Clicking on any of the links below will
connect you to the corresponding PRACTICE QUESTIONS!

Ecosystems
As a result of studying various ecosystems:

Students understand that, while matter is recycled in an ecosystem, there is a one-way flow of energy in ecosystems.

• Describe the oxygen, carbon and nitrogen cycles and explain their significance.
• Explain how carbon dioxide and water are converted into energy-rich foods through an energy-capturing mechanism (photosynthesis).
• Describe the transfer of energy from the sun to the environment and back to space, through food webs consisting of producers, consumers and decomposers.

Students understand how the number and variety of organisms and populations are dependent on the resources and physical factors of their environments.

• Explain how changes in resources, predation and climate can affect the growth of different populations.
• Explain how organisms are adapted to environmental conditions in different biomes.
• Explain how human activity can impact the stability of various ecosystems.

Genetics And Evolution
As a result of studying patterns of heredity and historical changes in life forms:

Students understand how each organism carries a set of instructions (genes composed of DNA) for specifying the components and functions of the organism.

• Describe how genetic materials are organized in genes and chromosomes in the cells of living organisms.
• Explain how the genetic information from both parents is mixed in the fertilized egg to produce an individual with new combinations of genes and traits.
• Explain how genes are related to inherited traits and how genes can be manipulated by modern technologies.

Students understand that the basic idea of biological evolution is that the Earth’s present-day species developed from earlier species.

• Explain how environmental changes can lead to the extinction and evolution of species.
• Describe how fossils and anatomical evidence provide support for the theory of evolution.

Cells
As a result of observing and studying cells in single and multiple-celled organisms:

Students understand the basic cell structures and functions of living cells.

• Describe the basic similarities and differences found in the structures of plant, animal and  bacterial cells.
• Describe the structure and explain the main functions of skin, nerve, muscle and blood cells.
• Explain how the cell membrane helps the cell to maintain its unique internal composition.

Students understand that cells divide for growth of the organism, repair and reproduction.

• Describe the process of mitotic cell division and explain how this process is important in growth of the organism and repair of tissues.
• Describe the process producing reproductive cells (meiosis) in females (egg cells) and males (sperm cells).

Human Biology
As a result of studying the structure and function of the human body:

Students understand the healthy functioning of the human body and how environmental conditions, nutrition, physical activity and pathogens affect its functioning.

• Describe the structure and function of the major human organ systems (e.g., circulatory, respiratory, digestive, reproductive and nervous systems).
• Explain the role of nutrients and physical activity in the functioning of the human body.
• Explain the human body’s defense system against infectious diseases and the role of antibiotics and vaccinations.

17 & 18