Honors Biology Fall Semester
MILESTONE Study Guide
ANSWERS
1
• Know these definitions…
2
• Hypothesis:
If plants grow better in acidic soil, then if I add vinegar to the water I
use to water the plants, they should grow more than the control plants
do.
2
• Independent variable:
Vinegar
2
Dependent Variable:
Plant growth (cm)
2
• Constants:
• Same amount/type of soil
• Same size pot
• Same number of plants in each group
• Same time for experiment in each group
• Same amount of water
• Same location = Same amount of sunlight
• Same sized plants to begin
2
• Control group:
• Plants receiving regular water
2
• Experimental Group:
• Plants receiving the vinegar water
3
• Any questions?
Based on the graph, what is
the optimal depth for
photosynthesis in this plant?
A.) 5m, because at this point
there is a positive slope to
the graph, indicating
photosynthesis is speeding
up.
B.) 10m, because this is the
highest number of bubbles
produced, indicating max
photosynthesis.
C.) 25m, because the slope is
negative at this point,
indicating that
photosynthesis is increasing.
D.) 30m, because at this
depth the plant is receiving
maximum sunlight.
3 – Graph 1
Based on this graph, what can
be concluded regarding the
effects of temperature on
flatworm populations in this
stream?
A.) As temperature increases,
the number of flatworms in the
population decreases. This
suggests higher temperatures
are detrimental to flatworms.
B.) As temperature increases,
flatworm population also
increasing. This suggests
flatworms prefer high
temperatures.
C.) Flatworms can survive
equally well over a wide range
of temperatures.
D.) Temperature has no effect
on flatworm populations.
3 – Graph 2
Graph 3 shows the growth data for baby
badgers. Based on the graph, which of the
following is a valid conclusion regarding this
data?
A.) Badgers do not increase their weight
after 10 months old.
B.) The baby badger increases its mass by
approximately 1kg/month of development.
C.) Baby badgers gain weight slowly, so their
diet does not significantly impact their
weight gain.
D.) Badgers have a lifespan of 10 months.
3 – Graph 3
Graph 4 shows antibody production over time for a
particular virus after receiving vaccination.
Antibodies are immune proteins that help the body
fight illnesses caused by viruses and bacteria.
Based on the data in the graph, which of the
following is a valid statement regarding vaccines?
A.) You can effectively fight off the virus immediately
after receiving the vaccine.
B.) Antibody production is the greatest between 510 days after vaccination.
C.) Vaccines give you the viral illness, because
antibody levels increase during the viral infection.
D.) All vaccines are equally effective at treating
illnesses.
3 – Graph 4
3 – Graph 5
Graph 5 shows how Animal 1 and Animal 2
responded to increasing solute
concentrations. Based on the graph, what
can you conclude about Animal 1 vs Animal
2?
A.) Animal 1 is better than Animal 2 at
regulating water loss due to increasing solute
concentrations.
B.) Animal 2 is better than Animal 1 at
regulating water loss due to increasing solute
concentrations.
C.) Animal 2 and Animal 1 are equally
effective at regulating osmosis within their
cells.
D.) Animal 1 is likely a to survive longer than
Animal 2 in hypertonic environments.
Methyl Mercury is a potent neurotoxin
commonly found in fish. It can lead to illness
in humans if overly consumed. Certain types
of fish are known to have higher levels of
mercury. Based on the chart below and the
graph shown on the right, which type of fish
is safest for frequent human consumption?
Type of Fish
Concentration
of Methyl
Mercury
(ppm/Oz)
Swordfish
0.995
Canned Tuna
0.350
Catfish
0.025
Tilapia
0.013
A.) Swordfish
B.) Tilapia
C.) Canned Tuna
D.) Catfish
3 – Graph 6
4
• 1.) All living things are made of cells.
• 2.) Cells are the most basic unit of structure and function in living
organisms.
• 3.) All cells come from pre-existing cells.
5
Prokaryote Only
Both
Eukaryotes Only
All are Microscopic
Cell membrane made of
phospholipids & proteins
Range from microscopic to
macroscopic
no nucleus
Ribosomes
Some have cell walls
no membrane-bound organelles
DNA
Have membrane-bound organelles
all have cell walls
Cytoplasm
Have a nucleus
Example: Bacteria
Exhibit all of the characteristics of
life
Examples: Animals, plants, fungi,
protists
6
PLANTS ONLY
BOTH
ANIMALS ONLY
Have a cell wall made of cellulose
Cell membrane made of
phospholipids
Have lysosomes
Have a large central vacuole
Nucleus
Have centrioles
Have chloroplasts
Mitochondria
No cell walls
ER (both smooth and rough)
Ribosomes
Golgi, vesicles, cytoplasm, DNA
7
Organelle
Function
Plant
Animal
Nucleus
Store & protect the DNA
X
X
Nucleolus
Make ribosomes
X
X
Ribosome
Protein synthesis
Golgi
Apparatus/Body
Modify, package and send proteins to their final
destination
X
X
Mitochondria
Make ATP energy for the cell via cell respiration
X
X
Chloroplast
Make sugar for autotrophs via photosynthesis
X
Cell Membrane
Regulate what enters/leaves the cell
Smooth ER
Makes lipids; detoxifies poisons
X
X
Rough ER
Puts proteins made in attached ribosomes into
vesicles
X
X
Lysosome
Clean up cell trash, foreign particles
Cell Wall made of
Cellulose
Provide structural support to the cell
X
Vesicle
Used to transport items in/out/throughout the cell
X
Central Vacuole
Stores water/minerals/nutrients
X
All
cells
X
X
X
X
8
• A bilayer of phospholipids with proteins embedded within the
membrane.
• Proteins serve (mainly) as doorways/pumps for cell transport
9
Cell Transport Type
Passive or Active
Substance Moved
Simple Diffusion
P
Gases
Osmosis
P
Water
Facilitated Diffusion
P
Glucose
Sodium/Potassium Pump
A
Uhh…sodium and potassium.
Endocytosis
A
Large solids or liquid globules
moved into the cell
Exocytosis
A
Solids/hormones moved OUT of
the cell
Remember:
*** Passive Transport moves molecules from high to low concentrations (down/with the gradient)
*** Active Transport moves molecules from low to high concentrations (up/against the gradient)
10.)
• Substrate = reactant in an enzymatic reaction.
• Enzyme = a protein that acts as a catalyst.
• Active Site = area on an enzyme where the substrate attaches.
• Activation energy = amount of energy needed to be added to
reactants to get a chemical reaction to occur.
10…
• Reactant = the beginning materials in a reaction.
• Product = what is made at the end of a reaction.
11
• Enzymes lower the activation energy of the reaction.
12
• Enzymes are considered catalysts because they make it more likely
that the reaction will occur, thereby making the reaction happen
faster.
13
• Enzymes are specific to a particular substrate. The shape of the active
site matches the shape of the substrate that the enzymes works with.
• This is much like the shape of keys for particular locks…
14
• pH changes
• Denatures the enzyme; reaction does not occur
• High temperatures
• Denatures the enzyme; reaction does not occur
• Salty conditions
• Denatures the enzyme; reaction does not occur
• Cold conditions
• Don’t affect the enzyme…they just slow down the motion of the molecules, so the substrates are bumping
into the enzymes less frequently = reaction happens more slowly.
• Amount of Substrate
• Doesn’t affect the enzyme, but if substrate levels are low, reaction rate is low because enzyme does not have
much to work with.
15. Exergonic
15. Endergonic
16
Macromolecule
Monomer
Examples
Functions
Carbohydrate
Monosaccharide
(e.g. glucose)
Glucose, sucrose, starch,
glycogen, cellulose, chitin
1.) PROVIDE ENERGY!!!!!!!!!
2.) Store energy for short
time periods (a few hours)
3.) Structural support in
plants
Lipid
No true monomers…but are Fats, oils, waxes, steroids,
made of 1 glycerol and 3
cholesterol
fatty acids.
1.) STORE ENERGY for long
periods of time
(weeks/months)
2.) Waterproof membranes
3.) chemical messengers
4.) insulation
Protein
Amino Acids
Antibodies, transport
proteins, structural proteins
(make bone/muscle),
ENZYMES!
1.) Structural support
2.) Catalysts (enzymes!)
3.) fight infections
(antibodies)
4.) transport materials
into/out of cell
Nucleic Acid
Nucleotides
DNA & RNA (and RNA’s
many forms)
1.) Store/transmit
hereditary information.
2.) PROVIDE INSTRUCTIONS
FOR MAKING PROTEINS!!!!!
17
Osmotic Concentration of Net Direction of Water
the Solution outside the Movement
cell
INTO THE CELL
Hypotonic
Effect on Plant Cell
Plant cell swells (becomes Animal cell swells and
turgid)
possibly bursts (cytolysis)
– (more solutes inside the
cell, so water enters the
-Plant prefers this
cell.)
situation 
OUT OF THE CELL
Hypertonic
Isotonic
Water leaves the central
vacuole; cell membrane
- (More solutes outside
pulls away from cell wall;
the cell, so water exits the cell shrivels (plasmolysis)
cell.)
Water ENTERS AND
LEAVES the cell AT THE
SAME RATE.
-Dynamic equilibrium
Effect on Animal Cell
Plant begins to wilt,
because plants are losing
water through their
leaves (transpiration) and
are not getting enough
water through their roots
to replace water lost
through leaves.
-Animal cell is not happy

Animal cell loses water
and shrivels (crenation)
Animal cells do not swell
or shrivel.
Animal cells are happy 
18
DNA ONLY
SHARED BY BOTH
RNA ONLY
Deoxyribose sugar
Phosophates
Ribose sugar
Uses Thymine
Made of nucleotides
Uses Uracil
Double Stranded (usually)
Are nucleic acids
Single stranded
Provides the instructions for
making proteins (master copy of
instructions)
Adenine, Guanine, Cytosine
3 types:
mRNA = carries instructions from
nucleus to ribosomes
rRNA = controls the ribosome
tRNA = transports amino acids to
the ribosome
19
• Each codon codes for 1 amino acid
20
• Transcription
• In nucleus
• Makes mRNA
• Translation
• In cytoplasm at a ribosome
• Makes protein
21
• mRNA carries the DNA message to the ribosome. The DNA message is
the instructions on how to make a particular protein.
22
• tRNA is the “delivery truck” that brings each amino acid to the
ribosome during translation.
23 • Know how to do this…
• Example: Convert the following DNA strand to mRNA. Then, translate
the mRNA into the amino acid code:
• TAC – GAG – AAA – AAT – ACT
Answer…
• mRNA= AUG – CUC – UUU – UUA – UGA
• Amino acids = Met – LEU – PHE –LEU – [STOP]
24
• Mutagens cause mutations…
25
• Worst type of gene mutation = frameshift mutation.
• Frameshift mutations include:
• Insertion mutation = all bases shift to the right.
• Deletion mutation = all bases shift to the left
• Worst overall mutation = Chromosomal mutation
• Chromosomes contain 100s-1000s of genes;
• If a chromosome is deleted/inverted/repeated 100s – 1000s of bases are
affected.
26
• Point mutations may have no effect on the overall protein created.
• This because multiple codons code for the same amino acid.
• Example:
• Original DNA:
• ACC
• RNA: UGG
• A.A: Tyrosine
Mutated DNA:
ACT
RNA: UGA
N/A – this codon means “Stop”