(1) The benchmark for science content standard 3 upon graduation is that the student will:

(a) investigate and use appropriate technology to demonstrate that cells have common features including differences that determine function and that they are composed of common building blocks (e.g., proteins, carbohydrates, nucleic acids, and lipids) ;

(b) describe and explain the complex processes involved in energy use in cell maintenance, growth, repair, and development;

(c) model the structure of DNA and protein synthesis, discuss the molecular basis of heredity, and explain how it contributes to the diversity of life;

(d) predict and model the interaction of biotic and abiotic factors that affect populations through natural selection and explain how this contributes to the evolution of species over time; and

(e) generate and apply biological classification schemes to infer and discuss the degree of divergence between local ecosystems.