HESI A2 (NURSING ADMISSION TEST) NEW FILE TESTED- 2023 BIOLOGY
HESI Biology
Biology is the study of living organisms and to understand anatomy and physiology, a nurse
must first grasp the science of biology. While you may not use your knowledge of biology
directly every day, biology serves as a prerequisite before moving on to other sciences such as
anatomy, physiology, and microbiology.
Here are some key concepts you should understand in order to do well on the Biology section
of the HESI exam:
Classification of Organisms
Early biologists faced difficulty in devising a method for discerning living organisms from
nonliving things. After developing rules to differentiate life from nonlife, scientists then faced
the struggle of organizing and classifying life. Taxonomy, or the science of classifying, resulted
from these early struggles. Many years of classification have occurred since, and because of
advancements in biotechnology, scientists can now categorize life based on similarities and
differences at the genetic level. Scientists utilize a hierarchical system for classifying organisms.
m
Six Kingdoms contain the taxonomic breakdown of life. These Kingdoms are further divided into
er as
Phyla, then Class, Order, Family, Genus, and Species. A common mnemonic for remembering
co
this hierarchy is, “King Phillip Came Over For Great Spaghetti,” where the first letter of every
eH w
word indicates the corresponding taxonomic class. Over the years, the taxonomic classification
o.
schemes have changed and will continue to change as we further our understanding of
rs e
genetics. Currently, scientists use Six Kingdoms to subdivide life:
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Bacteria, Protozoa, Chromista, Plantae, Fungi, and Animalia make up these Six Kingdoms.
Scientists categorize organisms within one of these Kingdoms by investigating the organisms’
cellular composition, methods for obtaining and using energy, genotypic similarities, and other
o
techniques.
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This study source was downloaded by 100000794939623 from CourseHero.com on 07-20-2021 11:09:55 GMT -05:00
https://www.coursehero.com/file/34826862/HESI-Biologydocx/
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The Scientific Method
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ed
The Scientific Method is a way of devising and performing experiments that yield meaningful
Th results. It involves a procedural approach to gaining information about the physical world that
begins with a formulated question and ends with the rejection of a hypothesis and the
reevaluation of the experiment.
The Scientific Method can be summarized as the following:
Question ― A curiosity about a phenomenon arises and, in response, a question is formulated.
Early thinkers looked at the sky and wondered why it was blue or looked at the grass and
wondered why it was green.
Research ― After formulating a question, a scientist looks for any relevant research or data
already discovered and provided for the phenomenon in question. This helps give some
direction in how to set up or approach the question.
Hypothesis ― The scientist then generates a hypothesis, or an educated guess, as to what
could be causing the phenomenon. This step helps narrow down the possible options for
experimentation.
Experiment ― Using available measuring tools and technology, an experiment is designed to
provide valuable data for the scientist to investigate.
Evaluation ― The data will then be analyzed and assessed for its validity. Do the observations
made support the hypothesis, or do they support a different hypothesis?
Conclusion ― Finally, the scientist will decide if the hypothesis is confirmed, in which case
other scientists will then recreate the same experiment to confirm that the results hold true in
a different time or place using the same methods. If the hypothesis is not confirmed, the
m
er as
scientist may choose to adjust some of the experimental methods or devise a new hypothesis.
co
eH w
Overall, the Scientific Method provides a methodical approach for investigating experiments,
data, and drawn conclusions. It is worthwhile to know that developments in scientific research
o.
do not arise from haphazard guessing and checking, but rather through logical design and
rs e
reasoning. Even a basic familiarity with the method will prove useful when making sense of
ou urc
scientific experiments.
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vi y re
Cells, Tissues, and Organs
The most fundamental unit of life is the cell. Organisms that exist as a single cell, like bacterium,
are called prokaryotes and those that are multicellular, like humans, are called eukaryotes. The
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major difference between these two groups is that eukaryotes possess a nucleus and
ar stu
membrane bound organelles while prokaryotes do not.
Beginning with an understanding of the cell, its form and function, we can start to make sense
of how life operates, and what cellular features enable this operation. Learning the
sh is
components of the cell is not a difficult task, but it can be tedious.
Th
One great way to learn about cells is to complement lists of cellular
components/features with drawings of cells― this is particularly useful for eukaryotic cells and
their organelles. Accompany these drawings with the name of the cell “part” and what its
This study source was downloaded by 100000794939623 from CourseHero.com on 07-20-2021 11:09:55 GMT -05:00
https://www.coursehero.com/file/34826862/HESI-Biologydocx/
HESI Biology
Biology is the study of living organisms and to understand anatomy and physiology, a nurse
must first grasp the science of biology. While you may not use your knowledge of biology
directly every day, biology serves as a prerequisite before moving on to other sciences such as
anatomy, physiology, and microbiology.
Here are some key concepts you should understand in order to do well on the Biology section
of the HESI exam:
Classification of Organisms
Early biologists faced difficulty in devising a method for discerning living organisms from
nonliving things. After developing rules to differentiate life from nonlife, scientists then faced
the struggle of organizing and classifying life. Taxonomy, or the science of classifying, resulted
from these early struggles. Many years of classification have occurred since, and because of
advancements in biotechnology, scientists can now categorize life based on similarities and
differences at the genetic level. Scientists utilize a hierarchical system for classifying organisms.
m
Six Kingdoms contain the taxonomic breakdown of life. These Kingdoms are further divided into
er as
Phyla, then Class, Order, Family, Genus, and Species. A common mnemonic for remembering
co
this hierarchy is, “King Phillip Came Over For Great Spaghetti,” where the first letter of every
eH w
word indicates the corresponding taxonomic class. Over the years, the taxonomic classification
o.
schemes have changed and will continue to change as we further our understanding of
rs e
genetics. Currently, scientists use Six Kingdoms to subdivide life:
ou urc
Bacteria, Protozoa, Chromista, Plantae, Fungi, and Animalia make up these Six Kingdoms.
Scientists categorize organisms within one of these Kingdoms by investigating the organisms’
cellular composition, methods for obtaining and using energy, genotypic similarities, and other
o
techniques.
aC s
vi re
dy
This study source was downloaded by 100000794939623 from CourseHero.com on 07-20-2021 11:09:55 GMT -05:00
https://www.coursehero.com/file/34826862/HESI-Biologydocx/
stu
, ar s
vi
The Scientific Method
sh is
ed
The Scientific Method is a way of devising and performing experiments that yield meaningful
Th results. It involves a procedural approach to gaining information about the physical world that
begins with a formulated question and ends with the rejection of a hypothesis and the
reevaluation of the experiment.
The Scientific Method can be summarized as the following:
Question ― A curiosity about a phenomenon arises and, in response, a question is formulated.
Early thinkers looked at the sky and wondered why it was blue or looked at the grass and
wondered why it was green.
Research ― After formulating a question, a scientist looks for any relevant research or data
already discovered and provided for the phenomenon in question. This helps give some
direction in how to set up or approach the question.
Hypothesis ― The scientist then generates a hypothesis, or an educated guess, as to what
could be causing the phenomenon. This step helps narrow down the possible options for
experimentation.
Experiment ― Using available measuring tools and technology, an experiment is designed to
provide valuable data for the scientist to investigate.
Evaluation ― The data will then be analyzed and assessed for its validity. Do the observations
made support the hypothesis, or do they support a different hypothesis?
Conclusion ― Finally, the scientist will decide if the hypothesis is confirmed, in which case
other scientists will then recreate the same experiment to confirm that the results hold true in
a different time or place using the same methods. If the hypothesis is not confirmed, the
m
er as
scientist may choose to adjust some of the experimental methods or devise a new hypothesis.
co
eH w
Overall, the Scientific Method provides a methodical approach for investigating experiments,
data, and drawn conclusions. It is worthwhile to know that developments in scientific research
o.
do not arise from haphazard guessing and checking, but rather through logical design and
rs e
reasoning. Even a basic familiarity with the method will prove useful when making sense of
ou urc
scientific experiments.
o
aC s
vi y re
Cells, Tissues, and Organs
The most fundamental unit of life is the cell. Organisms that exist as a single cell, like bacterium,
are called prokaryotes and those that are multicellular, like humans, are called eukaryotes. The
ed d
major difference between these two groups is that eukaryotes possess a nucleus and
ar stu
membrane bound organelles while prokaryotes do not.
Beginning with an understanding of the cell, its form and function, we can start to make sense
of how life operates, and what cellular features enable this operation. Learning the
sh is
components of the cell is not a difficult task, but it can be tedious.
Th
One great way to learn about cells is to complement lists of cellular
components/features with drawings of cells― this is particularly useful for eukaryotic cells and
their organelles. Accompany these drawings with the name of the cell “part” and what its
This study source was downloaded by 100000794939623 from CourseHero.com on 07-20-2021 11:09:55 GMT -05:00
https://www.coursehero.com/file/34826862/HESI-Biologydocx/
