GRAPHINGA biologist grew bacteria, fungi and algae in several different types of soil. She added the same number of organisms to each type of soil. At the end of one week, she measured the quantity of each organism in the soil. Her results are shown in the table below.

1. Several conclusions could be drawn from this information. Which of the following is one of the conclusions supported by the data?a. algae and bacteria grow better when light is availableb. fungi and algae grow best at temperatures close to 25o Cc. fungi has the greatest rate of growth in dry conditionsd. chemical Z has no effect on bacteria, fungi or algae

2. What is the difference between the average growth of algae in moist soil vs average growth of algae in dry soil?

3. Graph the data in the above showing organism growth in different soil types. Choose the best format (line, bar, circle).

4. The following data includes the diet of an average outdoor cat. Plot a graph that accurately shows the % of different food items in the diet. Choose the best format (line, bar, circle).

% of different food items in the diet of a cat

Birds 7Crickets 0Other insects (not crickets)

3

Voles 19Rabbits 18Rats 43Mice 10

5. Fix the mistakes in the following graph. This graph shows an enzymes activity at different temperatures in degrees Celsius. The line showing high activity at 37 degrees C represents human enzyme whereas the line showing high activity at 50 degrees C represents a thermophile bacteria living in the deep sea vents.

Cell Organelles

1. List 5 examples of organisms which contain chloroplast and 5 that do not.

Contain Chloroplast Do Not Contain Chloroplast

2. Fill out the following chart?

DNA RNA

Where are they found in the cell?

What molecules do they contain

Mitosis and Meiosis

1. Draw a Diagram of the division of a cell going through Mitosis and MeiosisStart with the parent cell and end with the daughter cells.Mitosis Meiosis

2. In mitosis, if a parent cell has 32 chromosomes, how many chromosomes will its daughter cell have?

3. In meiosis, if a parent cell has 32 chromosomes, how many chromosomes will its daughter cell have?

Inheritance

1. Mutations can only be passed down through what kind of cell?

For the following questions use the information below. Browns eyes=B are dominant to blue eyes=b.

2. A male has brown eyes. How could you determine if his genotype is homozygous dominant(BB) or heterozygous(Bb)?

3. A Female has blue eyes. She and her husband have 10 children. All their children have brown eyes. What is her husband’s genotype?

Cladograms

1. Name five characteristics of birds.

2. According to the cladogram which character evolved first: (circle) the amniotic egg or hair?

3. On the cladogram, circle the point (i.e. node) that represents the most recent common, ancestor of crocodiles, dinosaurs, and birds?

Evidence for Evolution

1. Skeletal structures are common between two animals of different species. These structures probably exist because both species

a. Have a common source.b. Live in the same environment.

c. Have survived until the present time.d. Are related to a common ancestor.

Natural Selection

1. Label the three types of selection illustrated by the dotted line in the graphs below.

2. A population of birds, with various size beaks, eats seeds. Small seeds can be eaten by birdswith small beaks. Larger, thicker seeds can only be eaten by birds with larger, thicker beaks.Suppose there is a shortage of small seeds but that there are still many large seeds.

3. Draw a new curve on the graph below to show how the distribution of beak sizes might change as a result of selection in this new environment.

4. Use the graph above to answer the following questions:

a. Which birds in this population have the highest fitness?

b. Explain how natural selection could lead to the change you predicted.

Biogeochemical cycles- Nitrogen

Nitrogen Cycle - Read the passage about the nitrogen cycle and then color the corresponding images that follow:

An important process in ecosystems is the recycling of nitrogen through its living (biotic) and nonliving (abiotic) components. Approximately 78% of the air is composed of diatomic nitrogen. Nitrogen is essential to life because it is a key component of amino acids and nucleic acids. Even ATP, the basic energy currency of living things, contains nitrogen.

Neither plants nor animals can obtain nitrogen directly from the atmosphere. Instead, they must depend on a process called nitrogen fixation. Key player in nitrogen fixation are legumes and the symbiotic bacteria that are associated with their root nodules. Legumes include clover, peas, alfalfa, and soybeans. The bacteria associated with their root nodules are nitrogen-fixing bacteria. These bacteria convert nitrogen in the soil to ammonia, which can be taken up by some plants. After nitrogen has been fixed, other bacteria convert it into nitrate, in a process called nitrification. The nitrate is then consumed by plants.

The plants may then be consumed by animals. Herbivores are the primary consumers, and the nitrogen of the plants is used for the synthesis of key organic compounds such as amino acids, proteins, and nucleic acids.

The final aspect of the nitrogen cycle is the process of denitrification. This process is performed by a variety of microscopic bacteria, fungi, and other organisms, and nitrogen is released into the atmosphere. This completes the nitrogen cycle.

1. What is the role of decomposers in the nitrogen cycle?

2. How do plants obtain the nitrogen they need?

3. How do herbivores obtain the nitrogen they need?

4. Describe the effects of eutrophication.

Food Pyramids

EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN

1. A study was created to test the effects of fear in children. The hypothesis of the experimenters was that if babies were exposed to fuzzy bunnies and at the same time a loud cymbal was struck close behind them, then that child would be afraid of all fuzzy things. Another group of children would be exposed to bunnies without any loud noises. The study was carried out as planned and as a result, hundreds of young children developed fear of all cute furry bunny rabbits.

Dependent Variable: ______________________

Constant Variables: _______________________________

Independent Variable: _____________________ Control Group: __________________________________

What was the hypothesis being tested? ________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________

What would be the ethical concerns behind such an experiment? __________________________________

2. At a daycare, the staff has had problems with the children behaving badly every day. They begin to test to see how the children react if the staff gives them large amounts of candy when they are good and no candy when they are bad. The staff hopes that the incentive for the children will improve their behavior.

Dependent Variable: ______________________

Constant Variable: ____________________________

Independent Variable: _____________________ Control Group: _______________________________

What is the hypothesis the staff was testing? _________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________

3. John Smith has been hired by the city of Virginia Beach to investigate the recent shark attacks off the resort’s coast. He has a budget of $40,000, a 25 foot boat, and three graduate student assistants to help him. A helicopter has also been donated by a local television station, should he need one.

* * * List 2 hypotheses John and his crew may have come up with for the recent shark attacks.

a. If_____________________________________, then ______________________________________b. If_____________________________________, then ______________________________________

What type of data do you think John will collect (What will be the results of the experiment)?

Fact, Law, Hypothesis, Theory and Belief

Fact: A basic statement established by experiment or observation. All f acts are true under specific conditions. Some facts may be false when re-tested with better instruments.

Law: A logical relationship between two or more things that is based on a variety of facts and proven hypothesis. It is often a mathematical statement of how two or more quantities relate to each other.

Hypothesis: A tentative statement such as ‘if A happens then B must happen’ that can be tested by direct experiment or observation. A proven hypothesis can be expressed as a law or a theory. A disproven hypothesis can sometimes be re-tested and found correct as measurements improve.

Theory: An explanation for why certain laws and facts exist that can be tested to determine its accuracy.

Belief: A statement that is not scientifically provable in the same way as facts, laws, hypotheses or theories. Scientifically disproven beliefs can still be held to be true.

1. Please give an example of the layman’s usage of the word “theory”

2. How does this definition differ from the scientific use of the word theory?

3. Why is it wrong for someone to dismiss a scientific theory as it being “just a theory”

4. Explain how the terms hypothesis, theory and law are similar and how they are different.

5. How is the scientific method used to develop a scientific theory?

Case Studies as Discussion Starters

1. Joe is making electrical measurements in a physics laboratory. Joe is a good student and is confident that he has set up the circuit properly. When Joe tries to do the required calculations to verify the formulas in his physics book he finds that the data he took appears to be incorrect. He suspects that one of the electrical components he was given is not working properly. His teacher, Mr. grim, is busy helping some of the weaker students so Joe decides not to report his problem. He knows he can do the mathematical calculations to determine what a correct set of data would be and simply change his own data to match what he has calculated.

Should Joe calculate his data instead of using his measurements?2. Pure science is a science that is studied without regard to practical applications and only to expand the

current knowledge base. Examples of this would be cell biology, botany, anatomy and embryology. Applied science is a science that applies existing scientific knowledge to develop more practical applications such as technology or inventions. Examples of this would be engineering, and medicine.

Discuss some examples of when animals are used in both types of research.

Do you think it is more ethically acceptable to use them in pure or applied research? Why?3. Looking at the following chart, which argument do you find most convincing? Is that because you feel

strong emotions about it or because you thought it through logically?“Biomedical” Lobby “Animal Rights” Lobby

Human life is intrinsically more morally valuable than animal life: we are more important than them.

All sentient animals have equal moral worth: their lives are as valuable as ours.

All mammals have the same organs performing the same functions and controlled by the same mechanisms, via hormones or the nervous system. Animal hormones have been used successfully in humans.

Significant species differences mean that it is impossible to extrapolate with any certainty the results of animal experiments to the human situation.

Whilst non-animal methods such as tissue culture, computer modelling, studies of patients and populations are widely used they do not provide enough information to ensure human safety.

Alternatives such as tissue culture, epidemiological studies and computer models can be used instead of testing on animals.

All experiments must be approved by Home Office Inspectors, who are doctors and vets with the knowledge and experience to weigh any distress involved in an experiment against the potential benefit for science and for humanity.

Pictures of animals in experiments are taken as clear evidence of cruelty.

Research Ethics Committees of funding bodies are rigorous in their consideration of animal welfare and scientists’ rationale for the research when deciding where to deploy their limited monies.

Much research using live animals is thought to be trivial.