Table of Contents – Biology in Focus Preliminary Course

A Local Ecosystem | Patterns in Nature | Life on Earth | Evolution of Australian Biota

Prelims:

To the student
List of Board of Studies verbs
Prescribed Focus Areas—an introduction
Biology Skills—an introduction
Acknowledgments and credits

A LOCAL ECOSYSTEM

Chapter 1 Characteristics of ecosystems are determined by biotic and abiotic factors

The distribution, diversity and numbers of plants and animals found in ecosystems are determined by biotic and abiotic factors
1.1 Ecology
1.2 Terrestrial and aquatic environments
1.3 The distribution and abundance of species
1.4 Measuring the distribution of a species in an ecosystem
1.5 Measuring abudance of a species in an ecosystem
Secondary source investigation: Justification of different sampling techniques
1.6 Energy use in ecosystems
Revision questions
Chapter 2 Unique aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems

Each local aquatic or terrestrial ecosystems is unique
2.1 Trends in population estimates
2.2 Predator and prey population
2.3 Allelopathy, parasitism, mutualism and commensalism
2.4 Decomposers in the ecosystems
2.5 Trophic interactions between organisms
First-hand and secondary source investigation: Constructing food chains and food webs
2.6 Adaptations
2.7 Adaptations for survival in Australian ecosysems
2.8 Adaptations from the local ecosystems
2.9 Competing for resources
2.10 The impact of humans
First-hand investigation: Field study of a local ecosystem
Revision questions

PATTERNS IN NATURE
Timeline: A short history of biology

Chapter 1 Cells and the cell theory

Organisms are made of cells that have similar structured characteristics
1.1 The discovery of the cellular basis of living things
1.2 Technological advances and the development of the cell theory
Secondary source investigation: The impact of technology on the development of the cell theory
1.3 Cell structure and functioning
First-hand investigation: Observing plant and animal cells using a light microscope
1.4 The ultrastructure of cells (electron microscope)
Revision questions


Chapter 2 Membranes, chemicals and movement in and out of cells

Membranes around cells provide separation from and links with the external environment
2.1 Chemicals in cells
First-hand investigation: Investigating chemicals in cells
2.2 Cell membranes, diffusion and osmosis
2.3 Current model of the cell membrane
First-hand investigation: The selectively permeable nature of cell membranes
2.4 Osmosis, diffusion and active transport
First-hand investigation: Demostrating osmosis and diffusion
2.5 Surface area: volume ration and rate of movement
First-hand investigation: Investigating the surface area to volume ratio and rate of movement
Revision questions


Chapter 3 Obtaining nutrients

Plants and animals have specialised structures to obtain nutrients from their environment
3.1 Functional organisation in multicellular organisms: cells to systems
3.2 Autotrophs and heterotrophs
3.3 Autotrophic nutrition
First-hand investigation: Investigating requirements for photosynthesis
3.4 Photosynthesis: biochemistry
3.5 Autotrophic nutrition: obtaining water and inorganic minerals 3.6 Autotrophic nutrition: obtaining light and gases
3.7 Heterotrophs and obtaining nutrition
3.8 Teeth and surface area
First-hand investigation: Investigating surface area and rate of reaction
3.9 Digestive systems of vertebrates
Secondary source investigation: Digestive systems of mammals
Revision questions

Chapter 4 Gaseous exchange and transport

Gaseous exchange and transport systems transfer chemicals through the internal and between the external environments of plants and animals
4.1 Movement of chemicals in plants and animals
4.2 The need for transport systems in multicellular organisms
4.3 The role of respiratory, circulatory and excretory systems
4.4 Gaseous exchange in animals
4.5 Transport in animals
4.6 Gaseous exchange and transport in plants
First-hand investigation: Investigating the movement of materials in xylem
First-hand investigation: Transpiration in plants
Secondary source investigation: The use of radioactive isotopes to trace transport in plants and animals
Revision questions

Chapter 5 Cell division

Maintenance of organisms requires growth and repair
5.1 Where mitosis occurs
5.2 Mitosis: the process and its importance
5.3 DNA outside the nucleus
First-hand investigation: Investigating mitosis using a microscope
Revision questions

LIFE ON EARTH

Chapter 1 Evidence for the origin of life

Analysis of the oldest sedimentary rocks provides evidence for the origin of life
1.1 Origin of organic molecules on early Earth
1.2 Implications of the existence of organic molecules
1.3 Evolution of chemicals of life: theories and their significance to the origin of life
Secondary source investigation: Urey and Miller's experiments
1.4 Urey and Miller's experiments
1.5 Technology has increased our understanding of the origin and evolution of life
Revision questions

Chapter 2 Evolution of life and the fossil record

The fossil record provides information about the subsequent evolution of living things
2.1 Evolution of living things
Secondary source investigation: Evolution of life timeline
2.2 Evidence suggesting when life on Earth originated
First-hand and secondary source investigation: Plant and animal fossils
2.3 Change from an anoxic to an oxic atmosphere
Secondary source investigation: Impact of increased understanding of the fossil record
2.4 The effect of scientific developments on ideas about the origin of life
Revision questions

Chapter 3 Understanding of present-day organisms and their environments

Further developments in our knowledge of present-day organisms and the discovery of new organisms allows for better understanding of the origins of life and the processes involved in the evolution of living things
3.1 Technology and increased knowledge of procaryotic organisms
3.2 Environment and the role of organisams in Archaea and Bacteria groups
Secondary source investigation: Similarities in environments past and present
Secondary source investigation: Alternative environments in which life may have originated
Revision questions

Chapter 4 Classification of past and present life on Earth

The study of present-day organisms increases our understanding of past organisms and environments
4.1 The need to classify organisms
First-hand investigation: Construction and use of dichotomous keys
4.2 Classification systems
4.3 Levels of organisation assist classification
4.4 Impact of changes in technology
4.5 Binomial system
4.6 Difficulties in classifying extinct organisms
4.7 Assistance to understanding present and past life
Revision questions

EVOLUTION OF AUSTRALIAN BIOTA

Chapter 1 Australia's past: part of a supercontinent

Evidence for the rearrangement of crustal plates and continental drift indicates that Australia was once part of an ancient supercontinent
1.1 From Gondwana to Australia?how our continent arose
Secondary source investigation: Problem solving to infer a moving Australian continent
Secondary source investigation: Changing ideas in science?the platypus enigma
Revision questions

Chapter 2 The evolution of Australian flora and fauna

The changes in Australian flora and fauna over millions of years have happened through evolution
2.1 Variations and evolution
First-hand investigation: Variation in living species
2.2 The evolution of Australian flora and fauna
Secondary source investigation: Timeline?the formation of the Australian continent
2.3 Changing habitats
2.4 Variations in temperature and water availability
2.5 Changing flora and flora
Secondary source investigation: Evidence of the evolution of Australian flora and fauna in fossils
First-hand investigation: Comparison of current and extinct Australian life forms
2.7 Darwin revisited
Secondary source investigation: The Huxley-Wilberforce debate
2.8 Current research
Revision questions

Chapter 3 Reproduction and continuity of species

Continuation of species has resulted, in part, from the reproductive adaptations that have evolved in Australian plants and animals
3.1 Cell division and the production of gametes
Secondary source investigation: Differences between mitosis and meiosis
3.2 Reproductice adaptations in animals
3.3 Relative success of internal and external fertilisation
Secondary source investigation: Success of internal and external fertilisation in terrestrial and aquatic environments
3.4 Mechanisms of fertilisation and development
3.5 Reproductive success of internal and external fertilisers
First-hand investigation: Features of pollination in native flowering plants
3.6 Evolutionary advantages of sexual and asexual reproduction
3.7 Conditions under which asexual reproduction is advantageous Revision questions

Chapter 4 Understanding past environments help us understand the future

A study of palaeontology and past environments increases our understanding of the possible future range of plants and animals
4.1 Understanding past environments
4.2 Distribution of flora and fauna in present and future environments
Secondary source investigation: Reasons for evolution, survival and extinction in Australian species
4.3 Understanding and managing the present environment
Secondary source investigation: Current effort to monitor biodiversity
Revision questions
Glossary
Index