USABO Open Exam Details
USABO (United States of America Biology Olympiad)
Students in grades 9-12
Multiple choice, 50 minutes
No negative points
Conducted at your school
USABO Semifinal Exam Details
Top 10% of students in USABO Open
120 minutes
No negative points
Conducted at a registered school
Part A: multiple choice questions with one answer
Part B: more complex, sequenced multiple choice and multiple true/false choice questions that may have several correct answers and may require calculations or extensive interpretation of graphs
Part C: short answer or essay
Sample Materials
Olympiad Biology Sample Problems >
Olympiad Biology Sample Notes >
Biology Olympiad Exam Syllabus
1) CELL BIOLOGY (20 %)
Structure and function of cells
1.1) Chemical components
Monosaccharides, disaccharides, polysaccharides; lipids; proteins: amino acids, three letter symbol, structure of proteins, chemical classification of proteins (simple proteins and conjugated proteins), functional classification of proteins (structural proteins and enzymes); enzymes: chemical structure (apoenzyme and coenzyme), model for enzyme action, denaturation, nomenclature; nucleic acids: DNA, RNA; ADP and ATP; NAD+ and NADH; NADP+ and NADPH
1.2) Organelles
Nucleus: nuclear envelope, nucleohyaloplasm, chromosomes, nucleoli; cytoplasm: cell membrane, hyaloplasm, mitochondria, endoplasmatic reticulum, ribosomes, golgi apparatus, lysosomes, vacuole membrane, proplastides; plastides: chloroplasts, chromoplasts, leucoplasts
1.3) Cell metabolism
Breakdown of carbohydrates: anaerobic respiration, glycolysis, aerobic respiration, citric acid cycle, oxidative phosphorylation; dissimilation of fats and proteins; assimilation: photosynthesis, light reaction, dark reaction or Calvin cycle
1.4) Protein synthesis
Transcription, translation, genetic code
1.5) Transport through membranes
Diffusion, osmosis, plasmolysis, active transport
1.6) Mitosis and meiosis
Cell cycle: interphase (replication) and mitosis (prophase, metaphase, anaphase, telophase); chromatids, equatorial plate, haploid and diploid, genome, somatic and generative cells, gamete, crossing over; meiosis I and meiosis II;
1.7) Microbiology
Prokaryotic cell organization, morphology, phototrophy and chemotrophy
1.8) Biotechnology
Fermentation, genetic manipulation of organisms
2) PLANT ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY (15 %)
Emphasis on seed plants. Structure and function of tissues and organs involved in
2.1) Photosynthesis, transpiration and gas exchange
Leaf : structure, function stomata
2.2) Transport of water, minerals and assimilates
Root: structure (endodermis); stem: structure (vascular bundles)
2.3) Growth and development
Apical meristem and cambium, germination
2.4) Reproduction (ferns and mosses included)
Asexual reproduction (clone forming), sexual reproduction, structure of flowers, pollination, double fertilization, alternation of generation in seed plants, ferns and mosses
3) ANIMAL ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY (25 %)
Emphasis on vertebrates and especially man. Structure and function of organs and tissues involved in
3.1) Digestion and nutrition
Digestive tract (including liver, gall bladder and pancreas), mechanical and chemical breakdown of food, absorption, food components (water, minerals, vitamins, proteins, carbohydrates and fats)
3.2) Respiration
Breathing mechanism, gas exchange, respiratory organs
3.3) Circulation
Blood: blood plasma, red blood cells, white blood cells, blood platelets; blood circulation: arteries, capillaries, veins, heart; lymphatic system: tissue fluid, lymph
3.4) Excretion
Structure of the renal system, urine production
3.5) Regulation (neural and hormonal)
Nervous system: peripheral nervous system, central nervous system (spinal cord and brain), autonomic nervous system (sympathetic and parasympathetic), reflexes, sense organs (eyes and ears); endocrine system: pituitary gland, thyroid gland, islets of Langerhans, adrenal medulla, adrenal cortex, ovaries and testes
3.6) Reproduction and development
Structure and function of male and female reproductive systems, ovulation and menstrual cycle, fertilization, formation of ectoderm, mesoderm, endoderm, embryonic membranes
3.7) Immunity
Antigens, antibodies
4) ETHOLOGY (5 %)
Methodology of ethology, innate and learned behaviour, communication and social organization, foraging behaviour, defensive behaviour, mating systems and parental care, biological rhythms
5) GENETICS AND EVOLUTION (20 %)
Variation: mutation and modification; Mendelian inheritance: monohybrid cross, dihybrid cross, polyhybrid cross; multiple allelism, recombination, sex linkage; Hardy-Weinberg principle; mechanism of evolution:
mutation, natural selection, reproductive isolation, adaptation, fitness
6) ECOLOGY (10 %)
6.1) Individual Organisms
Unitary and modular organisms
6.2) Population
Population structure, dispersion, age, size and sex structure, population dynamics, birth rate, death rate, exponential and logistic growth, carrying capacity, population regulation, metapopulation dynamics
6.3) Biotic Communities
Species richness and diversity, niche, competition exclusion principle, interspecific Interactions, competition, predation, symbiosis, community dynamics, succession, terrestrial biomes, aquatic biomes
6.4) Ecosystems
Trophic structure, food webs, trophic levels, producers, consumers, decomposers, energy flow, productivity, gross and net primary productivity, energy transfer efficiencies, matter flux through ecosystems, global biogeochemical cycles
6.5) Biosphere and man
Human population growth, pollution, threats to biodiversity, in situ conservation, ex-situ conservation
7) BIOSYSTEMS (5 %)
Structure and function, evolutionary and ecological relationships among typical organisms.
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