Biology Basics

Biology

• Cells: Basic units of life, consisting of cell membrane, cytoplasm, and genetic material (DNA or RNA)
  • Plant cells have cell walls, chloroplasts, and vacuoles; animal cells have lysosomes and centrioles
• Genetics: Study of heredity and variation
  • Mendel's laws: segregation, independent assortment, and dominance
  • DNA structure: double helix, nucleotides, and base pairing
• Ecosystems: Interactions between living organisms and their environment
  • Energy flow: producers, consumers, and decomposers
  • Trophic levels: food chains and food webs
• Evolution: Change in species over time
  • Mechanisms: mutation, gene flow, genetic drift, and natural selection
  • Evidence: fossil record, comparative anatomy, and molecular biology

Chemistry

• Atoms: Building blocks of matter, consisting of protons, neutrons, and electrons
  • Atomic number: number of protons in an atom's nucleus
  • Atomic mass: total number of protons and neutrons
• Chemical Bonding: Atoms sharing or transferring electrons to form bonds
  • Types: ionic, covalent, and metallic bonds
  • Bond polarity: electronegativity and partial charges
• Chemical Reactions: Processes involving the transformation of substances
  • Types: synthesis, decomposition, replacement, and combustion reactions
  • Reaction rates: factors affecting speed, such as concentration and temperature
• Acids and Bases: Substances that donate or accept protons
  • pH scale: measure of acidity or basicity
  • Strong and weak acids and bases

Physics

• Motion: Change in position of an object over time
  • Types: translational, rotational, and vibrational motion
  • Kinematics: description of motion using position, velocity, and acceleration
• Forces: Pushes or pulls that cause motion or change
  • Types: gravity, friction, normal, and tension forces
  • Newton's laws: inertia, force and acceleration, and action and reaction
• Energy: Ability to do work or cause change
  • Types: kinetic, potential, thermal, and electrical energy
  • Energy transformations: conservation and conversion
• Waves: Periodic disturbances that transfer energy
  • Types: mechanical, electromagnetic, and sound waves
  • Wave properties: frequency, wavelength, and speed

Biology

• Cells
  • Basic units of life, consisting of cell membrane, cytoplasm, and genetic material (DNA or RNA)
  • Plant cells have additional features: cell walls, chloroplasts, and vacuoles
  • Animal cells have additional features: lysosomes and centrioles
• Genetics
  • Study of heredity and variation
  • Mendel's laws govern inheritance: segregation, independent assortment, and dominance
  • DNA structure is a double helix, comprised of nucleotides and base pairing
• Ecosystems
  • Interactions between living organisms and their environment
  • Energy flow occurs through producers, consumers, and decomposers
  • Trophic levels form food chains and food webs
• Evolution
  • Change in species over time
  • Mechanisms of evolution: mutation, gene flow, genetic drift, and natural selection
  • Evidence for evolution: fossil record, comparative anatomy, and molecular biology

Chemistry

• Atoms
  • Building blocks of matter, consisting of protons, neutrons, and electrons
  • Atomic number is the number of protons in an atom's nucleus
  • Atomic mass is the total number of protons and neutrons
• Chemical Bonding
  • Atoms share or transfer electrons to form bonds
  • Types of bonds: ionic, covalent, and metallic
  • Bond polarity is influenced by electronegativity and partial charges
• Chemical Reactions
  • Processes involving the transformation of substances
  • Types of reactions: synthesis, decomposition, replacement, and combustion
  • Factors affecting reaction rates: concentration, temperature, and more
• Acids and Bases
  • Substances that donate or accept protons
  • pH scale measures acidity or basicity
  • Strong and weak acids and bases have distinct properties

Physics

• Motion
  • Change in position of an object over time
  • Types of motion: translational, rotational, and vibrational
  • Kinematics describes motion using position, velocity, and acceleration
• Forces
  • Pushes or pulls that cause motion or change
  • Types of forces: gravity, friction, normal, and tension forces
  • Newton's laws govern force and motion: inertia, force and acceleration, and action and reaction
• Energy
  • Ability to do work or cause change
  • Types of energy: kinetic, potential, thermal, and electrical
  • Energy is conserved and converted between forms
• Waves
  • Periodic disturbances that transfer energy
  • Types of waves: mechanical, electromagnetic, and sound waves
  • Wave properties: frequency, wavelength, and speed