A STUDENT SHOULD KNOW THAT:

A. THE CHARACTERISTICS OF LIFE INCLUDE GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT, ENERGY USE,
     METABOLISM, RESPONSE TO STIMULI, ADAPTATION, REPRODUCTION, LIMITED LIFE SPAN,
     ABILITY TO EVOLVE, AND CHEMICALS ORGANIZED INTO CELLS.

       1. Living organisms carry out specific life processes.
       2. Living organisms are in constant contact and they continually exchange materials with their environment.

B. MOST CELL FUNCTIONS INVOLVE CHEMICAL REACTIONS IN SPECIALIZED STRUCTURES:

1. Cell membrane (plasma membrane) is a covering of the entire cell.  It holds the cell's contents inside and maintains the cell's shape. The membrane is porous.  It regulates (selects) the exchange of materials (such as food, water, oxygen, and waste) into and out of the cell.
2. Cytoplasm is mostly water between the nucleus and the plasma membrane in which other organelles are suspended and within which diffusion and many biochemical processes occur.
3. Structure of plant cells differs from structure of animal cells.

C. MOLECULES ARE ASSOCIATED WITH CELLULAR ACTIVITIES. THE STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION
    OF MOLECULES AFFECT THE CONTROL OF THE CELL IN SPECIFIC WAYS. (PROTEINS, 
    CARBOHYDRATES, LIPIDS, NUCLEIC ACIDS, ATP)

1. There are structural and functional proteins.
2. Carbohydrates are used primarily as sources of energy.
3. Lipids are used primarily to store energy in the cell.
4. Nucleic acids are associated with hereditary.
5. ATP is a source of usable energy for the cell.

D. PLANTS AND THOSE MICROORGANISMS CONTAINING CHLOROPLASTS USE SOLAR ENERGY
    TO COMBINE MOLECULES OF CARBON DIOXIDE AND WATER INTO COMPLEX, ENERGY RICH
    ORGANIC COMPOUNDS AND RELEASE OXYGEN TO THE ENVIRONMENT.

1. Chloroplasts are the site of photosynthesis.
2. In the presence of sunlight trapped by chlorophyll, carbon dioxide and water are combined to form simple sugar molecules and oxygen.
3. Plants produce substances high in energy content that become the primary source of energy for animal life

E. CELLULAR RESPIRATION IS A PROCESS IN WHICH GLUCOSE IS CONVERTED TO ATP.

F. THE CHANGES DURING THE LIFE CYCLE OF SOME ORGANISMS (IMMATURE/ADULT FISH, 
   TADPOLE/FROG, CATERPILLAR/BUTTERFLY) CHANGE THEIR ROLE IN THE ECOSYSTEM.

1. Some organisms such as frogs and butterflies interact with different aspects of their environment at different stages in their life cycle.

TO UNDERSTAND THE CONCEPTS OUTLINED ABOVE, A STUDENT SHOULD BE
ABLE TO:

• Explain how the process of photosynthesis provides a vital connection between the sun and the energy needs of living things.
• Describe how genetic information stored in DNA directs protein synthesis.
• Identify and explain the structure and function of molecules that control cellular activities.
• Describe how organisms use food to produce energy  (ATP).
• Explain how a cell is a system of organelles each with its own function.
• Compare the ecological roles of an organism at two stages in its life cycle (immature/adult fish, tadpole/frog, caterpillar/butterfly).