Essential Science Knowledge: Biology & Chemistry

Fundamental Science Concepts

1. Key Definitions in Chemistry and Physics

Match the word with its definition:

• Chemical Reaction: A process in which one or more substances (the reactants) are converted to one or more different substances (the products).
• Enzyme: Any of various proteins, originating from living cells, capable of producing chemical changes in organic substances.
• Catalyst: A substance that increases the rate of a chemical reaction without itself undergoing any permanent chemical change.
• Viscosity: The state of being thick, sticky, and semifluid in consistency, due to internal friction.

2. Common Chemical Formulas

Write the chemical formula for the following substances:

• Water: H₂O
• Oxygen: O₂
• Hydrogen Peroxide: H₂O₂

3. Main Shapes of Bacteria

Identify the three main shapes of bacteria (drawing not provided):

• Round (Coccus)
• Spiral (Spirillum/Spirochete)
• Rod (Bacillus)

4. Different Shapes of Viruses

List the names of the different shapes of viruses (image not provided):

• Crystalline (Icosahedral)
• Cylindrical (Helical)
• Spherical (Enveloped)
• Complex

Note: The original document listed "CRYSTAL", "CYLINDERS", "SPHERES". More precise terms are Icosahedral, Helical, and Enveloped/Spherical, with Complex being another major category.

5. Kinds of Protists

Identify the three kinds of protists:

• Animal-like protists
• Fungus-like protists
• Plant-like protists

6. Kinds of Fungi

Identify the three kinds of fungi:

• Zygote fungi (Zygomycetes)
• Sac fungi (Ascomycetes)
• Club fungi (Basidiomycetes)

Note: Scientific names added in parentheses for clarity.

7. Where Do Bacteria Live?

Select the most accurate statement about where bacteria live:

• ▢ Only in the human body
• ✓ Almost everywhere on Earth
• ▢ In extreme habitats
• ▢ Only inside a host

8. Characteristics of Viruses: True or False?

Mark true or false for the following sentences about the characteristics of viruses:

• True: Contain genetic material and protein.
• False: Perform several life functions. (Viruses are obligate intracellular parasites and do not perform all life functions independently.)
• True: Do not use energy from nutrients. (They hijack host cell machinery for energy.)
• False: Grow a lot. (Viruses replicate, they don't grow in the same way cells do.)
• True: Do not maintain homeostasis.
• True: Do not respond to stimuli like sound, touch, or light.
• False: Can function on its own. (They require a host cell.)
• False: Can reproduce anywhere. (Only within a host cell.)
• True: Viruses are nonliving things. (Often debated, but generally considered non-living outside a host cell.)