Life Science NJ ASK Review

1. Life Science NJ ASK Review 8th Grade Science

2. Animal vs. Plant Cell • Determine the similarities and differences.

4. What is a food chain? • A food chain is “a sequence of organisms, each of which uses the next, lower member of the sequence as a food source1”

5. Important facts about food chains • In a food chain each organism obtains energy from the one at the level below. • Plants are called producers because they create their own food through photosynthesis • Animals are consumers because they cannot create their own food, they must eat plants or other animals to get the energy that they need.

6. Four types of consumer • Herbivores: animals that eat only plants • Carnivores: animals that eat only other animals. • Omnivores: animals that eat animals and plants. • Detritivores: Animals that eat dead materials and organic wastes

7. Other Ways to Classify Consumers • Primary Consumers: Herbivores. • Secondary Consumers: Carnivores that eat herbivores. • Tertiary Consumers: Carnivores that eat other carnivores.

9. Hierarchy of Biological Classification Six Kingdoms

10. Hierarchy of Biological Classification

11. Organization of Living Organisms Cells -basic unit of an animal’s structure -become specialized _______________________________ Tissues -made of cells that work together to perform a specific function __________________________________________ Organs -made of different types of tissues that work together to perform a specific function ____________________________________________________ Organ Systems -made of organs that work together to perform a specific function _____________________________________________________________ Organisms

13. Genetics - What are traits? • Physical Traits • Can be seen by others • Eye color, hair color, height, left handed • Acquired Traits • Learned skills • Playing a sport, riding a bike, playing a musical instrument • Behavioral Traits • Instinctual actions • Nest building and migration

14. Review Terms Used in Modern Genetics • Genotype • The particular alleles (genes) an individual carries • They are inherited from your biological parents • Genes control your traits • Phenotype • An individual’s observable traits • What people can SEE when they look at you • An individual with non-identical alleles of a gene is heterozygous for that gene • Examples: Bb, Tt, Aa • An individual with identical alleles of a gene is homozygous for that gene • Examples: BB or bb, TT or tt

15. Terms Used in Modern Genetics • An allele is dominant if its effect masks the effect of a recessive allele paired with it • Capital letters (A) signify dominant alleles; lowercase letters (a) signify recessive alleles • Homozygous dominant (AA) • Homozygous recessive (aa) • Heterozygous (Aa)

16. Generation 1 B B b b In this case we have a dad with black fur and a mother with white fur. Because black is the dominant gene, we write it with a capital ‘B’. White fur is a recessive trait. It is written with a lowercase ‘b’. It does not matter what letter we choose to represent a gene, but capital letter is always dominant and lowercase is always recessive.

17. Tongue Curling T=can curl T=cannot curl T t T T Copy into your notebook and complete the Punnett’s Square. What percentage of offspring will be able to curl their tongue?