Comprehensive Study Guide for SAIT Biology 30 (BIOL 182) Placement Test

Purpose of Assessment: The Biology Placement test is a free assessment designed exclusively for Academic Upgrading placement purposes at SAIT.
Usage Constraints:
- No section of the test may be used for admission to any SAIT program other than Academic Upgrading.
- The test is NOT accepted for admission to any other institution.
Passing Requirements:
- A minimum passing mark of $60\%$ is required to register for BIOL 182 (Biology 30 equivalent).
Result Processing: SAIT aims to enter passing marks into the system within $2$ business days of successful completion.
Registration Process: Once a passing grade is achieved and permission is granted, students accepted into the Academic Upgrading program may register for their placed course.
Exemptions: Students who have already successfully completed SAIT's Academic Upgrading courses in Math and Physics are not required to take this placement test.
Version and Institution:
- Version: 9 Jan 2025.
- Institution: SAIT.

Target Course: The test is specifically for placement into Biology 30 equivalency (BIOL 182).
Test Length: The placement test consists of $30$ questions.
Duration:
- Standard time: $60$ minutes.
- Accommodated time: An additional $30$ minutes is provided to all students, for a total allowable time of $90$ minutes.
Location: The test must be written in the Testing Centre.
Recommended Study Material:
- Students are encouraged to utilize a Biology 20 Study Guide, which can be found at the Calgary Public Library or bookstores.
- The test covers topics found in the Alberta Education Biology 20 curriculum.
Academic Upgrading Sequence:
- BIOL 181: Biology 20 Equivalent.
- BIOL 182: Biology 30 Equivalent.

Energy and Matter Exchange:
- Food chains and food webs.
- Trophic levels.
- Terminology used to describe organisms at various levels.
Classification and Taxa:
- Major characteristics of organisms at the domain and kingdom levels.
- Prokaryotic vs. eukaryotic cell types.
- Photosynthetic vs. non-photosynthetic metabolic strategies.
- Multicellular vs. unicellular body plans.
Environmental Divisions: Major characteristics of biomes.
Biogeochemical Cycles:
- Water cycle.
- Carbon cycle.
- Nitrogen cycle.
- Phosphorus cycle.

Theories and Philosophies:
- Major characteristics of natural selection.
- Theories of Charles Darwin and Jean-Baptiste Lamarck.
Evolutionary Patterns:
- Convergent evolution vs. divergent evolution.
- Adaptive radiation.
Comparative Anatomy:
- Analogous structures.
- Homologous structures.
- Vestigial structures.
Tempo of Evolution:
- Graduated equilibrium vs. punctuated equilibrium (required in general terms only).

Cellular Geography: The specific location within the cell for each major process of photosynthesis.
Light-Dependent Reactions:
- Photosystems: their functional order and the specific events occurring within each.
- Chemiosmosis.
- Identification of the electron carrier name.
Light-Independent Reactions (Calvin Cycle):
- Carbon fixation processes.
- Glucose production.
- Note: Detailed knowledge of metabolic intermediates is NOT required.

Process Overview: General understanding of the overall respiration process, including glycolysis and fermentation.
Spatial Organization: Location of each major process within the cell (e.g., cytoplasm, mitochondria).
Major Metabolic Pathways:
- Glycolysis: Major events and location.
- Kreb’s (Citric Acid) Cycle: Major events and location (Detailed knowledge of metabolic intermediates is NOT required).
- Electron Transport Chain (ETC): Major events and location.
Biochemical Components:
- Specific names of electron carriers.
- Note: Specific names of individual electron transport chain proteins are NOT required.
Anaerobic Processes: Products of fermentation comparing those in humans vs. those in yeast.

Heart Anatomy:
- Four chambers and internal valves.
- Major vessels: Pulmonary arteries, pulmonary veins, superior vena cava, inferior vena cava, aorta, and coronary artery.
Physiology of Flow:
- The sequential order of blood flow through the heart and the pulmonary circuit (to and from the lungs).
- Identifying locations of oxygenated vs. deoxygenated blood within the heart and blood vessels.
Cardiac Regulation: Key structures involved in the electrical control of the heart.
Vascular Histology and Function: Major characteristics and roles of arteries, arterioles, capillaries, venules, and veins.
Hemostasis: Major events involved in blood clotting.
Lymphatic System Functions: Primary roles of the lymphatic system within the body.

Respiratory Anatomy: Major respiratory structures.
Mechanics of Breathing: The main mechanism involving the contraction and relaxation of muscles for inhalation and exhalation.
Gas Exchange: Methods of transport for oxygen and carbon dioxide within the blood.
Digestive Anatomy: Major structures of the digestive tract.
Enzymatic Activity:
- Identification of which structures produce specific enzymes.
- Identification of the specific substrates and molecules each enzyme digests.
Accessory Organs and Absorption:
- Mechanisms of nutrient absorption.
- The role of the liver and gallbladder in the digestive process.

Urinary Anatomy: Major structures of the kidney and the sequence of structures leading from the kidney to exit the body.
The Nephron:
- Anatomy of the nephron.
- Physiological functions: Filtration, reabsorption, and secretion.
Endocrine Regulation of the Kidney: Effects of Antidiuretic Hormone (ADH) and aldosterone.
Immune Defense:
- General exterior defenses of the body.
- Major features of the innate (non-specific) immune response.
- Major features of the adaptive (specific) immune response.
Motor System and Musculature:
- Major structures of skeletal muscle.
- Components of a muscle fibre.
- Major events and anatomical structures involved in skeletal muscle contraction.