AP Biology Final Study Guide Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards based on AP Biology final study guide notes covering DNA structure, cell organelles, genetics, evolution, and characteristics of life.

Double helix

The name of the ladder-like structure of DNA.

DNA Location

Located mainly in the nucleus, with small amounts in the mitochondria.

DNA Base Pairing

Adenine pairs with Thymine ($A-T$) and Cytosine pairs with Guanine ($C-G$).

Plant-only Organelles

Organelles found only in plant cells and not in animals include chloroplasts and the cell wall.

Prokaryotic cells

Cells that lack a nucleus and membrane-bound organelles.

Eukaryotic cells

Cells that have a nucleus and membrane-bound organelles.

Monomer

A small molecule that can join with others to form a polymer.

Polymer

A large molecule made of repeating monomer units.

Reactant

A substance that starts a chemical reaction.

Product

A substance formed as a result of a chemical reaction.

Activation energy

The minimum energy required for a reaction to begin.

Catalyst

A substance that speeds up a reaction by lowering the activation energy.

Substrate

A specific molecule an enzyme acts on.

Lipid Components

Consists of Glycerol (backbone) and Fatty Acids (long hydrocarbon chains).

Amphipathic

The specialized nature of a phospholipid bilayer having both a hydrophilic head and a hydrophobic tail.

Hydrophilic part of bilayer

The head of the phospholipid.

Hydrophobic part of bilayer

The tails, which are made of fatty acids.

Selectively permeable

A characteristic of the cell membrane that allows it to control what enters and leaves the cell.

Cell Membrane Functions

Features include being flexible, protective, communication-enabled (receptors), and organizing (anchors the cytoskeleton) to maintain homeostasis.

Genetics

The branch of biology that studies heredity.

Gregor Mendel

The individual known as the father of genetics.

Possible offspring of AB and BO parents

The potential blood types are AB, A, B, and B.

Heterozygous

Possessing two different alleles, such as ($Aa$).

Homozygous dominant

Possessing two dominant alleles, such as ($AA$).

Homozygous recessive

Possessing two recessive alleles, such as ($aa$).

Chromosome

A long organized strand of DNA wrapped around proteins.

Gene

A segment of DNA that contains instructions for making a protein or determining a trait.

Pedigree

A chart that shows how a trait is passed down through generations of a family.

Natural selection (Population effect)

Changes the traits of a population by favoring individuals with desirable traits.

Evolution via Natural Selection

The process where beneficial traits become more common in a population across generations.

Charles Darwin

The scientist who formulated the theory of evolution through natural selection.

Natural selection

A process where organisms with traits better suited to the environment survive and reproduce more successfully.

Cellular organization

The characteristic of life where all living things are composed of one or more highly organized cells.

Reproduction

The biological process by which living organisms produce new individuals (offspring).

Metabolism

The sum of all chemical reactions occurring within an organism that allow it to obtain and use energy.

Homeostasis

The ability of living organisms to maintain a stable internal environment.

Heredity

The characteristic of life where genetic information is passed from parents to offspring, resulting in inherited traits.

Response to stimuli

The ability of living organisms to detect and react to changes in their internal or external environment.

Growth vs. Development

Growth is an increase in size, mass, or cell number; development is the progression of structural, functional, and behavioral changes.

Adapt to change (Evolution)

A long-term evolutionary process in which populations undergo hereditary changes.

Basic structural unit of life

The cell.

Proteins

Molecules made up of amino acids linked together in long chains.

Enzymes

Biological catalysts that speed up chemical reactions in living organisms.

DNA (Deoxyribonucleic Acid)

Contains deoxyribose sugar, is double-stranded, uses bases ATCG, is mostly in the nucleus, and handles long-term genetic storage.

RNA (Ribonucleic Acid)

Contains ribose sugar, is single-stranded, uses bases AUCG, is in the nucleus and cytoplasm, and handles protein synthesis and gene expression.

Uracil ($U$)

The base pair found in RNA that is not present in DNA (which uses Thymine instead).

Replication

The process DNA undergoes to produce two identical DNA molecules.

Transcription

The process that changes DNA to RNA.

Translation

The process that changes RNA to protein.