AP Biology Unit Reviews

These flashcards cover key vocabulary and concepts from the AP Biology course based on the provided lecture notes, focusing on fundamental biological principles, cellular structures, biochemical processes, and genetics.

Covalent Bonding

A type of chemical bond where electrons are shared between atoms.

Hydrogen Bond

An electrostatic attraction between a hydrogen atom bonded to an electronegative atom and another electronegative atom.

Adhesion

The attraction of water molecules to other polar molecules.

Cohesion

The attraction of water molecules to the same water molecules.

Capillary Action

The movement of water within the spaces of a porous material due to adhesion and cohesion.

Specific Heat

The amount of heat required to change the temperature of a substance.

pH Scale

A measure of hydrogen ion concentration, indicating how acidic or basic a solution is.

Buffer

A solution that resists changes in pH when acids or bases are added.

Macromolecules

Large complex molecules such as carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids.

Monosaccharide

The simplest form of carbohydrates, consisting of a single sugar molecule.

Disaccharide

A carbohydrate formed from two monosaccharides.

Polysaccharide

Carbohydrates that are made up of more than two monosaccharides.

Lipids

Hydrophobic organic molecules used for energy storage and membrane formation.

Amino Acid

The building blocks of proteins, consisting of an amino group, a carboxyl group, and a variable R group.

Protein Denaturation

The process in which proteins lose their structure and function due to external stress.

Hydrolysis

A chemical process that splits a molecule by adding water.

Phospholipids

Lipid molecules with a hydrophilic head and two hydrophobic tails, forming the structural basis of cell membranes.

Nucleic Acids

Biomolecules, including DNA and RNA, that store and transmit genetic information.

Eukaryotic Cell

A complex cell that contains organelles and a nucleus.

Prokaryotic Cell

A simple cell without a nucleus or organelles.

Enzymes

Biological catalysts that speed up chemical reactions in living organisms.

Signal Transduction

The process by which a chemical or physical signal is transmitted through a cell as a series of molecular events.

Gene Regulation

The process of turning genes on or off to control the production of proteins in cells.

Mitosis

The process of cell division that results in two identical daughter cells.

Meiosis

A type of cell division that reduces the chromosome number by half, producing gametes.

Natural Selection

The process by which organisms better adapted to their environment tend to survive and produce more offspring.

Ecology

The study of interactions between organisms and their environment.

Symbiosis

A close and often long-term interaction between two different biological species.

Phenotype

The observable physical characteristics or traits of an organism.

Genotype

The genetic makeup of an organism.

Hardy-Weinberg Principle

A principle that describes the genetic equilibrium within a population.