VCE BIOLOGY STUDY GUIDE

Unit 1: How do living things stay alive?

Area of Study 2: How do living systems sustain life?

Topic Learning Objectives Textbook References &

Online Resources

Define the term; biome, niche, abiotic, biotic, organism, Nature of Biology, Chapter 8
Ecosystems & habitat, community, ecosystem Q1-3 pg.342
Relationships Q4-5 pg.346
Define abiotic and biotic factors for a given ecosystem
between Q6-9 pg.6-9
organisms Be familiar with the difference between niche and habitat Q10-11 pg.365
Be familiar with how ecosystems remain self-sustaining Biochallenge pg.383
Orientation Be able to draw and construct food webs relating to particular
Week & Week 1 organisms PPT: Ecosystems
Be familiar with the ecological grouping of organisms:
Student Booklet Ecosystems
producers (autotrophs), consumers (heterotrophs) and
decomposers Edrolo:
Define the term herbivore, carnivore, omnivore, detritivore Relationships Between Specie
Understand there must be a continual supply of energy into Interdependencies Between
Species
an ecosystem
Understand how the food chain relates to trophic levels and
define the term trophic efficiency
interdependencies between species as represented by food
webs, including impact of changes to keystone species and
apex predator
Define the terms; competition, symbiosis, amensalism,
commensalism, mutualism, parasitism, antagonism and
predation
Identify the difference between interspecific competition and
intraspecific competition
Be familiar with examples of both beneficial, harmful and benign
relationships between organisms

Population Be familiar with the terms: keystone species, species Nature of Biology, Chapter 8
Dynamics richness, limiting factor, carrying capacity Q15-19 pg.379
Q20-22 pg.382
Understand how to characterise a population: abundance,
Week 2 Chapter 8 Review pg.383
distribution, rate of growth, reproductive strategy and age
structure PPT: Population Dynamics
Discuss the difference between r-strategists and k-strategists
Understand how a population can be sampled; mark/recapture, Student Booklet Population
Dynamics
quadrat, total count and transect
Understand the difference between a community and Experiment: Virtual Lab Population
population Growth
Understand the term species richness and how area/distance
from equator affects this Population Dynamics Brainpop
Game
Understand the factors that affect population size; birth,
death, immigration and emigration Case Study: Population Models &
Be familiar with the two types of growth; exponential and Loggerhead Turtles
logistic
Experiment: Random Sampling

Edrolo Population Dynamics

Classification Understand why we need classify and how we classify living Nature of Biology, Chapter 7
organisms based on their morphological/molecular Q1-4 pg.293
Week 3 characteristics Q5-7 pg.299
Q8-12 pg.311
Be familiar with the levels of classification; kingdom, phylum, Q13-17 pg.322
class, order, family, genus, species Biochallenge pg.323
 Understand the use of binomial nomenclature Chapter 7 Review pg.324
Be familiar with the use of keys to classify; dichotomous,
cladograms, tables, circular PPT: Classification & Biodiversity

Student Booklet Classification &

Biodiversity

Task: Construct a Dichotomous Key

Worksheet: Classifying Sharks
Biozone Worksheets

Edrolo Classification

Biodiversity Be familiar with the term biodiversity and the three types; Nature of Biology, Chapter 7
genetic, species and ecosystem Q1-4 pg.293
Week 4 Q5-7 pg.299
Be familiar with strategies for managing Earths biodiversity to
Q8-12 pg.311
support the conservation of species and as a reservoir for the Q13-17 pg.322
bio-prospecting of new food sources and medicinal drugs Biochallenge pg.323
Chapter 7 Review pg.324

Classification & Biodiversity Exam

Style Questions

Biochallenge: The Green Frog

Edrolo Biodiversity

Adaptations & Define the term; homeostasis and adaptation Nature of Biology, Chapter 5
Biomimicry Understand the structural, physiological and behavioural Q1-3 pg.197
Q4-9 pg.207
adaptations that enhance an organisms survival and enable life
Week 5 + 6 Q10-13 pg.214
to exist in a wide range of environments Q14-18 pg.224
Be familiar with the types of plant tropisms; phototropism, Q19-20 pg.226
geotropism, thigmotropism Q24-27 pg.223
Be familiar with plant hormones such as; auxin, cytokinins and Chapter 5 Review pg.237
gibberellin
PPT: Adaptations-structural and
Be familiar with some examples of successful adaptations as behavioural
models for biomimicry to solve human challenges
PPT: plant hormones and tropisms

Worksheet: Bills & Beaks Structural

Adaptations

Student Booklet Adaptations

Behavioural Quiz
Physiological Quiz

Worksheet: Tropisms

Edrolo
Adaptation
Biomimicry

Homeostasis Discuss how regulation of factors is needed to maintain a Nature of Biology, Chapter 6
relatively constant internal environment, explained by the Q1-2, pg.250
Week 7 + 8 Q3-4 pg.263
stimulus-response model and the use of homeostatic
Q5-7 pg.267
mechanisms including feedback loops Q8-10 pg.273
Discuss factors regulated by homeostatic mechanisms in Biochallenge pg.275
humans, including temperature, blood glucose and water Chapter 6 Review pg.276
balance
PPT: Homeostasis
Discuss malfunctions in homeostatic mechanisms that result in
diseases, including Type 1 diabetes and hyperthyroidism in Webquest: Homeostasis
humans Worksheet: Thermoregulation
Worksheet: Thermoregulation Visual
Organiser
Edrolo
Regulation
Factors Regulated by
 Homeostatic Mechanisms
Homeostatic Malfunction

Area of Study 1: How do organisms function?

The Cell Define the following terms: cell, organism, mitosis, apoptosis, PPT: Cells & Organelles
tissue, organ, system
Understand the three components that make up the cell theory PPT: The Cell Theory
Be able to define the difference between tissue, organ and
system Outcome 3: Cell Model

Edrolo
Cells

Student Booklet Cells, plasma

membranes and enzymes

Microscopes Understand the difference between a light, compound and PPT: Microscopes
electron microscope
Understand the measurements used in microscopy - millimetres Experiment: Cells under the
(mm), micrometres (um) and nanometres (nm) microscope
Be able to calculate the total magnification when using a
microscope Edrolo Microscopes
Be familiar with the use of stains during microscopy work
Be able to identify organelles under a microscope
Be able to predict which organelles will be visible when viewing
cells under a microscope

Cellular Understand the differences between a prokaryote (bacteria) and PPT: Cells & Organelles
Organelles eukaryote (plant and animal)
Understand the need and function of cellular organelles such Animal Cell Worksheet
as; nucleus, mitochondria, golgi apparatus, smooth endoplasmic
reticulum, rough endoplasmic reticulum, ribosomes, lysosome, Organelles Revision
centrioles, cell wall, cell membrane, nucleolus, vacuole, vesicle
Understand the differing features between a plant and animal Organelles Webquest
cell
Understand the term and application of unicellular and Edrolo
multicellular organism Surface Area: Volume Ratio
Be familiar with the cell size and relate to this to surface
area:volume ratio

The Scientific Be able to define the independent variable, dependent variable,

Method control variable, controlled variable
Know the elements of the scientific method; introduction, aim,
hypothesis, materials, method, results, discussion, conclusion
Discuss how to design an effective experiment
Be familiar with the types of errors that can occur in an
experiment and how to ensure accurate results are obtained.

Plasma Understand the term semi-permeable membrane and 'fluid PPT: Plasma Membranes & Cellular
Membrane & mosaic model' Transport
Cellular Be able to identify the main features of the plasma membrane
Transport Understand the difference between passive and active transport PPT: Plasma Membranes & Cellular
Understand the term concentration gradient Transport
Understand the factors that affect the rate of diffusion
Be able to describe the three types of passive transport: simple Plasma Membrane Notes with PPT
diffusion, facilitated diffusion and osmosis
Understand the effect of osmosis on cells, and relate to terms Plasma Membrane Homework Task
isotonic, hypotonic and hypotonic
Be able to describe the three types of active transport: protein Cell Membranes Webquest
pump, exocytosis and endocytosis (pinocytosis and
phagocytosis) Experiment: Diffusion & Cell Size

Why are cells so small?

Fill in the blank worksheet

Edrolo Plasma Membrane

Transport Mechanisms

Composition of Understand the difference between a protein, lipid, carbohydrate PPT: Composition of Cells
Cells and nucleic acids
 Describe the elemental composition of each macromolecule
Define the monomer and polymer of each macromolecule
Describe the function of each macromolecule
Be able to provide an example of each macromolecule
Be familiar with the differences between RNA and DNA
Be familiar with the use of minerals and vitamins
Define the difference between an organic and inorganic
molecule

Enzymes Understand the function of enzymes within the body and its PPT: Enzymes Structure & Function
application to the term catalyst
Be able to describe how an enzyme works by using terms active Enzymes Visual Organizer for PPT
site and substrate
Define the difference between the lock-and-key model and the Enzymes Webquest
induced-fit model
Define the five factors that affect the function of an enzyme: Enzymes (notes)
temperature, pH, substrate concentration, enzyme
concentration and competitive inhibition Enzymes (notes - detailed)

Enzymes creative homework task

Cellular Define ATP and understand why a cell needs a continual supply PPT: Cellular Respiration
Respiration of energy
Be familiar with the chemical reaction for cellular respiration Cellular Respiration Visual
Know the different stages involved in anaerobic and aerobic Organizer for PPT
respiration
Understand each stage of aerobic respiration; glycolysis, krebs Cellular Respiration (notes)
cycle, electron transport chain, where they occur and how
many ATP are yielded in each stage Cell Respiration Quiz
Understand the differences between fermentation in
bacteria/yeast and in animals Cellular Respiration - Edrolo

Photosynthesis Be able to define the difference between photosynthetic PPT: Photosynthesis

autotrophs, chemosynthetic autotrophs and heterotrophs
Be familiar with the chemical reaction for photosynthesis Photosynthesis (notes)
Understand photosynthesis as a chemical process in which
solar energy is captured and transformed to chemical energy by Exam Question Answers
fixing carbon to produce a carbohydrate and releasing oxygen
as a by-product Homework Worksheet
Understand the different components of the mitochondria and Homework Answers
the chloroplast
Be able to compare the processes of photosynthesis and Autotrophs and Heterotrophs -
cellular respiration Edrolo

Photosynthesis - Edrolo

Digestive Be familiar with the main features of the digestive system PPT: Body Systems (NIE)
System Understand the difference between mechanical and chemical
digestion and where they occur PPT: Digestive System
Be familiar with the following terms: villi, bolus, peristalsis,
chyme, bile Digestive System Notes
Understand the function of the following digestive enzymes and
where they are found: amylase, protease, lipase Digestive System Homework

Digestive System Worksheet

Gas Exchange Be familiar with how organisms exchange gases with the Respiratory System Homework
environment
Understand the features which define an effective surface for
gaseous exchange
Relate the process of diffusion to gas exchange

Transport Understand the difference between xylem and phloem

System in Describe the structure and function of stomata
Plants Describe the term transpiration stream
Study of one selected vascular plant with reference to how its
cells are specialised and organised (cells into tissues, and
tissues into organs) for the intake, movement and loss of water
from the plant