Thinking Like a Scientist – Unit 1
1. What are the 4 characteristics that all living things share?
Made of cells, able to respond to environment, grow and reproduce, acquire and use energy
2. What is an independent variable?
The variable that is manipulated by the researchers; does not depend on the other variable
3. When making a graph, which axis does the independent variable go on?
The x-axis
4. Mr. Botella thinks that the reason he gets seasick easily is because he does not get enough Vitamin C in his
diet. While on the boat during his journey around Antarctica, Mr. Botella will be taking Vitamin C tablets each
day to see if it prevents him from getting sick.
What is the independent variable in this situation? ____Taking Vitamin C______________________
What is the dependent variable in this situation? _____Whether or not he gets sick_______
5. Put a "B" next to each of the statements below that describe biodiversity
_B_ In your mouth, there are over 100 different species of microorganisms __the study of living things
_B_the variety of life across the biosphere
____ the average house cat lives 14 years
___ humans today are 6 inches taller, on average, than humans 2000 years ago
_B_ Living in Mr. Olsen's house are cats, humans, plants, turtles, microbes, and one platypus
6. Fill out the table below for the 4 unifying themes of biology:
Unifying
Theme of
Biology
Systems
Structure and
Function
Homeostasis
Evolution
Definition
Example
Organized groups of
related parts that interact
to form a whole
Relationship between what
something does in an
organism and its shape or
form
Maintenance of constant
internal conditions in an
organism
Cells, body systems
(circ. system),
ecosystem, biosphere
Enzymes / substrates –
lock and key
Change in living things
over time
Shivering when cold,
feeling thirsty when
body fluids are low,
increased pulse during
exercise
Humans and
chimpanzees are very
similar and share a
recent common
ancestor
7. What is the basic metric system unit for mass? __grams________________
8. What is the basic metric system unit for volume?__liters_______________
9. What is the basic metric system unit for length? ___meters___________
For the following questions, refer to the metric conversion table in your packet
10.
246 km = _.246__ m
11.
17 mL = _.017L
12.
489 cg = _4.89 g
Compare using <, >, or =.
83 cL greater than
13.
8.3 L
14.
12.5 cm
125 mm equal to
15.
1,000 g
10 kg less than
Use the unit conversions method to answer the following questions
16. D'oh! You mistakenly measured the height of your plant in lab in inches, forgetting that the entire world uses
the metric system. If the plant height was 3 inches above the soil, how high was it in centimeters?
7.62 cm
17. A Canadian football field is 100 meters long. How many yards is this?
109.4 yards
18. Think back to your Abiotic Factors Lab (the 'Plant Lab' that didn't work out so well).
What was the independent variable in your group's experiment? soil type / amount of water / salinity of water
What was the dependent variable? ___height of the plant__________
What were two constants from the lab? _amount of soil, type of plant, temperature, etc.
What was one type of data you collected that was quantitative ? height of plant, amount of water added, etc.
19. You are going to do an experiment to see if drinking orange juice for breakfast helps you do better on your
semester final exams.
a. Write a formal hypothesis for your experiment: "If _________________________________________ are
related, then ______________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________."
b. You asked some sophomores (who took semester exams last year) to volunteer for your experiment.
None of the volunteers drank orange juice last year before their exams. You divided the volunteers into 2
groups: one group drank orange juice before taking their exams this year, and one group did not. After they took
their exams, you collected their scores from their teachers. Here is the data:
Group
Average Exam Score Last Year (%)
Average Exam Score This Year (%)
Drank OJ
75
85
Did not drink OJ
77
79
Write a conclusion that is supported by the data above: ____According to the data, drinking OJ before taking a
final did help students perform better on their semester final
exams.______________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
Ecosystems – Unit 2
20. Describe the difference between organism, population, community, ecosystem and biome
Goal: understand the methods of ecologists:
Organism is an individual living thing, population is a group of the same species living in the same area, community
includes organisms of different species living in the same area, ecosyustem includes all organisms plus non-living things
such as climate, soil, etc, and biome is a major regional or global community that is characterized by its climate.
21. Describe the methods used by ecologists to study populations (observations, experimentations and modeling)
Observations the scientists record data based on what is happening without changing or affecting any parameter. In
experiments, the scientists change a parameter to record how that change affects other parameters. In modeling, scientists
build a mathematical expression based on observations and/or experiments to conduct virtual experiments.
22. A scientist is able to change parameters in a computer simulation to manipulate the changes in rainfall and
temperature. He does this to study how a population of snails changes in a forest. The scientist is using this type of
method Modelling
Goal: identify biotic and abiotic factors in an ecosystem
23. Define biotic factors and abiotic factors
Biotic factors are living things, abiotic factors are non-living things
24. Identify the biotic and abiotic factors of the following scene: “As the sun set in the sky, the wind blew on the horse’s
face as he ate the grass under his feet. A freshwater stream full of salmon flowed from the hills where the ice was
melting”
Biotic: horse, grass, and salmon. Abiotic: sun. sky, wind, freshwater, stream, hills, ice melt
Goal: show how changing one factor in an ecosystem results in many other changes
25. Define the term keystone species, and provide an example
A species that has an unusual large effect on its ecosystem
Goal: explain how energy flows through an ecosystem starting with the sun
26. Define the terms producer, consumer and decomposer
Producers: convert and store energy from the sun in what we call food. Consumers: rely on energy stored by other
organisms for their energy needs. Decomposers: return organic matter to simpler compounds.
27. Name the process used by producers when creating their own food, and describe where the energy comes from.
Photosynthesis. Energy comes from the Sun.
Goal: create or interpret a food chain and a food web
28. Draw a food chain with the following organisms: owl, wheat, mice. Remember the correct position of the arrows with
respect to the eater and eaten.
Wheat
mice
owl
Goal: understand trophic pyramids and how they illustrate energy flow
29. Draw a trophic pyramid using the same organisms as the question above, and explain what happens to the available
energy as we move up on the pyramid
Goal: differentiate between habitat and niche
30. A habitat is composed of all the biotic and abiotic factors of an ecosystem. Niche is composed by the abiotic and biotic
factors that allow a species to grow healthy and reproduce. Explain in your own words what is the fundamental
difference between habitat and niche
Habitat includes all biotic and abiotic factors in an area, so all organisms share the same habitat. Niche, on the other hand,
is composed of the biotic and abiotic factors needed by the species for survival, therefore not all organisms in an area
share the same niche. We share the same ecosystem with squirrels, cats and dogs, but we have different niches because
we need different foods and abiotic factors.
Goal: understand population growth and its controls
31. Define emigration and immigration in terms of how they affect the size of a population
Emigration is when organisms leave the population reducing the size of the population. Immigration is when new organisms
incorporate themselves to a population increasing the size of a population
32. What is a limiting factor for the growth of a population?
Environmental factors the limit the growth and size of a population.
33. Define the term carrying capacity
Carrying capacity is the number of organisms that the resources of an environment can support normally and persistently.
Goal: define climate and the three climactic zones of earth
34. Define climate
The long-term average of the weather conditions of an area
35. Define biome in terms of climate
Regional or global community characterized by climate conditions and plant communities that thrive there
Goal: understand the impact of increasing human population on earth
36. Define ecological footprint and carrying capacity
Ecological footprint is the amount of land that is necessary to produce and maintain enough food, water, shelter, energy,
and dispose waste for an organism. Carrying capacity is the number of organisms that the resources of an environment can
support normally and persistently.
37. List ecological problems that are due to human overpopulation
Some ecological problems seen in class include: Climate change, water pollution, air pollution, and loss of biomass due to
introduction of invasive species.
Goal: explain air pollution, its causes and effects
38. Define air pollution
Air that contains anything that has a negative effect on the environment or its organisms
39. Explain what could you do to reduce air pollution
Conserve energy (i.e. turn off lights, bike, take the bus, keep house colder in winter and warmer in summer, etc.) so we
could burn less fossil fuels that pollute the air to produce energy.
Goal: understand global climate change, its causes and effects
40. Define global climate change
A long-term change in the average conditions of the weather. Global warming, which is the increase in the average
temperature of the Earth over a long period of time (10 years) is one of the components of climate change but not the only
one. Changes in the distribution and frequency of precipitation, winds, etc. are also part of global climate change.
41. Explain how human activities contribute to global climate change
In class we saw burning of fossil fuels that produce CO2 and other green house gases, and deforestation. Other causes are
the maintenance of large number of live-stock as they release methane.
Goal: explain water pollution, its causes and effects
42. Define water pollution
Water that contains anything that has a negative effect on the environment or its organisms
43. Explain what could you do to reduce water pollution
Contain water runoff. Use less fertilizers and herbicides. Dispose of waste according to environmental laws. Reduce waste.
Pick up after your dog. Rake leaves in fall.
Goal: understand biodiversity and its loss
44. Define biodiversity
Biodiversity is the variety of life within an area. Variety as in the number of different species within an area.
45. Explain how the introduction of invasive species can contribute to loss of biodiversity
Invasive species are species that are not originally from one area that can make it harder for native species to live in the
area by competing with native organisms for resources or by eating native organisms.
Goal: identify ways that humans can have less of a negative impact on the planet
46. Explain specific actions that we can take as a society to reduce air pollution, water pollution, global climate change and
loss of biodiversity
Develop a more sustainable culture. Answers will vary, but at a minimum switch to renewable energy sources and a less
consumerism oriented society.
Photosynthesis - Unit 3 (Yellow packet)
Goal: Define the term: Photosynthesis
1. What is the purpose of photosynthesis?
To make glucose for the plant to use and it requires light.
2. Describe the roles of O2, CO2 and H2O and light in this process
O2: it is the gas given off as a waste product during the process
CO2: it is used in the light independent reaction to make glucose
H2O: it is needed for photosynthesis to take place
Light: it is the type of energy required for photosynthesis to happen
Goal: Identify unique plant structures (Root Hairs, Blade, Petiole, Stem, Root).
3. Label the diagram below and describe the function of each plant structure
3
E 1
C
4
B 2
5
D
A
Goal: Identify unique plant cell structures (chloroplast, chlorophyll).
4. What cell structure contains the pigment involved in photosynthesis?
Chloroplast
Goal: Understand the relationship between pigments and light absorption/transmittance.
5. Define pigment and name the main pigment involved during photosynthesis.
A molecule that absorbs light. Chlorophyll is the main pigment found in plants.
6. In what cellular structure can plant pigments be found?
7. What colors (wavelengths) of the visible spectrum are mostly absorbed by chlorophyll? Purple, Blue, and
Red are mostly absorbed:
8. What colors (wavelengths) of the visible spectrum are mostly absorbed by chlorophyll? Green and Yellow
are mostly reflected
For the following three question, use the graph below.
9. According the graph, which wavelengths of light are
absorbed BEST by the magenta dye?
A. approximately 350-400 nm
B. approximately 400-450 nm
C. approximately 500-550 nm
D. approximately 600-650 nm
10. Use your knowledge of absorbance and transmittance
of light. Which wavelengths of light
would be transmitted BEST by the magenta dye?
A. 400-450 and 600-650
B. 350-400 and 450-500
Plant
Structure
C. 500-550 and 550-600
A. Root hairs
D. 350-400 and 550-600
11. According to the graph above, what is the
B. Stem
independent variable?
C. Petiole
A. Absorbance
B. Transmittance
D. Root
C. Wavelength
E. Blade
D. Magenta Clothing Dye
Absorbance Spectrum of
Magenta Clothing Dye
Function
Greatly increases the surface area of the root, allowing for more absorption
of water and minerals.
Supports the plant and transports materials throughout.
Connects the stem to the blade.
Anchor plants in the soil while absorbing, transporting, and storing nutrients.
The broad, flat part of the leaf, used for collecting sunlight.
Goal: Describe the three main steps of photosynthesis:
12. List the three main stages of photosynthesis and summarize what occurs during each.
a. Capture light- waves of light from the sun are absorbed by the pigment chlorophyll. Chlorophyll is
contained in chloroplasts within the blades of the plant.
b. Light Dependent Reaction- (Convert the light energy into ATP)- The energy from the sun is used
for splitting the water molecule into hydrogen and oxygen. The energy is changed from light energy
to chemical energy and stored in the ATP.
c. Light Independent: Using chemical energy to form organic compounds- The hydrogen that came
from the water is used with the carbon dioxide to assemble the glucose. The chemical energy from
the ATP is used in the process and stored in the glucose (food).
Goal: Construct and understand the equation for photosynthesis (including the starting and ending places of each
reactant/product).
13. What is the equation for photosynthesis?
CO2 + H2O
C6H12O6 + O2
Light
14. Place a circle around the reactants in the photosynthesis equation.
15. Place a square around the products in the photosynthesis equation.
Goal: Relate the importance of plants and photosynthesis to the structure of an ecosystem (the plants role as the
base for all other life on earth).
16. Define producer and consumer in terms of biology. How are producers and consumers related?
d. Producers are organisms that make their own food
e. Consumers are organisms that cannot make their own, therefore, they must consume other
organisms for energy
f. Relationship: Producers make glucose, and consumers take in the glucose
17. What are two reasons why humans are dependent on plants for survival?
g. Plants produce oxygen that consumers breathe
h. Plants produce their own food (glucose) which is a source of energy for humans.
Humans as Consumers - Unit 4 (Pink packet)
Goal: Describe the role of humans as consumers (animals) in ecosystems.
18. Write a possible multiple choice question that would show if students understood the learning goal above.
answers will vary
Goal: Identify three types of nutrients that help maintain homeostasis. (2.3/32.1)
19. Fill in the blanks in the table below:
Nutrient:
Made of these elements: Building Block:
Example(s):
Proteins
C,H,O, N
Amino acids
enzymes, keratin
Carbohydrates
C,H,O
simple sugars such as glucose
starch, fiber, sugars
Fats/Lipids
C,H,O
glycerol and fatty acids
Oils, butter, saturated,
unsaturated
Goal: Describe how enzymes regulate chemical reactions (2.5)
20. What is the role of enzymes in organisms?
Enzymes allow reactions to occur at high rates under the tightly controlled conditions found in organisms.
21. In an animal's stomach, protein is broken down into smaller amino acids that the animal's cells can use. What is the
substrate in this reaction? How do you know?
Proteins; Substrates are the reactants that enzymes break down.
24.
The diagram shows how an enzyme (black) binds to a substrate
(white) during a chemical reaction. Draw the possible result of this reaction once it is complete.
The enzyme (black shape) will look the same, but the substrate will be broken into two or more different
molecules.
Goal: Summarize the difference between mechanical and chemical digestion. (32.2)
22. Give an example of mechanical and chemical digestion in the mouth and in the stomach.
Mouth: mechanical digestion - teeth chew food and the tongue moves food to keep it between the teeth.
Mouth: chemical digestion - the enzyme amylase from the salivary glands begin the breakdown of starches
Stomach: mechanical digestion - muscles in the stomach churn chyme
Stomach: chemical digestion - pepsin and HCl act on proteins to break them into smaller amino acids chains
23. How are mechanical and chemical digestion different?
Mechanical digestion moves food around and breaks it into smaller pieces, but it is still the same nutrient.
Chemical digestion changes the nutrient into different smaller units usually with the use of enzymes.
Goal: Describe the location and function of digestive system organs (32.2)
24. Label the diagram below:
a)
mouth
e) esophagus
b)
f)
liver
g)
d)
c)
gall bladder
large intestine
h)
stomach
pancreas
small intestine
25. Fill in the following table:
Organ:
Mouth
Esophagus
Stomach
Liver
Gall Bladder
Function:
Entry point of food; mechanically grinds
incoming foods; begins the chemical
digestion of carbohydrates by salivary
amylase
Peristalsis takes over from here; tubeshaped tissue that connects the mouth to
the stomach
Muscular sac that mechanically breaks
down food into chyme; begins the chemical
digestion of proteins
Organ that produces bile
Stores and releases bile into the small
intestine.
Is there mechanical
digestion of
carbohydrates
here? Yes/No
Yes
Is there chemical
digestion of
carbohydrates
here? Yes/No
Yes, by salivary
amylase
No
No
Yes
No
No food enters it
No food enters it
No food enters it
No food enters it
Pancreas
Produces many enzymes that are excreted
into the small intestine.
No food enters it
Small Intestine
The majority of chemical digestion takes
place here; all absorption of 3 nutrients
takes place here; covered in villi
Absorbs excess water and processes
wastes
Yes
Large Intestine
No
No food enters it,
but produces
pancreatic amylase
Yes, by pancreatic
amylase
No
Goal: Describe how nutrients are absorbed in the small intestine. (bloodstream in villli, but not microvillli) (32.3)
26. Explain the purpose of the villi in the small intestine.
The folds increase the surface area and slow the movement of food through the small intestine so they can
more efficiently absorb the nutrients from chyme.
27. Explain the difference between digestion and absorption. What role does each play in maintaining homeostasis?
Digestion uses mechanical and chemical means to breakdown food into simpler molecules. Absorption is the
means by which nutrients move out of the digestive system and into the circulatory system. Digestion makes
nutrients available from food to maintain cell functions. Absorption allows nutrients to be carried to cells
throughout the body.
Goal: Describe the large intestine. (32.3)
28. What are the two main functions of the colon (a.k.a. the large intestine)?
Water absorption and solid-waste elimination
Goal: Relate homeostasis to the internal environment of the body. (28.2)
29. Define homeostasis:
the regulation and maintenance of the internal environment
30. Reptiles regulate their body temperature by changing their environment. A snake, for instance, must lie in the sunlight
to warm its body. Mammals, on the other hand, can regulate their own internal environment to gain or lose heat. How
might this ability give mammals an advantage over reptiles?
Mammals can live in a wider range of habitats and tolerate rapid changes in external conditions
Goal: Describe the interaction between organ systems in terms of homeostasis. (28.2)
31. Give specific examples of how the following organ systems maintain homeostasis
a. Circulatory system: transports necessary nutrients and gasses to body cells; transports wastes away
b. Excretory system: regulates fluid and ion concentrations in the blood; removes and excretes wastes
c. Endocrine system: produces hormones that regulate a variety of other homeostatic functions such as growth
and development
Rat Dissection – Unit 5
32. Review the MAIN organs, their function, and their location in the body.
33. Define the following terms that are associated with body orientation: Dorsal, Ventral, Anterior, Posterior
34. What is the main difference between a rat’s anatomy and a human’s anatomy?
Graphing Question
40
30
35
30
25
25
20
20
15
15
10
10
Year
09
20
07
08
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
05
06
0
03
04
0
02
5
00
01
5
Avg. Temp. in Dec. (F)
35
20
Snowfall in Dec (in.)
Average snowfall and temperature in December for Madison
2000-2009
Snowfall in Dec (inches)
Avg. Temperature in Dec.
(°F)