This webpage has been created by Ms. L. Cox, science teacher at Francis Howell North High School in St. Charles, Missouri, USA. The information contained in this page is intended for use primarily by my students and their parents. Although this page will always be under construction, I will try to keep a current test and assignment page for those of you who are unavoidably absent.
Syllabus : a one page introduction to my Biology Class
Calendar : A year long school event calendar with assignments, tests and quizzes added
Links
to Information about topics we cover in class :
| Introduction to Biology | Biochemistry | The Cell | Biological Energy | Mechanisms of Genetics |
| The Genetic Process | Change in Organisms Over Time | Biodiversity | Ecosystems | Other Stuff |
Introduction to Biology & Doing Science :
GLOSSARY From the Biology4Kids Page
SCIENTIFIC METHOD From the Biology4Kids Page
LOGIC AND REASONING From the Biology4Kids Page
scientific method From the Biology4Kids Page
Scientific Method Notes simplified explanations of hard to understand concepts, teacher help, and links to exciting web sites dealing with the subject of Biology from Mr. Biology's Bio Site
Prefixes and Suffixes from Mr. Biology's Bio Site
Fact or Opinion Mr. Biology's Bio Site
Controlled Experiment Practice 1 from Mr. Biology's Bio Site
Controlled Experiment Practice 2 from Mr. Biology's Bio Site
Graphing Exercise from Mr. Biology's Bio Site
Introduction The Nature of Science
Broadcast (RealAudio) Hour One: What Is Life? Life has been big news lately, between evidence of life on Mars and a relatively unknown third form of life. So What is life? Is a virus alive? Join Ira Flatow on the next Science Friday as he finds out about the facts of life.
Primordial microbes still exist "Triumph of the Archaea," Discover, February 1995.
The puzzle of life's origin "Where Did Life Begin?," Time, Oct. 11, 1993.
Lesson 1.06 : Mean, Median, and Mode this site has sample problems and the solutions
MICROSCOPE from Mr. Williams' Biology Page
Nanoworld
Image Gallery Excellent comprehensive image bank from the
Centre for Microscopy and Microanalysis. Great electron microscope shots
including blood cells, bone marrow, chloroplasts, coelenterates, endoplasmic
reticulum and mitochondria, intestinal lining, nerve cells, hair, insects,
microbes and disease, molluscs, parasites, plankton, pollen and spores,
ovum and sperm, plant tissues and much more. (Go to the Images List
for a complete listing.) A
must-see.
Microworlds, Exploring the Structure of Materials an interactive science education magazine for Grades 7-12. It draws on the research done at Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory of the University of California.
Yeast
Life Cycle Good views of mating, asci and spore formation and budding.
ORGANIC CHEMISTRY NOTES from Mr. Williams' Biology Page
ORGANIC CHEMISTRY STUDY SHEET from Mr. Williams' Biology Page
Chemistry I Atoms and Molecules
Chemistry II Water and Organic Molecules
Chemistry Review the basics of chemistry you'll need to know to study biology at The Biology Project , an interactive online resource for learning biology, developed at The University of Arizona.
Large Molecules Learn about structures and properties of sugars, lipids, amino acids, and nucleotides, as well as macromolecules including proteins, nucleic acids and polysaccharides at The Biology Project , an interactive online resource for learning biology, developed at The University of Arizona.
Using Computers to Study Molecular Structure Enhance your study of the properties and structures of biological molecules with modern computer graphics at The Biology Project , an interactive online resource for learning biology, developed at The University of Arizona.
Basic Chemistry simplified explanations of hard to understand concepts, teacher help, and links to exciting web sites dealing with the subject of Biology from Mr. Biology's Bio Site
Notes on Water from Mr. Biology's Bio Site
Carbon Chemistry from Mr. Biology's Bio Site
Notes on Macromolecules from Mr. Biology's Bio Site
ACIDS & BASES--NOTES from Mr. Williams' Biology Page
ACID--BASE
STUDY SHEET from Mr. Williams' Biology Page
The Virtual Cell At this interactive site you can explore the structure and function of the nucleus, mitochondria, chloroplasts and other plant-cell organelles. Computer generated images allow you to zoom in, change angles, and cut open organelles to examine their inner workings like a microsurgeon. Electron micrographs provide a realistic view of this virtual world, while helpful text explains what you see.
LUMEN Histology Home Page Great histology slide collection covering most all anatomical structures in the human body.
Botany Gopher Images A site rich in images of many kinds, from photos of whole plants to microscopic images of plant structure to diagrams of lifecycles. Worth exploring.
Basic Botany Images Good microscopic views of plant structures and algae.
CELL MEMBRANE NOTES from Mr. Williams' Biology Page
CELL MEMBRANE STUDY SHEET from Mr. Williams' Biology Page
Visualizations
of Viruses Computer generated images and mpeg and jpeg animations of
viruses. Simulation of a virus
binding to a host cell receptor.
Tour of the Cell simplified explanations of hard to understand concepts, teacher help, and links to exciting web sites dealing with the subject of Biology from Mr. Biology's Bio Site
Membrane Structure from Mr. Biology's Bio Site
Cells From the Biology4Kids Page
Chemistry From the Biology4Kids Page
Lesson one - Cell Basics The Cell web site. Enter this realm of microbiology carefully, for the motive behind every exciting page is to educate you about the world of cells!
Lesson two - The parts of a cell The Cell web site.
Studying
Cells Introduce yourself to the cell as the fundamental unit of life
and the scientific
method at The
Biology Project
Prokaryotes, Eukaryotes, & Viruses Learn about the cells that make up all living systems, their organelles, and the differences between living cells and viruses at The Biology Project
The Cell Cycle & Mitosis Understand the events that occur in the cell cycle and the process of mitosis that divides the duplicated genetic material creating two identical daughter cells at The Biology Project
Online Onion Root Tips: Phases of the cell cycle In this digital version of the classic microscope lab, you will classify cells from the tip of an onion root into the appropriate phases of the cell cycle, and then count up the cells found in each phase. You can use those numbers to predict how much time a dividing cell spends in each phase at The Biology Project
CELLS Alive! is a highly visual site, where you'll find movies and animated illustrations on cell processes, parasites, penicillin and more.
Early life forms could take the heat "Clues to Fiery Origin of Life Sought in Hothouse Microbes," The New York Times, May 9, 1995.
ORGANELLES
NOTES from Mr. Williams' Biology Page
ENERGY NOTES from Mr. Williams' Biology Page
ENERGY STUDY SHEET from Mr. Williams' Biology Page
Notes on Metabolism simplified explanations of hard to understand concepts, teacher help, and links to exciting web sites dealing with the subject of Biology from Mr. Biology's Bio Site
Cell Respiration from Mr. Biology's Bio Site
Photosynthesis Notes from Mr. Biology's Bio Site
Energy, Enzymes, and Catalysis Familiarize yourself with some key principles about enzymes, catalysis, and energy that are central to a subsequent study of metabolic pathways at The Biology Project , an interactive online resource for learning biology, developed at The University of Arizona.
Photosynthesis 1 Study the conversion of light energy into different forms of chemical energy during photosynthesis at The Biology Project , an interactive online resource for learning biology, developed at The University of Arizona.
Photosynthesis
2 Review the location and overall reactions of carbohydrate biosynthesis
during photosynthesis, and understand
the metabolic differences between C3 and C4 plants at The
Biology Project , an interactive online resource for learning biology,
developed at The University of Arizona.
DNA replication simplified explanations of hard to understand concepts, teacher help, and links to exciting web sites dealing with the subject of Biology from Mr. Biology's Bio Site
Protein Synthesis from Mr. Biology's Bio Site
Mendel's Genetics from Mr. Biology's Bio Site
Mitosis / Meiosis from Mr. Biology's Bio Site
HUMAN GENETICS & DISEASE NOTES from Mr. Williams' Biology Page
HUMAN GENETICS & DISEASE STUDY SHEET from Mr. Williams' Biology Page
Protein Synthesis Animated lesson on protein synthesis, also deals with mRNA reading frames, aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases, and structure and function of ribosomes.
Human
Genome Primer Basic textbook images of DNA structure and replication,
translation, etc. plus diagrams of more advanced chromosome mapping, etc.
PROFILES From the Biology4Kids Page; a brief biography of James Watson and Francis Crick
DNA
Technology simplified explanations of hard to understand concepts,
teacher help, and links to exciting web sites dealing with the subject
of Biology from Mr. Biology's Bio Site
Change in Organisms Over Time :
Origin of Life simplified explanations of hard to understand concepts, teacher help, and links to exciting web sites dealing with the subject of Biology from Mr. Biology's Bio Site
Microevolution from Mr. Biology's Bio Site
Macroevolution from Mr. Biology's Bio Site
Origin of Species from Mr. Biology's Bio Site
Human History from Mr. Biology's Bio Site
THE HAND (RealAudio) Robert talks to Frank Wilson, author of "The Hand: How Its Use Shapes the Brain, Language, and Human Culture."
Broadcast (RealAudio) Hour One: Earliest Humans/Earliest Life (This is two separate half hours) Scientists in Spain have found the oldest known European human fossils. The bones are some 800,000 years old, and are being called a new species, homo antecessor. Does this mean it's time to rethink what we thought we knew about our ancestors? We'll also talk about one of Carl Sagan's last papers, a theory about how the earth was able to sustain early life before the sun was warm enough to keep oceans from freezing.
Human Prehistory: An Exhibition
Broadcast (RealAudio) Hour Two: Our Earliest Ancestors: Recent discoveries by pleoanthropologists may provide the earliest documented evidence of toolmaking, and push the origin of Homo Sapiens back more than 400,000 years. In this hour of Science Friday, we'll talk about these latest findings and the evidence for human evolution.
Paleontology
Without Walls Excellent site for phylogenetic systematics. Good
representative photos set in an evolutionary context.
The Tree of Life Use this phylogenetically arranged site to find pictures of just about any living thing, and links to more information.
CLASSIFICATION NOTES from Mr. Williams' Biology Page
CLASSIFICATION STUDY SHEET from Mr. Williams' Biology Page
TAXONOMY From Biology4Kids
LABELS From the Biology4Kids Page; this page explains each of the major taxons
FIVE KINGDOMS From the Biology4Kids Page
HUMANS From the Biology4Kids Page
INSEMINATING AN ELEPHANT (RealAudio) The "wild" in "wildlife" is rapidly disappearing. As their numbers dwindle, wild animals are increasingly being managed. Zoos play a major part in that management, usually as animal refuges. But behind the scenes they play another important role...as breeders of wild animals.
COUNTING BUTTERFLIES (RealAudio) Many people believe that the best way to preserve edangered flora and fauna is to protect parts of the world where the diversity of life is greatest.
Beneficial Insects: University of Delaware - Cooperative Extension
Images of Insects and their Relatives
Stinging Insects - Pals 1047: Bees, Wasps, And Hornets
Broadcast (RealAudio) Topic for Hour 2: Fungus & Slime You know those funny looking things that ooze and protrude in your garden? Well, they just might be helpful. Fungus and other unintentional visitors can actually be a good thing. Join guest host Richard Harris when he talks about why you might want to welcome some fungus and slime into your life, on the next Science Friday.
After the Blue-Fin (RealAudio) April 30, 1997 -- Researchers have many questions about the blue-fin tuna. Biologists are tagging the huge fish with tiny electronic monitoring devices hoping to discover where they do their breeding and other important information about them.
Tracking the Blue-Fin (RealAudio) Part II
Saving the Po'ouli Part 1 (RealAudio) Ap ril 4, 1998 --The rarest bird in the world, from one of the remotest places on earth, is the subject of a last-ditch effort to save it from extinction.
Saving the Po'ouli Part 2 (RealAudio)
Almanac: Insect Thermometers (RealAudio)
Broadcast (RealAudio) Hour One: In Search of the Giant Squid An international team of scientists is off the coast of New Zealand exploring the Kaikoura Canyon. Their mission is to get photographic images of the giant squid. Not much is known about these mysterious creatures, so the scientists are hoping this mission will be successful. We'll talk to the leader of the expedition, Dr. Clyde Roper, and find out what they've found so far.
Winning Over Wolf Opponents (RealAudio) Ranchers, who originally opposed the reintroduction of wolves to Yellowstone National Park, now find they bring unexpected benefits to the region.
Seeking
A Woodpecker Ghost ? (RealAudio) The ivory billed woodpecker
has been declared extinct. Yet hundreds of bird watchers refuse to give
up hope that an isolated population might be hanging onto life deep in
some Southern swamp.
Diatoms form line in ocean hundreds of kilometers long "Microorganisms create a line in the ocean," Science News, Oct. 22, 1994.
Plankton toxin drives birds crazy "Researchers may have solved mystery of 'The Birds'," Associated Press, Jul. 11, 1995.
Ebola origin is virologists' holy grail "Virologists Search For 'Holy Grail': Source of Ebola," Associated Press, May 15, 1995.
"Flesh-eating bacteria" get media hype "Tabloid Strep," Discover, January 1995.
Mutating bacteria challenge medical science "Prokaryotes at the Gate," Discover, August 1994.
New viruses and bacteria threaten "The Killers All Around," Time, Sep. 12, 1994.
Animal Bytes Database quickly find information about some of the unique creatures found in the animal kingdom. Includes scientific classification, fun facts, and biological value.
Animal Diversity Web excellent phylogeny and content on a huge variety of species. Sponsored in part by the University of Michigan Museum of Zoology.
Amazing Animals based on the Disney Channel television show, with facts, fun, and more. Includes sound and video clips.
Animal
Skull Collection contains pictures of skulls of animals of all classes.
Digital Learning Center for Microbial Ecology Some nice electron micrographs of microbes, slime mold spores (right) and more. Some good hands-on material. Check out the "Habitat on Humanity" in the animal pavilion of the microbe zoo that features microbes that students will be thrilled to know that they host.
Ecology simplified explanations of hard to understand concepts, teacher help, and links to exciting web sites dealing with the subject of Biology from Mr. Biology's Bio Site
Population Ecology from Mr. Biology's Bio Site
ALASKA DRILLING (RealAudio) NPR's John Nielsen reports on today's announcement that the U.S. government will open part of the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska to oil and gas leasing.
KUDZU BUG (RealAudio) Robert talks with David Orr, a professor of entomology at North Carolina State University. Orr talks about a way to eradicate the seemingly-unstoppable vine called kudzu, which is found throughout the Southeastern United States.
Disappearing Frogs (RealAudio) Radio Expeditions Archives
Honeybee Population November 27 & 28, 1996 -- Today in the United States we are facing a serious pollination crisis. Our wild honey bee population has been totally destroyed.
Searching for Humpback Whales in the Gulf of the Farallones (RealAudio) July 7, 1997 -- The Farallon Islands and its surrounding waters provide a diversity of niches for marine mammals and seabirds to spawn and nurse ---bays, estuaries, lagoons, and beaches are all within sanctuary territory.
Reef
Diving in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary (RealAudio)
November 17, 1997 -- A
variety of interdependent habitats
provide the foundation for the Florida Keys complex ecosystem:
coral reefs, seagrass meadows, fringing
mangroves, hardbottom regions, and bank and patch reefs.
Love Canal Twenty Years Later (RealAudio) Vince Winkel takes a look both at the history of Love Canal, and the present -day concerns for current and former residents.
Drilling in an Alaskan Refuge (RealAudio) Peter Thomson travels to the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to consider the possible impact of oil drilling to the area's wildlife and people
Keeping
Exotic Pets, Part One (RealAudio) Animal expert Donna Fernandes
discusses the huge
industry that has grown up around exotic
pets.
Keeping Exotic Pets, Part Two (RealAudio) Still want a 'different' type of pet? Zoologist Donna Fernandes explains which ones make good pets.
Broadcast (RealAudio) Hour One: Desert Ecosystem The Sonoran Desert, stretching across Arizona and into Mexico, is North America's hottest and southern-most desert. But far from being parched and barren land, it's home to many plants and animals. In this hour, we'll take a closer look at the desert, and the flora and fauna that live where water is scarce. Plus, how water resources are managed in the desert.
Integrated Pest Management (IPM)
We Need You to Clean the Earth
Microbe glows while feeding on pollutants "Food Indigo," Scientific American, July 1995.
Microbial mats combat pollution "Cleansing water with natural slimes...," Science News, Mar. 4, 1995.
Microbes crucial for space exploration "Some Biological Considerations for a Permanent, Manned Lunar Base, " The American Biology Teacher, February 1995.
Plants
and bacteria produce biodegradable plastic "Plants: The New Plastics
Makers," Science News, Dec. 24, 1994.
| Fun Stuff | Fish | Birds | Reptiles & Amphibians |
| Insects | Dogs | Horses | Cats |
Need to calculate your GPA? from Mr. Williams' Biology Page
Temperature Conversion from Mr. Williams' Biology Page
Unit Conversion Program from Mr. Williams' Biology Page
Calculate Your BODY MASS from Mr. Williams' Biology Page
Calorie
Calculator from Mr. Williams' Biology Page
Click
to go back to "Stuff" table.
Explore the AKA Site American Killifish Association
Biology of Fishes classes, reproduction, schooling, swimming, breathing, and more.
Fishy
Pages information on tropical fish, how to set up a tank, what fish
to buy and
pictures of
fish.
FishTalk with Uncle Bill personal aquarium how-to, recipes, and more.
Cathy's
Homepage of Tropical Fishkeeping An AWESOME learning experience! Make
sure to drop by & browse tons of topics,
photos
Cataluna's
Tropical Fish page Pictures and Information on fish and aquatic plants.
A spotlight on a
different fish each month.
Piranha
- Wolves in the Water
This site is dedicated to Piranhas.
Everything about: Care, breeding,
Piranha species info, etc.
American
Elasmobranch Society advances the science of the study of living and
fossil
sharks, skates,
rays, and chimeras, and the promotion of education, conservation, and
wise utilization
of natural resources.
International Fancy Guppy Association
Birds
:
Homepage
Belgium Lory Society contains several articles about lorikeets, figparrots
and loriculus
CanariesRUs Great photos & care tips for housing, feeding etc. for your canary.
The Birdfeeder, beginner's guide to attracting and feeding wild birds.
Australian Birdman resource for information on Australian birds.
Bird On! news, facts and pictures of wild birds, including verbatim press releases.
Care and Keeping of Exotic Birds
Ornithology WebSite information on bird conservation, ecology, and education. Bird videos, online birdwatching, and resource list.
The
Pet Bird Page descriptions, pictures of pet parrots and other
birds.
Reptiles
and Amphibians :
Crocodilian,
Tuatara, and Turtle Species of the World - online taxonomic and
geographic reference.
Melissa Kaplan's Herp Care Site
North
American Amphibian Monitoring Program developing an extensive monitoring
network for
North American amphibians.
Phelsuma Phanatics dedicated to the captive maintenance and reproduction of day geckos.
Center
for North American Amphibians and Reptiles, Inc. CNAAR is a non-profit
foundation
whose objective
is to promote education and conservation of amphibians and reptiles in
the
United States and
Canada.
Global
Gecko Association (GGA) membership is open to anyone with an interest
in gekkonids,
from the professional
herpetologist to the hobbyist.
Society
for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles nonprofit international organization
established to advance
herpetological research, conservation, and education.
Declining
Amphibian Populations Task Force information on the Southwestern U.S.
working group.
Class Reptilia - excellent phylogenic resource.
Reptile
& Amphibian Magazine Online Online lists coming events, hundreds
of classified
ads, articles, an
index to back issues, subscription info, and lots more.
Reptilian magazine for herpetologists.
Froggy Page high quality images of high quality frogs.
Mark
Staniszewzki's Mantella Page covering all aspects of species in the
genus mantella,
including
species accounts.
Thousand
Friends of Frogs connects K-12 students, educators, families,
and scientists to
study and
celebrate frogs and their habitats.
Insects
:
Gordon's
Entomological Page introduction to entomology for interested but uninformed
amateurs of
all ages; includes the Wonderful World of Insects page.
InsectCyclopedia
an encyclopedia of North American insects. Includes insect orders,
species
list, occurence, habitat, distribution, food, measurement, and identification
keys of
many
species.
Wetland
Insect Populations as Biological Indicators an evaluation of a wetland
mitigation
monitoring
tool.
Carolina Biological Supply Info on the giant Madagasgar Hissing Cockroach
Entomological Society of America
ASCA Home Page The Australian Shepherd Club of America
Home Agility Dogs
Canine Agility Training Society
North American Dog Agility Council (NADAC)
Actual Dog Show, The complete primer to the dog show hobby.
Brianne's
Junior Showmanship & Handling Page nformation on handling, junior
showmanship,
and competitions.
Dog
Genome Project study producing a map of all of the chromosomes in dogs,
which
can be used
to map the genes causing disease and those controlling morphology and
behavior.
Dogpatch Doghouse, The specializing in training information.
Tracking
Page learn about what tracking is, what you'll need to get started,
and
resources
to guide your training.
Bernese Mountain Dog Club of America
Internet
Bernese Mountain Dog Consortium collection of breeders,
fanciers,
and owners dedicated to providing factual information about the
Bernese Mountain
Dog.
Carting
with Your Dog Discusses training, equipment, resources and
tips for carting
safely and successfully.
Note: This handsome guy above is Khemosabi++++, the 31 year old grandfather to Mr. Cox's horse.... this would be an area of possible kiss-up potential!
Equine Research Centre at Guelph Horse health care, practical and industry information, comprehensive web links, research, education, business resources and more
Khemosabi at Rancho Valle Del Sol About Khemosabi
Arabian Horse Interactive featuring interviews, profiles of horses and farms, and interactive reader input.
Equines of the World information, resources, and links for all breeds, paying special attention to horse abuse and neglect.
The Horseman's Advisor articles written by vets and horse professionals about horse health and care, and more.
KBR Horse Page equestrian enthusiasts, wild horses (mustangs, burros), draft horses, farriery, modern training, modern veterinary rehabilitation, safety and survival.
BLM Wild Horse and Burro Internet Adoption
American
Mustang American Mustang Table of Contents History and Origin of the
Breed (Ms. Cox's horse is an adopted wild mustang.)
Cats: 
All
About Cats
Feline
Information Page A site for Feline Aficianados - contains information
on feline
history, nutrition,
evolution, genetics, and links to MANY other cat pages.
Gallery of
Cats - a collection of feline info
Cat
Fancy brings feline expertise to the Web, with news, features, a cat
care library,
breeder directory,
web gallery and a kids section.
Cats
& Kittens an informative, authoritative, and entertaining guide
to everything you
need or want
to know about cats.
American
Cat Fanciers Association
Dogs: