AP Biology Review

May 15, 2024

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AP Biology Review

Introduction

  • Presenter: Melanie King from The Absolute Recap
  • Goal: Recap the entire AP Bio curriculum
  • Focus: Top terms, concepts, and equations for the AP exam in May
  • Study Method: Triage (Stoplight Method)
    • Green: Topics you remember well
    • Yellow: Familiar concepts but unsure of details
    • Red: Unfamiliar topics
  • Utilize: Speed review document, Podcast, Study guides, AP Biology Ultimate Review Packet

Unit 1: Chemistry of Life

Water

  • Polar molecule (Hâ‚‚O) forming hydrogen bonds
  • Properties: cohesion, adhesion, surface tension, high specific heat, and universal solvent

Common Elements

  • C, H, N, O, P, S

Biological Molecules

  • Carbohydrates
    • Ratio: 1C:2H:1O, form rings/long chains
    • Monomers often end in 'ose'
    • Functions: energy storage, structural materials
  • Lipids
    • Nonpolar, hydrocarbon chains/steroid rings
    • High H to O ratio
    • Types: saturated/unsaturated fatty acids
    • Role in phospholipid bilayer fluidity
  • Proteins
    • Polypeptides of amino acids
    • Functions: Enzymes, transport channels, receptors
  • Nucleic Acids
    • Formed from nucleotide monomers (DNA, RNA)
    • More on DNA/RNA in Unit 6

Reactions

  • Polymers formed via dehydration synthesis
  • Split via hydrolysis

Unit 2: Cell Structure and Function

Types of Cells

  • Prokaryotic
  • Eukaryotic
    • Surface area to volume ratio
    • Membrane-bound organelles

Organelles

  • Endomembrane System: rough ER, smooth ER, Golgi
  • Ribosomes: rRNA and protein
  • Mitochondria/Chloroplasts: double membranes, endosymbiosis theory

Transport

  • Active Transport: Requires ATP, moves molecules against gradient
  • Passive Transport: No ATP, moves molecules down gradient
    • Diffusion: Small nonpolar molecules
    • Facilitated Diffusion: Through a protein
  • Osmosis: Water movement following gradient, sometimes via aquaporin
  • Vesicle Transport: Endocytosis, Exocytosis

Unit 3: Cellular Energetics

Enzymes

  • Decrease activation energy
  • Not consumed by reactions
  • Can be denatured or inhibited

Photosynthesis

  • Uses chlorophyll to capture light energy
  • Processes:
    • Light Reaction: In thylakoid membranes
    • Calvin Cycle: In stroma

Cellular Respiration

  • Oxidizes glucose in oxygen presence
  • Processes:
    • Glycolysis: In cytoplasm
    • Krebs Cycle: In mitochondrial matrix
    • Electron Transport Chain: In cristae

Fermentation

  • In absence of oxygen
  • Regenerates NADH for glycolysis

Fitness

  • Greater survival and reproduction rates implies greater fitness

Unit 4: Cell Communication and Cell Cycle

Communication

  • Types: Autocrine, Paracrine, Endocrine
  • Signal Transduction Pathway:
    • Reception: Ligand binds to target
    • Transduction: Signal amplification
    • Response: Gene expression, additional signaling, apoptosis
  • Feedback:
    • Positive: Moves away from homeostasis
    • Negative: Maintains homeostasis

Cell Cycle

  • Phases: Interphase (G1, G0, S, G2), Mitosis, Cytokinesis
  • Mitosis: Prophase, Metaphase, Anaphase, Telophase
  • Regulation: Cyclins, CDKs, Checkpoints

Unit 5: Heredity

Meiosis

  • Creates unique gametes for sexual reproduction
  • Steps: Metaphase I involves homologous chromosomes
  • Genetic Diversity: Pairing, crossing over, independent assortment
  • Errors: Non-disjunction, deletion, inversion, translocation

Patterns of Inheritance

  • Mendelian: Monohybrid (3:1), Dihybrid (9:3:3:1)
  • Non-Mendelian: Incomplete dominance, co-dominance, linked genes, sex-linked traits
  • Practice: Punnett squares, pedigrees, probability, chi-square analysis

Unit 6: Gene Expression and Regulation

DNA and RNA

  • DNA: Double-stranded, deoxyribose sugar, bases (A, T, C, G)
  • RNA: Single-stranded, ribose sugar, base uracil instead of thymine
  • Bonding: A-T/U (2 H bonds), C-G (3 H bonds)

DNA Replication

  • Enzyme: DNA polymerase synthesizes in 5’ to 3’ direction
  • Leading vs. lagging strand

Protein Synthesis

  • Transcription: RNA polymerase synthesizes mRNA
  • Processing: Introns removed, mG cap, poly-A tail
  • Translation: tRNA matches amino acids to mRNA codons
  • Codon Chart: Variability in genetic code

Operons and Gene Regulation

  • Prokaryotes: Operons
  • Eukaryotes: Transcription factors, promoters, inhibitors

Biotechnology

  • PCR, gel electrophoresis, bacterial transformation, DNA sequencing

Unit 7: Natural Selection

Requirements

  • Genetic variation, survival struggle, reproductive success
  • Human Impact: Artificial selection

Evolution

  • Factors: Natural selection, mutation, small population size, non-random mating, gene flow
  • Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium: Solve for recessive allele frequency first

Evidence

  • Fossils, biogeography, homologous and vestigial structures, molecular comparisons

Speciation and Extinction

  • Interpret phylogenetic trees and cladograms

Early Earth

  • Formation of organic molecules, oxygen, RNA

Unit 8: Ecology

Organismal Interactions

  • Communication, environmental response, influence on fitness

Energy Flow

  • Autotrophs to heterotrophs, population size dependent on energy availability

Population Growth

  • Factors: Resource availability, carrying capacity
  • Equations: Simpson’s Diversity Index, exponential/logistic growth
  • Variation: Increases community resilience

Community Roles

  • Keystone species, invasive species

Relationships

  • Predation, competition, symbiosis

Human Impact

  • Disrupt ecosystems, modify habitats, cause extinctions

Conclusion

  • 8 units with differential exam weighting
  • Focus study on red topics first, then yellow, skip green
  • Additional resources: Podcasts, study guides, AP Biology Ultimate Review Packet