Life Science

Life Science — General Science (ASVAB Section 4.1) The General Science subtest is approximately 50% life science, making it one of the most content-dense areas you'll encounter. Mastering cellular biology, body systems, ecology, and genetics directly boosts your GS score, which feeds into critical technical line scores for the Army (EL, ST), Air Force (E and M composites), and Navy (nuclear ratings). --- ## Why Life Science Appears on the ASVAB The military needs personnel who can understand biology in practical contexts — from field medicine to environmental operations to laboratory work. The GS subtest gives you roughly 30 seconds per question, so you need recognition-level fluency, not deep research knowledge. Learn the vocabulary, understand the core systems, and you'll answer these quickly and confidently. --- ## The Cell: Foundation of All Life Every living thing is made of cells — the smallest unit of life. There are two fundamental cell types: | Feature | Prokaryotic Cell | Eukaryotic Cell | |---|---|---| | Nucleus | No (DNA floats freely) | Yes (membrane-enclosed) | | Examples | Bacteria | Animals, plants, fungi | | Organelles | Few/none | Many specialized ones | ### Key Organelles to Know - Nucleus — the "control center"; contains DNA - Mitochondria — produces energy (ATP) through cellular respiration; "powerhouse of the cell" - Ribosomes — make proteins by reading genetic instructions - Cell membrane — controls what enters and leaves the cell - Chloroplasts — found in plant cells only; site of photosynthesis > Photosynthesis formula: CO₂ + H₂O + sunlight → glucose + O₂ > Cellular respiration (reverse): glucose + O₂ → CO₂ + H₂O + energy (ATP) --- ## Genetics: Passing Traits…