AP Biology Curriculum Recap

Introduction

• Presenter: Melanie King from The Absolute Recap
• Goal: Recap entire AP Biology curriculum, cover top terms, concepts, equations for the AP exam.
• Triage Concept: Prioritize studying like emergency room doctors—focus on what you know least first.
  • Stoplight Method: Mark topics as green (know it well), yellow (somewhat familiar), red (don't know).

Unit 1: Chemistry of Life

• Water: Polar molecule, hydrogen bonds, properties from bonding: cohesion, adhesion, surface tension, high specific heat, universal solvent.
• Elements: CHNOPS (Carbon, Hydrogen, Nitrogen, Oxygen, Phosphorus, Sulfur)
• Biological Molecules:
  • Carbohydrates: 1:2:1 ratio, rings or chains, short/long-term energy, structural materials.
  • Lipids: Nonpolar, hydrocarbon chains/steroid rings, hydrogen to oxygen ratio >2:1, fatty acids (saturated/unsaturated).
  • Proteins: Polypeptides of amino acids, structure dictates function (enzymes, transport, receptors).
  • Nucleic Acids: Nucleotide monomers, DNA/RNA.
• Reactions: Polymers via dehydration synthesis, breakdown with hydrolysis.

Unit 2: Cell Structure and Function

• Cell Types: Prokaryotic vs. Eukaryotic, surface area to volume ratio.
• Eukaryotic Organelles: Membrane-bound, endomembrane system (ER, Golgi), ribosomes (rRNA and protein), mitochondria and chloroplasts (endosymbiosis theory).
• Transport:
  • Active Transport: Requires ATP, against gradient.
  • Passive Transport: Down gradient (diffusion, facilitated diffusion).
  • Osmosis: Water movement, water potential, aquaporins.
  • Vesicular Transport: Endo/exocytosis.

Unit 3: Cellular Energetics

• Enzymes: Proteins, reduce activation energy, not consumed by reactions, can be denatured/inhibited.
• Photosynthesis: Chlorophyll captures light, electron carriers, 3-carbon molecules.
  • Light Reaction: Thylakoid membranes.
  • Calvin Cycle: Stroma.
• Cellular Respiration: Oxidizes glucose, ATP generation.
  • Glycolysis: Cytoplasm.
  • Krebs Cycle: Mitochondrial matrix.
  • Electron Transport Chain: Cristae.
  • Fermentation: Anaerobic, regenerates NADH.
• Fitness: Organisms best suited for environment survive/reproduce, pass genotypes.

Unit 4: Cell Communication and Cell Cycle

• Communication Types: Autocrine, paracrine, endocrine.
• Signal Transduction:
  • Reception: Ligand binding.
  • Transduction: Signal amplification.
  • Response: Gene expression, other cellular functions.
• Feedback Mechanisms:
  • Positive Feedback: Moves away from homeostasis.
  • Negative Feedback: Maintains homeostasis.
• Cell Cycle: Interphase (G1, G0, S, G2), mitosis (prophase, metaphase, anaphase, telophase), cytokinesis.
• Regulation: Cyclins, CDKs, checkpoints (DNA damage, replication completeness).

Unit 5: Heredity

• Meiosis: Nuclear division, unique gametes.
  • Phases: PMAP, homologous chromosomes (metaphase I).
  • Genetic Diversity: Crossing over, independent assortment, random fertilization.
  • Disorders: Non-disjunction, deletion, inversion, translocation.
• Inheritance Patterns:
  • Mendelian: Monohybrid (3:1), dihybrid (9:3:3:1).
  • Non-Mendelian: Incomplete dominance, co-dominance, linked genes, sex-linked traits.
• Genetic Analysis: Punnett squares, pedigrees, probability, chi-square.

Unit 6: Gene Expression and Regulation

• DNA and RNA: Double-stranded (DNA), single-stranded (RNA).
• Replication: Semi-conservative, DNA polymerase, leading/lagging strands, Okazaki fragments.
• Central Dogma:
  • Transcription: DNA to mRNA in nucleus, RNA polymerase, 5’ to 3’, splicing, 5’ cap, poly-A tail.
  • Translation: mRNA to protein at ribosome, tRNA, amino acids, codon chart.
• Gene Regulation: Operons, transcription factors, promoters, inhibitors.
• Biotechnology: PCR, gel electrophoresis, bacterial transformation, DNA sequencing.

Unit 7: Natural Selection

• Natural Selection: Genetic variation, struggle for survival, trait inheritance.
• Evolutionary Forces: Mutation, population size, mating, gene flow.
• Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium: Solve for recessive allele frequency (q²).
• Evidence: Fossils, biogeography, homologous/vestigial structures, molecular comparisons.
• Speciation and Extinction: Phylogenetic trees, cladograms.
• Early Earth: Organic molecules, oxygen, RNA as early genetic material.

Unit 8: Ecology

• Examples and Influence on Fitness: Energy flow (food webs, trophic levels), population dynamics (resource availability, carrying capacity).
• Equations: Simpson's diversity index, exponential/logistic growth.
• Graph Interpretation: Variation and community resilience, niches, keystone/invasive species.
• Relationships: Predation, competition, symbiosis.
• Human Impact: Habitat modification, extinctions.

Summary

• AP Biology Units: Chemistry of life, cell structure/function, cellular energetics, cell communication/cycle, heredity, gene expression, natural selection, ecology.
• Study Strategy: Focus on red topics, review yellow, skip green.
• Resources: Additional study resources linked in video description.

Good luck on the exam!