Biology Challenge Exam

The Biology Department Challenge Exam is designed to assess whether you have a good grasp of the basic principles of cell biology that form the foundation knowledge for more advanced biology courses such as Anatomy and Physiology, Microbiology, Zoology, and Botany. This information is designed to help you prepare for the exam.

A student can make an appointment to take the exam through the Testing Office and can be taken remotely or onsite at the Brockton Campus. The exam is free of charge and can be retaken once a semester.

Exam Contents

The biology challenge exam is 90 multiple choice questions (90 points) and 2 essay questions (10 points). The essay portion of the exam includes one required essay question and a choice of 1 out of 4 other questions. A student must score a minimum of 70 points to pass. The exam is corrected by a member of the Biology Department, and it is returned with a score and the words Pass or Fail.

The exam covers the topics listed in the course description for Biological Principles, usually material covered in the first 20 chapters or so in a standard biology text. It is not a standardized exam, but rather an exam developed by the Biology Department to assess student preparedness in areas covered in the Biological Principles course. Typically the exam takes about two hours to complete. Copies of both Brum’s and Campbell’s biology texts are on reserve in the Massasoit library for study and review.

31121 Biological Principles 4 Credits
This course introduces basic principles of biology. Topics include scientific method, evolution, cellular and subcellular structure, basic cell chemistry, transport across cell membranes, mitosis, meiosis, metabolism, photosynthesis, DNA structure and replication, protein synthesis, and patterns of inheritance. This course is required as a prerequisite for all other four-credit biology courses.

Lecture: 3 hours Laboratory: 2 hours

Prerequisite: One unit of high January 2, 2013 e Reading II (11092), Introductory Writing (11099), and Fundamentals of Mathematics (38010) or waiver by placement testing results or Departmental Approval

Text:
Biology: Concepts and Connections Flex-Text Version, 4/E
Neil A. Campbell, Jane B. Reece, Lawrence G. Mitchell, Martha R. Taylor
ISBN: 0-8053-6823-X
Publisher: Benjamin Cummings
Copyright: 2003

Laboratory Manual:
Selected Exercises from Biology Laboratory Manual, 6/E, 4/E
Daryl Vodopich, Randy Moore, Sylvia Mader
Original Exercises – MCCC Biology Department
ISBN: 0-07-281873-5
Copyright: 2002

You certainly don’t need to visit all of these sites, but they are listed here as a resource for you. Some are fairly elementary and some are more sophisticated. In some cases there are topic suggestions.

Animations and Illustrations – DNA, RNA, replication, transcription, translation
These sites show the structures and processes in varying degrees of detail and complexity. Try a few to find the one that is best for you.

Biology for Kids
A good place to start if it has been a while since you studied biology.

Biochemistry for Kids