experiment must be understood
• What valence electrons are and how to identify them should be understood
• How carbon chains can vary should be understood
• Hydrocarbons defined
• Isomers defined
• Constitutional (structural) isomers understood
• Cis-diastereomers (geometric isomers) understood
• Enantiomers (optical isomers) understood

The Structure and Function of Large Biological Molecules

• Classification of carbohydrates understood
• The form of carbohydrates the body can use understood
• The different types of fatty acids should be identified
• The organizational levels of protein structure should be understood
• The similarities and differences between DNA and RNA understood
• Predict the counter strand of a given DNA sequence can be done

Explore the core themes of biology, including reductionism, emergent properties, and biological organization levels. Understand DNA structure, autotrophs, heterotrophs, and feedback systems. Learn binomial nomenclature and apply the scientific method, including hypothesis formulation.