Biology 230| BIOL 230 - Human Physiology
Midterm 2 COMPLETE NEW VERSION
UPDATE 2026 GUIDE EVERYTHING YOU
NEED TO KNOW Athabasca University
Can energy or mass be used up? - <<<<ANSWERS>>>No only
transformed (changed) into different forms
In a biological system, can energy be converted to mass? -
<<<<ANSWERS>>>Yes can be converted into mass
Can mass be converted to energy? - <<<<ANSWERS>>>Yes glucose can
be converted into chemical energy through cellular respiration
What does it mean to transform sunlight energy into chemical energy? -
<<<<ANSWERS>>>through photosynthesis, sunlight energy is converted
into chemical energy through the processes, light reactions and Calvin
cycle
What is the purpose of photosynthesis? - <<<<ANSWERS>>>Capture
sunlight energy and store it as chemical energy in the bonds of sugars built
from carbon dioxide molecules from the air, making food
What types of organisms can photosynthesize? When do they do it? What
types cannot? - <<<<ANSWERS>>>Plants, some eukaryotes, some
bacteria; as long as the cell contains a chloroplast; when sunlight is present
the plant cell undergoes photosynthesis; cells that do not contain a
chloroplast for example animal cells
What role does soil play in plant growth? - <<<<ANSWERS>>>Soil
provides physical support and anchoring, water, soil minerals/essential
elements (tiny atoms that have
, What are the three core concepts of biology that we have used to frame our
studies together so far? - <<<<ANSWERS>>>structure and function,
information flow, transformation of energy into matter
How would you explain to a fellow student what "Transformations of Energy
and Matter" is about? - <<<<ANSWERS>>>energy can not be created nor
destroyed but rather converted
Why do you think it is important enough to be considered a core concept? -
<<<<ANSWERS>>>
How would you explain why people other than plant biologists should know
this stuff? - <<<<ANSWERS>>>
What are examples of energy? - <<<<ANSWERS>>>Sunlight energy
(doesn't contribute mass), Heat Energy, Chemical Energy (bonds between
atoms, ATP, bio macromolecules, transfer of electrons)
What are examples of mass/matter? - <<<<ANSWERS>>>Atoms (C,O,H),
Molecules (nucleic acids, proteins, lipids, carbohydrates/polysaccharides)
little mass)
What are examples of minerals and their importance to a living thing like a
plant? - <<<<ANSWERS>>>N (amino acids/proteins), potassium (water
balance), calcium (enzyme function), Mg (in chlorophyll), P (in ATP, DNA,
RNA, phospholipids), S (proteins)
Where does the mass of an enormous tree come from? Soil? Air? Water?
Sunlight? - <<<<ANSWERS>>>Soil: No
Air: yes carbon dioxide in air
Water: yes; takes the H and converts it into glucose
Sunlight: no
Could you provide experimental evidence as to why one of these is the
origin of plant mass and the others are not? What would that evidence be?
- <<<<ANSWERS>>>Carbon dioxide is the origin of plant mass; when you
take the dry mass (by extracting water) you are left with mass that mainly a
result of carbon dioxide
Midterm 2 COMPLETE NEW VERSION
UPDATE 2026 GUIDE EVERYTHING YOU
NEED TO KNOW Athabasca University
Can energy or mass be used up? - <<<<ANSWERS>>>No only
transformed (changed) into different forms
In a biological system, can energy be converted to mass? -
<<<<ANSWERS>>>Yes can be converted into mass
Can mass be converted to energy? - <<<<ANSWERS>>>Yes glucose can
be converted into chemical energy through cellular respiration
What does it mean to transform sunlight energy into chemical energy? -
<<<<ANSWERS>>>through photosynthesis, sunlight energy is converted
into chemical energy through the processes, light reactions and Calvin
cycle
What is the purpose of photosynthesis? - <<<<ANSWERS>>>Capture
sunlight energy and store it as chemical energy in the bonds of sugars built
from carbon dioxide molecules from the air, making food
What types of organisms can photosynthesize? When do they do it? What
types cannot? - <<<<ANSWERS>>>Plants, some eukaryotes, some
bacteria; as long as the cell contains a chloroplast; when sunlight is present
the plant cell undergoes photosynthesis; cells that do not contain a
chloroplast for example animal cells
What role does soil play in plant growth? - <<<<ANSWERS>>>Soil
provides physical support and anchoring, water, soil minerals/essential
elements (tiny atoms that have
, What are the three core concepts of biology that we have used to frame our
studies together so far? - <<<<ANSWERS>>>structure and function,
information flow, transformation of energy into matter
How would you explain to a fellow student what "Transformations of Energy
and Matter" is about? - <<<<ANSWERS>>>energy can not be created nor
destroyed but rather converted
Why do you think it is important enough to be considered a core concept? -
<<<<ANSWERS>>>
How would you explain why people other than plant biologists should know
this stuff? - <<<<ANSWERS>>>
What are examples of energy? - <<<<ANSWERS>>>Sunlight energy
(doesn't contribute mass), Heat Energy, Chemical Energy (bonds between
atoms, ATP, bio macromolecules, transfer of electrons)
What are examples of mass/matter? - <<<<ANSWERS>>>Atoms (C,O,H),
Molecules (nucleic acids, proteins, lipids, carbohydrates/polysaccharides)
little mass)
What are examples of minerals and their importance to a living thing like a
plant? - <<<<ANSWERS>>>N (amino acids/proteins), potassium (water
balance), calcium (enzyme function), Mg (in chlorophyll), P (in ATP, DNA,
RNA, phospholipids), S (proteins)
Where does the mass of an enormous tree come from? Soil? Air? Water?
Sunlight? - <<<<ANSWERS>>>Soil: No
Air: yes carbon dioxide in air
Water: yes; takes the H and converts it into glucose
Sunlight: no
Could you provide experimental evidence as to why one of these is the
origin of plant mass and the others are not? What would that evidence be?
- <<<<ANSWERS>>>Carbon dioxide is the origin of plant mass; when you
take the dry mass (by extracting water) you are left with mass that mainly a
result of carbon dioxide
