TMJC Climate Change Notes

Page 1 of 51 Tampines Meridian Junior College JC2 H2/9744 Biology 2024 Extension Topic (B) 15. Climate Change – Causes and Impacts on Animals and Plants SYLLABUS OVERVIEW No. Overarching Idea Topics 1 Core Idea 1 The Cell and Biomolecules of Life Cell – The Basic Unit of Life 2 Biomolecules of Life and Cellular Transport 3 Core Idea 2 Genetics and Inheritance Genetics and Inheritance (I) – The Cell Cycle 4 Genetics and Inheritance (II) – DNA Replication and Gene Expression 5 Genetics and Inheritance (III) – DNA Mutations and their Consequences 6 Genetics and Inheritance (IV) – Organisation of Genome & Control of Gene Expression in Eukaryotes [Includes Core Idea 1D: Stem Cells] 7 Genetics and Inheritance (V) – Molecular Techniques in DNA Analysis 8 Genetics and Inheritance (VI) – Organisation and Inheritance of Viral Genomes 9 Genetics and Inheritance (VII) – Organisation of Genome & Control of Gene Expression in Prokaryotes 10 Core Idea 3 Energy and Equilibrium Transformation of Energy – Photosynthesis and Cellular Respiration 11 Core Idea 2 Genetics and Inheritance Genetics and Inheritance (VIII) - Inheritance 12 Core Idea 3 Energy and Equilibrium Communication and Equilibrium in Multicellular Organisms 13 Core Idea 4 Biological Evolution Biological Evolution 14 Extension Topic A Infectious Diseases Immunity and Infectious Diseases 15 Extension Topic B Impact of Climate Change on Animals & Plants Climate Change – Causes and Impacts on Animals and Plants Note: Self-read sections 1-3

Page 2 of 51 What’s the Big Picture? This topic explores the impact of climate change and three main areas of concern: 1. The need for a safe and sufficient food supply; 2. The threat of how infectious diseases are changing; and 3. The maintenance of ecosystems as reservoirs for bio-resources like medicine and food. The following questions should help students frame their learning: • How can our way of life influence climate change? • Why is there an urgent need to ameliorate climate change through an understanding and application of the sciences? Climate change, which is attributed to an increase in the emission of greenhouse gases, has great impact on the human population. By the year 2050, climate change is expected to cause the extinction of approximately at least one quarter of all species on land. In the oceans, species such as corals, which are sensitive to warming temperatures, are also at great risk. Many species have evolved to survive within specific temperature ranges and cannot adapt to the new temperatures. In addition, the survival of a species is threatened when the species it depends on for food cannot adapt. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has predicted that by 2100, the Earth’s surface will rise by up to 6°C on average. The effects of this temperature rise on species and ecosystems will be catastrophic. Currently, the following effects of glo