If you're taking biology, you've probably discovered that there are a lot of words to remember. Mitochondria. Ribosomes. Osmosis. Homeostasis. Cellular respiration. Photosynthesis. And just when you think you've memorized everything, your teacher asks a question that isn't simply, “What is ___?” That's because doing well on a biology test usually requires more than memorizing definitions. You need to understand how the different pieces fit together. Here are some practical ways to prepare. 1. Don't Just Memorize the Definition Suppose you're studying osmosis . You could memorize: Osmosis is the movement of water across a selectively permeable membrane. But can you explain what that actually means? Try putting the definition into your own words: Water moves through a membrane toward the side where there is a higher concentration of dissolved substances. Now give yourself an example. What happens to a cell if it's placed in a solution with a much higher c...
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