Biology Chapters 1-4 Overview

Chapter 1

• Covers scientific thinking, biological literacy, and the characteristics of useful hypotheses.
• Includes experimental design, statistical analysis, and bias reduction in scientific studies.
• Discusses pseudoscience and anecdotal evidence.

Chapter 2

• Relates major chemical principles to biological study.
• Compares and contrasts major chemical bonds and important molecules/compounds.
• Explains the pH scale.

Chapter 3

• Identifies major macromolecules (building blocks of life).
• Explains the functions of the four major macromolecules.
• Describes carbohydrates, lipids, and proteins, emphasizing their categories and structures.
• Highlights the importance of protein shape.

Chapter 4

• Explains the two principles of cell theory.
• Discusses endosymbiosis and invagination for eukaryotic organelle presence.
• Describes passive transport mechanisms: diffusion, facilitated diffusion, and osmosis.
• Details the structure of eukaryotic cells.
• Compares and contrasts animal and plant cells.

Chapter 5

• Explains energy from the sun's role in life.
• Describes energy types and their storage.
• Identifies organisms performing photosynthesis and cellular respiration.
• Explains energy pathways under anaerobic conditions.
• Compares and contrasts the starting and ending materials in photosynthesis and cellular respiration.

Chapter 6

• Describes the structure and function of DNA.
• Explains the relationship between genes and proteins.
• Outlines the transcription and translation processes.
• Identifies the impact and causes of mutations.

Chapter 7

• Discusses biotechnology tools (e.g., CRISPR).
• Examines the potential benefits and risks of genetically modified foods and gene therapy.
• Explains DNA fingerprinting techniques.

Chapter 8

• Identifies different types of cell division, including prokaryotic division.
• Describes the process of mitosis and its purpose.
• Explains the link between the cell cycle and cancer.
• Defines cancer.
• Compares and contrasts mitosis and meiosis.
• Describes asexual and sexual reproduction.

Chapter 9

• Explains single-gene traits.
• Defines gene, allele, dominant, recessive, homozygous, and heterozygous.
• Explains the relationship between genotype and phenotype.
• Describes Punnett squares for predicting offspring genotypes.
• Explains pedigree analysis and sex-linked traits.

Chapter 10

• Explains how evolution is observable in populations.
• Describes the four ways evolutionary change can take place.
• Discusses the impact of Charles Darwin on the study of biology.
• Differentiates between evolution and natural selection.
• Defines natural selection and survival of the fittest.
• Explains the difference between individuals and populations in evolution.

Chapter 11

• Explains how natural selection shapes animal behavior.
• Compares and contrasts learned and innate behaviors.
• Discusses kin selection and reciprocal altruism.

Chapter 12

• Defines life.
• Explains reproductive isolation (allopatric and sympatric speciation).
• Describes the biological species concept.
• Explains the purpose of phylogenetic trees.
• Differentiates between mass and background extinctions.

Chapter 13

• Describes the three characteristics defining animals.
• Explains the criteria for classifying animals into phyla.
• Discusses the features of vertebrate and invertebrate animals.
• Describes the evolutionary success of various animal groups (e.g., arthropods).
• Highlights the adaptations of terrestrial vertebrates and chordates, including primates.

Chapter 14

• Describes the differences between plants and other eukaryotic organisms.
• Explains adaptations for plants to live on land.
• Compares seedless and seed plants.
• Discusses vascular systems in plants.
• Describes seed structure and distribution, flower structure and reproduction in angiosperms, and fruit roles.
• Explains plant defense mechanisms.
• Characterizes fungi structure and interactions with other species.

Chapter 16

• Describes the fundamentals of ecology.
• Details factors impacting population growth.
• Outlines types of population growth.
• Describes survivorship curves.
• Discusses ecological footprints.
• Describes current human population growth.

Chapter 17

• Defines ecosystems.
• Compares and contrasts terrestrial and aquatic biomes.
• Explains how Earth's features impact weather patterns.
• Describes energy flow in ecosystems.
• Defines and explains chemical cycles.
• Explaining species co-evolution
• Defines niche and its impact
• Explains predator-prey relationships and other interactions (parasitism, mutualism, commensalism).
• Identifies keystone species and community change.

Chapter 18

• Discusses the value of biodiversity to humans.
• Explains the global distribution of biodiversity.
• Distinguishes between different types of extinctions and their causes.
• Explains ecosystem disturbance.
• Outlines strategies for biodiversity preservation.