AP Biology Review Flashcards

These flashcards cover key terms and concepts from the AP Biology lectures related to molecular structure, biological processes, and ecological interactions.

Water

H2O, a polar molecule where hydrogens have partial positive charges and oxygen has a partial negative charge.

Polar Molecule

A molecule with regions of partial positive and negative charge due to unequal distribution of electrons.

Hydrophilic

Substances that are attracted to water, typically polar or charged.

Hydrophobic

Substances that repel water, typically nonpolar.

Covalent Bond

A bond formed by the mutual sharing of one or more pairs of electrons between two atoms.

Ionic Bond

A bond resulting from the transfer of electrons, leading to the formation of ions.

Hydrogen Bond

A weak bond occurring when a hydrogen atom bonds to a highly electronegative atom.

Surface Tension

The difficulty to break the surface of water caused by cohesive forces among water molecules.

Cohesion

The attraction of water molecules to each other due to hydrogen bonds.

Adhesion

The attraction of water to other substances.

Capillary Action

The movement of liquid through or along another material against gravity, due to cohesion and adhesion.

Specific Heat

The amount of heat energy required to change the temperature of one gram of a substance by one degree Celsius.

Evaporative Cooling

The process in which water absorbs a lot of heat when evaporating, cooling the surface it leaves.

High Solvency

Water's ability to dissolve many ionic and polar substances due to its polarity.

Acid

A substance that increases the concentration of hydrogen ions (H+) in a solution.

Base

A substance that decreases the concentration of hydrogen ions (H+) and increases the concentration of hydroxide ions (OH–) in a solution.

Atom

The smallest unit of an element that retains the properties of that element.

Proton

A positively charged particle found in the nucleus of an atom.

Neutron

A neutral particle found in the nucleus of an atom.

Electron

A negatively charged particle that orbits the nucleus of an atom.

Molecule

Two or more atoms held together by covalent bonds.

Macromolecule

A large biological molecule such as proteins, nucleic acids, carbohydrates, and lipids.

Dehydration Synthesis

A chemical reaction that connects monomers to form polymers by releasing water.

Hydrolysis

A chemical reaction that breaks down polymers into monomers by adding water.

Enzyme

Biological catalysts that speed up chemical reactions by lowering the activation energy required.

DNA

A double-stranded molecule containing the genetic information for living organisms.

RNA

Single-stranded nucleic acid involved in protein synthesis and gene expression.

Gene Expression

The process by which information from a gene is used to synthesize proteins.

Mutation

A change in the nucleotide sequence of an organism's DNA.

Ecosystem

A dynamic interaction between living (biological) and nonliving (abiotic) elements in a specific area.

Biotic Factors

The living components of an ecosystem, such as plants, animals, and microorganisms.

Abiotic Factors

The nonliving chemical and physical parts of the environment.

Symbiosis

A close ecological relationship between two or more different species.

Population

A group of individuals belonging to the same species that live in the same area.

Community

An assemblage of different populations that live together in a defined area.

Trophic Level

Each step in a food chain or food web.

Primary Productivity

The rate at which energy is converted by photosynthetic and chemosynthetic autotrophs to organic substances.

Biogeochemical Cycle

The cycle by which essential elements of living matter are circulated in ecosystems.

Phosphorus Cycle

The cycle that describes the movement of phosphorus through the lithosphere, hydrosphere, and biosphere.