Life Science STAAR Review Category Mnemonic Example - Humans

Category 4: Organisms and the Environment

Objective 6.12.D identify the basic characteristics of organisms,
including prokaryotic or eukaryotic, unicellular or multicellular,
autotrophic or heterotrophic, and mode of reproduction, that further
classify them in the currently recognized Kingdoms

D D

K K

P P

C C

O O
Unicellular – Organisms that are made up of only one cell.
F F
Multicellular – Organisms that are made up of two or more cells.
G G

S S

Key –
# of Cells - Unicellular (U), Multicellular (M)
Energy – Heterotrophic (H), Autotrophic (A)
Cell Type – Prokaryotic (P), Eukaryotic (E)

Domain Kingdom # of Energy Cell Examples

cells type

Objective 7.10.B describe how biodiversity contributes to the
sustainability of an ecosystem
Biodiversity, or biological diversity, is the variety of life and the intricate
interactions that support and link organisms together in a geographical
region. Biodiversity includes a variety of genes, species, and ecosystems.
The higher the biodiversity of an ecosystem, the better that ecosystem can
withstand environmental stress. Hence, if biodiversity is lost, that
ecosystem has less ability to withstand the same environmental stress.
Most people recognize biodiversity by species. A species is a group of
living organisms that can interbreed. Examples of species include, blue
whales, white-tailed deer, white pine trees, sunflowers and microscopic
bacteria. Biodiversity is more than just species.
Species diversity is only one part of biodiversity. To properly catalogue all the
life on Earth, we also have to recognize the genetic diversity that exists within
species as well as the diversity of entire habitats and ecosystems.
Genetic Biodiversity is the variation in genes that exists within a species. A
helpful way to understand genetic diversity is to think about dogs. All dogs are
part of the same species, but their genes can dictate whether they are
Chihuahua or a Great Dane. There can be a lot of variation in genes – just
think about all the colors, sizes, and shapes that make up the genetic diversity
of dogs.
Ecological Biodiversity is the diversity of ecosystems, natural communities
and habitats. In essence, it’s the variety of ways that species interact with
each other and their environment. The forests of Maine differ from the forests
of Colorado by the types of species found in both ecosystems, as well as the
temperature and rainfall. These two seemingly similar ecosystems have a lot
of differences that make them both special.
Researchers have estimated that there are between 3 - 30 million species on
Earth, with a few studies predicting that there may be over 100 million
species on Earth! Currently, we have identified only 1.7 million species.
The Importance of Biodiversity
Biodiversity is extremely important to people and the health of ecosystems.
Here are a few reasons why:
● Biodiversity provides us with an array of foods and materials and it
contributes to the economy. Without a diversity of pollinators, plants, and
soils, our supermarkets would have a lot less produce.
● Most medical discoveries to cure diseases and lengthen life spans were
made because of research into plant and animal biology and genetics. Every
time a species goes extinct or genetic diversity is lost, we will never know
whether research would have given us a new vaccine or drug.
● Biodiversity is an important part of ecological services that make life
livable on Earth. They include everything from cleaning water and absorbing
chemicals, which wetlands do, to providing oxygen for us to breathe—one of
the many things that plants do for people.
● Biodiversity allows for ecosystems to adjust to disturbances like extreme
fires and floods. If a reptile species goes extinct, a forest with 20 other
reptiles is likely to adapt better than another forest with only one reptile.
● Genetic diversity prevents diseases and helps species adjust to changes in
their environment.
Threats to Biodiversity
Extinction is a natural part of life on Earth. Over the history of the planet
most of the species that ever existed, evolved and then gradually went
extinct. Species go extinct because of natural shifts in the environment that
take place over long periods of time, such as ice ages.
Today, species are going extinct at an accelerated and dangerous
rate, because of non-natural environmental changes caused by human
activities. Some of the activities have direct effects on species and
ecosystems, such as:
● Habitat loss/ degradation
Primary – Begins in a place without soil. Bare rock. (Side of a Volcano)
● Over exploitation (such as overfishing)

● Spread of Non-native Species/ Diseases Starts with Pioneer Species (like mosses and lichen that don’t need soil). They
die/decompose and leave behind organic matter on bare rock to make soil.
Some human activities have indirect but wide-reaching effects on Then simple plants, grass, shrubs, trees grow and die to provides home to
biodiversity, including: insects, birds and small mammals. This is a very slow process. It can take
hundreds of years for a few centimeters of soil to form.
● Climate change

● Pollution

All of these threats have put a serious strain on the diversity of species on
Earth. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature
(IUCN), globally about one third of all known species are threatened with
extinction. That includes 29% of all amphibians, 21% of all mammals and
12% of all birds. If we do not stop the threats to biodiversity, we could be
facing another mass extinction with dire consequences to the environment
and human health and livelihood.

Objective 7.10.C observe, record, and describe the role of ecological

succession such as in a microhabitat of a garden with weeds
Ecological Succession
The gradual replacement of one plant community by another through
natural processes over time.
Secondary - Begins in a place that already has soil and was once the home of
living organisms.
Example….. After forest fires. Following a major disturbance, such as natural
disaster, a progression of re-building occurs. Weeds, small insects, and other
pioneers will move into the disturbed area first. This literally lays the
foundation for other species to move into the area, and the progress
continues. Since there is already soil, this process happens relatively quickly.
This is referred to as ecological succession.
 Objective 7.11.A examine organisms or their structures such as
insects or leaves and use dichotomous keys for identification
Dichotomous Key
Dichotomous Key ‐ a tool that allows the user to determine the identity of
items by their characteristics, such as insects, leaves, trees, mammals,
reptiles and others.
Objective 7.11.C identify some changes in genetic traits that have
occurred over several generations through natural selection and
selective breeding such as the Galapagos Medium Ground Finch
(Geospiza fortis) or domestic animals
Natural Selection
The Theory of natural selection states that organisms that are best suited to
their environment are most likely to survive and reproduce. In other words,
nature “selects” these organisms for survival and they pass their traits to
their offspring. Over many generations, the useful traits spread through a
species which helps them better adapt to changing conditions.
 Darwin thought that finches from the mainland most likely ended up on the
islands by accident. A few birds with useful variations survived and passed
those traits on to their offspring. Over time, the groups of finches became
different enough to form new species.

Selective Breeding - is the process of breeding plants and animals for

particular genetic traits. Instead of nature selecting which individuals would
produce the next generation, humans made the choice. Now there is a
breed of poodle so small it is called a “teacup poodle.” Farmers also use the
technique of selective breeding in their crops by planting only the best
seeds from the previous year’s crop. This method gives us larger, more
plentiful, and/or more disease resistant food.

Charles Darwin developed the theory of natural selection in the 1800’s.

Darwin visited the Galapagos Islands, in the Pacific Ocean, off the coast of
Ecuador. He observed the islands’ plant and animal life, including birds
called finches. He noted that they were similar to a species of finch on the
mainland of South America. However, the birds on each island had bills with
different shapes. Each island also had different food available for the birds
so Darwin concluded that the different bill shapes were adaptations for
Objective 7.12.B identify the main functions of the systems of the
eating different kinds of food.
human organism, including the circulatory, respiratory, skeletal,
muscular, digestive, excretory, reproductive, integumentary,
nervous, and endocrine systems

Body Function Organs/Parts

System
Transports blood throughout the body Heart, blood, arteries,
via the heart, veins (blood flows to the veins, capillaries
heart) and arteries (blood flows away
from the heart). Carries oxygen and
Circulatory nutrients to cells.
 Supplies blood with oxygen in the lungs Trachea, lungs, alveoli
and removes carbon dioxide.
Respiratory Prokaryotic Eukaryotic
Supports the body, protects internal Bones and joints
organs, and makes red blood cells.
Skeletal

Provides movement to the body, Muscles, tendons, and

extends and relaxes to move bones, ligaments.
Muscular provides strength, balance, and
warmth. 3 types: skeletal,
smooth, cardiac

Breaks down food, absorbs nutrients, Mouth, esophagus,

and eliminates solid waste. stomach, small and
Digestive large intestine, rectum,
anus

Filters the blood (kidneys) and removes Kidneys, bladder

waste in the form of liquid (urine).
Excretory

Male – produces and delivers sperm Male – penis, testes

Reproductive Female – to produce ova and prepare Female –

the female’s body to nourish a
developing embryo

Helps regulate temperature and Skin, hair, nails, and

protects the body from the outside sweat glands
Integumentary world

Relays messages back and forth from Brain spinal cord,

the brain to the body via the spinal nerves
Nervous cord and nerves

Maintains homeostasis by secreting Glands and hormones

hormones. Controls growth,
Endocrine reproduction, and metabolism.

glands

Immune Protects the body from infections

Objective 7.12.D differentiate between structure and function in Organelle Plant / Function
plant and animal cell organelles, including cell membrane, cell wall, Animal
nucleus, cytoplasm, mitochondrion, chloroplast, and vacuole
 Cell Membrane

Nucleus

Ribosome

Endoplasmic
Objective 7.12.F recognize that according to cell theory all organisms
Reticulum are composed of cells and cells carry on similar functions such as
(smooth) extracting energy from food to sustain life
Endoplasmic
Reticulum (rough) Cell Theory

Golgi Bodies
1665- English Scientist, Robert Hooke, discovered cells
while looking at a thin slice of cork. He described the
Lysosomes cells as tiny boxes or a honeycomb. He thought that
cells only existed in plants and fungi.

Mitochondria

1673- Used a handmade microscope to observe pond

Vacuole scum & discovered single-celled organisms. He called
them “animalcules”
He also observed blood cells from fish, birds, frogs,
Chloroplasts dogs, and humans
Therefore, it was known that cells are found in
animals as well as plants
Cell Wall

1838- German Botanist, Matthias Schleiden, concluded that all plant parts
are made of cells

1839- German physiologist, Theodor Schwann, who was a close friend of

Schleiden, stated that all animal tissues are composed of cells
 1858- Rudolf Virchow, German physician, after extensive study of cellular
pathology, concluded that cells must arise from preexisting cells.

The 3 Basic Components of the Cell Theory were now complete:

1. All organisms are composed of one or more cells. (Schleiden & Schwann)
(1838-39)
2. The cell is the basic unit of life in all living things. (Schleiden & Schwann)
(1838-39)
3. All cells are produced by the division of preexisting cells. (Virchow)(1858) Consumers are heterotrophic and get their food by eating, or consuming,
other organisms. All animals and fungi, as well as some protists and
Plants, some protists, and some kinds of bacteria are producers. These bacteria, are consumers.
organisms are autotrophic since they can make or produce their own food.
Producers use sunlight to make their food by a process called photosynthesis.
Our bodies break down the food to produce energy in a process called cellular
Photosynthesis occurs when plants take in water, carbon dioxide, and energy
respiration. Cellular respiration is the process of breaking down
from the sun to produce glucose (food) and the waste product oxygen.
carbohydrates, fats, and proteins to release energy that can be delivered to
cells for use. Our bodies take food and oxygen and convert it to water, carbon
dioxide, and energy in our cells.
6CO2 + 6H2O + Energy --> C6H12O6 + 6O2 C6H12O6 + 6 O2 → 6 CO2 + 6 H2O + energy (heat)

During photosynthesis, light energy is converted to chemical energy that is

stored in glucose (sugar) molecules. As plant cells break down nutrients, the
stored energy is released. The energy is used for their life processes. As plants
use this energy, some is changed to thermal energy. The heat becomes part of
the environment. The rest is stored in the plants’ tissues. When you eat foods,
such as potatoes and other vegetables, you take in the plants stored chemical
energy.
To convert the energy stored into a form that is useable, both autotrophs
and heterotrophs must take large molecules and break them down into
smaller, easier to use molecules.

Objective 7.14.B compare the results of uniform or diverse

offspring from sexual reproduction or asexual reproduction

Asexual & Sexual Examples

Uniform or Diverse offspring?

In asexual reproduction of prokaryotic cells, DNA is replicated from the

parent resulting in uniform offspring. These cells divide by binary
fission. Organisms composed of eukaryotic cells can also reproduce
asexually by forming spores, by budding, or by vegetative propagation.

Objective 7.14.C recognize that inherited traits of individuals are

In sexual reproduction of eukaryotic organisms, DNA is combined and
unique combination of dominant and recessive traits from two
governed in the genetic material found in the genes within
parents create diverse offspring. chromosomes in the nucleus
Gene - a unit of instructions for traits, found in the DNA of an organism.
Genes play an important role in determining physical traits (how we look).
DNA is located in chromosomes in the nucleus. Humans have 23 pairs of
chromosomes

Inherited Traits ‐ traits that are inherited in the genes and passed down
from parent to offspring (generation to generation)

Genetic information is inherited from both parents in sexual reproduction.

Inherited traits include expressed external characteristics such as eye
color and hair color and internal characteristics such as blood type.
Inherited traits are not affected by the organism’s surroundings.

Objective 8.11.A describe producer/consumer, predator/prey, and

parasite/host relationships as they occur in food webs within
marine, freshwater, and terrestrial ecosystems

ECOSYSTEM

An ecosystem includes the biotic (living) and abiotic (non-living) parts of
the environment.
Food Chain
The path of food energy that starts with the sun. Energy is transferred to the
producer then transferred to a series of consumers. Arrows show the flow of
energy. The arrows point to the consumer.
Trophic levels of organisms in a food web range from primary producers
(autotrophs), and different levels of heterotrophs, including primary
consumers (herbivores), secondary consumers (carnivores that eat
herbivores), and tertiary consumers (carnivores that eat carnivores).
A terrestrial ecosystem is an ecosystem that is found on land. In terrestrial
ecosystems, the primary producers are plants, which are consumed by
insects, arthropods, and grazing animals. Secondary consumers include
spiders, frogs, and carnivorous animals.

Food
Web

A model
that Aquatic
shows all ecosystems
the include
possible freshwater
feeding and marine
biomes and
constitute
the largest
part of the
biosphere. In
relationships between organisms living in an ecosystem. Energy flows marine
through various food chains as animals eat plants and predators consume ecosystems,
prey, creating a food web. The energy that flows though food chains and
food webs comes from the Sun.
phytoplankton are autotrophic producers and are consumed by zooplankton
and small invertebrates, which are consumed secondarily by fish and larger Examples of limited resources would be food, territory (space), light, soil
marine life. composition, or water.

Objective 8.11.B investigate how organisms and populations

in an ecosystem depend on and may compete for biotic and abiotic
factors such as quantity of light, water, range of temperatures, or
soil composition

Competition occurs when more than one individual, or populations in an

ecosystem rely upon the same limited resources.
Two types of competition:
Intraspecies competition: occurs when members of the same species
compete for same resources in an ecosystem
Interspecies competition: occurs when individuals of two separate
species share a limiting resource in same area.
Invasive species vs. native species
A native species is a species that occurs naturally within a region, either
evolving there or arriving and becoming established without human
assistance.
An invasive species is defined as a species that is non-native (or alien) to
the ecosystem under consideration and whose introduction causes or is
likely to cause economic or environmental harm or harm to human health.
Invasive species often occupy the same niche as native species and
invasive species may be more successful at obtaining resources.
Objective 8.11.C explore how short‐and long‐term environmental
changes affect organisms and traits in subsequent populations
Short‐Term and Long‐Term Environmental Changes
Adaptations are traits that make an animal suited to its environment.
Two Types:
Structural Adaptations are inherited physical features of and organism.
(Ex. White fur on a polar bear)Darwin’s
Behavioral Adaptations are things organisms do to survive. (Ex.
Migration & hibernation)
Changes in environmental conditions can affect the survival of individual
organisms and entire species.
Long-term environmental changes, like climate change, can permanently
alter an ecosystem, but over time the change may cause some genetic
variations to become more favorable or less favorable in the new
environment. If adaptations to the new environment are not present or
do not develop, populations can become extinct.
Short-term environmental changes, like "floods, don’t give populations
time to adapt to change and force them to move or become extinct.
Human activity affects natural systems through agriculture, resource
consumption, and pollution from waste disposal and energy production.
 Human activity such as runoff pollution can originate from small or large
sources on land and water, including motorized vehicles, oil spills,
agricultural chemicals, and recreation. Runoff pollution negatively affects
beaches and ocean habitats.

Overharvesting food from the ocean creates an imbalance in existing

ocean food webs.

Other examples of the effects of human activity on oceans include climate

change, spread of disease, and introduction of exotic species.

Objectives 8.11.D recognize human dependence on ocean systems

and explain how human activities such as runoff, artificial reefs, or
use of resources have modified these systems

Dependence on Ocean Systems

Humans depend on the ocean for:
Weather, Food, Transportation and Recreation