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Domain: Cells & Genetics

Domain Description: Cells and Genetics refers to differentiating between the component parts of cells and understanding their functions and interactions, categorizing groups of cells and recognizing the functions and interactions of these groups, identifying the roles of genes and chromosomes in reproduction, and comparing and contrasting types of reproductive processes.

Cell Background The cell is the structural and functional unit of all known living organisms. It is the smallest unit of an organism that is classified as living, and is sometimes called the building

block of life. Most organisms, such as most bacteria, are unicellular (consist of a single cell). Other organisms, such as humans, are multicellular.

EXPECTED Milestone KNOWLEDGE1. Demonstrate understanding of how cells take in nutrients in order to grow, divide, and make

needed materials. a. Cells take in nutrients through the cell membrane.

i. ___Passive Transport_____ (no energy needed)1. __Diffusion_: molecules naturally move from areas where there are many (high

concentration) to areas where there are few (low concentration). Oxygen moves in and out of the cell this way.

2. __Osmosis___: Name used for the diffusion of water molecules.ii. ___Active Transport______ (energy needed)

1. __Endocytosis__: taking in a particle. (glucose)2. __Exocytosis__: getting rid of a particle. (waste)

b. Cells need nutrients in order to grow and make needed materials.i. __Cellular Respiration_________

1. Glucose + Oxygen Chemical Energy + Water + Carbon Dioxideii. __Photosynthesis______

1. Light Energy + Water + Carbon Dioxide Glucose + Oxygenc. Cells Divide.

i. __Mitosis__ (happens in all eukaryotic cells b/c they have a nucleus)1. Cell grows and carries out normal functions; organelles duplicate.2. DNA replicates.3. Chromosomes condense.4. Chromosomes line up.5. Chromosomes separate.6. Nuclei form.

ii. __Binary Fission____ (happens in all prokaryotic cells)2. Correlate cell structures to basic cell function.Organelle Function Real World Analogy

Cell Membrane

The outer membrane of the cell; the plasma membrane Chain link fence

Nucleus The chromosome-containing organelle of a eukaryotic cell. The boss

Cytoplasm The entire contents of the cell, exclusive of the nucleus, and bounded by the plasma membrane.

Jello

ChloroplastAn organelle found only in plants and photosynthetic protists that absorbs sunlight and uses it to drive the synthesis of organic compounds from carbon dioxide and water

Solar panel

Mitochondria An organelle in eukaryotic cells that serves as the site of cellular respiration.

Power Plant

**Definitions taken from the Pearson Glossary: http://www.phschool.com/science/biology_place/glossary/

3. Categorize cells and groups of cells by levels of cellular organization.

Cells _Tissue Organ Systems Organisms Population Community Ecosystem Biome Biosphere (Earth)

4. Explain the role of the functions of the tissues, organs, and major organ systems in the human body and demonstrate understanding of the interactions of these systems.

System FunctionSkeletal The skeletal system includes all of the bones and joints in the body. The skeleton acts as a scaffold

by providing support and protection for the soft tissues that make up the rest of the body.Muscular The muscular system is responsible for the movement of the human body. Respiratory The cells of the human body require a constant stream of oxygen to stay alive. The respiratory

system provides oxygen to the body’s cells while removing carbon dioxide, a waste product that can be lethal if allowed to accumulate. 

Digestive The digestive system is a group of organs working together to convert food into energy and basic nutrients to feed the entire body

Excretory or Urinary

The urinary system consists of the kidneys, ureters, urinary bladder, and urethra. The kidneys filter the blood to remove wastes and produce urine. 

Circulatory or Cardiovascular

The cardiovascular system consists of the heart, blood vessels, and the approximately 5 liters of blood that the blood vessels transport. Responsible for transporting oxygen, nutrients, hormones, and cellular waste products throughout the body, the cardiovascular system is powered by the body’s hardest-working organ — the heart, which is only about the size of a closed fist. 

Immune or Lymphatic

The immune and lymphatic systems are two closely related organ systems that share several organs and physiological functions. The immune system is our body’s defense system against infectious pathogenic viruses, bacteria, and fungi as well as parasitic animals and protists. The lymphatic tissue of these organs filters and cleans the lymph of any debris, abnormal cells, or pathogens. 

Nervous The nervous system consists of the brain, spinal cord, sensory organs, and all of the nerves that connect these organs with the rest of the body. Together, these organs are responsible for the control of the body and communication among its parts. 

Integumentary The integumentary system is an organ system consisting of the skin, hair, nails, and exocrine glands. Skin forms the body’s outer covering and forms a barrier to protect the body from chemicals, disease, UV light, and physical damage.

Endocrine The endocrine system includes all of the glands of the body and the hormones produced by those glands. By regulating the functions of organs in the body, these glands help to maintain the body’s homeostasis.

Reproductive The female reproductive organs are involved in the production and transportation of gametes and the production of sex hormones. The male reproductive organs work together to produce sperm, the male gamete, and the other components of semen. 

**** Definitions taken from : http://www.innerbody.com/ ****Process Systems Interacting Description of Interaction

DigestionDigestive and Cardiovascular

The digestive system breaks nutrients into small parts so they may be transported by the cardiovascular system to all the cells of the body.

Respiration

Respiratory and Cardiovascular

The respiratory system brings oxygen into the body and the cardiovascular system transports it to the cells. This system of blood vessels also carries carbon dioxide away from the cells and back to the lungs to be expelled as a waste product.

Reproduction Reproductive and Endocrine

The endocrine system releases hormones that help regulate development and maturity.

Circulation

Circulatory and Muscular

The heart (a muscle) pumps blood throughout the body keeping it in constant motion.

Excretion Digestive and Urinary The end of the digestive tract expels solid waste from the

body and the urinary system cleans liquid waste from the blood.

Movement Skeletal and MuscularThe skeletal system provides structure while the muscular system allows us to move our skeletons around.

Control Nervous and Endocrine

Our growth and development are controlled by electrical messages (nervous system) and chemical messages (endocrine system).

Coordination Nervous and muscularYour nervous system tells your muscular system how to move and coordinate things like balance and hand/eye coordination.

Protection from disease

Lymphatic and Digestive

Your lymphatic system helps your body filter out harmful bacteria/viruses and your digestive system has many helpful bacteria that protect you from diseases.

Critical Thinking Question: On a long bus trip, Laura eats a cheese burger. Explain the trip the cheeseburger takes from her mouth to elimination. Be sure to explain how her body gets the nutrients to the cells. **Answers may vary** Need to discuss the mouth mechanically chewing the food and saliva dissolving food in the 1st step, then how food moves down the esophagus to the stomach where it is churned into chime. Next, it moves into the small intestines where the useable nutrients are absorbed into the blood stream and taken to the body cells. All the left overs move into the large intestines where the water is absorbed into the blood stream and finally the waste moves out of the body during elimination.

Genetics Background: Genetics is the science of heredity and variation in living organisms. Knowledge of the inheritance of characteristics can be used for improving crop plants and animals through selective breeding. The modern science of genetics, which seeks to understand the mechanisms of inheritance, began with the work of Gregor Mendel in the mid-1800s. Mendel observed that inheritance is a fundamental process with specific traits that are inherited in an independent manner — these basic units of inheritance are now called genes.

5. Explain the role of genes and chromosomes in the process of inheriting a specific trait. a. A gene is a unit of heredity that occupies a specific location on a chromosome and codes for

a particular trait. b. A chromosome is the physical structure in a cell that contains the cell’s genetic material.

c. Alleles are various forms of the same gene.

Mendel crossed a homozygous tall pea plant (T) with a homozygous short pea plant (t). What are the expected genotypes and phenotypes of the offspring? List as a probability. Genotypes: Tt = 100%

Organism Sexual Asexual Budding Binary Fission

Conjugation Regeneration Spores

Animal XDogs

X X Hydra

XStarfish

Plants XPollinatio

nX X

MossesX

GarlicX

Ferns

Fungi X X XMushrooms

XPuffball

Bacteria xX

Salmonella

X

Protists X X X Euglena (Mitosis) x

6. Compare and contrast asexual and sexual reproduction for organisms.

Mendel crossed a homozygous tall pea plant (T) with a homozygous short pea plant (t). What are the expected genotypes and phenotypes of the offspring? List as a probability. Genotypes: Tt = 100%

AsexualSexual

2 parents Genetically unique

offspring Uses Meiosis to ½ the

number of each parents chromosomes

1 parent Genetically identical

offspring and parent Uses many different

methods: mitosis, binary fission, budding, regeneration, spores, etc.

Purpose is to make new individuals

6. Demonstrate understanding that selective breeding can produce plants or animals with desired traits.

Selective breeding is the process of developing a cultivated breed over time, and selecting qualities within individuals of the breed that will be best to pass on to the next generation. Charles Darwin discussed how selective breeding had been successful in producing change over time in his book, Origin of Species. The first chapter of the book discusses selective breeding and domestication of such animals as pigeons, dogs and cattle. Selective breeding was used by Darwin as a springboard to introduce the theory of natural selection, and to support it.

Critical Thinking Question: Give two examples of how selective breeding has been beneficial to humans. Give one example of how selective breeding can be harmful to the animal. **Answers may vary**Selective Breeding (aka Artificial Selection) has helped humans increase the production and variety of their food supply (corn, wheat, vegetables, cows, pigs, chickens, etc.) Selective breeding has also allowed humans to populate areas that may have been impossible without dogs for example the Inuit people (Eskimos) depended on dogs for transportation, hunting, and protection. They could not have survived in the frigid tundra without dogs. One example of harmful selective breeding is line breeding (aka inbreeding) in some dog breeds. This can cause harmful recessive traits to become more pronounced or for certain traits to become over amplified and harm the animal. For example, many bulldogs have breathing problems due to the severe squishing of their face and nose.

Domain: Interdependence of Life

Domain Descritption: Interdependence of Life refers to recognizing the relationships that organisms have with themselves, each other, and their environments, understanding food webs and how environmental change and competitive and beneficial relationships affect individual organisms and entire species, and comparing and contrasting Earth’s major terrestrial and aquatic biomes.

Ecology Background: Ecology is the scientific study of the distribution and abundance of life and the interactions between organisms and their environment. The environment of an organism includes physical properties, which can be described as the abiotic factors such as sunlight, climate, and geology, and biotic factors, which are other organisms that share its habitat.

1. Evaluate how matter is transferred in a food web from one organism to another.

2. Demonstrate understanding of how matter can recycle between organisms and their environments.

Draw a food web. (p. 486) Explain how matter and energy is transferred in your food web. Use the following terms: sun, producer, consumer, decomposer, autotroph, heterotroph, and 10%. Energy for the food webs comes from the sun. Producers or Autotrophs (plants) capture energy from the sun to create glucose (sugar) in a process called photosynthesis. The first level consumers who eat only plants are called herbivores. They get energy from the plants they eat. Next you have second and third level consumers that eat the herbivores and they are called carnivores. You may also have consumers such as the bear who eat both plants and animals; they are called omnivores. When organisms die, the decomposers (bacteria and fungi) break down the matter of the organism’s body and return it to the soil to be used again. In each level of the energy pyramid only 10% of the energy moves to the next level. This means that producers have the most available energy and top level consumers have the least amount of energy. This is why trees outnumber bears.

Draw a diagram of water cycling through organisms and their environment. p. 508

Draw a diagram of carbon cycling through organisms and their environment. p. 509

3. Demonstrate understanding that energy originates from the Sun moves from organism to organism with in the food web.

4. Predict how changes in environmental conditions can affect the survival of both individuals and entire species.

Thanks to a reintroduction program, wolves are now back in Yellowstone after an absence of almost 70 years. Several dozen wolves were turned loose in Yellowstone in March 1995. These animals have done remarkably well, reproducing at a rapid rate. Packs are now located in various parts of the park. Wolves prey on a variety of species, notably elk in the Yellowstone area, but will also pursue moose, deer, sheep and other animals. Make some predictions about how the disappearance of wolves 70 years ago affected different species or individuals at Yellowstone. Without wolves, some species, such as elk, were no longer controlled. The overpopulation of elk in some areas led to overgrazing. The overgrazing left too little grass to support the elk and other populations who depended on the grass for food. Soon, almost all of the populations in the area were affected by the loss of the gray wolves. (Holt Science and technology textbook, p. 488) Conclusion: Removing any part of the food web can disrupt the ecological balance of an area. Removing the top predator of an ecosystem can have a trickle down affect that disrupts everything below it.

Draw a diagram of nitrogen cycling through organisms and their environment. p. 510

Draw a diagram of the process of photosynthesis and cellular respiration. Explain the importance of photosynthesis and cellular respiration to living organisms. (p. 96)

Nearly all energy that fuels life comes from the sun. Plants capture energy from the sun and change it into food through a process called photosynthesis. Both plants and animals use this food (glucose) to grow and develop by performing cellular respiration in their mitochondria. These 2 processes (photosynthesis and cellular respiration) are opposites; each process makes the materials that are needed for the other process to occur.

5. Categorize relationships between organisms that are competitive or mutually beneficial.

___Parasitism____ ____Mutualism__________ __Commensalism_________

Categorize the following: Mistletoe is a plant that takes nourishment from a tree, causing damage to the tree. __P______ Lichens benefit from living on a tree, but the tree is not harmed. ____C_________ Nitrogen-fixing bacteria get their nourishment from the roots of certain plants, providing the

plants with nitrogen in return. _____M______ Mice do well living near humans, living off the food scraps humans leave behind.___C_______ Ticks are animals that attach to their hosts, feeding on the host’s blood. _____P___________ Aphids are insects that provide ants with a sweet liquid. Ants live alongside aphids, protecting

them from predators. ____M___________

6. List characteristics for each of Earth’s major terrestrial and aquatic biomes. (Precipitation, average temperatures, plants/animals, important facts)

Tropical Rain Forest Savanna Temperate Deciduous Forest

Around 400 cm rain 150 cm rain 75 cm to 125 cm rain

Day: 34oC Dry Season: 34oCWet Season: 16oC

Summer: 28oCWinter: 6oC

Monkeys, vines, tall hard woods, insects, Toucan, Tree Frogs,

Jaguar, Fig Trees, Ferns,

Small clumps of trees and lots of grass, elephants, giraffes,

zebras, wildebeests

Tall trees with broad leaves, vines, shrubs, flowers, bears,

snakes, woodpeckers

poor soil, near equator, most diverse, majority of animals live in canopy, 1400 species of birds

Known for its seasonal rains and long dry seasons where large herbivores must migrate for

water/food.

Lose their leaves in the winter to save water during the winter or dry season, Deciduous is Latin

for “to fall off”

Tundra Desert Taiga (Coniferous forest)

30 to 50 cm Less than 25 cm 35 to 75 cm

Summer: 12oCWinter: -26oC

Summer: 38oCWinter: 7oC

Summer: 14oCWinter: -10oC

Mosses, lichen, insects, birds, musk oxen, wolves, caribou,

Cactus, jack rabbit, Kangaroo rat, lots of reptiles

Insects, birds, deer, moose, porcupines, and squirrels, fir

trees, conifers

Has permafrost (permanent layer of frozen soil), very cold most of the time with a short summer.

Leaves have waxy coating to prevent water loss, many animals are nocturnal (only come out at

night)

Conifer trees have needle shaped leaves with a waxy

coating to keep from drying out,

Describe how temperature changes as you increase your elevation while climbing a mountain. As you increase in elevation (go up) on a mountain, the temperature decreases. Mountains usually start with a scrub area or deciduous forest and move to a coniferous forest. Finally, at the top of tall mountains you will find an alpine tundra where there is permanent snow and lots of sunshine.

Using a Venn diagram, compare and contrast freshwater, marine, and estuary biomes.

Domain: Evolution

Domain Description: Evolution refers to understanding how organisms adapt to their environment over time and generations through natural selection, determining how natural selection affects the survival of species, and using the fossil record to study the evolution of life.

Evolution Background: In biology, evolution is the changes seen in the inherited traits of a population from one generation to the next. These changes are relatively minor from one generation to the next, but accumulate with each subsequent generation and can eventually cause substantial changes in the organisms. Inherited traits come from the genes that are passed on to offspring during reproduction. Mutations in genes can produce new or altered traits, resulting in the appearance of heritable differences between organisms. Evolution occurs when these heritable differences become more common or rare in a population, either non-randomly through natural selection or randomly through genetic drift.

1. Explain how physical characteristics of organisms have changed over successive generations.

A sudden shift in the continental shelf has created a large rift in the crust. This split in the crust separated a herd of zebras grazing in the area. One side shifted up in elevation causing temperatures to become much colder. The other side stayed at the same elevation causing no change in temperature. The two groups will remain isolated from each other for a million years. What differences in the two populations might you see after this time period?

** Answers may vary **Students should address how cold weather may change an animals traits. Very similar to the Polar Bear Video we watched during evolution. You might see the group that was elevated to have thicker fun, wider hooves for walking on snow, a lighter coat to hide from predators, etc.

Explain the Peppered Moth: The economic changes known as the industrial revolution began in the middle of the eighteenth century. Since then, tons of soot have been deposited on the country side around industrial areas. The soot discoloured and generally darkened the surfaces of trees and rocks. In 1848, a dark-coloured moth was first recorded. Today, in some areas, 90% or more of the-peppered moths are dark in colour. More than 70 species of moth in England have undergone a change from light to dark. Similar observations have been made in other industrial nations, including the United States.Information from: http://biologycorner.com/worksheets/pepperedmoth.html

Explain Darwin’s Finches: When Charles Darwin stepped ashore on the Galapagos Islands in September 1835, it was the start of five weeks that would change the world of science, although he did not know it at the time. Among other finds, he observed and collected the variety of small birds that inhabited the islands, but he did not realize their significance. It was not until he was back in London, puzzling over the birds, that the realization that they were all different, but closely related, species of finch led him toward formulating the principle of natural selection. He theorized that the birds had evolved different beaks to fit the source of food available on their island. From PBS: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/evolution/library/01/6/l_016_02.html

2. Demonstrate understanding of the processes of natural selection. (p. 178 – Figure 7)a. _Overproduction__: A fish may lay hundreds of eggs, but only a small number will survive to

reach adulthood. b. __Inherited Variation___: Each individual has its own combination of traits. A mutation may

cause a slight curve to develop in a fish’s tail. c. __Struggle to Survive__: Some fish may be caught by bears. The fish with the curved tail is

able to swim more quickly and so escapes predators. The fish reproduces. d. Successful Reproduction: With each generation, more fish with a curved tail survive to

reproduce, because they are better adapted to their environment. Over time, they make up a larger part of the group.

e. Special Note: If the salmon’s tail is curved by an accident (got stuck under a rock and tore off) than it is NOT a heritable trait and cannot be passed down to the next generation. The variation must be coded in the organism’s genotype.

3. Determine how the reproduction and survival of species is impacted by natural selection. (p. 492-493)

a. __Warning Coloration_ : Some species copy other more harmful species as a survival method. Example: The harmless king snake mimics the colors of a deadly coral snake as a strategy to avoid predation.

b. _Camouflage__ : Protective coloration allows a species to blend with its surroundings so perfectly that it is nearly invisible to a predator. Example: The leaf and thorn insects.

c. __Defensive Chemicals__ : A harmful toxin produced by some organisms to make them distasteful or deadly to predators. Example: rattle snakes, poison ivy.

4. Demonstrate understanding that the fossil record found in sedimentary rock provides evidence for evolution.

Give an example and explain how the fossil record provides evidence for evolution. (p.170-171)

Scientists believe that the ancestors of whales were mammals that lived on land. Evidence for this can be found in the fossil record (see fig. 7) and is supported by the fact that whales breath air (lungs), swim in an up and down motion (instead of side-to-side), and many modern whales have tiny hip bones. For more information visit: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/evolution/library/03/4/l_034_05.html

http://ocean.si.edu/ocean-videos/evolution-whales-animation

http://evolution.berkeley.edu/evolibrary/article/evograms_03

Currently the Earth is warming up. Name two possible mutations that may be useful to an animal living in our deciduous forest area. Talk about why this mutation might be selected for and become a common trait through natural selection.

** Answers may vary**Think about adaptations that might be helpful in a hot environment. Some possibilities include: thinner fur, bigger ears (radiate heat), surviving on less water, lighter coloration

Explain the Peppered Moth: The economic changes known as the industrial revolution began in the middle of the eighteenth century. Since then, tons of soot have been deposited on the country side around industrial areas. The soot discoloured and generally darkened the surfaces of trees and rocks. In 1848, a dark-coloured moth was first recorded. Today, in some areas, 90% or more of the-peppered moths are dark in colour. More than 70 species of moth in England have undergone a change from light to dark. Similar observations have been made in other industrial nations, including the United States.Information from: http://biologycorner.com/worksheets/pepperedmoth.html

Give an example and explain how the fossil record provides evidence for evolution. (p.170-171)

Scientists believe that the ancestors of whales were mammals that lived on land. Evidence for this can be found in the fossil record (see fig. 7) and is supported by the fact that whales breath air (lungs), swim in an up and down motion (instead of side-to-side), and many modern whales have tiny hip bones. For more information visit: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/evolution/library/03/4/l_034_05.html

http://ocean.si.edu/ocean-videos/evolution-whales-animation

http://evolution.berkeley.edu/evolibrary/article/evograms_03