Biology

• Rules for biological drawings:

  • Must be big enough to fit on a given space with room for labels
  • Use a sharp HB pencil
  • Use clear, solid, single lines - do not sketch
  • Do not shade or color in, use stippling for darker areas
  • Draw what is seen, not what you think should be there
  • Avoid automatic drawing and overlapping lines
  • Pay attention to shape, detail, and proportion
• Title and labels guidelines:

  • Use a ruler for label lines, no arrows on label lines
  • Label lines must be drawn the shortest way out without crossing over the whole diagram
  • Labels must not cross over each other and should end at a similar distance or in a neat, easy-to-read fashion
  • Labels must be written at the end of the line, always horizontally
  • Labels are in lowercase unless named after a person
  • Do not label inside the structure being drawn
• A biological drawing is a detailed and accurate representation of a specimen, while a diagram is accurate in general proportions and shows only the most important features
• Organelles to learn to identify and label in plant and animal cells:

  • Plant cell: matrix, outer membrane, ribosome, mitochondria, ER (rough), Golgi apparatus, cell membrane, inner membrane, cristae, nucleus, cytoplasm, folded inner membrane, chloroplast
  • Animal cell: centriole, matrix, outer membrane, ribosome, mitochondria, ER (rough), Golgi apparatus, cell membrane, inner membrane, nucleus, cytoplasm
• Chloroplast and mitochondrion differences:

  • Mitochondrion: includes labels for outer cell wall, membranes, stroma, cristae
  • Chloroplast: includes labels for outer envelope membranes, stroma, thylakoids (group of thylakoids), granum, 2 envelope membranes