After your English and Mathematics midterms, I'm sure you need a break before you get back to the books and study for the rest of your exams.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Midterm Mania - Tuesday Edition
After your English and Mathematics midterms, I'm sure you need a break before you get back to the books and study for the rest of your exams.
Monday, January 25, 2010
Midterm Review 4 - Solutions

12.
a) oxygen gas (Cell A is a plant cell based on the diagram. Substance X is sent out as a waste product from cell A, and is taken in by cell B, therefore it must be oxygen gas.)
b)cellular respiration
c) mitochondria (Both plant and animal cells have mitochondria, because they must both perform cellular respiration.)
68. (There are many possible correct answers that refer to the relationship between the independent and dependent variable.) Examples:
- Plants grown at higher temperatures will grow tall more quickly
- If the temperature increases, the rate that a plant will grow will decrease.
(Do NOT explain in a hypothesis - merely state a relationship between the variables in the experiment. In short, never use the word '"because" in a hypothesis.)
69. Temperature and the height of the plant, for example. (This should match the quantities being measured in your hypothesis.)
70. (In questions like this, remember the things we have discussed that make for an experiment with reliable results, such as using multiple trials, and ensuring only one independent variable.)
Examples of correct answers:
Use multiple plants at each temperature, use more temperature values, conduct repeated trials of lily plants, increase the sample size.
Final Question:
Errors in the investigation include...
- multiple independent variables (females given more food than the males, males and females receive different amounts of ibuprofen.)
- no control group (mice given regular amounts of food and water, but no ibuprofen.)
And, to continue the tradition of sharing cool stuff with you at the end of a review session, check out the video below to see some of the most frightening insects I've seen in a while...
Oh yeah, the bonus word for Monday, January 25th is evolution. Send me an email or text with the word before 10 PM to be eligible for your prize tomorrow.
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Midterm Review Sheets 1,2 and 3 - Solutions!
Quick Review:
a) energy
b) the quantity in an experiment that is measured, observed or tested
c1) three fatty acids attached to a glycerol
c2) the process by which molecules are bonded together by the loss of a water molecule
d) calculations are not necessary for a good experiment - the others are essential!
e) speed
them up/lower the activation energy
f) contains more than one element
g1) because it does not contain BOTH carbon and hydrogen
g2) CO2 + H2O --(light)--> C6H12O6 + O2
h) CO2, water and ATP
i) simple sugars
j) it produces its own food
k) kingdom animalia
l) because it serves to warm up the body and return its temperature to normal levels.
m) grasshopper, hawk, mushroom, butterfly - these organisms all obtain food from the environment
n) H (hydrogen), S (Sulphur), and O (oxygen)
o) acidic - if pH is less than 7, solutions are acidic. 7 is neutral, above 7 is basic.
MC Questions:
1. (2)
2. (4)
3. (1)
4. (3)
5. (2) - the handout used in the regular class has a different question with answer (3) of organelle
6. (1)
7. (3)
8. (4)
9. Grasses and shrubs are producers because they make their own food. They do not eat other organisms, so the arrows always point away.
10.
Photosynthesis: Water and carbon dioxide are combined using the energy of light to form glucose and oxygen gas.
Respiration: Glucose and Oxygen are converted through respiration into ATP, with waste products of water and carbon dioxide.
Cellular respiration is essential because it converts the energy in glucose into a form (ATP) that can be used by cells to perform life processes.
Photosynthesis is essential because it allows the Euglena to produce glucose on its own using light energy, allowing it to survive when food is not available.
12.
The experiment lacks a control group that does not use the plant hormone auxin. The student therefore can't compare to determine whether the hormone helps or not.
Brine Shrimp experiment answers:
THe key to questions like these is to make sure you answer ALL parts of the question. Here are suggested answers to each part as given from the actual Regents grading rubric:
• state how many containers to use in the experiment, and describe what would be
added to each container in addition to the eggs [1]
Three containers, each with a different salt concentration (2%, 4%, and 6%), should be used.
— four containers, one with water, the other three with different salt concentrations (2%, 4%, and 6%)
— four containers, a control and the others with 2%, 4%, and 6% salt solution
- I (starch indicator) both inside and outside the bag
- G (glucose) both inside and outside the bag
- S only on the inside of the bag (starch is too large to pass through the membrane.

- digestion is part of nutrition, so it would not be accepted.
- reproduction is not accepted because it is not involved in homeostasis
- giving a correct process, but NOT an explanation would not earn any points.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Monday, January 18, 2010
Protein Synthesis Links
Protein Synthesis animation
This is a great site for practice questions on the midterm topics.
We are focusing on Units 1,2,4,6,7 and 8. There are some topics within 4,6,7,and 8 that we haven't done, so don't be too discouraged if you don't get them all. Take the time to check what you remember and don't remember, and plan to use the next few days to review for the midterm.
Mr. Wanamaker's L.E. Practice Tests
Let's get to work!
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
HW Solutions - Jan. 4 2010
14. 6O2 + C6H12O6 ---> 6CO2 + 6H2O + energy, or in words, oxygen + glucose combine to form carbon dioxide + water + energy.
19. Both fermentation and cellular respiration break down glucose and release energy stored within its bonds. Cellular respiration uses oxygen and produces substantially more ATP than fermentation, which produces only 2 net ATP per glucose molecule.
23. Missing part #1 is carbon dioxide and water, since they are the inputs to photosynthesis. Missing part #2 is the process of cellular respiration.
Answers on p. 239:
1. B
2. E (some of you told me you did this anyway - good work!)
3. A
4. C
5. C
6. D
7. D
8. C
9. C