General Biology Learning Objectives- Unit 1 PDF

General Biology Unit 1 Learning Objectives By the end of the unit, students should be able to: Unit 1.1 (Chap 1) 1. Describe the properties of life common to all living things. 2. Differentiate between the hierarchical levels of biological organization studied by biologists. 3. Describe the pro...

General Biology Unit 1 Learning Objectives By the end of the unit, students should be able to: Unit 1.1 (Chap 1) 1. Describe the properties of life common to all living things. 2. Differentiate between the hierarchical levels of biological organization studied by biologists. 3. Describe the process of science from initial observations to publishable results. 4. Distinguish a good hypothesis from a poor hypothesis, and distinguish between a Theory and a hypothesis. 5. List the key components of a controlled experiment (dependent variables, independent variables, control, etc.) and identify them in a reported study. 6. Describe how scientists design controlled experiments to generate data, and how they visualize data to reach reliable conclusions. 7. Distinguish between reliable and unreliable sources of information. Unit 1.2 (Chap 2) 8. Describe the basic structure of atoms and how they participate in reactions essential to life. 9. Distinguish between different types of chemical bonds that can form between atoms: covalent, ionic, hydrogen, polar, and nonpolar bonds. 10. Explain the unique chemical properties of water molecules, how these properties make water essential to life, and the role that hydrogen bonds play in providing these unique properties of water. 11. Define pH and describe how pH is determined. 12. Describe the significance of carbon in forming the basis of the four classes of biological macromolecules. 13. Differentiate between hydrolysis and dehydration synthesis reactions as processes of metabolism (see Fig 3.4) 14. Compare and differentiate between the four classes of organic molecules, the subunits that compose them, and some of their major functions in living things on Earth. 15. Explain the relationships between enzymes, active sites, and inhibitors. 16. Identify the role of enzymes and explain how enzymes affect chemical reactions. Unit 1.3 (Chap 3) 17. Explain the similarities and differences between prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells. 18. Explain the similarities and differences between plant and animal cells. 19. Identify the general function of the organelles in a eukaryotic cell. 20. Describe cells and cell membranes and explain why the cell membrane is important. 21. Explain the source and significance of the hydrophobic and hydrophilic nature of the plasma membrane and how the plasma membrane regulates the passage of materials. 22. Distinguish between simple diffusion, facilitated diffusion, osmosis, and active transport. 23. Predict the net direction of water movement across the membrane of cells found in hypotonic, hypertonic, and isotonic environments. 24. Describe the structure and function of the cell nucleus and its contents. 25. Summarize the major steps involved in protein synthesis and explain the role of each component of the endomembrane system in protein synthesis and distribution. 26. List the components of a cell that provide energy, structural strength, mobility, and connectivity to other cells.