AP Biology 1st Semester Exam Review use this

A set of vocabulary flashcards covering key concepts from AP Biology 1st Semester Exam notes regarding water chemistry, carbohydrates, enzymes, and cellular processes.

Number 1: What is water?

A polar molecule essential for life, with unique chemical and physical properties.

Number 2: What is a hydrogen bond?

A bond between a hydrogen atom and a negatively charged atom, crucial for the structure of water.

Number 3: What is a polar covalent bond?

A type of covalent bond where electrons are shared unevenly, creating partial positive and negative charges.

Number 4: What is a nonpolar covalent bond?

A covalent bond where electrons are shared equally, resulting in no charge imbalance.

Number 5: What is an acid?

A substance that donates H^{+} ions in a solution.

Number 6: What is a base?

A substance that accepts H^{+} ions in a solution.

Number 7: What is a buffer?

A system that helps maintain pH levels in a solution, crucial for biological functions.

Number 8: What are functional groups?

Specific groups of atoms that determine the properties and functions of organic compounds.

Number 9: What is organic chemistry?

The branch of chemistry that studies compounds primarily containing carbon.

Number 10: What is dehydration synthesis?

A chemical reaction that joins 2 molecules by removing a water molecule.

Number 11: What is hydrolysis?

A chemical process that breaks down a compound by adding water.

Number 12: What is a disaccharide?

A carbohydrate formed from 2 monosaccharides through dehydration synthesis.

Number 13: What is a polysaccharide?

A carbohydrate made up of many monosaccharides, usually insoluble in water.

Number 14: What is a triglyceride?

A type of lipid made from 3 fatty acids and glycerol.

Number 15: What is a saturated fatty acid?

A fatty acid with zero (0) double bonds between carbon atoms, containing the maximum number of hydrogen atoms.

Number 16: What is an unsaturated fatty acid?

A fatty acid containing 1 or more double bonds, resulting in fewer hydrogen atoms.

Number 17: What is a peptide bond?

A bond formed between the carboxyl group of 1 amino acid and the amino group of another.

Number 18: What is an enzyme?

A protein that catalyzes biochemical reactions, lowering the activation energy needed.

Number 19: What is cellular respiration?

The metabolic process by which cells convert glucose and oxygen into energy (ATP).

Number 20: What is photosynthesis?

The process by which plants convert light energy into chemical energy in the form of glucose.

Number 21: What is signal transduction?

The process by which a cell converts a signal into a functional change, typically involving a cascade of biochemical events.

Number 22: What is apoptosis?

The process of programmed cell death, which can be initiated by cell signaling.

Number 23: What is active transport?

The movement of substances across a cell membrane against their concentration gradient, requiring energy (ATP).

Number 24: What is passive transport?

The movement of substances across a cell membrane without the use of energy (ATP).

Number 25: What is an ion channel?

A protein that allows ions to pass through the cell membrane, typically in a specific direction.

Number 26: What is glycolysis?

The first step of cellular respiration that breaks down glucose to produce ATP.

Number 27: What is the mitochondria?

Commonly known as the powerhouse of the cell, it is the site of aerobic cellular respiration and ATP generation.

Number 28: What is the chloroplast?

An organelle found in plants and algae that captures energy from sunlight to produce food via photosynthesis.

Number 29: What is a ribosome?

A complex molecule consisting of RNA and proteins that serves as the primary site of protein synthesis in the cell.

Number 30: What is the nucleus?

The membrane-enclosed organelle within a eukaryotic cell that contains most of its genetic material (DNA).

Number 31: What is the endoplasmic reticulum (ER)?

A network of membranous tubules involved in protein and lipid synthesis (rough ER has ribosomes; smooth ER does not).

Number 32: What is the Golgi apparatus?

An organelle responsible for modifying, sorting, and packaging proteins for secretion or delivery to other organelles.

Number 33: What is the cell membrane?

A biological membrane that separates the interior of all cells from the outside environment, composed of a phospholipid bilayer.

Number 34: What is cytoplasm?

The thick solution that fills each cell and is enclosed by the cell membrane, containing all organelles and cell parts.

Number 35: What is ATP (Adenosine Triphosphate)?

The principal molecule for storing and transferring energy in cells.

Number 36: What is DNA (Deoxyribonucleic Acid)?

A molecule that carries the genetic instructions used in the growth, development, functioning, and reproduction of all living organisms.

Number 37: What is RNA (Ribonucleic Acid)?

A nucleic acid present in all living cells that acts as a messenger carrying instructions from DNA for controlling protein synthesis.

Number 38: What is a nucleotide?

The basic building block of nucleic acids (DNA and RNA), consisting of a sugar, a phosphate group, and a nitrogenous base.

Number 39: What is an amino acid?

Organic compounds that serve as the building blocks of proteins, categorized by their specific side chains (R groups).

Number 40: What is a lipid?

A diverse group of organic compounds including fats, oils, and hormones that are hydrophobic and insoluble in water.

Number 41: What is a monosaccharide?

The simplest form of carbohydrate and the most basic unit of sugar, such as glucose or fructose.

Number 42: What is glucose?

A simple sugar with the molecular formula C{6}H{12}O_{6} that is an important energy source in living organisms.

Number 43: What is diffusion?

The net movement of molecules from a region of higher concentration to a region of lower concentration.

Number 44: What is osmosis?

The spontaneous net movement of solvent molecules (usually water) through a selectively permeable membrane.

Number 45: What is homeostasis?

The state of steady internal, physical, and chemical conditions maintained by living systems.

Number 46: What is metabolism?

The set of life-sustaining chemical reactions in organisms, including catabolism and anabolism.

Number 47: What is catabolism?

The set of metabolic pathways that breaks down molecules into smaller units that are either oxidized to release energy or used in anabolic reactions.

Number 48: What is anabolism?

The set of metabolic pathways that construct molecules from smaller units, requiring energy (ATP).

Number 49: What is an enzyme-substrate complex?

A temporary molecule formed when an enzyme comes into perfect contact with its substrate.

Number 50: What is activation energy?

The minimum quantity of energy which the reacting species must possess in order to undergo a specified reaction.

Number 51: What is a catalyst?

A substance that increases the rate of a chemical reaction without itself undergoing any permanent chemical change.

Number 52: What is a prokaryote?

A microscopic single-celled organism that has neither a distinct nucleus with a membrane nor other specialized organelles.

Number 53: What is a eukaryote?

An organism consisting of a cell or cells in which the genetic material is DNA in the form of chromosomes contained within a distinct nucleus.

Number 54: What is mitosis?

A type of cell division that results in 2 daughter cells each having the same number and kind of chromosomes as the parent nucleus.

Number 55: What is meiosis?

A type of cell division that results in 4 daughter cells each with half the number of chromosomes of the parent cell (haploid).

Number 56: What is a chromosome?

A threadlike structure of nucleic acids and protein found in the nucleus of most living cells, carrying genetic information in the form of genes.

Number 57: What is a gene?

A unit of heredity which is transferred from a parent to offspring and is held to determine some characteristic of the offspring.

Number 58: What is an allele?

One of 2 or more alternative forms of a gene that arise by mutation and are found at the same place on a chromosome.

Number 59: What is a phenotype?

The set of observable characteristics of an individual resulting from the interaction of its genotype with the environment.

Number 60: What is a genotype?

The genetic constitution of an individual organism.

Number 61: What is a mutation?

The changing of the structure of a gene, resulting in a variant form that may be transmitted to subsequent generations.

Number 62: What is natural selection?

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

Number 63: What is evolution?

The process by which different kinds of living organisms are thought to have developed and diversified from earlier forms during the history of the earth.

Number 64: What is an autotroph?

An organism that is able to form nutritional organic substances from simple inorganic substances such as carbon dioxide.

Number 65: What is a heterotroph?

An organism deriving its nutritional requirements from complex organic substances.

Number 66: What is an ecosystem?

A biological community of interacting organisms and their physical environment.

Number 67: What is the biosphere?

The regions of the surface, atmosphere, and hydrosphere of the earth occupied by living organisms.

Number 68: What is a biotic factor?

Any living component that affects another organism or shapes the ecosystem.

Number 69: What is an abiotic factor?

A non-living part of an ecosystem that shapes its environment.

Number 70: What is symbiosis?

Interaction between 2 different organisms living in close physical association, typically to the advantage of both.

Number 71: What is mutualism?

Symbiosis that is beneficial to both organisms involved.

Number 72: What is parasitism?

The practice of living as a parasite on or with another animal or plant.

Number 73: What is commensalism?

An association between 2 organisms in which one benefits and the other derives neither benefit nor harm.

Number 74: What is a trophic level?

Each of several hierarchical levels in an ecosystem, comprising organisms that share the same function in the food chain.

Number 75: What is a primary producer?

An organism that produces organic compounds from light or chemical energy (e.g., plants).

Number 76: What is a consumer?

An organism that derives its energy from consuming other organisms.

Number 77: What is a decomposer?

An organism, especially a soil bacterium, fungus, or invertebrate, that decomposes organic material.

Number 78: What is the carbon cycle?

The series of processes by which carbon compounds are interconverted in the environment.

Number 79: What is the nitrogen cycle?

The series of processes by which nitrogen and its compounds are interconverted in the environment and in living organisms.

Number 80: What is phagocytosis?

The ingestion of bacteria or other material by phagocytes and amoeboid protozoans.

Number 81: What is pinocytosis?

The ingestion of liquid into a cell by the budding of small vesicles from the cell membrane.

Number 82: What is binary fission?

A kind of asexual reproduction involving the division of a body into 2 new bodies, common in prokaryotes.

Number 83: What is a haploid cell (n)?

A cell containing only 1 set of chromosomes.

Number 84: What is a diploid cell (2n)?

A cell containing 2 complete sets of chromosomes, 1 from each parent.

Number 85: What is a gamete?

A mature haploid male or female germ cell which is able to unite with another of the opposite sex in sexual reproduction to form a zygote.

Number 86: What is a zygote?

A diploid cell resulting from the fusion of 2 haploid gametes; a fertilized ovum.

Number 87: What is translation?

The process by which messenger RNA (mRNA) is decoded by a ribosome to produce a specific amino acid chain, or polypeptide.

Number 88: What is transcription?

The process by which the information in a strand of DNA is copied into a new molecule of messenger RNA (mRNA).

Number 89: What is a codon?

A sequence of 3 nucleotides which together form a unit of genetic code in a DNA or RNA molecule.

Number 90: What is an anticodon?

A sequence of 3 nucleotides forming a unit of genetic code in a transfer RNA (tRNA) molecule, corresponding to a complementary codon in mRNA.

Number 91: What is an exon?

A segment of a DNA or RNA molecule containing information coding for a protein or peptide sequence.

Number 92: What is an intron?

A segment of a DNA or RNA molecule which does not code for proteins and interrupts the sequence of genes.

Number 93: What is PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction)?

A method widely used to rapidly make millions to billions of copies of a specific DNA sample.

Number 94: What is gel electrophoresis?

A laboratory method used to separate mixtures of DNA, RNA, or proteins according to molecular size.

Number 95: What is a plasmid?

A genetic structure in a cell that can replicate independently of the chromosomes, typically a small circular DNA strand in the cytoplasm of a bacterium.

Number 96: What is a virus?

An infective agent that typically consists of a nucleic acid molecule in a protein coat and is able to multiply only within the living cells of a host.

Number 97: What is bacteria?

A member of a large group of unicellular microorganisms which have cell walls but lack organelles and an organized nucleus.

Number 98: What is archaea?

Microorganisms that are similar to bacteria in size and simplicity of structure but radically different in molecular organization, often living in extreme environments.

Number 99: What is a protist?

A single-celled organism of the kingdom Protista, such as an amoeba or seaweed.

Number 100: What is fungi?

A group of spore-producing organisms feeding on organic matter, including molds, yeast, mushrooms, and toadstools.