If you understand the answers to these questions
       (and have not simply memorized an answer you found on my outline or google),
      you will have met the goals for that section and should do well on the assessment.
                      Please practice writing out your answers to these questions
                                                     in advance of the assessment. 

                                     

               
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                                     Goals Section 2
photosynthesis:
8. How does light energy travel? How is this energy measured? Is all light energy equally 
     useful to a plant? Explain. When we look at plant leaves, why do they look green to us? 
9. What is the balanced formula for photosynthesis? How is this process related to the process 
    of cellular respiration?
10. Describe the process of the light dependent reaction. List the reactants/products in this reaction. 
     What is the purpose of each reactant?
​11. Describe the process of light independent reaction. List the reactants/products in this reaction.
     What is the purpose of each reactant?

DNA:                                                
1. Describe how DNA monomers are arranged in the DNA polymer. 
2. DNA replication relies on two enzymes; one "unzips"the DNA strand and is called _______. The
     other enzyme, called ________, fills in the open template spaces on the unzipped DNA with DNA
     nucleotides. Are both sides of  the DNA template replicated continuously? Explain.
     What is meant by semi-conservative replication?

*3. Describe the process of protein synthesis including the processes of both transcription and
       translation. This is a high value question...we spend alot of time on this questions. Please make sure your
       answer has enough detail to be both correct and complete. 
       You will also be asked to transcribe and translate a template strand of DNA like the example on the
       pics/tutorials page. I will provide the mRNA codon chart on the assessment.

4. What is the role of transcription factors and how do they function?
5. Describe how the lac operon controls the production of lactase in prokaryotic cells.
    When lactose is present, lactase is made. When lactose is absent, lactase is not made. Why? 
    Eukaryotes can not use this form of transcriptional control. Why not?
7. Describe how epigenetic tags control protein synthesis?
    Select a gene (you may use the agouti gene, the DNMT3 gene, the GR gene or another that you've found that
    is of interest to you) and use it as an example in your explanation.  
                                                       
evolution:
1. What is a mutation? How do mutations produce novel phenotypes? 
     Are all mutations harmful? Explain your reasoning.
​2. What were Darwin's observations and deductions based on his journey aboard the HMS             Beagle?
3. Describe the process (not give a definition) of natural selection (start with a mutation).
4. Describe the process (not give a definition) of speciation.
5. How are convergent and divergent evolution different? Give an example of each type. 
6. Describe how the following data sets support the scientific theory of evolution. 
    (When answering this question, please describe the data set in detail and then
      explain how the data set supports evolution.) 
​   a. selective breeding/artificial selection)
​   b. biochemical evidence (also called molecular evidence and protein/DNA "clock")
​   c. comparative embryology
​   d. comparison of homologous structures
   e. the fossil record and transitional species (both living and extinct)
7. Fossil age can be determined using radiometric dating. Explain how Carbon dating works.
8. Explain the five conditions required for a population to maintain static equilibrium a la
    Hardy Weinberg (we explored this in lab on the 29th...check your lab page's last pics                     subpage). When a population is evolving, these conditions are not being met.   
     We discovered during our M & M game that a population can, by complete chance,
      experience a change in their allele frequencies during a process called genetic drift.
      Describe the two forms of genetic drift. How might both forms produce a population with
      different allele frequencies than the parent population? 


extra credit:
One or all of these...
a. What is Eugenics? Explain why, when a Eugenics movement uses the terms "natural selection" and/or "survival of the fittest"  to justify repressive social programs, how are they misrepresenting science?  
b. Visit and review this Smithsonian site (http://humanorigins.si.edu/evidence). It has a great synopsis of the  evolution of the current reigning Homo species. You will be offered one extra credit questions on the assessment based on this information.  
c. Watch the documentary Becoming Human (http://www.becominghuman.org/). You will be offered one extra credit point on the assessment based on this information. The questions will evaluate whether or not you watched the documentary but will not ask you to provide very specific information.   

When answering questions on an open ended assessment, it is important to be both
correct AND complete.
Please write out sample answers...the act of writing will help you remember information AND it will give you a head start in practicing assembling answers that are well thought out and meaningful. Read your answers out loud.
​ If it sounds...hmmm, off, it IS off and needs to be reworked.