New York · NYSEDSyllabus
Biology syllabus, dot point by dot point
Every dot point in the New York Biologysyllabus, with a focused answer for each one. Click any dot point for a worked explainer, past exam questions, and links to related dot points. Written by Claude Opus 4.8, Anthropic's latest AI.
Module 1: Cells, biochemistry and transport
Module overview →- How does the selectively permeable cell membrane control what enters and leaves a cell?Explain how the cell membrane controls the movement of materials by diffusion, osmosis and active transport, and relate membrane structure to selective permeability (NYSSLS LS1, structure and function; stability and change).11 min answer →
- How does the structure of each cell organelle suit the function it carries out for the cell?Describe the major organelles of plant and animal cells and explain how each structure supports a cellular function, distinguishing prokaryotic from eukaryotic cells (NYSSLS LS1, structure and function; systems and system models).11 min answer →
- How are the four classes of biological molecule built, and how does their structure suit their function in living systems?Explain how carbohydrates, lipids, proteins and nucleic acids are constructed from monomers and how the structure of each macromolecule relates to its function (NYSSLS LS1, structure and function).11 min answer →
- How do organisms keep their internal conditions stable when the outside environment changes?Explain how feedback mechanisms maintain homeostasis (a stable internal environment) in organisms, using examples such as temperature, glucose and water regulation (NYSSLS LS1, stability and change; systems and system models).11 min answer →
- How are living things organized from molecules up to whole organisms, and why does each level depend on the ones below?Describe the hierarchy of biological organization from molecules to organisms (cells, tissues, organs, organ systems) and explain how parts work together as a system (NYSSLS LS1, systems and system models; scale, proportion and quantity).10 min answer →
- What laboratory and investigation skills does the Biology Regents assess, and how do the science and engineering practices appear in cluster questions?Describe the laboratory requirement for the Life Science: Biology Regents and the science and engineering practices it assesses, including identifying variables and controls, analyzing data, and evaluating experimental design (NYSSLS SEPs; planning and carrying out investigations).11 min answer →
Module 6: Ecology and human impact
Module overview →- How do organisms interact in a community, and how do ecosystems change over time?Describe the relationships between organisms (competition, predation, and symbiosis) and explain how ecological succession changes a community over time toward a stable state (NYSSLS LS2, stability and change; cause and effect).11 min answer →
- How is an ecosystem organized, and how do its living and non-living parts interact?Describe the levels of ecological organization (organism, population, community, ecosystem) and the roles of biotic and abiotic factors and the producers, consumers and decomposers within an ecosystem (NYSSLS LS2, systems and system models; structure and function).10 min answer →
- How does energy flow through a food web, and how is matter cycled in an ecosystem?Explain how energy flows one way through food chains and webs and is lost at each trophic level, and how matter (carbon and nitrogen) cycles through an ecosystem (NYSSLS LS2, energy and matter; using mathematics).11 min answer →
- How does human activity affect ecosystems, and how can these impacts be reduced?Explain how human activities (pollution, habitat destruction, resource use and the enhanced greenhouse effect) disrupt ecosystems and reduce biodiversity, and evaluate ways to reduce these impacts (NYSSLS LS2 and LS4, cause and effect; stability and change).11 min answer →
- What controls the size of a population, and what is meant by carrying capacity?Explain how populations grow and how limiting factors and carrying capacity control population size, interpreting population-growth graphs (NYSSLS LS2, stability and change; analyzing data).11 min answer →
Module 2: Energy, photosynthesis and respiration
Module overview →- How do cells store and release the energy they need to do work?Explain how cells use ATP as their energy currency, how energy is released when ATP is broken down, and how this links to photosynthesis and respiration (NYSSLS LS1, energy and matter; systems and system models).10 min answer →
- How do cells release the energy stored in glucose to power the work of life?Explain how cellular respiration releases energy from glucose to make ATP, compare aerobic and anaerobic respiration, and relate respiration to the role of the mitochondria (NYSSLS LS1, energy and matter; structure and function).11 min answer →
- How do photosynthesis and respiration together move matter and energy through living systems?Explain how photosynthesis and respiration together cycle carbon and oxygen while energy flows one way, and trace atoms of matter through these processes (NYSSLS LS1, energy and matter; systems and system models).10 min answer →
- How do enzymes speed up the reactions of metabolism, and why are they so sensitive to their environment?Explain how enzymes act as biological catalysts, how the active site and substrate fit, and how temperature and pH affect enzyme activity (NYSSLS LS1, structure and function; analyzing data).11 min answer →
- How do plants convert light energy into the chemical energy stored in glucose?Explain how photosynthesis converts light energy, carbon dioxide and water into glucose and oxygen, identify where it occurs, and analyze how limiting factors affect its rate (NYSSLS LS1, energy and matter; analyzing data).11 min answer →
Module 5: Evolution and biodiversity
Module overview →- What is biodiversity, why does it matter, and how is it linked to the stability of ecosystems?Explain what biodiversity is, why genetic and species diversity matter for the resilience of populations and ecosystems, and how human activity threatens it (NYSSLS LS4, stability and change; cause and effect).10 min answer →
- How do we represent the evolutionary relationships between species, and what does common ancestry mean?Explain how species are related through common ancestry and how an evolutionary tree (phylogenetic diagram) represents these relationships, interpreting branching to infer relatedness (NYSSLS LS4, patterns; systems and system models).10 min answer →
- What lines of evidence show that species have evolved from common ancestors?Describe the lines of evidence for evolution (fossils, comparative anatomy, embryology and molecular/DNA evidence) and explain how each supports common ancestry (NYSSLS LS4, patterns; structure and function).11 min answer →
- How does natural selection cause populations to change over time?Explain how variation, overproduction, competition and differential survival lead to natural selection, and how this changes the proportion of traits in a population over time (NYSSLS LS4, cause and effect; patterns).11 min answer →
- How do new species arise, and why do species become extinct?Explain how new species form when populations become reproductively isolated and diverge, and how environmental change can lead to extinction (NYSSLS LS4, cause and effect; stability and change).11 min answer →
Module 3: Genetics and molecular genetics
Module overview →- How is the structure of DNA suited to storing genetic information and copying it accurately?Describe the structure of DNA (the antiparallel double helix and base pairing) and explain how complementary base pairing allows DNA to be copied accurately during replication (NYSSLS LS3, structure and function; patterns).11 min answer →
- How does meiosis halve the chromosome number and create genetic variation in sexual reproduction?Explain how meiosis produces gametes with half the chromosome number and generates genetic variation through crossing over and independent assortment, and how fertilization restores the chromosome number (NYSSLS LS3, patterns; cause and effect).11 min answer →
- How does a cell divide to produce two genetically identical cells for growth and repair?Explain how mitosis and the cell cycle produce two genetically identical cells, describe its role in growth, repair and asexual reproduction, and explain how uncontrolled division leads to cancer (NYSSLS LS1 and LS3, stability and change; cause and effect).10 min answer →
- How do mutations change the genetic code, and how do humans use genetic technology?Explain how mutations change the DNA sequence and their possible effects, and describe how genetic technologies such as selective breeding and genetic engineering are used (NYSSLS LS3, cause and effect; structure and function).11 min answer →
- How are traits passed from parents to offspring, and how can we predict the outcomes of a genetic cross?Use the rules of inheritance (dominant and recessive alleles, genotype and phenotype) and Punnett squares to predict the outcomes of genetic crosses, and interpret pedigrees (NYSSLS LS3, patterns; using mathematics).12 min answer →
- How does the information in a gene direct the building of a protein?Explain how genes are expressed through transcription and translation, how the sequence of DNA bases codes for the sequence of amino acids in a protein, and why this links genotype to phenotype (NYSSLS LS3, structure and function; cause and effect).11 min answer →
Module 4: Reproduction, development and human systems
Module overview →- How can cells with identical DNA become so different from one another?Explain how cells with the same DNA become specialized through differential gene expression, and describe the role of stem cells in development and repair (NYSSLS LS1, structure and function; cause and effect).10 min answer →
- How does the body defend itself against pathogens, and how do vaccines provide protection?Explain how the immune system defends the body against pathogens using white blood cells and antibodies, how immunity and vaccination work, and how disease disrupts homeostasis (NYSSLS LS1, cause and effect; stability and change).11 min answer →
- How do the nervous and endocrine systems coordinate the body and maintain homeostasis?Explain how the nervous system (neurons and signals) and the endocrine system (hormones) coordinate responses and maintain homeostasis, comparing the speed and duration of their effects (NYSSLS LS1, systems and system models; stability and change).11 min answer →
- How do organisms reproduce, and how does a fertilized egg develop into a new individual?Compare sexual and asexual reproduction, explain fertilization and early development from zygote to embryo, and describe the role of reproductive structures in humans (NYSSLS LS1 and LS3, patterns; systems and system models).10 min answer →
- How do the circulatory, respiratory and digestive systems supply cells with what they need and remove wastes?Explain how the circulatory, respiratory and digestive systems work together to transport materials, exchange gases and provide nutrients to cells, maintaining the internal environment (NYSSLS LS1, systems and system models; energy and matter).11 min answer →