Biology First Semester Study Questions
Laboratory Basics
1. Know how to calculate the average of a series of numbers/data. (without the use of a
calculator)
Example: What is the average of 23, 67, 39, and 51?
2. What is the dependent variable?
3. What is the independent variable?
4. Where, on a graph, would the dependent variable be located?
5. Where, on a graph, would the independent variable be located?
Biochemistry
1. Name the four macromolecules of life.
2. What are the monomers of each macromolecule?
3. What are the four types of carbohydrates?
4. What are the functions of each carbohydrate?
5. Which carbohydrates are found in animals?
6. Which carbohydrates are found in plants?
7. What are the four types of lipids?
8. What are the functions of each lipid?
9. Which lipids are found in animals?
10. Which lipids are found in plants?
11. What are the two types of nucleic acids?
12. What are the functions of each nucleic acid?
13. Are nucleic acids found in plants or animals?
14. What are the four functions of proteins?
15. Are proteins found in plants or animals?
16. What is the function of enzymes?
17. What does it mean if an enzyme is denatured? What are two causes of denaturation?
Cell Structures
1. Know the function of each organelle
(14 total)
2. Know whether each organelle is found in plants and/or animals.
3. What are two differences between prokaryotes and eukaryotes?
4. What does the cell theory state?
Cell Membranes
1. What is a cell membrane made of?
2. What are 2 major differences between passive and active transport?
3. What are the 3 types of passive transport?
4. What are the 3 types of active transport?
5. What is a concentration gradient? Which types of movement rely on a gradient?
6. Know how to answer questions about cell size in a hypertonic, hypotonic, or isotonic
solution.
Systems
1. What are the functions of the skeletal system?
2. What are the functions of the digestive system?
3. What are the functions of the respiratory system?
4. What are the functions of the excretory system?
5. What are the functions of the circulatory system?
6. Know the major organs/parts involved in each system above.
7. Which systems add and remove materials to and from the blood?
8. Which systems add and remove materials to and from the cells?
Immune System
1. What are the nonspecific defenses?
2. What are the specific defenses?
3. What are the two types of B cells and their functions?
4. What are the two types of T cells and their functions?
5. What is the major difference between humoral and cellular immunity?
6. Which cell(s) kill during humoral immunity?
7. Which cell(s) kill during cellular immunity?
Photosynthesis
1. What is the chemical equation?
2. What are the different forms of energy involved?
3. What are the reactants and products of the light reactions?
4. What are the reactants and products of the Calvin cycle?
5. Where does photosynthesis occur?
Cell Respiration
1. What is the chemical equation?
2. What are the different forms of energy involved?
3. What is the difference between aerobic and anaerobic respiration?
4. What are the reactants and products of glycolysis?
5. What are the reactants and products of Krebs cycle?
6. What are the reactants and products of electron transport system?
7. Which stage produces the most ATP?
8. Where does aerobic cell respiration occur?
Ecology
1. What is the difference between heterotrophs and autotrophs?
2. What are the roles of producers, consumers, and de
composers in the food web?
3. Know the levels of the energy pyramid and how much energy each level receives.
Biology First Semester Answers to Study Questions
Laboratory Basics
1. 45
2. What is being measured in the lab (units included)
3. What is being compared or changed in the lab
4. Y-axis
5. X-axis
Biochemistry
1. Carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, nucleic acids
2. Carbohydrates= glucose; Proteins = amino acids; Lipids= glycerol, fatty acids; Nucleic Acids=
nucleotides
3. Glucose, starch, glycogen, cellulose
4. glucose= immediate energy; starch= short term energy storage in plants; glycogen= short term
energy storage in animals; cellulose= plant structures
5. glucose, glycogen
6. glucose, starch, cellulose
7. saturated fat, unsaturated fat, steroids, phospholipids
8. saturated fat= long term energy storage in animals; unsaturated fat= long term energy storage in
plants; steroids= chemical signals; phospholipids= make up cell membranes
9. saturated fat, steroids, phospholipids
10. unsaturated fat, phospholipids
11. DNA, RNA
12. DNA= heredity codes; RNA= protein synthesis
13. both
14. animal structures, enzymes, stores nutrients, defend against disease
15. both
16. speed up chemical reactions by lowering activation energy
17. Denaturation means an enzyme changes shape, making it useless. Two causes are heat and pH
changes
Cell Structures
1. See study guide
2. See study guide
3. prokaryotes= bacteria, have no nucleus; eukaryotes=plants/animals/fungi/protists, have nucleus
4. all living things are made up of cells; cells give structure and function to organisms; all cells come
from preexisting cells
Cell Membranes
1. Phospholipids and transport proteins
2. Passive= no energy, down the concentration gradient, small and medium sized molecules; Active=
energy, up the gradient, large molecules
3. diffusion, osmosis, facilitated diffusion
4. general active transport (up the gradient), endocytosis, exocytosis
5. difference in concentration between inside and outside of cell
6. See study guide
Systems
1. Support, movement, protects organs, makes blood cells, stores minerals (calcium)
2. Breaks down food into monomers, sends monomers, water, vitamins/minerals into blood, release
undigested food
3. Take in oxygen and send it to blood, remove carbon dioxide from blood and body
4. Filters blood, remove nitrogenous cell waste and excess materials from blood and body
5. Carries oxygen, water, nutrients to cells; Removes wastes from cells; Defends against disease
6. See study guide
7. digestive, respiratory, excretory
8. circulatory
Immune System
1. skin, mucus, enzymes, fever, phagocytes (macrophages), natural killer cells
2. B cells and T cells
3. Plasma cells: produce antibodies; Memory cells: produce antibodies second time antigen is
encountered
4. Helper T cells: signal production of B cells and cytotoxic T lymphocytes; Cytotoxic T Lymphocytes: kill
infected body cells the first time; Memory T Cells: kill infected cell after the first encounter
5. Humoral immunity immobilizes antigens found in the blood using antibodies; Cellular immunity kills
infected cells
6. phagocytes (macrophages)
7. cytotoxic (killer) T lymphocytes and memory T cells
Photosynthesis
1. CO2 +H2O + light  O2 +C6H12O6
2. light, NADPH, ATP
3. H2O + light  O2+ NADPH + ATP
4. CO2+ NADPH + ATP C6H12O6
5. chloroplast
Cell Respiration
1. O2 +C6H12O6 CO2 +H2O + ATP
2. ATP, NADH, FADH2
3. Aerobic: requires oxygen, produces more ATP; Anaerobic: requires no oxygen, produces little ATP
4. C6H12O6  pyruvate + NADH + ATP
5. pyruvate CO2 + NADH + FADH2 + ATP
6. NADH + FADH2+ O2  ATP + H2O
7. electron transport system
8. cytoplasm (glycolysis), mitochondria (Krebs cycle, electron transport system)
Ecology
1. Heterotrophs: require organic sources for food/energy, consist of consumers and decomposers;
Autotrophs: require inorganic sources for food/energy, consist of producers
2. Producers supply food/energy to every organism in an environment; Consumers: eat other
organisms; Decomposers break down dead organisms
3. Producers: 100%, Primary consumers: 10%