DC CAPE 2.0 Science Biology study guide
DC CAPE 2.0 Science Biology · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The DC CAPE 2.0 Science Biology assessment is a subject-area credential for educators seeking to demonstrate biology content knowledge for certification in the District of Columbia. Candidates typically include pre-service teachers completing preparation programs, career-changers entering the classroom, and certified teachers adding a science endorsement. The DC CAPE 2.0 Science Biology study guide has 6 sections and about 2,080 words.
01Molecules and Cells
The cell is the basic unit of life, and its chemistry explains its behavior. Candidates should be fluent in the four macromolecules - carbohydrates (energy and structure, sugars and polysaccharides), lipids (nonpolar, membranes and long-term energy storage), proteins (amino acid chains folded into functional shapes, enzymes, transport, signaling), and nucleic acids (DNA and RNA, information storage and transfer).
368 words, about 2 min02Genetics and Heredity
Genetics begins with the relationship between DNA, genes, chromosomes, and traits. A gene is a segment of DNA encoding a product; alleles are variants.
359 words, about 2 min03Evolution and Natural Selection
Evolution is change in the genetic composition of populations over time. Understand natural selection as the mechanism: individuals vary, some variants are heritable and improve survival or reproduction, and those variants increase in frequency across generations.
325 words, about 2 min04Biological Diversity and Classification
Classification organizes life by evolutionary relationships. Understand the hierarchy - domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus, species - and that binomial nomenclature uses genus and species (italicized or underlined, genus capitalized).
314 words, about 2 min05Ecology and Interdependence of Organisms
Ecology studies interactions among organisms and their environment across levels: organism, population, community, ecosystem, and biosphere. Understand population concepts - size, density, distribution, carrying capacity, and limiting factors (density-dependent such as food and disease; density-independent such as weather).
342 words, about 2 min06Human Biology and Homeostasis
Homeostasis is the maintenance of stable internal conditions despite external change, achieved largely through negative feedback: a deviation triggers a response that reverses it (e.g., body temperature, blood glucose, water balance). Positive feedback amplifies a change and is rarer (e.g., childbirth contractions).
372 words, about 2 min