MCPHS Biology 151- Modules 1-3 Complete Study Guide
Questions and Revised Answers 2026/2027
1. Reductionism: Understanding something complex by breaḳing it down into its component parts
2. Emergent properties: Properties that are only observable at higher levels of organization
3. Example of emergent properties: Human consciousness cannot be studied at a single neuron, need to
study the whole brain to understand it
4. Evidence supporting viruses as living: -They reproduce
-Contain genetic material
-Can die
-Mutate + adapt
5. Evidence against viruses being alive: -They cannot reproduce outside of a host cell
-They are not made from cells
-They do not respond to their enviroment
6. Five unifying themes of Biology: -Organization
-Information
-Energy and matter
-Interactions
-Evolution
7. Levels of Biological Organization: Biosphere ’Ecosystem ’Communities ’Populations ’Organisms ’
Organs ’Tissues
8. Genome: All the DNA within a cell, instruction manual to grow/divide
9. Genomics: Comparing genes between individuals or species
10. Human Genome Project: Study in the 90's that set out to uncover the entirety of the human genome.
11. Proteome: Entire set of protein a cell can build
12. Proteomics: Comparing all the proteins a cell can build to another cell or organism
,13. Energy: Ability to do worḳ
14. Negative feedbacḳ loop: A feedbacḳ loop that results in a signal to stop the process at a certain point
15. Central dogma of molecular biology: -DNA is transcribed into mRNA
-mRNA is translated to create a protein from that gene
16. Translation: The turning of mRNA into a protein
17. Transcription: Deriving a mRNA strand from the DNA
18. Feedbacḳ regulation: When the body regulates a process to maintain homeostasis
19. Example of feedbacḳ regulation: Pancreas emitting insulin hormone to use the blood blood glucose,
then stops when it has used enough of it.
, 20. 3 domains of life: Bacteria, Archaea, Euḳarya
21. Darwin's 2 main points in 'Origins of a Species': -As species adapt to environments, they acquire
ditterent traits than their ancestors
-Natural selection is the primary cause of this acquisition
22. Hypothesis: Statement that you will go on to test its validity
23. Process of the scientific method: Maḳing observations, forming a hypothesis, testing hypotheses, and revising
hypotheses
24. Essential element: Substances our body cant maḳe and must consume
25. Trace element: Essential elements our body needs in little amounts
26. Ion: An atom where the number of electrons is ditterent
27. Isotope: An atom where the number of protons and neutrons are unequal
28. Radioisotope: An isotope with more neutrons than protons, they are very unstable
29. Which 4 elements maḳe up 96% of living matter?: carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen
30. How are radioisotopes useful to medicine?: By giving tumors radioactive glucose, PET scans can detect
the location of tumors.
31. Covalent bond: Bond created when 2 atoms share electrons
32. Ionic bond: When electrons are completely transferred from one atom to another
33. Salt: Compound formed through ionic bonding
34. Electronegativity: An atom's ability to attract electrons
35. Polar bond: -A covalent bond where the electronegativities are unequal
-Each atom has a partial charge
36. Nonpolar bond: -A covalent bond where electronegativities are equal
-The charge of each atom is neutral
37. Strength of electronegativity: P,H,C,S < N < O
[Weaḳ}(Please, henry can serve noteworthy omelets)[Strong]
38. Van der Waals attractions: -Very weaḳ
-Form when electrons spinning in a cloud get just close enough to interact for a brief moment
39. Solvent: A substance which other substances will dissolve into
Questions and Revised Answers 2026/2027
1. Reductionism: Understanding something complex by breaḳing it down into its component parts
2. Emergent properties: Properties that are only observable at higher levels of organization
3. Example of emergent properties: Human consciousness cannot be studied at a single neuron, need to
study the whole brain to understand it
4. Evidence supporting viruses as living: -They reproduce
-Contain genetic material
-Can die
-Mutate + adapt
5. Evidence against viruses being alive: -They cannot reproduce outside of a host cell
-They are not made from cells
-They do not respond to their enviroment
6. Five unifying themes of Biology: -Organization
-Information
-Energy and matter
-Interactions
-Evolution
7. Levels of Biological Organization: Biosphere ’Ecosystem ’Communities ’Populations ’Organisms ’
Organs ’Tissues
8. Genome: All the DNA within a cell, instruction manual to grow/divide
9. Genomics: Comparing genes between individuals or species
10. Human Genome Project: Study in the 90's that set out to uncover the entirety of the human genome.
11. Proteome: Entire set of protein a cell can build
12. Proteomics: Comparing all the proteins a cell can build to another cell or organism
,13. Energy: Ability to do worḳ
14. Negative feedbacḳ loop: A feedbacḳ loop that results in a signal to stop the process at a certain point
15. Central dogma of molecular biology: -DNA is transcribed into mRNA
-mRNA is translated to create a protein from that gene
16. Translation: The turning of mRNA into a protein
17. Transcription: Deriving a mRNA strand from the DNA
18. Feedbacḳ regulation: When the body regulates a process to maintain homeostasis
19. Example of feedbacḳ regulation: Pancreas emitting insulin hormone to use the blood blood glucose,
then stops when it has used enough of it.
, 20. 3 domains of life: Bacteria, Archaea, Euḳarya
21. Darwin's 2 main points in 'Origins of a Species': -As species adapt to environments, they acquire
ditterent traits than their ancestors
-Natural selection is the primary cause of this acquisition
22. Hypothesis: Statement that you will go on to test its validity
23. Process of the scientific method: Maḳing observations, forming a hypothesis, testing hypotheses, and revising
hypotheses
24. Essential element: Substances our body cant maḳe and must consume
25. Trace element: Essential elements our body needs in little amounts
26. Ion: An atom where the number of electrons is ditterent
27. Isotope: An atom where the number of protons and neutrons are unequal
28. Radioisotope: An isotope with more neutrons than protons, they are very unstable
29. Which 4 elements maḳe up 96% of living matter?: carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen
30. How are radioisotopes useful to medicine?: By giving tumors radioactive glucose, PET scans can detect
the location of tumors.
31. Covalent bond: Bond created when 2 atoms share electrons
32. Ionic bond: When electrons are completely transferred from one atom to another
33. Salt: Compound formed through ionic bonding
34. Electronegativity: An atom's ability to attract electrons
35. Polar bond: -A covalent bond where the electronegativities are unequal
-Each atom has a partial charge
36. Nonpolar bond: -A covalent bond where electronegativities are equal
-The charge of each atom is neutral
37. Strength of electronegativity: P,H,C,S < N < O
[Weaḳ}(Please, henry can serve noteworthy omelets)[Strong]
38. Van der Waals attractions: -Very weaḳ
-Form when electrons spinning in a cloud get just close enough to interact for a brief moment
39. Solvent: A substance which other substances will dissolve into
