AP Biology Summer Assignment 2015-2016
Dear prospective AP Biology Student,
Welcome to AP Biology! This course has high expectations and no time to waste,
therefore, to ensure your success in the course and on the AP exam in May, we
need to start right away, you should spend some time in August before school
begins completing the following assignment.
Purpose: This assignment will allow you to become familiar in utilizing a collegelevel text and will serve as a review of your chemistry course. A good foundation
in chemistry is vital to success in AP Biology. This is information you should
have already learned and this assignment serves as a refresher.
Text: The textbook we will use is listed below. It is the same text used in various introductory biology courses in
colleges around the country.
Campbell, Reece, et al. Biology. 9th ed. Pearson.
Instructions: You will read chapters 2-5 in the text and answer the questions on the back of this sheet on binder
paper (neatly hand written). You should answer these questions in detail so that you will understand your responses
later, since you will use these as a study aid in the preparation of the AP Exam and the first test.
Due Date: This assignment will be collected on Tuesday August 25th. The first unit exam covering this material will be
given around this day (Chapters 2-5).
Online access to the textbook: The online textbook has the same text as the hard copy. Below are the directions
on how gain access to the textbook. You may use this throughout the year, so please write down your username and
password somewhere safe!
Registration Code: SSNAST-SIRUP-BOUND-MEDAN-STASH-MOOSE
Register at http://tinyurl.com/textregister
Click the yellow I accept button at the bottom
Select No you do not have a Pearson account
Make a username and password; you will need to keep this all year so write it down!
Enter the registration/access code above.
Complete registration with your information.
Once registration is complete go to: http://www.masteringbiology.com/site/login.html
Log in using your user name and password. This is where you will access to textbook over the summer and also
access various other things over the course of the year.
9. Click Explore Study Area. At the top of this page you can select which chapter you want. For each chapter there
are many resources available to you to help you study.
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Lab Notebook: Over the summer you need to get a composition lab notebook with
graph paper. You can find these at Staples and Office Max. This is due on August
25th as well, but beware that many stores run out when school starts so plan
ahead! There is no excuse for not being able to find one by this day, you have all
summer!! Make sure it has graph paper and not lined paper.
Please email me at jconley@acalanes.k12.ca.us if you have trouble accessing the
textbook or with any other questions. Don’t wait for school to start to begin this
assignment. I hope you have a great summer!!!
Chapter 2: The Chemical Context of Life
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Distinguish between an element and a compound
Identify the four elements that make up 99% of living matter.
Draw and label a simplified model of an atom. Explain how this model simplifies our understanding of atomic structure
Explain how two isotopes of an element are similar and how they are different.
Define the terms energy and potential energy. Explain why electrons in the first election shell have less potential
energy than electrons in higher electron shells.
Distinguish among nonpolar covalent, polar covalent and ionic bonds.
Explain why strong covalent bonds and weak bonds are both essential in living organisms.
Distinguish between hydrogen bonds and van der Waals interactions
Give an example that illustrates how a molecule’s shape can determine its biological function.
Explain what is meant by a chemical equilibrium.
Chapter 3: Water and the Fitness of the Environment
1. With the use of a diagram or diagrams, explain why water molecules are: a) polar and b) capable of hydrogen bonding
with 4 neighboring water molecules.
2. List four characteristics of water that are emergent properties resulting from hydrogen bonding.
3. Define cohesion and adhesion. Explain how water’s cohesion and adhesion contribute to the movement of water to the
leaves of a tree.
4. Draw a water molecule bonded to 4 other water molecules. Draw covalent bonds as solid bonds as dotted lines and
indicate partial changes
5. Distinguish between heat and temperature, using examples to clarify your definitions.
6. Distinguish among a solute, a solvent, and a solution.
7. Distinguish between hydrophobic and hydrophilic substances.
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Name the products of dissociation of water and give their concentration in pure water
Define acid, base, and pH.
Explain how acids and bases may directly or indirectly alter the hydrogen ion concentration of a solution.
Using the bicarbonate buffer system as an example, explain how buffers work.
Chapter 4: Carbon and the Molecular Diversity of Life
1. Explain how carbon’s electron configuration accounts for its ability to form large, complex, and diverse organic
molecules.
2. Describe how carbon skeletons may vary, and explain how this variation contributes to the diversity and complexity of
organic molecules.
3. Describe the basic structure of a hydrocarbon and explain why these molecules are hydrophobic.
4. Distinguish between the three types of isomers: structural, geometric, and enantiomer.
5. Name the major functional groups found in organic molecules. Describe the basic structure of each functional group
and the chemical properties of the organic molecules in which they occur.
Chapter 5: The Structure and Function of Macromolecules
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List the four major classes of macromolecules.
Distinguish between monomer s and polymers,
Draw diagrams to illustrate condensation and hydrolysis reactions.
Distinguish between monosaccharides, disaccharides, and polysaccharides.
Describe the formation of glycosidic linkage.
Describe the role of symbiosis in cellulose digestion.
Describe the building- block molecules, structure, and biological importance of fats, phospholipids, and steroids.
Distinguish between saturated and unsaturated fats.
Name the principal energy storage molecules of plants and animals.
Distinguish between a protein and polypeptide.
Explain how a peptide bond forms between two amino acids.
List and describe the four major components of an amino acid. Explain how amino acids may be grouped
according to the chemical properties of the R group.
Explain what determines protein confirmation and why it is important.
Explain how the primary structure of a protein in determined.
Name two types of secondary protein structure. Explain the role of hydrogen bonds in maintaining secondary
structure.
Explain how weak interactions and disulfide bridges contribute to tertiary protein structure.
List four conditions under which proteins may be denatured.
List the four major components of a nucleotide, and describe how these monomers are linked to form a nucleic
acid.
Distinguish between: a) pyrimidine and purine; b) nucleotide and nucleoside; c) ribose and deoxyribose; and d) 5’
end and 3’ end of a nucleotide.
Briefly describe the three- dimensional structure of DNA. Include a drawing with the labeled parts.