Biology Department

Objectives:

1. Investigate and compare the diversity and organization of different communities.
2. Investigate and describe the structure and function of mammal organ systems, including the consequences of these systems malfunctioning.
3. Investigate and describe the structure associated with, and factors affecting the functions of plant processes.
4. Observe and describe cell division for growth and reproduction, and explain how genetic information is passed from one generation to the next.
5. Identify and explain effects of introduced plants and animals on New Zealand’s native flora and fauna, and methods for controlling their impact.
6. Focus and plan by making testable predictions and designing controlled experiments (fair test).
7. Gather information by recording quantitative and qualitative observations, and locating relevant background information.
8. Process and interpret information using appropriate statistical and graphing procedures, identify trends, relationships and patterns, and draw and justify conclusions.
9. Report in a well-rounded, concise and appropriate manner with conclusions that justify and are supported by relevant data.

Content areas:

Section A: Communities: Diversity and organization of two different communities: adaptations, food chains, food webs, trophic levels, habitat, environment, interrelationships, nutrient cycles, population size. Human influences on the ecosystem.

Section B: Cells, Microbiology and Genetics: Cell structure and organization, types of cells, diffusion, osmosis, enzymes.  Biological ideas relating to viruses, bacteria and fungi. Chromosomes, mitosis, meiosis, monohybrid inheritance, sex determination, mutation, selection.

Section C: Plant Processes: Structures associated with the following plant processes and factors affecting their function: photosynthesis, leaf structure, mineral requirements, growth and development, transport, sexual and asexual reproduction of flowering plants.

Section D: Organ Systems: Structure and function of the following systems and the consequences of these systems malfunctioning: circulatory, digestive (plus nutrition and food tests), nervous and endocrine, respiratory, excretory, reproductive.