Biology Final Review 2025

Biology Final Review Flashcards

What are the general laboratory safety rules?

No eating or drinking, follow all instructions, and know the location of safety equipment.

List the personal protective equipment (PPE) required in the lab.

Lab coats, gloves, safety goggles.

What are the rules for handling chemicals in the laboratory?

Read labels carefully, never mix chemicals unless instructed, and dispose of chemicals properly.

How should laboratory equipment be used and what should you do if equipment is broken?

Handle all equipment properly, and report any broken equipment immediately.

What is the first step of the scientific method?

Observation.

Describe the difference between a hypothesis and a question.

A hypothesis is an educated guess that can be tested, whereas a question is simply something you want to know.

What is the purpose of conducting an experiment in the scientific method?

To test the hypothesis.

Why is data collection important in the scientific method?

It provides the evidence needed to support or refute the hypothesis.

What should be done after drawing a conclusion in the scientific method?

Report and communicate the results.

Describe the shape of an exponential growth curve and what it indicates.

J-shaped curve, indicates rapid population increase due to unlimited resources.

What characterizes a logistic growth curve?

S-shaped curve, indicates population growth that stabilizes as resources become limited.

What are the building blocks of proteins?

Amino acids.

Give two examples of proteins and their functions.

Enzymes (catalyze reactions), antibodies (immune response).

What are nucleotides and what macromolecules do they form?

Nucleotides are the building blocks of nucleic acids, which form DNA and RNA.

List two examples of carbohydrates and their functions.

Glucose (provides energy), starch (energy storage in plants).

What are the building blocks of lipids and what are their functions?

Fatty acids and glycerol; they store energy and make up cell membranes.

In which organelle does photosynthesis take place?

Chloroplast.

What are the inputs and outputs of photosynthesis?

Inputs: Carbon dioxide (CO₂), water (H₂O), sunlight. Outputs: Glucose (C₆H₁₂O₆), oxygen (O₂).

Describe the main processes involved in the water cycle.

Evaporation, condensation, precipitation, and collection.

What are the steps in the nitrogen cycle?

Nitrogen fixation, nitrification, assimilation, ammonification, and denitrification.

Explain the carbon cycle.

Photosynthesis, respiration, decomposition, and combustion.

What is the role of the phosphorus cycle in ecosystems?

Weathering of rocks, absorption by plants, consumption by animals, and return to the environment via decomposition.

List the levels of organization in order from smallest to largest and give an example of each.

Organism (deer) Population (group of deer) Community (all living things in a forest) Ecosystem (forest) Biosphere (Earth)

Define herbivore and give an example.

Eats plants (e.g. deer)

What is a carnivore and provide an example.

Eats meat (e.g. lion)

Describe an omnivore and provide an example.

Eats meat and plants (e.g. humans)

What is the role of decomposers in an ecosystem?

Breaks down dead material (e.g., fungi).

Give an example of a scavenger.

Vulture.

What is a producer in an ecosystem?

Makes its own food (e.g., plants).

Define primary consumer and give an example.

Eats producers (e.g., rabbit).

What is a secondary consumer? Provide an example.

Eats primary consumers (e.g., snake).

Define tertiary consumer and provide an example.

Eats secondary consumers (e.g., eagle).

What is a zygote?

A fertilized egg.

Describe what happens during anaphase in mitosis.

Chromosomes separate and move to opposite poles.

What occurs during interphase in the cell cycle?

Cell growth phase before mitosis.

What is the significance of prophase in mitosis?

Chromosomes condense and become visible.

Define somatic cells.

Body cells (not reproductive cells).

What occurs during prophase in mitosis?

Chromosomes condense.

What happens during metaphase?

Chromosomes line up at the cell equator.

Describe the events of anaphase.

Chromosomes split and move to opposite poles.

What occurs during telophase?

Nuclear membrane reforms, chromosomes de-condense.

What are the base pairing rules for DNA?

Adenine (A) pairs with Thymine (T), Guanine (G) pairs with Cytosine (C).

What are the building blocks of DNA?

Amino acids

Define a mutation.

A change in the DNA sequence.

What is a genotype?

Genetic makeup of an organism.

Define phenotype.

Physical traits of an organism.

What does homozygous mean?

Two identical alleles for a trait.

Explain what heterozygous means.

Two different alleles for a trait.

What is a gene?

A segment of DNA that codes for a protein.

Describe sex-linked inheritance with an example.

Traits associated with sex chromosomes (e.g., XRXr).

What is codominance? Give an example.

Both alleles express equally (e.g., Rr - red and white).

Define complete dominance with an example.

Dominant allele masks the recessive one (e.g., Rr - red).

What is incomplete dominance? Provide an example.

Blending of traits (e.g., Rr - pink).

Who was Darwin and what theory did he propose?

A naturalist who proposed the theory of natural selection.

Explain the concept of natural selection.

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

What is a fossil?

Preserved remains of ancient organisms.

Define an acquired trait.

A characteristic acquired during an organism's life.

What is natural selection?

Differential survival and reproduction of individuals due to differences in phenotype.

Describe homologous structures and give an example.

Similar structures in different species due to common ancestry (e.g., human arm and bat wing).

What are analogous structures? Provide an example.

Structures that serve similar functions but do not share common ancestry (e.g., wings of a bat and wings of a butterfly).