AP Biology Unit 4 Syllabus
Cellular Biology
Chapters 6, 7 and 11
Assignment
Date
Wednesday
November
18
Class Discussion
Topic/Activity
Intro to Cells,
Organelles
Path of a
Protein
Learning Objectives
Chapter 6: A Tour of the Cell (sections 6.2-6.5 only)
1.
I can explain how cells exchange matter with the environment to grow,
reproduce and maintain organization.
a. CHNOPS are used to build cellular components.
2. I can explain how internal membranes facilitate cellular processes by
minimizing competing interactions and by increasing surface area where
reactions can occur.
3. I can explain internal membranes and organelles contribute to cell
functions, such as:
a. Endoplasmic reticulum
b. Mitochondria
c. Chloroplasts
d. Golgi complex
e. Nuclear envelope
4. I can explain how Archaea and bacteria generally lack internal membranes
and organelles and have a cell wall.
5. I can use a model to describe the differences in prokaryotic and
eukaryotic cells.
6. I can explain that ribosomes are small, universal structures composed of
two interacting parts: ribosomal RNA and protein, and are the site of
protein synthesis.
7. I can explain how the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) occurs in two forms:
smooth and rough.
a. Rough endoplasmic reticulum functions to
compartmentalize the cell, serves as mechanical support,
provides site-specific protein synthesis with membranebound ribosomes and plays a role in intracellular
transport.
b. In most cases, the smooth ER synthesizes lipids.
8. I can explain how the Golgi complex is a membrane-bound structure
that consists of a series of flattened membrane sacs (cisternae).
a. The Golgi complex functions include synthesis and
packaging of materials (small molecules) for transport (in
vesicles) and production of lysosomes.
9. I can explain how mitochondria specialize in energy capture and
transformation.
a.
Mitochondria have a double membrane that allows
compartmentalization within the mitochondria and is
important to its function.
b. The outer membrane is smooth, but the inner
membrane is highly convoluted, forming folds called
cristae.
c. Cristae contain enzymes important to ATP production;
cristae also increase the surface area for ATP production.
10. I can explain how lysosomes are membrane-enclosed sacs that contain
hydrolytic enzymes, which are important to intracellular digestion, the
recycling of a cell’s organic materials and programmed cell death
(apoptosis). Lysosomes carry out intracellular digestion in a variety of
ways.
11. I can explain how a vacuole is a membrane-bound sac that plays roles
in intracellular digestion and the release of cellular waste products.
a. In plants, a large vacuole serves many functions, from
storage of pigments or poisonous substances to a role in
cell growth and allows for a large surface area to volume
ratio.
12. I can explain how chloroplasts are specialized organelles found in algae
and higher plants that capture energy through photosynthesis.
a. The structure and function relationship in the
(Unless otherwise
noted assignments are
due the next day class
meets)

Read, take notes
chapter 6
chloroplast allows cells to capture the energy available in
sunlight and convert it to chemical bond energy via
photosynthesis.
b. Chloroplasts contain chlorophylls, which are responsible
for the green color of a plant and are the key lighttrapping molecules in photosynthesis. There are several
types of chlorophyll, but the predominant form in plants
is chlorophyll a.
c. Chloroplasts have a double outer membrane that creates
a compartmentalized structure, which supports its
function.
i. Thylakoids are membrane-bound structures
are organized into stacks known as grana that
are responsible for energy-capturing reactions
of photosynthesis.
13. I can explain that areas or compartments perform a subset of functions
related to energy and matter, and these parts contribute to the whole.
a. At the cellular level, the plasma membrane, cytoplasm,
and (for eukaryotes), the organelles contribute to the
overall specialization and functioning of the cell.
Thursday
November
19

Cells Lab

Friday
November
20
Cell Membranes
(7.1)
Chapter 7: Membrane Structure and Function
1.
2.
Passive
Transport
(7.2-7.3)
3.
4.
I can explain that cell membranes separate the internal and external
environment.
I can explain that selective permeability is a direct consequence of
membrane structure, as described by the fluid mosaic model.
a. Cell membranes consist of a structural framework of
phospholipid molecules, embedded proteins, cholesterol,
glycoproteins and glycolipids.
b. Phospholipids give the membrane both hydrophilic and
hydrophobic properties.
i. Hydrophilic phosphate portions are oriented toward
the aqueous external or internal environments.
ii. Hydrophobic fatty acid portions face each other
within the interior of the membrane itself.
c. Embedded proteins can be hydrophilic, with charged and
polar side groups, or hydrophobic, with nonpolar side groups.
d. Small, uncharged polar molecules and small nonpolar
molecules, such as N2, freely pass across the membrane.
e. Hydrophilic substances such as large polar molecules and ions
move across the membrane through embedded channel and
transport proteins.
f. Water moves across membranes and through channel
proteins called aquaporins.
I can explain how cell walls provide a structural boundary, as well as a
permeability barrier for some substances to the internal environments.
a. Plant cell walls are made of cellulose and are external to the
cell membrane.
b. Other examples are cell walls of prokaryotes and fungi.
I can explain that passive transport does not require the input of
metabolic energy; the net movement of molecules is from high
concentration to low concentration.
a. Passive transport plays a primary role in the import of
resources and the export of wastes.


Videos:
Bozeman Biology:
Tour of the cell
Cellular organelles
Compartmentalization
OR
Crash course:
Animal Cells
Plant Cells
Extra help links:
Cell structures
Cellular functions
Cell size and scale
Prezi cell structures and
functions
Mastering Biology
chapter 6 quiz by 11:59p
Read, take notes
chapter 7
b.
5.
6.
Monday
November
23
AP Lab 4:
Diffusion &
Osmosis
Membrane proteins play a role in the facilitated diffusion of
charged and polar molecules through a membrane, such as:
i. Glucose transport
ii. Na+/K+ transport
c. External environments can be hypotonic, hypertonic, or
isotonic to internal environments of cells.
I can explain that active transport requires free energy to move
molecules from regions of low concentration to regions of high
concentration.
a. Active transport is a process where free energy (often
provided by ATP) is used by proteins embedded in the
membrane to “move” molecules and/or ions across the
membrane and to establish and maintain concentration
gradients.
b. Membrane proteins are necessary for active transport.
I can explain that the processes of endocytosis and exocytosis move
large molecules from the external environment to the internal
environment and vice versa, respectively.
a. In exocytosis, internal vesicles fuse with the plasma
membrane to secrete large macromolecules out of the cell.
b. In endocytosis, the cell takes in macromolecules and
particulate matter by forming new vesicles derived from the
plasma membrane.



Tuesday
November
24
Wednesday
November
25
Thursday
November
26
AP Lab 4:
Diffusion &
Osmosis
No School –
Thanksgiving
Break
No School –
Thanksgiving
Break
Friday
November
27
(Eat lots of
turkey… beware
of tryptophan!)
No School –
Thanksgiving
Break
(Black Friday…
happy
shopping!)
Videos:
Bozeman Biology:
Cell membranes
Transport
OR
Crash course:
Transport
Extra help links:
Cellular membranes
Prezi on cellular
structure and support
Prezi on Transport
Ch. 6 One Pager
due
Monday
November
30
Tuesday
December 1
AP Lab 4:
Diffusion &
Osmosis
AP Lab 4:
Diffusion &
Osmosis
Wednesday
December 2

AP Lab 4 Report
due Monday,
December 7
Active Transport
(7.4-7.5)

Chapter 7 One
Pager due
Thursday
December 3
Practice ACT 9th,
10th, and 11th
graders

Mastering Biology
chapter 7 quiz by 11:59p
Read, take notes
chapter 11
Friday
December 4
Cell
Communication
Webquest

Chapter 11: Cell Signaling
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Monday
December 7
Review
webquest
Tuesday
Cell
Communication
POGIL
Intro Cell
I can explain that correct and appropriate signal transduction processes
are generally under strong selective pressure.
I can explain that communication involves transduction of stimulatory
or inhibitory signals from other cells, organisms, or the environment.
I can explain how signaling begins with the recognition of a chemical
messenger, a ligand, by a receptor protein.
a. Different receptors recognize different chemical messengers,
which can be peptides, small chemicals or proteins, in a
specific one-to-one relationship.
b. A receptor protein recognizes signal molecules, causing the
receptor protein’s shape to change, which initiates
transduction of the signal, such as:
i. G-protein linked receptors
ii. Ligand-gated ion channels
iii. Receptor tyrosine kinases
I can explain that signal transduction is the process by which a signal is
converted to a cellular response.
a. Signaling cascades relay signals from receptors to cell targets,
often amplifying the incoming signals, with the result of
appropriate responses by the cell.
b. Second messengers are often essential to the function of the
cascade, such as:
i. Ligand-gated channels
ii. Second messengers, such as cyclic GMP, cyclic AMP,
calcium ions (Ca2+), and inositol triphosphate (IP3)
I can explain that many signaling transduction pathways include:
a. Protein modifications
b. Phosphorylation cascades in which a series of protein kinases
add a phosphate group to the next protein in the cascade
sequence
I can explain that conditions where signal transduction is blocked or
defective can be deleterious, preventative, or prophylactic, such as:
a. Diabetes, heart disease, neurological disease, autoimmune
disease, cancer, cholera
b. Effects of neurotoxins, poisons, pesticides
c. Drugs (hypertensives, anesthetics, antihistimines, and birth
control)
I can explain how programmed cell death (apoptosis) plays a role in the
normal development and differentiation, such as:
a. Morphogenesis of fingers and toes

Videos:
Bozeman Biology:
Cell communication
OR
Crash course:
Signal Transduction
Pathways

Extra help links:
Prezi on Cell signaling
December 8
Wednesday
December 9
Communication
& Disease
Project

Mastering Biology
chapter 11 quiz by
11:59p
Work on project
Thursday
December
10
Friday
December
11
Present projects

Chapter 11 One
Pager due
Review
Unit 4 Test

AP Lab 1: Artificial
Selection Report
due Monday,
December 14
Monday
December
14
Tuesday
December
15
Test Corrections
Wednesday
December
16
Thursday
December
17
Friday
December
18
Midterm Review
Final Exams
4, 3, 5
(your midterm for this class will be given 3rd period for those of
you in Period 2/3)
(your midterm for this class will be given 5th period for those of
you in Period 5/6)
Final Exams
6, 2, 7
Final Exams
1, 8
(Make up day
for all exams)
(you are not required to be here for 2nd/6th period but I do have to
take attendance so a parent must call you in or you are welcome to
come in and work)
Enjoy your Winter Break!!!!
End of 2nd
Quarter/Semester 1