2: Investigate and summarize the chemical basis of life.

2.a: Compare and contrast atoms, ions, elements, molecules, and compounds in terms of the relationship of the bond types (e.g., ionic, covalent, and hydrogen bonds) to chemical activity and explain how this is relevant to biological activity.

Covalent Bonds
Ionic Bonds

2.c: Compare the composition and primary properties of carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids and relate these to their functions in living organisms.

RNA and Protein Synthesis

2.d: Compare and contrast the basic processes of photosynthesis and cellular respiration.

Cell Energy Cycle

3: Investigate and explain how organisms interact with their environment.

3.a: Describe the criteria that must be present to distinguish between living and nonliving.

3.a.2: Growth, development, reproduction, energy use

Food Chain

3.b: Analyze and explain the interactions among organisms for each level of biological organization.

3.b.1: Biotic and abiotic

Coral Reefs 1 - Abiotic Factors
Food Chain
Pond Ecosystem

3.b.2: Predation, competition, symbiosis, mutualism, commensalism, parasitism, etc.

Food Chain

3.b.3: Food chains, food webs, and food pyramids

Food Chain
Forest Ecosystem

3.c: Analyze energy flow through an ecosystem by assessing the roles of carnivores, omnivores, herbivores, producers, and decomposers and determine their effects on an ecosystem.

Food Chain
Forest Ecosystem

3.d: Predict the impact of human activities (e.g., recycling, pollution, overpopulation) on the environment.

Coral Reefs 1 - Abiotic Factors
Coral Reefs 2 - Biotic Factors

4: Investigate, compare, and contrast cell structures, functions, and methods of reproduction.

4.a: Compare and contrast cell structures, functions, and methods of reproduction to analyze the similarities and differences among cell types.

4.a.2: Unicellular/multicellular

Paramecium Homeostasis

4.a.3: Plant/animal/bacterial/protist/fungal

Dichotomous Keys

4.b: Describe and explain the relationships between structures and functions of major eukaryotic organelles (e.g., cell wall, cell membrane, chromosomes, mitochondrion, nucleus, chloroplast, vacuole, endoplasmic reticulum, ribosomes, centrioles, cytoplasm/cytosol, Golgi apparatus, vesicles, lysosomes, microtubules, microfilaments, cytoskeleton, nucleolus, nuclear membrane.)

Cell Energy Cycle
Cell Structure
Paramecium Homeostasis
RNA and Protein Synthesis

4.c: Describe how active, passive, and facilitated transports relate to the maintenance of homeostasis.

Osmosis
Paramecium Homeostasis

5: Analyze the roles DNA and RNA play on the mechanism of inheritance.

5.a: Utilize genetic terminology and principles to solve monohybrid crosses involving dominant and recessive traits.

Mouse Genetics (One Trait)
Mouse Genetics (Two Traits)

5.c: Explain and distinguish among the roles of DNA and RNA in replication, transcription, and translation.

RNA and Protein Synthesis

6: Apply the concept of evolution to the diversity of organisms.

6.a: Classify organisms into groups based on their unique characteristics (e.g., cell type, nutrition, reproductive methods, organism examples, etc.) and trace the evolutionary relationships among the groups.

Human Evolution - Skull Analysis

6.b: Describe how natural selection relates to adaptation, survival, and speciation.

Evolution: Mutation and Selection
Evolution: Natural and Artificial Selection
Microevolution
Natural Selection
Rainfall and Bird Beaks - Metric