Vision and Change Core Concepts and Competencies (http://visionandchange.org)

• Core Concept:

  • Pathways and transformations of energy and matter: Biological systems grow and change by processes based upon chemical transformation pathways and are governed by the laws of thermodynamics.

• Core Competencies:

  • Ability to apply process of science: Biology is evidence based and grounded in the formal practices of observation, experimentation, and hypothesis testing.

  • Ability to use quantitative reasoning: Biology relies on applications of quantitative analysis and mathematical reasoning.

Biocore Guide (Brownell et al., https://doi.org/10.1187/cbe.13-12-0233)

• Transformations of Energy and Matter: Energy captured by primary producers is stored as chemical energy. This stored energy can be converted through a series of biochemical reactions into ATP for immediate use in the cell.

• Transformations of Energy and Matter: In cells, the synthesis and breakdown of molecules is highly regulated. Biochemical pathways usually involve multiple reactions catalyzed by enzymes that lower activation energies. Energetically unfavorable reactions are driven by coupling to energetically favorable reactions such as ATP hydrolysis.

• Evolution: Most organisms have anatomical and physiological traits that tend to increase their fitness for a particular environment.

• Information Flow: Organisms have sophisticated mechanisms for sensing changes in the internal or external environment. They use chemical, electrical, or other forms of signaling to coordinate responses at the cellular, tissue, organ, and/or system level.

American Society for Microbiology Curriculum Guidelines (https://www.asm.org/)

• The survival and growth of any microorganism in a given environment depends on its metabolic characteristics.

• The growth of microorganisms can be controlled by physical, chemical, mechanical, or biological means.

• The regulation of gene expression is influenced by external and internal molecular cues and/or signals

• Microorganisms and their environment interact with and modify each other.

Process of Science Skills, Pelaez, N, et al. “The Basic Competencies of Biological Experimentation: Concept-Skill Statements“ (2017). PIBERG Instructional Innovation Materials. Paper 4. http://docs.lib.purdue.edu/pibergiim/4

• Posing problems

  • Includes library research

• Generating hypotheses

  • New knowledge incorporated with old to form new hypotheses

• Designing experiments

  • Identification of proper controls

  • Comparison requires varying only one thing at a time

• Testing hypotheses

  • Unexpected results used to modify hypothesis

• Interpreting/evaluating data

  • Visual representations used to help interpret data

• Determining follow-up