The followings are
a check list to help you prepare for the midterm. You should be able to find information from
your lecture notes, the textbook, and CD-ROM activities.
Chapter 1
- recognize three domains and major kingdoms that belong
to them.
- recognize
main features of each kingdoms
- understand
the concept of natural selection and apply the concept to understand
evolution
Chapter 2
- know
the four major elements found in living organisms
- know
the differences among different chemical bonds
- know
that water is a polar molecule
Chapter 3
- know
the unique feature of carbon that allows construction of biological
molecules
- recognize
properties of functional groups
- understand
the basic mechanism of biological polymer synthesis
- know
the four major classes of biological molecules
- know
the monomer unit of each biological polymer
- know
examples of monosaccharide, disaccharide and polysaccharide
- understand
the differences between saturated and unsaturated fat
- understand
functions of cholesterol
- recognize
some functions of steroids
- recognize
different functions of protein
- understand
importance of protein structure to perform specific functions
- recognize
basic structure of amino acids
- understand
different levels of protein structure
- know
the basic functions of DNA and RNA
- recognize
basic structures of nucleic acids
- understand
structural differences between DNA and RNA
- understand
complementary base pairing in DNA
Chapter 4
- know normal range of cell size
- recognize structure of prokaryotic cells
- recognize structure of animal and plant cells
- know the differences in structure between animal
and plant cells
- know different cell organelles and their functions
- recognize components of the endomembrane
system
- describe the passage that secretary proteins are
synthesized and secreted
- recognize different types of cytoskeleton and their
functions
- describe how microtubules provide the locomotor mechanism to cilia and flagella
- distinguish different types of cell junctions
- describe how the structures of eukaryotic cells may
have evolved from prokaryotes
Chapter 5
- explain how ATP shuttles chemical energy within the
cell.
- explain how enzymes facilitate chemical reactions.
- recognize different factors that influence enzyme
activity.
- recognize the general structure of plasma membrane.
- recognize
functions of plasma membrane components
- predict plant and animal cells responses to hypotonic
and hypertonic solution.
- distinguish between facilitated diffusion and active
transport.
- distinguish
between exocytosis, endocytosis,
phagocytosis, pinocytosis,
and receptor-mediated endocytosis
- describe
how cholesterol is delivered to the cell and predict consequences of LDL
receptor defects
Chapter 6
- distinguish differences between oxidation and
reduction.
- describe
how cells generate ATP via substrate-level phosphorylation
- describe
how elecron transport chains contribute to the
generation of ATP via chemiosmosis
- recognize
the three major steps of cellular respiration and where in the cell each
step is performed
- recognize
major players and products in glycolysis
- recognize
major players and products in Kreb cycle
- recognize
major players and products in electron transport chain and chemiosmosis
- explain
how some cells maintain energy input under anaerobic conditions
- describe how cells obtain energy from different organic
molecules
Chapter 7
- recognize
the two major stages of photosynthesis and where in the cells each stage
is performed
- recognize
major players and products in light reactions
- recognize
similarities and differences in electron transport chains between respiration
and photosynthesis
The proportion of each chapter in exam questions is roughly
proportional to the time we spent on it.
Here is a guideline (may change a bit):
Chapter 1 2 questions
Chapter 2 2 questions
Chapter 3 9 questions
Chapter 4 9 questions
Chapter 5 8 questions
Chapter 6 8 questions
Chapter 7 2 questions
Good luck! ☺