Biology: Chapters 1-4 Study Guide

• The study guide covers biology concepts from chapters 1-4, as well as material presented in labs.
• Exam format includes multiple choice, fill in the blank, short answer, and short essay questions.

Chapter 1: Biology

• Biology encompasses scale and themes.
• The scientific method involves specific steps.
• A treatment is a condition applied to experimental units.
• A control is a standard for comparison in an experiment.
• Replication is the process of repeating an experiment or observation.
• A response variable is the outcome being measured.
• Dependent variables are affected by independent variables.
• Hypotheses are testable explanations for observations.
• Characteristics of life include reproduction, being made of cells, and requiring energy.

Chapter 2: Chemistry

• Matter occupies space and has mass.
• An element is a pure substance that cannot be broken down.
• An atom is the smallest unit of matter that retains the chemical properties of an element.
• Subatomic particles are electrons, protons, and neutrons.
• The atomic number is the number of protons in an atom; atomic mass is the total mass of protons and neutrons.
• A compound contains two or more different elements in a fixed ratio.
• A molecule consists of two or more atoms held together by chemical bonds.
• The periodic table organizes elements by their atomic number and properties.
• Four most common elements in the human body by weight are oxygen, carbon, hydrogen, and nitrogen.
• Essential elements are required for an organism to survive.
• Trace elements are required in small amounts.
• Isotopes are variants of an element with different numbers of neutrons.
• Electron shells/valence shells determine the chemical behavior of an atom.
• Chemical reactivity is determined by electron configuration.
• Chemical bonds include covalent, ionic, hydrogen, and van der Waals.
• Polar molecules have uneven distribution of charge, while non-polar molecules do not.
• Electronegativity is the ability of an atom to attract electrons in a chemical bond.
• Salts are compounds formed by ionic bonds.

Chapter 3: Water

• Water has unique properties such as cohesion, adhesion, high specific heat, and being a versatile solvent.
• Acids increase hydrogen ion concentration, bases reduce it; pH scale measures acidity/alkalinity.
• Buffers resist changes in pH.
• Chemical equations represent chemical reactions.

Chapter 4: Carbon and Organic Molecules

• Carbon is important to life due to its ability to form diverse and complex molecules.
• The carbon cycle describes the movement of carbon through the environment.
• Carbon skeletons can form hydrocarbons.
• Diversity of organic molecules depends on the carbon skeleton and functional groups.
• Variation occurs in carbon skeleton structure and presence of isomers.
• Functional groups affect molecular function by participating in chemical reactions.
• Functional groups include:
• Hydroxyl (-OH)
• Carbonyl (C=O)
• Carboxyl (-COOH)
• Amino (-NH2)
• Sulfhydryl (-SH)
• Phosphate (-OPO3^2-)
• Methyl (-CH3)

Labs

• Safety and the scientific method.
• Metric system and properties of water.
• Tables, graphing, and introduction to statistics.
• Brine shrimp experiment.

Comprehensive study guide for Biology covering chapters 1-4, along with corresponding lab material. The guide prepares students for exams including multiple-choice, fill-in-the-blank, short answer, and essay questions. Major topics include the scientific method, characteristics of life and basic chemistry.