AP Biology Review Vocabulary for Prep Assignment

Abiotic

A nonliving factor in the environment

Active Transport

The movement of particles from an area of low concentration to an area of high concentration that uses energy provided by ATP

Adhesion

Intermolecular attraction between unlike molecules.

ATP

A molecule that provides energy for cellular reactions and processes. ATP releases energy when one of its high-energy bonds is broken to release a phosphate group

Agriculture

Artificial cultivation of food, fiber, and other goods by growing and harvesting

Allele

A variation of a gene's nucleotide sequence

Allele Frequency

A measure of the relative frequency of an allele in a gene in a population

Analogous Structure

A physical structure, present in multiple species, that is similar in function but in a different form

Aquatic

A species that lives underwater

Atom

The smallest unit of an element

Biochemical Conversion

Changing of organic matter into other chemical forms

Bioenergetics

The study of energy flow within living systems

Biogeochemical Cycles

The movement of abiotic factors between the living and nonliving components within ecosystems

Biological Macromolecules

A group of macromolecules that interact with biological systems

Biology

The scientific study of life

Biome

A large area or region with a distinct plant and animal groups that are adapted to the environment

Biotechnology

Any procedure that uses biological systems or living organisms to develop or modify products or processes

Biotic

Living or once living organisms

Carbohydrate

A macromolecule that contains atoms of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen and serves as a major form of energy

Carrier Proteins

Proteins embedded in the plasma membrane involved in the movement of ions, small molecules, and macromolecules in and out of cells

Catalyst

A substance that enables a chemical reaction to proceed at a faster rate, that works with enzymes

Cell

The basic unit of a structure for all living organisms

Cell Cycle

It is a series of phases in DNA replication that lead to two or four daughter cells, included mitosis or meiosis

Cellular Respiration

A chemical process that generates most of the energy within the cell

Chloroplast

The gooey substance within the cell that contains chlorophyll where photosynthesis happens

Chromosome Mutation

A mutation that involves DNA. It could be a inversion, duplication, translocation, frameshift, nondisjunction, point mutation, nonsense, silent, or missense, jumping

Chromosomes

A structure of nucleic acid that are found in the nucleus that make up genes and genetic information

Cloning

To make an identical copy of something

Co-Dominance

Where both of the alleles are present in a heterozygous pairing

Cohesion

The sticking together of similar molecules

Community (Ecological)

Different populations of organisms interacting in a shared environment

Competition

When animals in the same environment compete for the same resources

Concentration

The measure of the amount of a given substance when combined with another substance

Concentration Gradient

The graduated difference in concentration of a solute over a distance

Consumer (Ecological)

An organism that feeds off of other organisms or their remains for energy

Crossing-over

An exchange of genetic material between homologous pairs during anaphase 1 of meiosis

Cytokinesis

The final phase of the cell cycle where the cytoplasm splits

Decomposer

An organism that gains nutrients by eating dead and decaying organic matter. This allows other animals to receive nutrients as well

DNA

A macromolecule that contains the coding of genetic information, is self replicating, and RNA is half of DNA

Diffusion

The movement of particles from an area of high concentration to low concentration

DNA Replication

The process in which DNA replicates itself

Dominant Inheritance

A pattern of inheritance in which the phenotypic effect of one allele is completely expressed

Ecology

The study of the relationships between organisms and their interactions with the environment

Ecosystem

A system composed of organisms and nonliving components of an environment

Embryology

The branch of zoology studying the early life of organisms

Endemic Species

A species that is found in its originating location and is generally restricted to that geographic area

Endocytosis

A process in which a cell engulfs extracellular material

Endoplasmic Reticulum

An organelle that is both the Rough ER and the Smooth ER. It transports ribosomes, where the sight of protein synthesis happens and it a folded membrane

Endosymbiosis

A theorized process in which early eukaryotic cells are formed from prokaryotes

Energy Pyramid

A model that illustrates the biomass productivity at multiple trophic levels

Energy Transformation

A process which energy changes from one form to another form, some energy is lost

Environment

The total surroundings of an organism or group of organisms

Enzyme

A protein that increases the rate of a chemical reaction without being changed by it

Eukaryote

A type of organism composed of one or more cells containing a nucleus and other complex organelles, and mitotic nuclear division cycle

Evolution

A process in which new species develop from preexisting species with a change in an allele

Exocytosis

A processes in which a cell releases substances to the extracellular environment by fusing a vesicular membrane with the plasma membrane, allowing the substance to release

Extinction

A term that means the species has no more living individuals

Extracellular

Located outside a cell

Facilitated Diffusion

A process in which substances are transported across a plasma membrane with the concentration with the aid of transportation proteins

Food Chain

A simplified path illustrating the passing of potential chemical energy from one organisms to the other

Food Web

A complex arrangement of interrelated food chains illustrating the flow of energy between organisms

Forensics

The science of tests and techniques used during the investigation of crimes

Fossils

The preserved remains or traces of organisms that once lived

Founder Effect

A decrease in genetic variation caused by the formation of a new population

Frame-shift Mutation

The addition or removal of one or more nucleotides that is not invisible and creates a different amino acid, thus changing the sequence

Freezing Point

The temperature at which liquid changes to a solid

Gamete

A specialized cell used in sexual reproduction containing half the normal chromosomes

Gene

A sequence of nucleotides composing a segment of DNA that provides a blueprint for a specific hereditary trait

Gene Expression

The process in which a nucleotide sequence of a gene is used to make a functional product such as a protein or DNA

Gene Recombination

A natural process in which a nucleic acid molecule is broken and then joined to a different molecule

Gene Splicing

A type of gene recombination in which the DNA is intentionally broken and recombined using technology

Gene Therapy

The intentional insertion, alteration, or deletion of genes within a person's cells and tissues for the purpose of treating a disease

Genetic Drift

A change in the allele frequency of a population as a result of chance events rather than natural selection

Genetic Engineering

Technology that includes the process of manipulating or altering the genetic material of a cell, resulting in desirable outcomes that wouldn't occur naturally

Genetically Modified Organism

An organism whose genetic material has been altered through some technique

Genetics

The scientific study of inheritance

Genotype

The genetic composition of an organism with reference to a set of traits, or multiple traits

Golgi Apparatus

An organelle found in eukaryotic cells responsible for the final stages of processing proteins for release

Gradualism

A proposed explanation in evolutionary biology starting that new species arise from the result of slight modifications over many generations

Habitat

An area that provides an organism with its basic needs for survival

Homeostatic Mechanism

A regulatory mechanism that contributes to maintaining the state of equilibrium

Homologous Structure

A physical characteristic in different organisms that is similar because it is inherited from a common ancestor

Hypothesis

A proposed scientifically testable explanation for an observed phenomenon

Impermeable

Not permitting passage of a substance

Incomplete Dominance

When two alleles from the parents are not dominant or recessive so both alleles combine

Inheritance

The process in which genetic material is passed from parent to offspring

Interphase

The longest part in the cell cycle that in which a cell performs the majority of the preparation for cell division

Intracellular

Inside of a cell

Isolating mechanisms

Features of behaviors, morphology, or genetics which serve to prevent matting or breeding between two different species

Law (Scientific)

It generalizes a body of observations

Limiting Factor

Chemical or physical factor that limits the existence, growth, abundance or distribution of an organism

Lipids

A group of organic compounds mostly of carbon and hydrogen and oxygen. They are insoluble in water, make up cell membrane, and store energy

Macromolecule

A polymer with a high molecular mass. Within organisms there are four main groups, carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids

Mechanism (Scientific)

The combination of components and processes that serve a common factor

Meiosis

A two phase nuclear division that results in the eventual production of gametes with half the normal number of chromosomes

Migration

The permanent movement of genes into or out of a population resulting in a change of allele frequencies

Mitochondrion

A membrane-bond organelle found in most eukaryotic cells, site of cellular respiration

Mitosis

Nuclear division resulting in the production of two somatic cells having the same genetic complement as the original cell

Molecule

The smallest particle of a substance

Monomer

A molecule that can react with with other molecules