AP Biology Cram Chart

A collection of flashcards covering key concepts in AP Biology, designed for quick review ahead of exams.

What are the special properties of water due to hydrogen bonds?

Cohesion, adhesion, and surface tension.

What is the process by which monomers form polymers?

Dehydration synthesis.

What are nucleic acids composed of?

Nucleotides, which include a deoxyribose/ribose, a phosphate, and a nitrogen base.

What is the role of ribosomes in all lifeforms?

Ribosomes synthesize proteins.

Where does cellular respiration occur?

In the mitochondria.

What organelles are responsible for photosynthesis?

Chloroplasts.

What is the importance of cell size and surface area-to-volume ratio?

High surface area and small volume are ideal for material exchange and waste elimination.

What do channel proteins facilitate in cellular transport?

Passive or active transport across semipermeable membranes.

How do enzymes catalyze reactions?

By lowering the activation energy required.

What happens during competitive inhibition of an enzyme?

Competitive inhibitors bind to the enzyme's active site.

What are the three stages of signal transduction pathways?

Reception, transduction, and response.

What is the function of negative feedback in a biological system?

To reduce the stimulus.

What are the two parts of meiosis?

Homologous chromosomes separate and crossing over occurs.

What is the difference between purines and pyrimidines?

Purines have a double ring structure (G and A), and pyrimidines have a single ring structure (C, T, U).

What does the Hardy-Weinberg equation predict?

Equilibrium frequencies of alleles in a population.

What does Simpson's Diversity Index measure?

The diversity of an ecosystem.

What is the main cause of natural selection?

Competition for resources.

How much energy is transferred between trophic levels?

Only 10% of energy is transferred.

What do retroactive mutations in DNA lead to?

Changes in protein function, which can be loss, gain, or no change at all.