basic diploma exam strategies

Basic Diploma Exam Strategies

In other words: how to scramble towards the right

answer when you forget everything we’ve taught you.

This is a Bio 30 Diploma Exam Question

This is a Bio 30 Diploma Exam Question

When studying, look for question types that seem to be repeated year after year. There’s usually a reason

for this

Know the following diagrams(they appear nearly every year)

And remember the myelin sheath = Speed.

They like oxytocin. So should you.

19. If a pregnant woman failed to produce oxytocin, what would be the result?A. Urination would be more frequent.B. ADH levels in the bloodstream would drop.C. Uterine contractions would not begin for labour.D. Oxytocin levels would increase in the bloodstream

TSH turns on ThyroxineThyroxine turns off TSH

• Negative feedback loops.

TSH turns on ThyroxineThyroxine turns off TSH

• Negative feedback loops.

TSH turns on ThyroxineThyroxine turns off TSH

Meiosis/Mitosis• Mieosis has an “E” in it. So does SEX.

Meiosis ONLY makes the gametes (sex cells – haploid -- n).• Mitosis is the division of diploid cells

(body cells -- 2n).• Seriously, people still don’t get this.

Irritating Police Might Arrest Terrorists

Or in MITOSIS

Interphase, Prophase, Metaphase, Anaphase, and Telophase

You can make up your own annoying mnemonic – this one’s mine.

In MEIOSIS the police aren’t irritating but they are repetitive.

Police Might Arrest Terrorists x 2End result: Men --- 4 viable spermWomen– 1 viable egg and 3 daughter cells (1

after Meisosis 1 and 2 after Meiosis 2).Meiosis 2 works exactly the same as Mitosis

but with n instead of 2n.

Some form of non-disjunction question will appear. With or without a picture of a karyotype.

Karyotype is NOT a genetic test.

• It is simply a picture of the homologous chromosomes.

• Useful for determining the presence of non-disjunction or oddly shaped chromosomes.

• DNA fingerprinting, gene mapping, test crosses and pedigrees are genetic testing technologies.

DNA goes to RNA goes to Amino Acid

You need to transcribe before you translate

Keep RNA and DNA clear.

The right answer

The answer you get if you forget about the differences in RNA

Know the genetic

definitions well.Choices will

often contain answers for

both phenotype and genotype.

Be very careful in determining whether a genetic trait is AUTOSOMAL or SEX-LINKED.

Autosomal genotype ex: Bb

Sex-linked ex: XRY

• 90% chance of pedigree. This one is sex-linked.

This one is autosomal

Probability vs Percent chanceOn numeric response it is extremely

important to read the little words below the question.

Crossover frequencyLarger percentages are farther apart and more

likely to be separated during crossover.

Crossover frequencyLarger percentages are farther apart and more

likely to be separated during crossover.

Watch out for the birds.In birds, the female has the different sex

chromosomes and the male is the one with the homologous pair.

i.e. Female birds is ZW and the male is ZZ.

They will tell you that but you need to read carefully.

• Recombinant DNA• Gel electrophoresis• Restriction Enzymes• Ligase• Polymerase

Hardy-Weinberg (BR and “NO” x 3)

1. BIG POPULATION2. RANDOM MATING3. NO SELECTIVE ADVANTAGE4. NO MIGRATION5. NO MUTATIONS

p2 +2pq + q2 = 1p+q=1

r vs K and J vs S

r-selected: Little r = little things = fast breeding large numbers – J curve

K-selected: Big K = big things = slow breeding = lower numbers – S curve.

• Natural Selection• Bottle neck effect• Founder effect• Mimicry• Camoflage• Parasitism• Commensalism• Succession (Primary, secondary , climax

community and pioneer species)

Random prefix hints.

• Inter – Outside of (Interspecies, international)• Intra – Within (Intraspecies, intravenous)• Endo – Inside• Ecto– Outside• Meso – Middle• Hypo– Low• Hyper – Fast

SESAME STREET GAME!!!!!

(Rely on knowledge and skills first but failing that………………………….)

25. It has been observed that some breastfeeding mothers do not ovulate until they stop breast feeding. Ovulation would not occur if

A. prolactin inhibits the release of oxytocinB. prolactin inhibits follicular developmentC. oxytocin stimulates the release of FSH and LHD. oxytocin stimulates the release of gonadotropin-releasing hormone

One of these things is not like the others, One of these things just doesn't belong, Can you tell which thing is not like the others By the time I finish my song?

Again. What is the different choice?

ELIMINATE THE NONSENSE

(Making a guess from two or three choices has a higher chance of success than guessing wildly from 4.) Again, it is still better if you actually know something.

What is the obvious nonsense choice?

Don’t get confused when two sets of answers are offered.

Often you only need to know something about one thing to eliminate the wrong answers.

The answer to this question is actually in the stem.

Good Luck

• http://cremchem20.wikispaces.com/Biology+30