AP Biology Review Sheet for the Midterm Exam

Unit 1 – Evolution:

  • Evolution by natural selection as Darwin saw it and as we see it today
  • Evidence of evolution – data or information that is collected by scientists – Data analysis
  • Examples of evolution – specific evolutionary events that are/were observed
  • Other mechanisms of evolution -- processes that change the allele frequency in a population and with that change organisms over time.
  • Causes of genetic variety in populations – Data analysis
  • Direction of natural selection in populations, types of natural selection
  • Populations in equilibrium – the Hardy-Weinberg principle – Solving problems
  • Coevolution
  • Biological species concept
  • Speciation
  • Reproductive isolation – pre-zygotic and post-zygotic isolation
  • Geographic isolation (allopatric and sympatric speciation)
  • The pace of speciation – mostly just definitions
  • The origin and history of life on earth (including theories and evidence for appearance of first monomers of organic molecules, macromolecules, protobionts, RNA world, endosymbiotic theory and eukaryotes, first multicellular life forms, life on land)
  • Continental drifts, mass extinctions
  • Phylogeny
  • Constructing cladograms and phylogenetic trees
  • The principle of parsimony – define and apply
  • Molecular evidence and phylogeny – data analysis

MATH:

  • Hardy-Weinberg Principle

LABS:

  • Natural Selection in Humans -- Hardy-Weinberg Principle -- complete the handout only
  • Creating Phylogenetic Trees by using BLAST
  • Winogradsky Column Setup -- requires complete lab report in December

Unit 2 – Ecology

  • Interactions of biotic and abiotic factors in ecosystems
  • The effects of human impact on ecosystems (ozone depletion, acid rain, global climate change due to greenhouse effect, biomagnification, invasive species, decreased biodiversity)
  • Heat energy transfer between the oceans and the atmosphere
  • Global and local climates – analyze data
  • Definition of populations
  • Methods of estimating and measuring population size and density
  • Factors that influence population size and density (infectious agents, genetic diversity and the ability of populations to respond to environmental changes, climate changes and responses of populations to them)
  • Population growth models
  • Density-dependent and density-independent limiting factors of population growth
  • Predicting population size and density over time
  • Interspecific interactions and their types
  • The fundamental and realized niche
  • The competitive exclusion principle and resource partitioning
  • Dominant and keystone species
  • Disturbance and ecological succession
  • Parasite and host relationships and their coevolution
  • The first and second laws of thermodynamics and their influence on ecosystems
  • The flow of energy through ecosystems
  • Food chains and food webs
  • Primary and secondary production in ecosystems
  • The recycling of matter in ecosystems (carbon, water, nitrogen and phosphorous cycles)
  • Human impact on global element cycle
  • Biodiversity and its significance
  • Fixed action patterns and their significance
  • Animal communication
  • Learned behaviors in animals
  • Hibernation, migration, circadian rhythms
  • Mating behaviors

MATH:

  • Mean, median, mode calculations
  • Percent calculations
  • Growth rate calculations
  • Energy dynamics calculations (net and gross primary and secondary production)
  • Chi-Square Calculations

LABS:

  • Cricket Behavior Lab -- complete lab report
  • Energy Dynamics Lab – did this as a worksheet on converting and passing on energy among trophic levels

Unit 3

  • The chemical structure of one water molecule and how they combine with each other
  • The physical properties of water and the chemical properties that explain them
  • The biological significance of water and the physical properties that explain them
  • Acids and bases, pH
  • Indicators and buffers
  • Most important elements in living organisms and their functions
  • The characteristics of carbon
  • Isomers – structural isomers, geometric isomers and stereoisomers (enantiomers)
  • Monomers and polymers
  • Dehydration synthesis and hydrolysis
  • The structure and function of carbohydrates
  • Examples of carbohydrates
  • The structure and functions of lipids
  • Types of lipids
  • The structure and function of proteins (including all levels of protein structure)
  • Protein folding
  • The structure and function of nucleic acids
  • Types of nucleic acids
  • Activation energy and the role of catalysts
  • Enzyme structure and function
  • Cofactors, coenzymes
  • Enzymes and environmental conditions
  • Inhibitors and activators

MATH:

  • Mean, median and mode calculations
  • Rate calculations

LABS:

  • Laboratory Investigation 13 – Enzyme Activity

Unit 4

  • State the cell theory
  • Calculate the cell’s surface area to volume ratio and explain how it determines cell size
  • Compare and contrast prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells
  • Identify the structures of eukaryotic cells
  • Relate the structure of all eukaryotic organelles to their function
  • Compare and contrast the structures of animal and plant cells
  • Compare and contrast the structure and function of the elements of the cytoskeleton
  • Explain the functions of cytoskeletal proteins
  • Explain the process and importance of microtubular instability
  • Explain how microtubules cause flagellar movement
  • Explain how cells use the cytoskeleton for intracellular trafficking
  • Describe the structure of the extracellular matrix and intracellular junctions in animals
  • Describe the extracellular structures of plant cells
  • Describe the role of the plasmodesmata in plant cell communication
  • Explain why prokaryotes are so diverse
  • Explain the various ways prokaryotes can transfer genes
  • Explain how prokaryotes reproduce
  • Prokaryotic cell structures and their functions – focus on structure and function relationship
  • Identify the structures of prokaryotic cells
  • Summarize the diversity of prokaryotic nutrient metabolism
  • Describe prokaryotic cooperative metabolism
  • Describe how prokaryotes contribute to our lives
  • Describe the fluid mosaic model of membranes
  • Draw and label the parts of the cell membrane and explain the role of each of its components
  • Describe the importance of polarity when determining membrane structure, permeability and protein orientation
  • Discuss the various adaptations that organisms have to maintain membrane fluidity
  • Compare and contrast diffusion and osmosis
  • Compare and contrast the behavior of animal and plant cells in hypertonic, hypotonic and isotonic solutions
  • Compare and contrast passive and active transport
  • Compare and contrast endocytosis and exocytosis
  • Compare and contrast phagocytosis, pinocytosis and receptor-mediated endocytosis
  • Recognize the relationship between structure and function in living things
  • Describe the basic levels of organization in animals
  • Identify the different animal cell and tissue types
  • Summarize the role of homeostasis
  • Describe feedback mechanisms used by animals to maintain homeostasis
  • Explain thermoregulation
  • Identify various thermoregulatory mechanisms employed by animals
  • Compare and contrast osmoconformer and osmoregulatory organisms in marine and freshwater environments
  • Explain osmoregulation in land animals
  • Discuss energy use in osmoregulation
  • Describe osmolarity and its role in homeostasis
  • Identify osmotic conditions in various situations
  • Describe the general process of excretion in animals
  • Summarize fluctuating osmotic needs in an organism
  • Describe hormone regulatory mechanisms affecting the kidney
  • Determine the water potential of plant cells
  • Describe how blood glucose concentration is regulated in humans.
  • Describe the causes, consequences and treatment of type I and type II diabetes

MATH:

  • Water potential calculations
  • Surface area and volume ratio calculations

LAB:

  • Laboratory Investigation 4 – Diffusion and Osmosis
  • Winogradsky Column Lab

Unit 5

  • Explain how the laws of thermodynamics govern metabolic processes
  • Explain how free energy changes in chemical reactions and relate these changes to metabolic processes
  • Define metabolism and relate to transformations of energy and matter
  • Distinguish between anabolic and catabolic processes
  • Analyze free energy changes in energy coupling that uses ATP hydrolysis
  • Describe the role of ATP in energy-coupling reactions
  • Explain how ATP hydrolysis performs cellular work
  • Describe how organisms use food molecules as fuel
  • Explain the role of cellular respiration in the catabolism of fuel molecules and release of energy for cellular work
  • Relate glycolysis and the citric acid cycle to catabolic and anabolic processes
  • Explain how cellular respiration controls the energy release from glucose and ultimately transfers energy to ATP
  • Describe how redox reactions change the potential energy of electrons and explain their use in cellular respiration
  • Describe the details of oxidative phosphorylation
  • Explain how oxidative phosphorylation transforms energy of electrons by using concentration gradients and ATP synthase
  • Describe how glycolysis catabolizes glucose to release energy and form pyruvate
  • Distinguish between obligate anaerobes and facultative anaerobes
  • State the main purpose and location of fermentation
  • Give examples of fermentation
  • Explain how cellular components help to capture and convert energy in a cell.
  • Explain the difference between the efficiency of aerobic respiration and fermentation.
  • Explain the ecological importance of photosynthesis
  • Explain the role of photosynthesis in the evolution of aerobic life
  • Describe the main purpose, location and main process of photosynthesis
  • Explain the process of the light reaction in detail
  • Explain the process of the Calvin cycle