Introductory Biology

What you will learn

• Relate cell structures to the jobs they perform.
• Explain how cells use and transform energy.
• Trace how genetic information is stored and expressed.
• Use evolution to explain patterns in living things.
• Interpret biological experiments, graphs, and ecological relationships.

Common challenges

• More detail than high school

  College readings may introduce many terms between meetings. Preview headings, then turn each section into a process diagram or question.

• Memorizing without explaining

  Learn what each structure does and how it connects to a larger system. Practice predicting what would happen if one part stopped working.

• Moving between scales

  Label whether you are discussing molecules, cells, organisms, or populations. Many confusing statements mix these levels.

• Managing labs and independent study

  If the course includes a lab, budget time for preparation and reports. Review lecture ideas throughout the week rather than only before exams.

Key concepts

Cell theory

Living organisms are made of cells, and cells are the basic units of life. New cells arise from existing cells.

Structure and function

The form of a biological part helps determine what it can do. This connection applies to molecules, membranes, organs, and more.

Energy and matter

Organisms transform energy and matter rather than creating them from nothing. Cellular reactions connect the use of nutrients to work such as movement and growth.

Genetic information

DNA stores hereditary information. Cells use gene expression to produce functional RNA and, for many genes, proteins.

Evolution by natural selection

Heritable differences can affect reproductive success in a particular environment. Over generations, those differences can change the traits common in a population.

Ecosystems

Organisms interact with one another and with nonliving surroundings. Energy flows through ecosystems while matter cycles through them.

How to prepare

• Review atoms, molecules, chemical bonds, and the properties of water.
• Practice reading a graph with labeled axes and a comparison group.
• Draw a simple cell and label its membrane, genetic material, and internal structures.
• Practice summarizing a scientific question, prediction, and result in separate sentences.

Study habits that help

• Draw processes from memory and label what enters, changes, and leaves.
• Connect new vocabulary to a specific structure or event.
• Practice predicting the effect of changing one part of a system.
• For each experiment, identify the comparison, measured outcome, and conclusion the data support.

What to expect

Typical workload

Heavy

Time outside class

Typically about 6–10 hours outside class weekly, with extra time for a paired lab; college and instructor expectations vary. A general college rule of thumb is about 2–3 study hours outside class for each hour in class.

Pace

The course often moves from chemistry and cells toward heredity, evolution, or ecology, though the sequence and emphasis vary.

How it is usually graded

Courses typically use exams, quizzes, assignments, and sometimes discussion work; a paired lab may grade notebooks, investigations, and reports.

Skills that help

• Reading scientific explanations
• Interpreting data
• Connecting processes
• Evidence-based reasoning

What teachers usually expect

• Complete readings and review diagrams before class.
• Explain mechanisms rather than only naming parts.
• Use evidence carefully and follow any laboratory safety procedures.

Before you start

• Colleges commonly expect high school biology and basic algebra readiness; some majors-level versions also expect or require chemistry.
• A nonmajors survey may have different entry requirements from a majors sequence; prerequisites differ by college, so check the college catalog.

These are general descriptions of a typical course. Workload, pace and prerequisites differ by school and instructor, so check with your counselor, advisor or the course catalog.

How it connects to majors

• Biology
• Environmental science
• Biochemistry
• Nursing and health professions
• Agriculture

Flashcards

Practice questions

Vocabulary

Organelle

A specialized structure within a cell that performs a particular job.

Homeostasis

Regulation that keeps internal conditions within workable ranges.

Enzyme

A biological catalyst, usually a protein, that speeds a reaction.

Gene

A DNA sequence that contributes to a functional RNA or protein product.

Allele

A version of a gene at a particular location.

Mutation

A change in a DNA sequence.

Natural selection

Differences in reproductive success associated with heritable traits.

Ecosystem

A community of organisms together with its nonliving environment.