AP Biology Test Study Guide
Science as a Process
· Understand how to design a scientific experiment (variables, controls, hypotheses, etc.)
· How scientists share data, and use one another’s data
Evolution
· Evidence for evolution: fossil record, biogeography, comparative embryology, comparative anatomy, DNA
· Darwin’s Theory
· Natural Selection: Disruptive, Stabilizing, Directional;
· Genetic Variation and its role in evolution.
· Genetic Equilibrium and the Hardy-Weinberg formula (p2 + 2pq + q2 = 1)
· Phylogenetic Trees, common ancestry
· Causes of Mircoevolution and sources of genetic variation, genetic drift (founders effect, bottleneck), natural selection, gene flow, mutation, sexual selection (inter/intra), outpreeding, diploidy, heterozygote advantage,
· Patterns of evolution: coevolution, convergent, divergent, parallel
· Reproductive isolation: prezygotic vs. postzygotic barriers (habitat, mechanical, behavioral, etc.)
· Speciation: Allopatric vs Sympatric
· The origin of life on Earth
Ecology
· Population Density/Distribution: Types of dispersion, survivorship curves
· Carrying capacity, limiting factors (density dependent vs. independent)
· Population growth formula and patterns
· Ecological niche, resource partitioning, character displacement, realized vs fundamental niche
· Competitive Exclusion Principle
· Energy flow: food chains vs. webs, producers, consumers, decomposers, scavengers, ecological pyramids, 10% law
· Symbiosis: Commensalism, mutualism, parasitism
· Mimicry: Batesian vs. Mullerian
· Ecological Succession (Review in Text Book)
· Ecosystems
· Biogeochemical Cycles Water, Carbon, Nitrogen, Phosphorus,
Chemistry
· Types of macromolecules, their structures, and functions: lipids, carbohydrates, nucleic acids, proteins
· Water and its unique properties
· Types of bonds
· Enzyme structure and function; different types of enzymes, factors that affect enzyme function
· Metabolism: catabolic vs. anabolic
· Atomic structure
· Exergonic vs. endergonic reactions
· ATP structure and function
· Functional groups; where they are found, what properties do they have
Cells
· Cellular theory
· Prokaryotes vs. Eukaryotes
· Cell membrane structure: phospholipid bilayer, active transport vs. passive transport, channel proteins, ion channels, porins, aquaporins, carrier proteins, transport proteins, recognition proteins, adhesion proteins, receptor proteins, cholesterol, endocytosis, phagocytosis, pinocytosis, exocytosis
· Diffusion vs. Osmosis, water potential
· Organelles (know the structure and function of the following): cytosol, nucleus, ribosomes, ER, golgi apparatus, lysosomes, vacuoles, mitochondria, choloroplast, peroxisomes, cytoskeleton, flagella/cilia, centrioles, cell wals
· Cellular communication: gap junctions, plasmodesmata
· Cellular Division - Mitosis vs. Meiosis, Regulation of the cell cycle, cancer
Energy
· Photosynthesis
o Key molecules (structure and function) - ADP, ATP, NADP+, NADPH, all vital pigments, balanced equation, where it takes place
o Cyclical vs. Non-Cyclical
o Light-Dependent Reactions: Photpsystems II vs. I, electron transport, electron acceptors, ETC, Enzymes involved, role of sunlight, What goes in, what comes out?
o Light-Independent Reactions (Calvin Cycle): Know all steps, molecules that go in and come out, intermediate molecules, molecules involved
o C3 vs C4 photosynthesis; CAM plants, what types of plants use these processes
o Photorespiration
· Cellular Respiration
o Redox reactions: oxidation vs. reduction, phosphorylation
o Glycolysis - what goes in/comes out, where does it occur, what are the steps involved
o Krebs Cycle/Citric Acid Cycle - where does it take place, what goes in/comes out, key molecules (pyruvate, acetyl CoA, Oxaloacetate, NADH, FADH2, ATP
o Aerobic vs. Anaerobic environments: fermentations (alcoholic, lactic acid),
Genetics
· Mendels laws (law of segregation, law of independent assortment)
· Incomplete dominance, codominance, multiple alleles, epistasis, pleiotropy, polygenic traits, genes influenced by the environment
· Probability calculations, Punnett Squares (monohybrid, dihybrid),
· Gene linkage/sex linkage, linkage maps (know how to determine where genes are on a chromosome), crossing over, crossing over frequencies, X inactivation and Barr Bodies, Non-disjunction, chromosomal mutations (deletion, duplication, inversion, translocation,
· Review of human genetic defects: Down syndrome, Turners, Kleinfelters Syndrome
· Pedigrees: be able to read them
DNA/RNA
· DNA vs. RNA structure - Phosphate, sugar, bases, base pairing rules, types of bonds between molecules, Purines vs. Pyrimidines, differences between DNA and RNA, Types of RNA (t,m,r)
· DNA organization: Chromatin, Histones, etc.
· Genetics of Bacteria and Viruses
· DNA Replication
o 5’ vs. 3’, directionality, anti-parallel, conservative vs. semi-conservative vs. dispersive, Okazaki fragments
o Enzymes involved in DNA Replication: helicase, DNA polymerase (particularly directionality), replication forks, primase, primers, DNA Ligase, telomerase/telomers
· Protein Synthesis
o Transcription - Initiation, Elongations, Termination (differences in Pro and Eukaryotes), codons, RNA modification, splicing, Introns, Exons, Poly A tail, 5’ cap, snRNP’s, structure of tRNA, Aminoacyl-tRNA
o Translation - Initiation, Elongation, Termination, start codon (AUG), ribosomal subunits and their functions, different sites of tRNA and what occurs there, release factor protein
· Gene expression - Operons, repressors, operator, promoter, regulatory genes
· DNA Technology: PCR, Gel Electrophoresis, Cloning, Recombinant DNA, Genetic engineering
Plants
· Different Phyla of plants - Bryophytes, Pteridiophytes, Gymnosperms, Angiosperms
· Adaptations for life on land,
· Alternation of generation - dominant spoorphyte or gametophyte of different phylums, life cycles
· Structure: Roots, stems, leaves/stomata, vascular tissues, dermal tissues, ground tissues, perenchyme, collenchyme, sclerenchyme, apical meristems, lateral meristems
· Transport- process of water and sugar transport, capillary action, transpiration, bulk flow,
· Response to stimuli - Phototropism: hormones involved, processes, cell elongation
· Primary vs. Secondary growth, germination, seed structure
· Monocots vs. Dicots
Animals
· Familiarity of various animal phyla -
· Tissue types - Epithelial, Connective, Nervous, Muscle
· Thermoregulation - Ectotherms vs. Endotherms
· Feedback loops - Negative vs. Positive
· Reproduction - Fertilization, Embryonic development (cleavage, morula, blastula, gastrula, etc), Reproductive anatomy, Gametogenesis, Hormones
· Body systems structure and function - Respiratory, Circulatory, Excretory, Digestive System, Nervous, Muscular System, Immune System (Refer to you text book), Endocrine System
Labs
· Refer to Lab Study Guide to review all 12 labs we have covered this year
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