Biology I Club
All Honors Biology students are eligible to compete. Our
team consists of 4 students.
Please see Mrs Hance if you are interested.
About Science League
The Science League Test is administered during the second
Thursday of January, February, March, and April.
The purpose of the Science League is
to provide competitions between schools in selected science areas of study.
All competitions are on two levels.
One level is for the students.
Students within any one testing area are ranked with
each other based upon their scores on 3 of the 4 exams given.
Any student completing 3 of the 4 exams receives a
certificate from the Science League.
The top ten percent (10%) of the students receiving
a certificate also receive a student plaque.
Last year the League awarded approximately 240
student plaques.
The plaques are presented to the students in conjunction
with your schools awards program.
The next level of competition is with
teams.
The students make up teams from the various schools.
Each school only needs two members for each team,
but as many as four may compete for each subject area.
Schools may sign up for one to nine teams.
Team scores which is sum of top 2 student scores are
cumulative from January through April.
Competition within each testing area is extremely
keen.
By the end of the season there can be as little as one
question separating first place from second place.
The final team score for the season will be the sum
of all four exams.
Schools are ranked from #1 down to the last school.
The top 10 schools (not 10%) are awarded plaques.
BIOLOGY
I
:
No AP or second year students in this category.
60 multiple choice questions per exam.
Topics of Study
JANUARY EXAM – Structure and Function
cell structure and function,
diffusion, osmosis, active transport
·
structure of matter (basic chemistry
including the chemistry of water and pH), “biomolecules”
(carbohydrates, proteins, lipids)
·
Enzyme catalysis
·
Homeostasis at the cell level
·
Cell reproduction & mitosis
·
Hierarchy
of organization from cell to system
o
BOUNDARY:
The emphasis here is on hierarchical organization and the relationship between
structure and function at the levels of organs and organ systems
FEBRUARY EXAM – Heredity & Reproduction
Structure and
function of DNA
·
Patterns of
genetic inheritance, limited to Mendelian patterns,
X-linkage, non-dominance, co-dominance, multiple allelism
·
DNA replication
·
Organization of
DNA into chromosomes
·
What is a gene?
·
Transcription & translation
o
Boundary:
Students are not expected to memorize the names and characteristics of specific
amino acids or the detailed minutiae of transcription and translation, such as
the names of specific enzymes.
o
DNA technology (genetic engineering,
PCR, DNA fingerprinting, DNA manipulation, bioinformatics, stem cells)
·
Types of mutations
and their potential impacts
·
Genetic disorders
·
Regulation of gene
expression
·
Different roles of
DNA (coding, noncoding, regulatory, structural)
·
Embryology and development
·
Meiosis
MARCH EXAM – Evolution and Diversity
The principles of evolution (including
natural selection and common descent)
o
Boundary: Students should
understand the principles of evolution; however, students do not need to engage
in the classification of species.
o
Ability of a species to reproduce
o
Genetic variability of offspring due
to mutation and recombination of genes
o
Finite supply of the resources
required for life
o
Natural selection, due to
environmental pressure, of those organisms better able to survive and leave
offspring
·
Environmental
factors affect expression of traits
·
Molecular evidence for evolution
(e.g., DNA, protein structures, etc.)
·
Multiple lines of
descent can be inferred from the DNA composition of organisms.
·
Population
genetics
o
Boundary:
§
Students should understand the concept
of proportional changes in a population over time.
§
Students do not need to independently
calculate population dynamics using the Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium Theorem.
§
Students are expected to read and
interpret population graphs and develop evidence-based predictions regarding
selection pressures.
APRIL EXAM PART I –
Matter and Energy Transformations
·
Carbon, nitrogen,
water cycles
·
Food chains, webs
·
Trophic levels
·
Flow of energy through ecosystems
·
Photosynthesis and cellular respiration
(including anaerobic processes) provide most
of the energy for life processes.
APRIL EXAM PART II – Interdependence
Ecological
relationships and roles
Biomes
Succession
Factors that contribute to ecosystem
stability
Disruptions to ecosystem stability
Environmental issues, sustainability
Carrying capacities
