La Habra High School
Science Department

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Science Standards - Biology

CELL BIOLOGY
(Examples of Standards)

• define and apply osmosis and diffusion.
• describe the structure of a lipid bipolar membrane.
• observe and interpret passive and active transport across the membrane.
• describe the stages of the cell life cycle.
• describe the process of binary fission.
• distinguish between asexual and sexual reproduction in cells.
• define protein, enzyme, and catalyst, and describe their relationship.
• explain how enzymatic reactions occur.
• define, compare, and contrast prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells.
• describe the structure & function of DNA and RNA.
• define, describe and apply the processes of replication, transcription and translation.
• describe the role of endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi apparatus.
• define entropy and its effect on the flow of energy through an ecosystem.
• diagram visible spectrum of light.
• define photosynthesis and describe the role of the chloroplasts, chlorophyll, and radiant energy.
• explain the role and importance of ATP.
• compare and contrast aerobic and anaerobic cellular respiration.
• define and describe macromolecules and their chemical and empirical structures.
• describe the processes of hydrolysis and dehydration synthesis.
• compare and contrast anabolic and catabolic processes.
• explain and apply the principles of osmosis across all membranes.
• define and describe the cytoskeleton and cell wall.

GENETICS
(Examples of Standards)

• describe the various stages of meiosis.
• interpret karyotypes.
• describe and explain the effects of chromosomal translocation.
• explain the role of meiosis, fertilization and mitosis in alternation of generations.
• describe the sexual structures of fungi and plants.
• define and apply the laws of independent assortment and segregation.
• define an allele, gene, and chromosome.
• apply the Punnett Square to identify different combinations of alleles.
• define fertilization and pollination.
• define haploid, diploid, monoploid, and polyploidy.
• explain the role of meiosis and the fusion of gametes in determining an individual's DNA sequence.
• distinguish between the autosomes and sex chromosomes.
• define the F1, F2, and P generations.
• determine genotypic and phenotypic ratios of offspring based upon P generation.
• identify phenotypic disorders based upon genotypes.
• define the role of meiosis in Mendel's Laws.
• define the role of ribosomes in protein synthesis.
• define substitution, inversion, translocation, and deletion mutations.
• define and describe embryological development.

ECOLOGY
(Examples of Standards)

• define biodiversity, habitat, niche, biotic factors, abiotic factors, and biome.
• describe adaptations of specific organisms for specific habitats.
• describe the effects of immigration, emigration, natality, and mortality on population size.
• define carrying capacity.
• describe the biogeochemical cycles with their biotic and abiotic interrelationships.
• explain the role of photosynthesis and respiration in the cycling of oxygen and carbon.
• explain the role of bacteria in the nitrogen cycle.
• define and give examples of producers and decomposers.
• describe the role of producers and decomposers in the ecosystem.
• describe and distinguish between food chains, food webs, and trophic levels.
• apply the laws of thermodynamics to the flow of energy through an ecosystem.
• explain the statement that matter is cycled, but energy flows through an ecosystem.

EVOLUTION
(Examples of Standards)

• explain natural selection.
• define mimicry, warning coloration, and cryptic coloration.
• explain why detrimental alleles are retained in a population.
• explain bacterial antibiotic resistance.
• compare and contrast the theories of Darwin and Lamarck.
• explain why Hardy-Weinberg conditions do not occur in nature.
• describe reproductive isolating mechanisms.
• define sympatric & allopatric speciation.
• apply the geologic time scale.
• apply half-life to determine the age of fossils.
• create a branching diagram that shows evolutionary relationships.

PHYSIOLOGY
(Examples of Standards)

• compare and contrast the nervous and endocrine systems with their respective control functions
• compare and contrast learned response and pre-programmed (innate) response.
• define interneurons, motor neurons, and sensory neurons, and state their functions.
• compare and contrast mechanical and chemical digestion.
• describe the function of stomach acid and bile salts.
• describe the role of osmosis, diffusion, and active transport in the functions of the kidneys.