AP Biology Chapters 1 – 5 Study Guide
Chapter One
This is a review chapter so you should know most of this information. Specifically review:
Emergent properties
Reductionism vs. systems biology approach
Difference in prokaryotes and eukaryotes
Difference in positive and negative feedback
Darwin’s concept of natural selection
Experimentation: a good hypothesis, control vs experimental groups,dependent and independent variables,
limits of experimentation in science, discovery science vs. hypothesis-based science, graphing
Chapters Two and Three
You should already know basic chemistry, such as make-up of atoms, what elements, compounds, etc. are.
The test will not focus on these elemental concepts but rather on how chemistry affects biology. Specifically
review:
How to determine reactivity of elements (valence, valence number, electron arrangement)
What isotopes are, how differ, how used in biology
Difference in intramolecular bonds: ionic, covalent (polar and nonpolar)
Types of intermolecular bonds: hydrogen bonds, Van der Waals forces
The polarity of the water molecule and how it affects its hydrogen bonding
Unique properties of water and how you can explain them using hydrogen bonding: adhesion, cohesion, high
specific heat, ice expansion upon freezing, good solvent ability, transpiration, etc. Why this is all important in
the living world.
The concept of pH, how to determine concentrations of H and OH ions, how these differ in acids and bases, pH
scale, acid rain, coral reef degradation
Buffers, what they are, carbonic acid/bicarbonate buffering system in our bodies
How to make molar solutions
Chapters Four and Five
A lot of biology (biochemistry) here that you need to know. Specifically think about how structure determines
functionality. Specifically review:
Why carbon is important in the living world, its bonding capabilities, organic chemistry
The three different types of isomers, identify, why isomers are important
The functional groups in organic molecules, what properties they bestow
Polymers, monomers
How monomers are joined in condensation reactions, and separated in hydrolysis
Four main types of macromolecules, know:
Their monomers (or components in case of lipids)
How you can recognize them
Their functions
Their properties (polar, nonpolar)
Types of linkages that link them together
For carbohydrates – specifically simple sugars and starches, polysaccharides, storage and structural, plant and
animal polysaccharides, chitin
For lipids – how assembled, types such as phospholipids, triglycerides, steroids
For proteins – levels of structure, bonding in each level, how structure is achieved and importance, how
mutations affect structure (SCA)
For nucleic acids – basic differences in DNA and RNA