Biology 2nd Semester Exam Review
DNA, RNA, and Proteins
1. What are the complementary base pairs in DNA? Write the 1 letter symbol & spell them out.
A-T C-G / adenine and thymine
cytosine and guanine
2. What are the complementary base pairs in RNA? Write the 1 letter symbol & spell them out.
A-U C-G / Adenine - Uricil
3. List the three types of RNA and explain the function of each.
Messenger RNA (mRNA) brings instructions from DNA in the nucleus to the cell’s factory floor, the cytoplasm.
Ribosomal RNA (rRNA) binds to the mRNA and uses the instructions to assemble the amino acids in the correct
order.
Transfer RNA (tRNA) delivers amino acids to the ribosome to be assembled into a protein
4. Name the two scientists that discovered the structure of DNA and what their contribution was.
Watson and Crick – double helix (structure of DNA)
5. What are the 3 parts of a DNA nucleotide? Sugar, phosphate, nitrogen base
6. What process forms messenger RNA? Transcription
7. What process forms proteins? translation
8. What three things can cause a mutation? Replication errors, cell division errors, external agents(factors)
9. Where do translation and transcription take place in the cell? nucleus
10. What are the steps in the DNA to RNA process
11. What is the relationship between cells, chromosomes, DNA and nucleotides? Nucleotides make DNA, DNA makes
chromosomes, Chromosomes make cells
12. What does DNA ultimately code for? proteins
13. What is the basic structure of DNA? RNA? Double helix / single strand
14. What is DNA’s purpose? Store and transmit information for making proteins that code for genotypes and
phenotypes
15. What holds nucleic acid together? Amino Acids? (what types of bonds?) Covalent Bonds / Peptide Bonds
16. What is the monomer of DNA/RNA? Proteins? Nucleic acids / amino acids
17. What is a codon? Three nucleotides
Energy in a Cell
1. What is the chemical equation of photosynthesis? What is it written in words? What is it in summary?
6CO2 + 6H2O + light energy  C6H12O6 + 6O2
carbon dioxide + water + sunlight  glucose + oxygen
(Light Energy  Chemical Energy)
2. What is the chemical equation of cellular respiration? What is it written in words? What is it in summary?
glucose + oxygen  carbon dioxide + water + ATP
C6H12O6 + 6O2
6O2 + 6H20 + ATP
3. How is energy stored and released in/from ATP? In bonds – store energy when formed; release energy when bonds
break
4. What is the first step in photosynthesis? Light reaction (Light-dependent reaction)
A. What powers this reaction? sun
B. What is the byproduct? Oxygen
5. What is the second step of photosynthesis ? Dark reaction (Light-independent reaction)
A. What is produced? glucose
6. What is the difference between anaerobic and aerobic? Aerobic – need oxygen; anaerobic – does not need oxygen
7. Which step of glycolysis nets the most ATP? ETC – electron transport chain
8. What are the two types of fermentation and what causes and effects of each?
Made when there is not enough oxygen during glycolosis
alcohol fermentation (yeast) - make beer, wine, bread
lactic acid fermentation (bacteria, animals) - bacteria make yogurt and animals feel muscle fatigue
9. How are cellular respiration and photosynthesis related? The formula are backwards (opposite of each other)
10. What is the difference between a heterotroph and an autotroph? Autotroph – make their own food; heterotroph –
consumer food, rely on other organism for food
11. What is the relationship between plants and animals? (based on the photosynthesis formula) plants take in what
animals give off (carbon dioxide) and animals take in what plants give off (oxygen)
12. What is the source of all energy? SUN
13. What are the 3 steps of cellular respiration? Glycolysis, ETC, Krebs Cycle
Plants
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What type of seeds do gymnosperms have and what carries the seed(s)? naked / cone
Describe the seeds of angiosperms? Seed is in surrounded by fruit
What 3 parts make up the pistil? Is this the male or female part of the flower? Stigma, style, ovary / female
What 2 parts make up the stamen? Is this the male or female part of the flower? Anther, filament / male
Explain how fruit helps with seed dispersal. Helps keep seed safe and alive for longer
What is pollination? What is a pollen tube? Process of pollen moving from the anther to the stigma for
fertilization and reproduction of the flower/plant. The pollen tube takes the pollen grain from the stigma to the
ovary/ovules.
Draw and label the following parts of the flower: pistil, stigma, style, ovary, petal, stamen, anther, filament, sepal
Make a T-chart detailing the differences and similarities between monocots and dicots.
Monocot – parrelle veins in leaf, scattered tubes in cross section, petal in multiples of 3
Dicot – network veins in leaf, organized tubes in cross section, petals in multiples of 4-5
What is/are the main differences between vascular and non-vascular plants? How does each support themselves?
Vascular plants have xylem and phloem / non vascular plants support themselves via cell walls.
What are 4 main characteristics of all plants?
a. multicellular
b. eukaryotic
c. Most produce their own food
d. Have thick cell walls of cellulose
Make sure you are familiar with the adaptations of plants. (types of roots – know what each look like and its job)
a. Tap roots, fibrous roots, prop roots, aerial
Classification
1. Define: binomial nomenclature, classification, cladogram, phylogeny, taxonomy
2. What were Aristotle’s two classification groups? How did he decide to classify the organisms within each group?
Plants and animals / where they lived land or water
3. What is the correct way to write scientific names? What two components are in a scientific name?
italicized in print
underlined when handwritten
first letter of the genus name is uppercase
first letter of the species is lowercase.
Genus and species
4. What are the two reasons scientists do not use common names?
1. the language does not change
2. a common name can be misleading.
3. it is confusing when a species has more than one common name.
5. What are the 7 taxonomic levels in order from “most inclusive” to “least inclusive”?
Kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus, species (King Phillip came over for grape soda)
6. What is the difference between the two:
A. Prokaryotes and Eukaryotes – no membrane bound organelles / membrane bound organelles
B. Autotroph and Heterotroph – make their own food / consume their food
C. producer and consumer - making food / eating food
Virus
1. Why are viruses considered to be nonliving? don’t carry out respiration, grow, or develop
2. What does a virus have to have in order to reproduce? A host cell
3. Viral nucleic acid can be ____ or _____. DNA or RNA
4. What are the 2 life cycles of a virus? Be able to explain each and tell the main difference between the two.
Lytic cycle and Lysogenic cycle
Lytic cycle – virus is injected into the host cell and begins to take over, change the genetic message and make new
viruses. (bursting ballon)
Lysogenic Cycle – virus enters the host cell and integrates itself into the genetic material. It them releases and
begins to change the cell and make new viruses “sneak attack”
5. Label the virus’ structures. Top to bottom: capsid, nucleic acid, tail, tail fibers
Bacteria
1. ____ is responsible for keeping a bacterium alive/intact? Cell wall
2. Why are antibiotics used against bacteria and not viruses? Antibiotics can attack the cell wall causing the bacteria to die
off
3. What are the 2 kingdoms of bacteria? What is/are major difference(s) between the two? Archaebacteria and Eubacteria
Archaebacteria are extremophiles and Eubacteria are the more common bacteria
4. How are bacteria identified? Shape and structure
5. What are 3 shapes of bacteria? What are 3 growing patterns? (need to know Latin term as well)
Coccus—spheres
Bacillus—rods
Spirillum–spirals
Diplo–grows in pairs.
Staphylo–grows in clusters that resemble grapes.
Strepto–grows in chains of cells.
6. What are 2 ways bacteria reproduce? And what is the difference between the two methods?
Sexual via a pilis and conjugation
Asexual via binary fission (one become 2)
7. How do bacteria help farmers? (what is the term?) nitrogen fixation – replaces nutrients in the soil
8. What are the three feeding relationships among fungus? Saprophyte(feeds on dead organic material), a mutualist
(lichens), or a parasite (feeds on living things)
9. label the structure.
Animals
1. Define: Notochord, marsupial, monotreme, external fertilization, mammal, appendages, molting, regeneration
2. Know the difference between the 3 types of symmetry and give an example of each. (bilateral, radial, asymmetrical)
Bilateral – divide into 2 equal parts – butterfly
Radial – divide in multiple ways and still be equal parts – like a pizza / sand dollar
Asymmetrical – no way to divide into 2 equal parts - sponge
3. What are the 6 standard characteristics of all animals?
Four limbs, aerobic respiration, get rid of waste via kidneys, reproduce sexually, backbone, notochord
4. Arthropods with 6 legs are classified as _____; with 8 legs_____. 6 – Insects, 8-Arachnids
5. What is the difference between endothermic and ectothermic?
Endothermic – can control enteral temperature eternally – by itself – humans/dog
Ectothermic – needs the outside temperature/environment to regulate body temperature – alligator
6. Label the animal with the correct sides and surfaces: dorsal, ventral, anterior, anterior
Anterior – head
Posterior – tail end
Dorsal - back
Ventral – bell side
Ecology
1. Food Chains – know how to read them
a. Levels of consumers – primary, secondary, and tertiary
b. Primary producers – autotrophs – plants (the first step in the food chain)
c. Consumer vs. producer – consumer eats other organism, producers make their own food
d. 3 main parts of a food chain – primary producers, consumers, decomposers
2. Food Web – Know how to read them
a. Omnivore – eats meat and plants
b. Carnivore – eats meat
c. Herbivore – eats plants
3. Know the difference between:
a. Population – multiple organisms of the same species (Simba and Mufasa and Narabi)
b. Organisims – one individual of a species ( Simba)
c. Community – members of different organism from different species (Simba, Timone, Pumba)
d. Ecosystems – abiotic and biotic factors in a habitat (the pride lands and animals)
4. Know the difference between Biotic and Abiotic (Abiotic – nonliving; Biotic – living)