STRAND 1 – 4
Notes according to
SAGS on:
Environmental studies,
Life processes in
animals and plants,
and Life at molecular,
cellular and tissue
level, evolution and
hominid studies.
Caitlin Govender
IEB LIFE SCIENCES
,Contents
Population Ecology................................................................................................................................3
1. Terminology:..............................................................................................................................3
2. What affects the size of a population?.......................................................................................4
3. Limiting factors:.........................................................................................................................4
4. Sampling Methods:....................................................................................................................5
5. Importance of random sampling:...............................................................................................5
6. Predator-prey relationships:......................................................................................................5
7. Food webs and social organisation............................................................................................6
8. Competition:..............................................................................................................................6
9. Reducing competition:...............................................................................................................6
10. Ecological succession:..............................................................................................................7
Endocrine System..................................................................................................................................9
Negative Feedback:........................................................................................................................9
Flower Reproduction...........................................................................................................................13
1. & 2. Similarities, differences, advantages, and disadvantages of asexual and sexual
reproduction:...............................................................................................................................13
3./4. Parts of the flower and their functions:...............................................................................14
5. Difference between pollination and fertilisation.....................................................................15
6. How asexual/sexual reproduction techniques benefit food crops:..........................................15
7. Asexual reproduction benefitting food production:.................................................................15
Animal reproduction strategies...........................................................................................................16
Human Reproduction...........................................................................................................................18
1. Structure of male and female reproductive systems:..............................................................19
2. Male Reproductive system:.....................................................................................................20
3. Sperm/semen & erection/ejaculation:.....................................................................................20
4. Female Reproductive system:..................................................................................................21
5. Changes during puberty:..........................................................................................................21
6. /7. Sperm cell...........................................................................................................................21
8. Menstrual cycle:.......................................................................................................................22
10. Fertilization:...........................................................................................................................23
11. Structures of pregnancy:........................................................................................................23
12. Labour and birth....................................................................................................................23
13. Contraception........................................................................................................................24
DNA.....................................................................................................................................................24
1
, DNA Structure and coding:..............................................................................................................25
2. Structure and location of DNA and RNA:.................................................................................25
3. Nucleotides:.............................................................................................................................25
4. Mitochondrial DNA:.................................................................................................................26
Protein Synthesis.............................................................................................................................27
6. Translation (mRNA to proteins)...............................................................................................27
7. Aberrations:.............................................................................................................................28
Application of DNA technology........................................................................................................28
8. DNA ‘fingerprints’:...................................................................................................................28
Meiosis................................................................................................................................................28
1. Location and structure of chromosomes:................................................................................28
2. Significance of chromosomes in cell division:..........................................................................28
3. Haploid vs diploid:....................................................................................................................28
4. Purpose of meiosis:..................................................................................................................29
5. DNA replication:.......................................................................................................................29
6. Process of meiosis:...................................................................................................................29
7. Chromosomal mutations:........................................................................................................30
8. Karyotypes:..............................................................................................................................30
Genetics and genetic Engineering........................................................................................................31
Inheritance.......................................................................................................................................31
1./2. Mendel’s laws and terminology:.........................................................................................31
3. Monohybrid crosses (punnet squares):...................................................................................31
4. Continuous characteristics:......................................................................................................32
5. Gene mutation and speciation.................................................................................................32
6. Human Genome Project:..........................................................................................................32
7. Pedigree diagrams:..................................................................................................................33
Genetic Engineering.........................................................................................................................33
1. Terminology:............................................................................................................................33
2. modifications...........................................................................................................................33
3. Bacterial plasmids....................................................................................................................33
4. Gene Therapy...........................................................................................................................34
5. GMO Crops...............................................................................................................................34
6. Transgenic organisms...............................................................................................................34
7. Cloning.....................................................................................................................................35
8. Artificial selection and selective breeding................................................................................36
9. Hybrid vigour...........................................................................................................................36
2
, Origin of an idea about origins – Evolution..........................................................................................37
1. Theory of evolution......................................................................................................................37
2. Important researchers.................................................................................................................37
Fundamental Aspects of evolution......................................................................................................38
1. Macroevolution...........................................................................................................................38
2. Darwinian Theory.........................................................................................................................39
3. Example of Natural Selection – Peppered moth..........................................................................39
4. Artificial Selection........................................................................................................................40
Formation of new species....................................................................................................................40
1. Terminology.................................................................................................................................40
2. Causes of variation.......................................................................................................................40
3. What do mutations lead to?........................................................................................................40
4. Breeding Types............................................................................................................................41
5. The Founder Effect.......................................................................................................................41
6. Convergence and Divergence......................................................................................................42
7. Speciation....................................................................................................................................42
8. Mechanisms of reproductive isolation.........................................................................................42
Hominid Studies...................................................................................................................................43
1. Evidence of hominid studies........................................................................................................43
2. What type of animal is a hominid?..............................................................................................43
3. Trends in physical hominid features............................................................................................44
4. Bipedalism, fire-making, toolmaking, language, and culture.......................................................45
5. Origin and Distribution of Homo Sapiens.....................................................................................45
Out of Africa hypothesis:.............................................................................................................45
Multiregional hypothesis:............................................................................................................46
Evolution in Present Times..................................................................................................................46
Population Ecology
1. Terminology:
Individual – a single organism capable of independent existence.
Population – a group of organisms of the same species that occupy the same area and can breed
freely with each other.
Community – a group of different species that inhabit and interact in a particular area.
Ecosystem – made up of groups of different species of organisms that interact with each other and
the environment
Predator-prey relationship – biological interaction where one species, the predator, kills and eats
another species, the prey. As the prey population decreases, food available for predators decreases,
3
Notes according to
SAGS on:
Environmental studies,
Life processes in
animals and plants,
and Life at molecular,
cellular and tissue
level, evolution and
hominid studies.
Caitlin Govender
IEB LIFE SCIENCES
,Contents
Population Ecology................................................................................................................................3
1. Terminology:..............................................................................................................................3
2. What affects the size of a population?.......................................................................................4
3. Limiting factors:.........................................................................................................................4
4. Sampling Methods:....................................................................................................................5
5. Importance of random sampling:...............................................................................................5
6. Predator-prey relationships:......................................................................................................5
7. Food webs and social organisation............................................................................................6
8. Competition:..............................................................................................................................6
9. Reducing competition:...............................................................................................................6
10. Ecological succession:..............................................................................................................7
Endocrine System..................................................................................................................................9
Negative Feedback:........................................................................................................................9
Flower Reproduction...........................................................................................................................13
1. & 2. Similarities, differences, advantages, and disadvantages of asexual and sexual
reproduction:...............................................................................................................................13
3./4. Parts of the flower and their functions:...............................................................................14
5. Difference between pollination and fertilisation.....................................................................15
6. How asexual/sexual reproduction techniques benefit food crops:..........................................15
7. Asexual reproduction benefitting food production:.................................................................15
Animal reproduction strategies...........................................................................................................16
Human Reproduction...........................................................................................................................18
1. Structure of male and female reproductive systems:..............................................................19
2. Male Reproductive system:.....................................................................................................20
3. Sperm/semen & erection/ejaculation:.....................................................................................20
4. Female Reproductive system:..................................................................................................21
5. Changes during puberty:..........................................................................................................21
6. /7. Sperm cell...........................................................................................................................21
8. Menstrual cycle:.......................................................................................................................22
10. Fertilization:...........................................................................................................................23
11. Structures of pregnancy:........................................................................................................23
12. Labour and birth....................................................................................................................23
13. Contraception........................................................................................................................24
DNA.....................................................................................................................................................24
1
, DNA Structure and coding:..............................................................................................................25
2. Structure and location of DNA and RNA:.................................................................................25
3. Nucleotides:.............................................................................................................................25
4. Mitochondrial DNA:.................................................................................................................26
Protein Synthesis.............................................................................................................................27
6. Translation (mRNA to proteins)...............................................................................................27
7. Aberrations:.............................................................................................................................28
Application of DNA technology........................................................................................................28
8. DNA ‘fingerprints’:...................................................................................................................28
Meiosis................................................................................................................................................28
1. Location and structure of chromosomes:................................................................................28
2. Significance of chromosomes in cell division:..........................................................................28
3. Haploid vs diploid:....................................................................................................................28
4. Purpose of meiosis:..................................................................................................................29
5. DNA replication:.......................................................................................................................29
6. Process of meiosis:...................................................................................................................29
7. Chromosomal mutations:........................................................................................................30
8. Karyotypes:..............................................................................................................................30
Genetics and genetic Engineering........................................................................................................31
Inheritance.......................................................................................................................................31
1./2. Mendel’s laws and terminology:.........................................................................................31
3. Monohybrid crosses (punnet squares):...................................................................................31
4. Continuous characteristics:......................................................................................................32
5. Gene mutation and speciation.................................................................................................32
6. Human Genome Project:..........................................................................................................32
7. Pedigree diagrams:..................................................................................................................33
Genetic Engineering.........................................................................................................................33
1. Terminology:............................................................................................................................33
2. modifications...........................................................................................................................33
3. Bacterial plasmids....................................................................................................................33
4. Gene Therapy...........................................................................................................................34
5. GMO Crops...............................................................................................................................34
6. Transgenic organisms...............................................................................................................34
7. Cloning.....................................................................................................................................35
8. Artificial selection and selective breeding................................................................................36
9. Hybrid vigour...........................................................................................................................36
2
, Origin of an idea about origins – Evolution..........................................................................................37
1. Theory of evolution......................................................................................................................37
2. Important researchers.................................................................................................................37
Fundamental Aspects of evolution......................................................................................................38
1. Macroevolution...........................................................................................................................38
2. Darwinian Theory.........................................................................................................................39
3. Example of Natural Selection – Peppered moth..........................................................................39
4. Artificial Selection........................................................................................................................40
Formation of new species....................................................................................................................40
1. Terminology.................................................................................................................................40
2. Causes of variation.......................................................................................................................40
3. What do mutations lead to?........................................................................................................40
4. Breeding Types............................................................................................................................41
5. The Founder Effect.......................................................................................................................41
6. Convergence and Divergence......................................................................................................42
7. Speciation....................................................................................................................................42
8. Mechanisms of reproductive isolation.........................................................................................42
Hominid Studies...................................................................................................................................43
1. Evidence of hominid studies........................................................................................................43
2. What type of animal is a hominid?..............................................................................................43
3. Trends in physical hominid features............................................................................................44
4. Bipedalism, fire-making, toolmaking, language, and culture.......................................................45
5. Origin and Distribution of Homo Sapiens.....................................................................................45
Out of Africa hypothesis:.............................................................................................................45
Multiregional hypothesis:............................................................................................................46
Evolution in Present Times..................................................................................................................46
Population Ecology
1. Terminology:
Individual – a single organism capable of independent existence.
Population – a group of organisms of the same species that occupy the same area and can breed
freely with each other.
Community – a group of different species that inhabit and interact in a particular area.
Ecosystem – made up of groups of different species of organisms that interact with each other and
the environment
Predator-prey relationship – biological interaction where one species, the predator, kills and eats
another species, the prey. As the prey population decreases, food available for predators decreases,
3
