Work through the list without notes. If you cannot do a statement, follow its link, then come back. Guide = study guide; Practice = practice questions.
Understanding
- I can explain why every living system needs a continuous input of energy, from light or from food. (Guide: “Why every living thing needs a supply of energy”)
- I can state the first and second laws of thermodynamics and explain why a growing organism does not break them. (Guide: “Order, energy and the laws of thermodynamics”; Practice Q1)
- I can explain why energy input must exceed energy loss, and what happens when it does not for a long time. (Guide: Worked example 2; Practice Q5)
- I can describe how ATP hydrolysis couples an energy-releasing process to an energy-requiring one. (Guide: “Energy coupling and ATP”, Figure 1)
- I can explain why energy pathways run in steps in which each product is the next reactant. (Guide: Figure 2; Practice Q3)
- I can name core pathways shared by all three domains. (Guide: “Shared pathways and common ancestry”)
Calculation and skills
- I can add energy values with their signs to decide whether a coupled reaction can proceed. (Guide: Worked example 1; Practice Q7)
- I can find the smallest whole number of ATP needed to drive a reaction. (Guide: Worked example 1; Practice Q2)
- I can balance an energy budget and calculate percentages, deficits and how long a reserve lasts. (Guide: Worked example 2; Practice Q5)
- I can use concentration data to find which step of a pathway has been blocked. (Practice Q4)
Reasoning
- I can build a claim, evidence and reasoning argument that shared pathways support common ancestry, and rebut “all cells just need energy”. (Guide: Worked example 3; Practice Q6)
- I can explain where the energy released by a pathway goes, using both laws. (Practice Q7)
All ticked? Move on to Topic 3.4, Photosynthesis, or return to the course roadmap.