What are the building blocks of life? In order to ground understanding of biological processes, it is necessary to be familiar with key chemical components, behaviors, and characteristics. Before students grasp structural concepts of proteins and lipids, they must understand key features of chemical bonding and the properties of water.
1 I can describe the particles that compose an atom and relate these particles to types of chemical bonding such as covalent, ionic, and hydrogen and describe Van der Waals forces. 2 I can identify patterns in the elements that compose each macromolecule and the arrangement of monomer units in carbohydrates, proteins, nucleic acids, and lipids. (1) 3 I can conduct several short investigations to predict the unique prop- erties of water. (5a) 4 I can build a model of a water molecule that illustrates hydrogen bonding. (5a) 5 I can use that model to illustrate how water molecules interact with each other and with other polar and nonpolar molecules, based on oppositely charged parts of the molecule. (5a) 6 I can design and conduct an experiment, including controls and variables, that provides data regarding a property of water. (5a) 7 I can communicate the results of my investigation in one or more modes. (5a) 8 I can use standard experimental tests to predict the macromolecular content of a given substance. (1) 9 Given a model, schematic, or diagram, I can differentiate macromolecules based on common characteristics. (1)
10 I can build a model of a carbohydrate and describe its role in biological processes, such as photosynthesis and cellular respiration. (1) 11 I can build a model of a lipid and describe its role in biological processes, such as cell membrane function and energy storage.(1) 12 I can build a model of a nucleic acid and describe its role in biological processes, such as transmission of hereditary information. (1) 13 I can build a model of a protein and describe its role in biological processes, such as enzyme function or structural functionality. (1) 14 I can compare and contrast the structure of each macromolecule and can predict the function of each from its structure. (1) 15 I can draw conclusions from evidence of matter cycling through living and nonliving components of an ecosystem. (8) 16 I can describe the term biogeochemical by breaking it into its root, prefix, and suffix. (8)
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The Biology Compendium
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