NY Regents Life Science: Biology study plan

Distinguish and describe the roles of the four major classes of organic molecules (carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, nucleic acids) using a self-made comparison table.

Label the parts of a generalized animal and plant cell from memory, and state the function of each organelle you label.

Explain how the structure of the cell membrane (phospholipid bilayer, embedded proteins) relates to selective permeability and transport.

Compare passive transport (diffusion, osmosis) and active transport in terms of energy use and direction of movement, and predict the direction of water movement in a given concentration scenario.

Describe how photosynthesis and cellular respiration transform energy, and write the summary equations for each.

Relate organelle structure (chloroplast, mitochondrion) to its energy-conversion function.

Explain the levels of organization from cell to organ system and give an example of how a failure at one level affects the organism.

Interpret a simple feedback loop (for example, body temperature or blood glucose regulation) and identify the sensor, control center, and response.

Model the structure of DNA and explain complementary base pairing and the roles of DNA and RNA in protein synthesis.

Carry out monohybrid crosses using Punnett squares and state genotype and phenotype ratios.

Predict outcomes of dihybrid crosses and explain why independent assortment produces new combinations.

Distinguish complete dominance, incomplete dominance, and codominance using worked examples.

Analyze a pedigree to determine whether a trait is dominant or recessive and whether it is sex-linked, justifying the reasoning.

Describe common mutation types and explain how a mutation can alter phenotype.

Explain how meiosis and sexual reproduction generate genetic variation.

State the main claims of natural selection and identify each component (variation, heritability, differential survival, change over generations) in a described scenario.

Interpret evidence for common ancestry (fossils, homologous structures, molecular similarities) in unfamiliar examples.

Explain how geographic and reproductive isolation can lead to speciation.

Distinguish directional, stabilizing, and disruptive selection and match each to a described population change.

Classify organisms using a dichotomous key and explain how classification reflects evolutionary relationships.

Diagram energy flow through a food web and calculate energy transfer between trophic levels given a starting energy value.

Distinguish biotic and abiotic factors and predict how a change in one factor cascades through a community.

Compare symbiotic relationships (mutualism, commensalism, parasitism) and classify examples.

Explain the carbon, nitrogen, and water cycles and identify one human influence on each.

Evaluate the ecological footprint of a given human activity and propose two evidence-based mitigation strategies.

Analyze a data table or graph on a sustainability topic (for example, biodiversity loss or resource use) and state a supported conclusion.

Identify the independent, dependent, and controlled variables in described experiments and critique a flawed design.

Explain how a crosscutting concept (cause and effect, or systems and system models) applies to an ecology or human-impact example.

Review your error log and re-solve every missed item from weeks 1-7 without notes.

Build a one-page formula-and-concept sheet covering energy transfer, genetics ratios, and experimental design terms.

Practice constructed-response answers using a claim-evidence-reasoning structure and self-score against a rubric.

Simulate exam pacing with two timed half-length practice sets and record your accuracy per domain.