Matriculation Biology 2 Notes

Course Overview

Matriculation Biology 2 is Part Two of the Biology course, equivalent to Grade 12 Biology.
It is designed for students who have completed Matriculation Biology 1 with at least a D grade or better.
It is intended for students who wish to study Biology or Biology-related courses after completing Matriculation Studies.
Requires a scientific calculator, drawing pencil and pen, ruler, note pads, and exercise book.
Assessment is based on compulsory assignments (30%) and a final examination (70%).

Ecology (Unit 1.0)

Ecology is the study of the relationships between organisms and their environment.
The environment includes biotic (living) and abiotic (non-living) factors.
Key terms: Community, Population, Habitat, Niche, and Biosphere.
Major biomes: Desert, Tropical Rainforest, Savannah Grassland, Temperate Deciduous Forest, and Coniferous Forest.
Tundra Biome: Cold temperatures, limited plant growth (lichens, mosses, shrubs).
Plant adaptations: Arctic Willow (grows horizontally, antifreeze chemicals); Arctic Poppy (large flower, fast-growing).
Consumers: Herbivores, Carnivores, Omnivores, and Parasites.
Animal adaptations: Lemming (thick fur, stores fat, hibernates); Snowy Owl (white plumage, feathered legs, excellent eyesight).
Conserving Heat: Feathers and fur hold still air to prevent heat loss.
There are series of climatic regions namely, Tropical (tropical lowlands and highlands) Arid (desert and scrub forest), Temperate (deciduous, coniferous forest, grassland) and polar (tundra, permanent ice and snow).

Climatic Regions

Climate regions include Tropical, Arid, Temperate, and Polar.
Determined by temperature and precipitation.
Tropical climates: rainforests (high rainfall, constant temp), wet-dry (seasonal wet/dry periods), dry tropical (deserts).
Mid-latitude climates: dry (grasslands), Mediterranean (wet winters, dry summers), moist continental (deciduous forests).
High-latitude climates: Boreal forest/Taiga (cold winters, cool summers), Tundra (arctic coastal areas).
Papua New Guinea climatic zones, variations in rainfall due to monsoons.

Tropical Rainforest (Unit 2.0)

Tropical rainforests have a latitudinal range of 10 degrees and 25 degrees North and South of the equator. It is typically divided into four distinct layers (the forest floor, the understory (lower canopy), the upper canopy and the emergent layers.
Tropical rainforests have a latitudinal range of 10 degrees and 25 degrees North and South of the equator. The altitudes of rainforests range from 0-1000 meters in elevation.
Key abiotic factors: Precipitation, sunlight, temperature. These affect the distribution of plants and animals.
Plant adaptations: Drip tips on leaves, Buttress and prop roots for support, Epiphytes for sunlight.

The Soil (Unit 3.0)

Soil is a mixture of broken rocks and minerals, living organisms, humus, air, and water.
Soil formation factors: Parent material, Organisms, Climate, Relief, and Time.
Soil composition: Minerals (45%), Water (25%), Air (25%), and Organic matter (5%).
Soil texture: sand, silt, and clay.
Soil properties: density, porosity, physical texture, acidity, and color.
Soil horizons: O, A, B, C, and R (bedrock).
Factors influencing soil quality: climate, and human impact.

Measuring Climate (Unit 4.0)

Climate is the long-term weather patterns of an area (at least 30 years).
Climate is generally described by temperature and precipitation.
Climate regions: Tropical, Arid, Temperate, and Polar
The Earth's seasons are due to the tilt of the axis $23.5$ degrees.
Major climate classifications: Low-latitude, Mid-latitude, and High-latitude.
Instruments : thermometers, anemometers, rain gauges, atmospheric probes

Aquatic Ecosystems (Unit 5.0)

Marine Ecosystems: High salinity (avg 35%), 71% of Earth's surface
Zones: oceanic, benthic, intertidal
Freshwater Ecosystems: Low salinity (less than 1%), 0.80% of Earth's surface
Types: Lentic (slow moving), Lotic (rapidly moving), and Wetlands (saturated soil).
Lake zones: Littoral (near shore), Limnetic (open water), Profundal (deep water).
Abiotic Factors: Substrate type, water depth, temperature, dissolved oxygen, salinity.
Biotic Factors: Organisms present and Biotic interaction.
Osmosis: it is the net movement of solvent molecules through a partially permeable membrane into a region of higher solute concentration, in order to equalize the solute concentrations on the two sides
Osmotic pressure: It is the pressure required to maintain equilibrium

The Food Chain and Food Web (Unit 6.0)

Food Chains: transfer of energy from autotrophs (producers) through various trophic levels (consumers).
Trophic Levels: Autotrophs, Herbivores, Carnivores, and Decomposers.
Food Webs: interconnected food chains.
Ecological Pyramids: Represent energy flow, biomass, or number of organisms at each trophic level.
Pyramid of numbers represents the number of organisms in each trophic level
Pyramid of energy illustrates the energy flow in an ecosystem
Pyramid of biomass illustrates the total mass of organisms at each trophic level

Nutrient Cycles (7.0)

Nutrient Cycle: movement and exchange of organic and inorganic matter back into production of living matter
Nutrient cycles include the carbon cycle, water cycle, phosphorus cycle, nitrogen cycle and sulphur cycle.
A simplified food web illustrates the movement of mineral of nutrients through the food chain into the mineral nutrient pool, and back into the tropic system illustrates ecological recycling.
Water Cycle: evaporation, condensation, precipitation, and collection.
Carbon Cycle: Photosynthesis, Respiration, Decomposition, Fossilization, and Combustion.
Nitrogen Cycle: Nitrogen fixation, Nitrification, Assimilation, Ammonification, and Denitrification

Population (8.0)

A population is all the organisms of the same group or species who live in the same geographical area and are capable of interbreeding.
Factors affecting population size: birth rates, death rates, immigration, and emigration.
Population structure: Distribution of organisms in age classes.
Geographical distribution helps identify what population group occupies a location.

Evolution (9.0)

Evolution: Simple Descent with modification, small-scale evolution and large-scale evolution
Mechanism of evolution: natural selection.
Natural selection is the process by which genetic mutations enhance reproduction become and remain, more common in successive generations of a population.
Voyage of the Beagle, he discovered 13 species of finches that are believed to have evolved from a single species
Adaptation to environment is very important for evolution
Evidence:
Homologous Structures (origin), analogous Structures (separate functions).
Embryology (vertebrates began with fish-like development).
Fossils (extinct organisms in sedimentary rocks).

Geological Continental Drift (10.0)

Continental Shift describes movement of the continents relative to each other.
There earth's major plants include Eurasian plate, Australian- Indian plate, Philippine plate, Pacific plate, Juan de Fuca plate, Nazca plate, Cocos plate, North American plate, Caribbean plate, South American plate, African plate, Arabian plate, the Antarctic plate, and the Scotia plate.
Evidence for Continental Drift: Fossils and the like, similar species that reside on different sea shores.

The nature of fossils and continental shift affect living organisms because it provides information regarding certain species, the origins of the spices, and allows insight to the reasons why said species resides where it dwells.

Classification (11.0)

Modern taxonomic system developed by Carolus Linnaeus.
Classification hierarchy: Domain, Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, and Species.
Binomial nomenclature: Genus species (italicized, Genus capitalized).
Three Domains: Archea, Bacteria, and Eukaryotes.
The six Kingdoms: Plants, Animals, Fungi, Protists, Eubacteria (Monera), and Archaebacteria.

Biochemistry (12.0)

Biochemistry: It is study of chemical processes in living organisms, studies structures, functions, and interactions of cellular components (proteins, carbohydrates, lipids, and nucleic acids).
Study of metabolism, enzymes, genetic code, and protein synthesis.
Related to genetics, molecular biology, and chemical biology.
Reveals similarities between organisms of different species such as protein cytochrome.
Living matter is composed of proteins, carbohydrates, fats/lipids, and nucleic acids.

Early Creation Views (13.0)

Myths: narratives that express core values of a religious community.
Creationism: Belief in miraculous interventions of God in the origin.
Theological and philosophical doctrines. The goal here is to see religion and science on how they link .