SAN DIEGO UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT

JUNIPERO SERRA HIGH SCHOOL

Ericka Senegar-Mitchell, PhD

5156 Santo Road

San Diego, California 92124

858-496-8342

"What could be more important than the study of life,

to any intelligent being who has the good fortune to be alive?"

Isaac Asimov

Advanced Placement Biology (AP Biology)

2007-2008

Course Description

AP Biology is equivalent to a one-year, college level, introductory biology course. The two main goals of AP Biology are to help students develop a conceptual framework for modern biology and an appreciation of science as a process. Approximately 25% of the course will be dedicated to the completion of laboratory experiments, pre- and post-lab activities.

1

AP Biology Exam

The AP Biology Exam is administered during the month of May. The exam consists of 100 multiple-choice questions (80 minutes) and four essay questions (90 minutes). Students will only be given weighted credit for both semesters if they take the AP exam. There is a fee for the exam which must be paid by each student and their family. Although, this should not deter any student from enrolling in this course as fee waivers, scholarships and other funds are available to students in need of financial assistance. Please see the following website for details:. Apply early for assistance!!

AP BIOLOGY SUMMER ASSIGNMENT

Summer Assignment – Due Tuesday, September 4th

  • Chapters 2-5 Focus Questions & Essential Terms
  • Some Simple Chemistry Activity
  • BONUS: See Booklist & Assignment

CHAPTER 2: Atoms, Molecules, and Chemical Bonds

  1. Define element and compound.
  2. State four elements essential to life and that make up 96% of all living matter.
  3. Describe the structure of an atom. (It may help to draw and label a diagram.)
  4. Define and distinguish among atomic number, mass number and valence.
  5. Explain why radioisotopes are important to biologists.
  6. Explain why the noble gases are so unreactive.
  7. Distinguish among nonpolar covalent, polar covalent and ionic bonds.
  8. Describe the formation of a hydrogen bond and explain how it differs from a covalent or ionic bond.
  9. Explain why weak bonds are important to living organisms.

Essential Terms: atom, proton, neutron, electron, hydrogen bond, molecule, ion, cation, anion, isotope, half life

CHAPTER 3: Water and the Fitness of the Environment

  1. Describe how water contributes to the fitness of the environment as it supports life.
  2. Describe the structure and geometry of a water molecule, and explain what properties emerge as a result of this structure.
  3. List four characteristics of water that are emergent properties resulting from hydrogen bonding.
  4. Describe the biological significance of the cohesiveness of water.
  5. Explain how water’s high specific heat, high heat of vaporization and expansion upon freezing affect both aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems.
  6. Explain how the polarity of water makes it a versatile solvent.
  7. Explain the basis for the pH scale.
  8. Explain how acids and bases directly or indirectly affect the hydrogen ion concentration of a solution.
  9. Using the bicarbonate buffer system as an example, explain how buffers work.

Essential Terms: cohesion, surface tension, adhesion, hydrophilic, hydrophobic, heat, temperature, evaporative cooling, solution, solvent, solute

CHAPTER 4: Carbon and Molecular Diversity

  1. Explain how carbon’s electron configuration determines the kind and number of bonds carbon will form.
  2. Distinguish between structural, geometric and stereoisomers.
  3. List the major functional groups and what each one stands for.

Essential Terms: organic chemistry, organic molecules, hydrocarbons, isomer, asymmetric carbon

CHAPTER 5: The Structure and Function of Macromolecules

  1. List the levels of biological hierarchy from subatomic particles to macromolecules.
  2. List four main types of macromolecules.
  3. Describe the characteristics of carbohydrates and list the three main types.
  4. Describe the importance of polysaccharides.
  5. Explain what distinguishes lipids from the other major classes of macromolecules.
  6. Distinguish between a saturated and an unsaturated fat.
  7. Describe the characteristics of proteins.
  8. Explain what amino acids are and how they are the building blocks of proteins.
  9. List four different levels of protein structure and describe each.
  10. Explain how proteins may be denatured.
  11. Define the characteristics of nucleic acids.
  12. List the major components of a nucleotide.
  13. Distinguish between a pyrimidine and a purine.
  14. Describe the 3-D structure of DNA. List the amino acids it has and their bonding.

Essential Terms: polymer, monomer, condensation synthesis, hydrolysis, domain,

phosphodiester bond, RNA, pentose

NOTE: Here are some websites to help you answer the above questions!

Campbell, Reece
Biology

7th Edition *AP Edition ©2005, ISBN: 0-8053-6777-2

The information above describes the textbook we will use in our AP Biology course at Junipero Serra High School. You will be using an electronic, online version of the textbook to assist in the completion of the summer assignment. In order to proceed with the Website registration process, please follow the directions provided on the neon green insert. GOOD LUCK and enjoy the ride!!!

Properties of Water – Chapter 3

Life as we know it could not exist without water. All the chemical reactions of life occur in aqueous solution. Water molecules are polar and capable of forming hydrogen bonds with other polar or charged molecules. As a result, water has the following properties:

A. H2O molecules are cohesive; they form hydrogen bonds with each other.

B. H2O molecules are adhesive; they form hydrogen bonds with polar surfaces

C. Water is a liquid at normal physiological (or body) temperatures.

D. Water has a high specific heat.

E. Water has a high heat of vaporization.

F. Water’s greatest density occurs at 4°C.

Explain how these properties of water are related to the phenomena described in parts (a) through (j) below. More than one property may be used to explain a given phenomenon.

Phenomenon / Property of Water
a. During the winter, air temperatures in the northern United States can remain below 0°C for months; however, the fish and other animals living in the lakes survive.
b. Many substances-for example, salt (NaCl) and sucrose-dissolve quickly in water.
c. When you pour water into a 25-ml graduated cylinder, a meniscus forms at the top of the water column.
d. Sweating and the evaporation of sweat from the body surface help reduce a human’s body temperature.
e. A bottle contains a liquid mixture of equal parts water and mineral oil. You shake the bottle vigorously and then set it on the table. Although the law of entropy favors maximum randomness, this mixture separates into layers of oil over water.
f. Water drops that fall on a surface tend to form rounded drops or beads.
g. Water drops that fall on your car tend to bead or round up more after you polish (or wax) the car than before you polished it.
h. If you touch the edge of a paper towel to a drop of colored water, the water will move up into (or be absorbed by) the towel
i. Transport of water and dissolved nutrients occurs against gravity in plants
j. Ocean temperatures are relatively stable providing a favorable environment for marine life.

Identifying Organic Macromolecules – Chapter 4 and 5

Please refer to the figure (Some Simple Chemistry) when doing this activity.

Part A. Answer the questions. Then use your answers to develop your own simple rules for identifying carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids and for relating their structure to their functions.

1. What is the approximate C:H:O (carbon, hydrogen, oxygen) ratio in each of the following types of macromolecules?

Carbohydrates / Lipids / Proteins / Nucleic acids

2. Which of the compounds listed in Question 1 can often be composed of C, H, and O ALONE?

3. Which of the compounds can be identified by looking at the C:H:O ratios alone?

4. What other elements are commonly associated with each of these four types of macromolecules? (P = phosphorus, N = nitrogen, S = sulfur)

Element / Carbohydrates / Lipids / Proteins / Nucleic acids
Always contain P
Generally contain no P
Always contain N
Generally contain no N
Frequently contain S
Generally contain no S

5.Closely related macromolecules often have many characteristics in common. Therefore, to separate or distinguish closely related macromolecules, you need to determine how they differ and then target or label that difference.

A. What makes RNA different from DNA?

B. If you wanted to use a radioactive or fluorescent tag to label only the RNA in a cell and not the DNA, what compound(s) could you label that is/are specific for RNA? C. If you wanted to label only the DNA, what compound(s) could you label?

Part B. Functional groups can modify the properties of organic molecules. In the table below, indicate whether each functional group is polar or nonpolar and hydrophobic or hydrophilic. Which of these functional groups are found in proteins and lipids?

Functional Group / Polar or nonpolar / Hydrophobic or hydrophilic / Found in all proteins / Found in many proteins / Found in many lipids
-OH
-CH2
-COOH
-NH2
-SH
-PO4

Now it is time for you to apply what you have investigated! Based on your answers to the previous questions and activities, what simple rule(s) can you devise to identify the following macromolecules?

Carbohydrates
Lipids
Proteins
Nucleic acids
DNA vs. RNA

The Best of Biology – A Reading List

These books are written by premier biological scientists. Read them (whether one, some, or all of them) to get a glimpse of science as scientists see it, as a preview of the material explored in our course, and for some Bonus Points!

  1. The Future of Life by Edward O. Wilson ***
  2. The Selfish Gene by Richard Dawkins **
  3. Dr. Tatiana’s Sex Advice to All Creation by Olivia Judson *
  4. DNA: The Secret of Life by James Watson *****
  5. Stiff by Mary Roach **
  6. The Architecture and Design of Man and Woman byTsiares and Worth [Parental Advisory – Mature Content] ****
  7. Of Molecules and Men by Francis Crick ****
  8. For the Love of Enzymes by Arthur Kornberg *****
  9. The Astonishing Hypothesis: The Scientific Search for the Soul by Francis Crick *****
  10. Living with Our Genes by Dean Hamer and Peter Copeland**

For Bonus Points please write a 2-page paper (typed and double-spaced) summarizing your reactions to the book as well as what you learned from your reading.

This course requires dedication and an immense amount of study time. You will get out of this class only what you are willing to contribute!Have a terrific summer!

Mrs. Senegar-Mitchell

1