1. Ecology Topics to Know  Biotic vs. Abiotic Factors  Characteristics of Life  Energy Flow through Ecosystems – Food Chains, Food Webs, Energy Pyramids  Cycling of Matter – 4 Cycles – Carbon, Nitrogen, Water, & Phosphorus  Biomes – Relative Conditions of Each and Biodiversity  Habitat vs. Niche  Interactions: Competition, Predation, Symbiosis – Parasitism, Mutualism, Commensalism  Population Growth – Birth, Immigration, Death, & Emigration Exponential vs. Logistical – Carrying Capacity  Succession – Primary & Secondary  Human Impact – Climate Change (Carbon Cycle), Acid Rain, Biomagnification, Threats to Biodiversity – pollution, habitat destruction and/or deforestation

2. Photosynthesis & Cellular Respiration  Equations – Reactants and Products  View as a Cycle  Organelles  Link to Atmospheric Gases  Photosynthesis - Link to Source of Energy and Matter

3. Prokaryote vs. Eukaryote  Prokaryotes – “First” cells – bacteria – lack all organelles. Basic structure – Cell wall, cell membrane, ribosomes, and DNA  Eukaryotes – “True” cells – plants, animals, protists, and fungi – have organelles. Some have a cell wall, all have a cell membrane, ribosomes, DNA is in a nucleus, and the other membrane bound organelles. *Plants have a cell wall, chloroplasts, and a large vacuole.

4. Cell Transport  Cell Membrane – Structure (Parts)  Passive Transport  Diffusion, Osmosis, Facilitated Diffusion  Active Transport  Endocytosis & Exocytosis  Surface to Volume Ratio of Cell – Cell Size

5. Mitosis  1 cell becomes 2 genetically identical cells  Diploid  Somatic (Body) Cells  Growth, Repair, Replacement  Cell Cycle – IPMATC  Mitosis - PMAT  DNA is copied in the S phase of Interphase

6. Meiosis  1 cell becomes 4 genetically unique cells  Haploid  Gametes – Sex Cells  Crossing Over & Chromosome Reduction – Genetic Recombination Homologous Chromosomes Pair Up & Separate in Prophase I  Meiosis I & II  DNA is not copied between Meiosis I & II so chromosomes number is reduced.  Half the chromosomes so there is a diploid set upon fertilization.

7. DNA Structure and Replication  Double Helix Shape  Sugar and Phosphate on the outer strands with nitrogen bases as the “steps” between each strand.  Base Pairing – A to T and C to G  Replication Enzymes – Helicase and RNA Polymerase  Replication is “semi-conservative”. Half the old strand and half new.

8. Protein Synthesis  Transcription – Takes place in the nucleus and forms mRNA Enzyme is RNA Polymerase  Translation – Takes place at a ribosome and links together amino acids to form a polypeptide chain which will fold to become a protein.  Base Pairing Rules – A to U and C to G  “Read” in sets of three nitrogen bases; Codons (mRNA) and Anti-codons (tRNA).

9. Mendelian Genetics  Gregor Mendel  Key Vocabulary – Heterozygous, Homozygous, Phenotype, and Genotype  Cross purebred dominant with purebred recessive then all the offspring will be hybrids.  Two Heterozygotes give a 1:2:1 ratio for genotype and a 3:1 ratio for phenotype.  Dihybrid Cross – Know the ratio for phenotypes for a cross between parents heterozygous for both traits (HhBb x HhBb) 9:3:3:1 – 9 are dominant for both traits, 3 are dominant for the 1 st trait and recessive for the other, 3 are recessive for the 1 st trait and dominant for the other, and 1 is recessive for both traits. 4 will have the exact same genotype as the parents. (4/16=25%) **Remember the outcome here is 16 offspring.

10. Non-Mendelian Genetics  Codominance – Both traits shown at the same time  Incomplete Dominance – A blend of the 2 traits is shown  Blood Type is an example of codominance and multiple alleles (I A, I B, i)  X-Linked Sex Linked Traits – Hemophilia and Color Blindness Males are more frequently affected because they only have 1 X and females are often carriers with one X affected and one normal X.  Know how to read and make a pedigrees

11. Biotechnology  Using restriction enzymes and bacterial plasmids to insert genes into bacteria so they make human proteins. Ex. Insulin  Clones – a genetically identical copy of a gene or an entire organism.  DNA Fingerprinting – Uses restriction enzymes and gel electrophoresis to make unique banding patterns for every individual (except identical twins) Children get half their bands from one parent and half from the other.

12. Evolution  Charles Darwin  Natural Selection – Individuals born with better traits to survive in given environmental conditions will be more likely to survive, reproduce, and pass on those traits to the next generation.  Adaptations are selected for over time through selective pressures from the environmental conditions.  Individuals do not evolve; populations do.  Evidence – Fossils, Homologous Structures, Embryology, and DNA evidence  Antibacterial and Pesticide Resistance is a prime example of evolution by natural selection.  Review cladograms/phylogenic trees!

13. Experimental Design  Independent Variable – The factor being tested by the scientist  Dependent Variable – Response to independent variable being measured by the scientist.  Control Group – A test group that is not exposed to the independent variable but all other environmental conditions are the same.  Experimental Group(s) – Test group exposed to the independent variable  Constants – All conditions other than the independent variable that are kept the same for every test group (control and experimental).  Hypothesis – If/Then format with the change in the independent variable described in the “if” part of the statement and the change in the dependent variable described in the “then” part of the statement.