BIO 1111 Lab Practical 1 Review

Safety Rules
- Familiarize with basic laboratory safety rules, which should be posted on the D2L platform.
Metric Units/Conversions
- Understand the metric system, focusing on key units: grams (g), liters (L), and meters (m).
- Ability to convert between metric prefixes such as kilo- (10^3), centi- (10^{-2}), milli- (10^{-3}), micro- (10^{-6}), and nano- (10^{-9}).
- Proficiency in writing numbers in scientific notation.
Graphing Data
- Know the layout of graphs:
- X-axis - represents the independent variable.
- Y-axis - represents the dependent variable.
- Units - must be included on each axis.
- Title - must clearly describe the content of the graph.
Types of Graphs
- Understand when to use different graph types:
- Bar Graph - compares quantities of different categories.
- Line Graph - shows trends over time or continuous data.
- Scatter Plot - explores relationships between two quantitative variables.
- Pie Chart - represents parts of a whole.
Scientific Method
- Be aware of the steps involved:
1. Observation - gathering data through the senses.
2. Hypothesis - forming a testable explanation.
3. Experimentation - involves control group, experimental group, dependent variable, and independent/experimental variable.
4. Conclusion - drawing results and making decisions on the hypothesis.

Vocabulary: Meniscus, density, displacement, volume.
Laboratory Equipment
- Recognize and properly use equipment:
- Graduated Cylinder - measures liquid volumes with precision.
- Graduated Pipet - transfers precise volumes of liquids.
- Electronic Balance - measures weight of substances accurately.
- Metric Ruler - measures length, width, and height of solids.
- Beaker - holds and mixes liquids, not for precise measurement.
Calculating Volume
- Ability to determine the volume of various shapes:
- Cube: Volume = length³.
- Rectangular Prism: Volume = length × width × height.
- Sphere: Volume = $rac{4}{3} imes ext{π} imes ext{radius}^3$ .
- Use of displacement method for irregular objects.
Density
- Calculation of density using:
- Density formula: $ext{Density} = rac{ ext{Mass}}{ ext{Volume}}$ .

Vocabulary: Atomic structure, molecular structure, covalent bond, ionic bond, hydrogen bond, chemical reaction, octet rule, dissociation, dissolve, electrolyte, cation, anion, reactant, product.
Atomic Structure
- Diagram representations of atoms derived from the periodic table.
Dissociation Predictions
- Predict how ionic compounds will dissociate in aqueous solutions.
Product Prediction
- Identify products formed when mixing different ionic compounds in water.
Predicting Formulas
- Predict chemical formulas from combinations of ions (Referenced pg 2 of handout).

Vocabulary: Mole, molarity (M), molecular formula, molecular mass, solvent, solute, solution, standard curve, absorbance.
Molecular Mass Calculation
- Ability to calculate the molecular mass of molecules.
Grams and Moles Calculation
- Calculate the number of grams required to create a specified number of moles of a substance.
- Calculate the number of moles from a given mass of a substance using:
- $ext{Molarity (M)} = rac{ ext{moles}}{ ext{Liter}}$ .
Preparing Solutions
- Example: Preparation of a 1 L solution of 0.5 M NaCl.
- STEP: Find grams needed based on molecular mass.
Using a Colorimeter
- Know the steps for operating a colorimeter, taking multiple readings, and graphing a standard curve.
Determining Unknown Concentrations
- Ability to find unknown concentrations using a standard curve.

Vocabulary: pH, buffer, acid, base, acidic solution, basic solution.
pH Calculation
- Ability to calculate pH from given molar concentrations.
Recognition of Strong Acids/Bases
- Recognize HCl as a strong acid, and determine its dissociation in water.
- Recognize NaOH as a strong base, and detail its dissociation in water.
Buffer Functionality
- Understand how buffers work:
- Example Reaction: $H<em>3PO</em>4 ↔ H^+ + H<em>2PO</em>4^-$ .
- Addition of acid pushes the reaction left, producing more H3PO4.
- Addition of OH- pushes the reaction right, decreasing H3PO4.
Behavior of Non-buffered Solutions
- Explain how pH changes with addition of acid/base to a non-buffered solution.

Introduction to Microscopes
Parts of a Compound Microscope
- Identify and explain functions:
- Base, arm, oculars, revolving nosepiece, objective lenses, stage, coarse adjustment knob, fine adjustment knob, condenser, iris diaphragm, and lamp.
Focusing Techniques
- Understand the steps for focusing on specimen through a compound light microscope.
Key Terms
- Define and understand:
- Field of view, depth of field, contrast, resolution.
Total Magnification Calculation
- Know to calculate total magnification using:
- $ext{Total Magnification} = ext{Objective Magnification} imes ext{Ocular Magnification}$ .
Field of View (FOV)
- Determine FOV diameter for various objectives.
Microscope Types
- Major differences between compound microscopes and dissecting microscopes:
- Differences in field of view, depth of field, and sample types.

Vocabulary: Cytoplasmic streaming, cilia, pseudopodia, photosynthesis, thylakoid.
Eukaryotic vs Prokaryotic Cells
- Ability to distinguish between eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells using microscopy.
Plant Cells vs Animal Cells
- Differentiate plant cells from those without cell walls (animal cells, protozoans).
Subcellular Structures
- Label essential cell components:
- Nucleus, cytoplasm, chloroplast, cell wall, cell membrane, vacuole.
Staining Cells
- Knowledge of the reasons behind using dyes for staining cells to improve visibility.
Classification of Cells
- Classify various cells by domain and kingdom:
- Cyanobacteria
- Lactobacillus
- Cheek Cell
- Amoeba
- Algae (Spirogyra)
- Onion Cell
- Paramecium
- Elodea