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Descriptive Statements:
- Demonstrate knowledge of the chemistry of major elements composing living things (e.g., carbon, nitrogen, sulfur) and the properties of chemical bonds that join these elements (e.g., covalent, ionic, hydrogen).
- Demonstrate knowledge of the physical and chemical properties of common molecules in living things (e.g., water, molecular oxygen, carbon dioxide).
- Apply knowledge of the structures and functions of biologically important macromolecules (i.e., carbohydrates, proteins, nucleic acids, and lipids), including their basic building blocks (e.g., monomers, peptides, lipid chains, nucleotides), and the processes of dehydration synthesis and hydrolysis.
- Demonstrate knowledge of the structures of various proteins, their subunits, and the impact of those structures on their functions; and of the structure and function of enzymes in cells, models of enzyme function, and factors that affect enzyme activity.
- Apply knowledge of the structures of DNA and RNA, the impact of those structures on their functions, and the relationship between DNA, alleles, genes, and chromosomes.
- Apply knowledge of DNA replication and protein synthesis, including the role of RNA, transcription, and translation.
- Demonstrate knowledge of scientific practices (e.g., asking questions, analyzing and interpreting data, using mathematics and computational thinking), safety procedures and the proper use of equipment, and the engineering design process (e.g., iterative design, solving problems) related to the characteristics and behavior of the atoms and molecules necessary for life.
Sample Item:
Which of the following statements best describes the major role of sulfur atoms in biological systems?
- a part of some amino acid side chains
- an important component of lipid bilayers
- a member of a small solvent molecule in which reactions occur
- the center of a molecule that has been decomposed to release energy
Correct Response and Explanation (Show Correct ResponseHide Correct Response)
A. Sulfur atoms are important to biological systems because they are incorporated into the side chains of some amino acids. Side chains in amino acids play an important role in the chemical properties, structure, and unique functions of the proteins in which they are located.
Descriptive Statements:
- Apply knowledge of the structure and function of a cell's organelles and parts (e.g., mitochondrion, chloroplast, flagellum, membrane).
- Apply knowledge of the structure of a cell's membrane and its role in passive and active transport and the maintenance of homeostasis in cells (e.g., osmosis, endocytosis, exocytosis).
- Apply knowledge of cell theory and the similarities and differences between various cells and nonliving cell-like structures (e.g., viruses, prokaryotic cells, eukaryotic plant cells, eukaryotic animal cells, protists).
- Demonstrate knowledge of the structures and life-sustaining functions of cells in multicellular organisms, including differentiation of specialized cells.
- Demonstrate knowledge of the mechanisms of cellular communication (e.g., endocrine, synaptic transmission, hormonal, pheromonal).
- Apply knowledge of the hierarchical organization of cells, tissues, organs, and organ systems of living things (e.g., lung tissue in the respiratory system of a mammal, xylem and phloem making up the transport system in a plant).
- Demonstrate knowledge of scientific practices (e.g., asking questions, analyzing and interpreting data, using mathematics and computational thinking), safety procedures and the proper use of equipment, and the engineering design process (e.g., iterative design, solving problems) related to the components of living things.
Sample Item:
Plasmodesmata in plant cells play a role similar to which of the following animal cell structures in facilitating cell communication?
- protein receptors
- antigens
- gap junctions
- microfilaments
Correct Response and Explanation (Show Correct ResponseHide Correct Response)
C. Plasmodesmata are small, narrow channels within plant cell walls that allow for the transport of material and facilitate communication between adjacent cells. In animal cells, gap junctions are protein channels located in the cell membranes that connect the cytoplasm of cells directly next to each other. The function of the gap junctions is to allow for the regulation and transport of information or molecules between cells, a function comparable to that of plasmodesmata.
Descriptive Statements:
- Demonstrate knowledge of the processes within photosynthesis, including energy transfer and cycling of reactants and products.
- Demonstrate knowledge of the processes of cellular respiration and ATP production in anaerobic and aerobic conditions (e.g., electron transport chain, glycolysis, the citric acid cycle).
- Apply knowledge of the cycling of matter and the flow of energy to the maintenance of homeostasis within organisms, including their equilibria, feedback loops, and the laws of thermodynamics.
- Demonstrate knowledge of scientific practices (e.g., asking questions, analyzing and interpreting data, using mathematics and computational thinking), safety procedures and the proper use of equipment, and the engineering design process (e.g., iterative design, solving problems) related to the flow of energy and cycling of matter in different organisms.
Sample Item:
Which of the following sequences best describes the path of electron movement that occurs during photosynthesis?
- thylakoid space →moves to cytochrome complex →moves to photosystem II
- NADPHN A D P H →moves to electron transport chain →moves to water
- photosystem I →moves to photosystem II →moves to stroma
- water →moves to NADPHN A D P H →moves to Calvin cycle
Correct Response and Explanation (Show Correct ResponseHide Correct Response)
D. The path of electron flow that occurs during photosynthesis starts when water becomes oxidized inside the thylakoid membranes of a chloroplast. During this chemical reaction, water is split into two HHydrogen+ ions. Two electrons and oxygen are also given off as byproducts. Free electrons and HHydrogen+ ions are ultimately transferred to NADPN A D P+, if enzymes are present, to form the molecule NADPHN A D P H. NADPHN A D P H is used to carry and transfer these electrons into glucose molecules that are synthesized from the carbon dioxide molecules during the Calvin cycle.
Descriptive Statements:
- Demonstrate knowledge of the structures and functions of organs and organ systems in plants, including for growth and reproduction.
- Demonstrate knowledge of the structures and functions of organs and organ systems in animals for growth and reproduction, including humans.
- Apply knowledge of how the cell cycle relates to the life processes of growth, differentiation, maintenance, and repair in multicellular organisms.
- Apply knowledge of the major events of the cell cycle outside of mitosis (e.g., DNA replication, cytokinesis, cell cycle control).
- Demonstrate knowledge of the process of mitosis, including its major events, functions, and intermediate and final products.
- Demonstrate knowledge of the process of meiosis, including its major events, functions, and intermediate and final products.
- Apply knowledge of the forms of reproduction, including the similarity and differences between sexual and asexual reproduction.
- Demonstrate knowledge of scientific practices (e.g., asking questions, analyzing and interpreting data, using mathematics and computational thinking), safety procedures and the proper use of equipment, and the engineering design process (e.g., iterative design, solving problems) related to the maintenance, growth, and reproduction of organisms.
Sample Item:
Growth in the size of a multicellular organism depends on cell division rather than growth in size of individual cells because:
- when cells reach a certain age and size, they die and must be replaced.
- cell membranes are inelastic and cannot expand to accommodate cell growth.
- metabolic products cannot be distributed properly due to the cell's surface area-to-volume ratio.
- growth in size requires cell differentiation, which only occurs in embryonic stem cells.
Correct Response and Explanation (Show Correct ResponseHide Correct Response)
C. Growth within a multicellular organism depends on cell division rather than an increase in size of individual cells. Specifically, as a cell increases in size, its surface area-to-volume ratio decreases. If a cell grows beyond a certain size, the cell membrane is no longer sufficiently large in surface area to support the rate of diffusion needed to sustain life functions in the cell.
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