AP Biology Curriculum Recap Flashcards

Flashcards of key vocabulary terms from an AP Biology curriculum recap.

Cohesion

Water molecules sticking to each other.

Adhesion

Water molecules sticking to other surfaces.

Surface Tension

The property of the surface of a liquid that allows it to resist an external force, due to the cohesive nature of its molecules.

High Specific Heat

Water's ability to absorb a lot of heat without a significant change in temperature.

Universal Solvent

Water's ability to dissolve a wide range of substances.

Carbohydrates

Biological molecules with a 1:2:1 ratio of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen, functioning as short and long-term energy storage and structural materials.

Lipids

Nonpolar biological molecules with hydrocarbon chains and steroid rings, having a hydrogen to oxygen ratio greater than 2:1.

Proteins

Polypeptides of amino acid monomers with diverse cellular roles like enzymes, transport channels, and receptors.

Nucleic Acids

Biological molecules formed from nucleotide monomers, including DNA and RNA, carrying heritable information.

Dehydration Synthesis

The process by which polymers are formed by removing water molecules.

Hydrolysis

The process by which polymers are split through the addition of water.

Prokaryotic Cells

Cells lacking a nucleus and other membrane-bound organelles.

Eukaryotic Cells

Cells containing a nucleus and other membrane-bound organelles.

Endomembrane System

A network of membranes within eukaryotic cells that includes the rough ER, smooth ER, and Golgi apparatus.

Hypertonic

Having a higher solute concentration compared to another solution.

Hypotonic

Having a lower solute concentration compared to another solution.

Isotonic

Having the same solute concentration compared to another solution.

Active Transport

The movement of molecules across a membrane against their concentration gradient, requiring ATP.

Passive Transport

The movement of molecules across a membrane down their concentration gradient, without requiring ATP.

Osmosis

The movement of water across a membrane following its own concentration gradient.

Enzymes

Proteins that act as biological catalysts, decreasing the activation energy required for reactions.

Photosynthesis

The process by which plants use chlorophyll to capture light energy and fix it into a three-carbon molecule.

Cellular Respiration

The process by which cells oxidize glucose in the presence of oxygen to generate ATP.

Fermentation

A process by which cells regenerate NAD+ for glycolysis to continue in the absence of oxygen.

Oxidative Phosphorylation

The process by which mitochondria create ATP.

Autocrine signaling

A type of cell signaling where a cell secretes a hormone or chemical messenger that binds to autocrine receptors on the same cell, leading to changes in the cell.

Paracrine signaling

A type of cell signaling in which a cell produces a signal to induce changes in nearby cells, altering the behaviour or differentiation of those cells.

Endocrine signaling

Endocrine signaling is a type of cell-to-cell communication where endocrine cells release hormones that travel through the bloodstream to act on target cells in distant parts of the body.

Apoptosis

Programmed cell death.

Meiosis

The process of nuclear division that forms unique gametes for sexual reproduction, involving two rounds of division.

Mitosis

The process of nuclear division that creates identical daughter cells, maintaining the diploid number through the splitting of sister chromatids.

Nondisjunction

The failure of homologous chromosomes or sister chromatids to separate properly during cell division.

DNA

A double-stranded nucleic acid with deoxyribose sugar and bases A, T, C, and G.

RNA

A single-stranded nucleic acid with ribose sugar and base uracil instead of thymine.

Transcription

The process in the nucleus where RNA polymerase reads the DNA template strand and synthesizes an mRNA transcript.

Translation

The process where a tRNA molecule brings over a corresponding amino acid to the mRNA codon to assemble a polypeptide chain.

Natural Selection

The process where organisms with genetic variation that are best suited to their environment survive and reproduce successfully.

Evolution

The change in the allele frequency of a population over time.

Speciation

The evolutionary process by which new biological species arise.

Ecology

The branch of biology that deals with the relations of organisms to one another and to their physical surroundings.

Autotrophs

Organisms that produce their own food, typically through photosynthesis.

Heterotrophs

Organisms that consume other organisms for energy.

What is Directional Selection?

Directional Selection occurs when one extreme phenotype is favored over the others, leading to a shift in allele frequency in a particular direction.

What is Stabilizing Selection?

Stabilizing Selection favors the intermediate or moderate phenotype, reducing variability for that trait in a population.

What is Disruptive Selection?

Disruptive Selection favors both extreme phenotypes over the intermediate phenotype, promoting genetic diversity within the population.

How can you recognize Directional Selection on a graph?

On a graph, Directional Selection is indicated by a shift in the average phenotype in one direction, often showing a peak moving towards one tail.

How can you recognize Stabilizing Selection on a graph?

Stabilizing Selection is visualized as a graph with a single peak that becomes narrower, indicating that intermediate phenotypes are more common.

How can you recognize Disruptive Selection on a graph?

Disruptive Selection is represented by a graph that has two peaks, indicating that both extreme phenotypes are favored over the intermediate trait.