2009-2010
Academic Year
Dear AP Biology Student and Parents,
I am looking forward to having you in AP Biology this year. For some of you, this may be the first
AP course you will be taking. Some parents may not be very familiar with the AP program if their high
schools did not have AP courses. The purpose of this letter is to educate you (both students and parents)
about AP courses in general and to let you know how AP Biology differs from others AP courses.
The Advanced Placement Program is designed to allow high school students obtain college credit
and /or advanced placement in college. It is a program of credit by examination. The AP Biology Exam is
given in May to over 90,000 students. Students are assigned a grade of 1,2,3,4 or 5 with 3 being the
minimum “passing” grade. About 70% of the students who take the exam earn a 3 or better. Most of the
exam is based on the course content, but higher order thinking skills are required to successfully complete a
majority of the test. About 25% of the exam involves laboratory-based questions which may involve the
demonstration of an understanding of experimental design, graphing and analyzing data, prediction, etc.
We will work on developing these skills throughout the year.
AP Biology is a college course taught in high school. Therefore, it is a very demanding course
because a college will expect you to have had a course equivalent to their freshman course. If you do not
intend to major in a science, you may find that the college of your choice will accept a 3 on the exam for
credit. Most colleges will accept only a 4 or 5 test score for credit for a science major.
It is important for you to think about why you are taking AP Biology. If your primary reason for
taking this course is your desire to accept an intellectual challenge, to take a superior science course, and
/or just to take and pass the AP exam, then AP Biology at Oak Mountain can meet these requirements. If,
however, your primary goal is to obtain credit for college biology courses, then to avoid being
disappointed, you should find out what AP scores your prospective colleges require for credit.
For those of you who are not familiar with AP Biology, you should be aware of some expectations
beyond what is required in a regular course. Each student will be required to read and learn materials which
might not be covered in lecture. The average AP course requires 6 hours per week of preparation time;
this would include time for reading, completing homework and other assignments, and preparation for tests.
The most difficult challenge of any AP course is the requirement that students remain consistent throughout
the year. In a regular course, a bright student may let his or her effort slide from time to time but make up
for it with a big push just before the test. Other students may work hard for a several grading periods then
let everything slide in the spring. These behaviors will threaten even the brightest student’s chances of
passing this difficult exam.
Attendance is extremely important in AP Biology. Material is covered very quickly and in much
more detail than in lower-level biology courses. We will discuss in class what I think is important to your
success on the exam. Excessive absences, for whatever reason, will jeopardize your chances of success in
the course.
AP BIOLOGY GENERAL COURSE DESCRIPTION AND
SYLLABUS
2009-2010
Purpose: The purpose of this class is to provide students will a high school biology class equivalent to the
level of work and information at the college level. One of the main goals of this class will be preparation
for the national exam given in May of 2009.
Course Fee: $25 (paid at registration). This fee provides money for lab materials that will be consumed
during the school year.
Supplies: 2 three ring binders with loose-leaf paper (one for notes and one for lab)
pen and pencils
Cliff’s AP Biology (recommended not required)
Grading: In each grading period you may earn points on homework, quizzes, projects, lab reports, and
tests. Grades will be calculated as follows: 60% tests, 40% - quizzes, homework, classwork, labs, and
projects
**The AP Exam scores are not received until early July, therefore these scores are not used as part of a
student’s average in the course.
Expectations: In selecting an AP course I assume it is your desire to challenge yourself academically. I
will provide you with this opportunity.
I expect you to:
1. Come to class prepared
2. Be in your seat when the bell rings
3. Follow my instruction
4. Study 4 hours per week outside of class.
You can expect me to:
1. Support you in your effort to learn
2. Be fair and understanding
3. Maintain a classroom where learning can take place.
Makeup Policy: Make up policy will be in compliance with the SCBOE policy (see code of conduct pg 16)
Make up work must be scheduled with me within 3 days of returning to school following an excused
absence. If you have missed a quiz or a test, the make up will be in a different format covering the same
information. Make up work in the science department is done as a whole department. Makeup tests and
quizzes will be given on:
1. Tuesday afternoon 2:45 – 3:30
2. Thursday morning 6:35 – 7:30
Lab Work: You are expected to follow all lab guidelines for safety. If you do not adhere to these
guidelines you will be removed from the lab, so as not to endanger the health and safety of the other
students, and given a 0% for the lab activity.
Plagiarism: Plagiarism is defined as the following:

Using the exact words of another person’s work / writing without acknowledgement of
your source through the use of quotation marks and correct citation/documentation;

Rephrasing a passage by another writer without giving proper credit;

Using someone’s facts or ideas without acknowledgement;

Using a piece of writing for one course that was already used in a previous course (or in
courses in which you are simultaneously enrolled) without express permission from both
instructors to do so; and presenting fabricated or falsified citations or materials.
Cheating is inclusive of both giving and receiving unauthorized assistance in the completion of any
academic assignment. For all academic assignments, students are expected to do their own work, without
the help or assistance of any individual or support aid. At the very least, an assignment on which
plagiarism or cheating has occurred will receive no credit (i.e., a “zero”), and the incident will be
documented in the student’s conduct file, with additional consequences to be assigned as applicable to the
particular incident.
** AP National Exam date – May 10th
Teacher contact information: In the event that you need to contact me, the following methods are
effective:
1. For a parent conference please call the main office to schedule an appointment.
2. E-mail is checked on a daily basis if I am in the classroom and as quit effective
for quick questions DHines@shelbyed.k12.al.us
3. Call the main office to leave a phone message for me (682-5200). Please be aware that it may
be the next day before I will be able to return your phone call.
Oak Mountain Mission Statement
The mission of Oak Mountain High School is to create an atmosphere of excellence where all students are
encouraged to achieve their academic, creative, and physical potential through dynamic instructional
methods, extracurricular experiences, and relationships among students, staff, parents, and the community.
Course Outline: For dates regarding coverage of the units refer to your AP calendar. All work in this
course will follow the guidelines set forth by the College Board and the National Science Education
Standards.
Unit I: Molecules and Cells
A. Basic Biochemistry
B. Cells
C. Energy Transformation
Unit II: Genetics and Evolution
A. Heredity
B. Molecular Genetics
C. Evolution
Unit III: Organisms and Populations
A. Human Anatomy and Physiology
B. Behavior
C. Classification, Monerans, Protists, and Fungi
D. Plant Diversity
E. Plant Anatomy and Physiology
F. Animal Diversity
G. Ecology
Unit IV: Exam Review **
Please share this syllabus with your parents, sign, detach, and return the agreement below. Keep a copy of
the syllabus in your science notebook for future reference
Course Syllabus Signature form – AP Biology, Mr. Hines 2008-2009
I have read the rules and guidelines for success in AP Biology. I know that it is my responsibility to ask
questions if I do not fully understand the procedures for makeup work, lab dress, or other information given
in this syllabus. I agree to abide by the rules, requirements, and policies set forth by Mr. Hines, and science
department, and OMHS.
Student signature: ________________________________
Date: _________
Parent signature: _________________________________
Date: _________
Annotated Course Outline
The following list provides a sample of questions targeting important concepts related to individual
topics. Students should use this list before tests to review conceptual understanding. You are
encourages to focus on understanding important relationships, processes, mechanisms, and potential
extensions and applications of concepts. Less important is the memorization of specialized
terminology and technical detail. For example, understanding how protein structure affects enzyme
action is more important than memorizing a list of enzyme names. Questions on the AP Biology
Examinations can be expected to test your ability to explain, analyze, and interpret biological processes
and phenomena more than your ability to recall specific facts. This is not an exhaustive list; there may
be other concepts that are not included.
I. Molecules and cells
Cells are the structural and functional units of life; cellular processes are based on physical and
chemical change.
A. Chemistry of Life
1.
2.
3.
4.
Water
-How do the unique chemical and physical properties of water make life on Earth
possible?
Organic molecules in organisms
- What is the role of carbon in the molecular diversity of life?
- How do cells synthesize and break down macromolecules?
- How do structure of biologically important molecules (carbohydrates, lipids,
proteins, nucleic acids) account for their functions
Free energy changes
- How do the laws of thermodynamics relate to the biochemical processes that provide
energy to living systems?
Enzymes
- How do enzymes regulate the rate of chemical reactions?
- How does the specificity of an enzyme depend on its structure?
- How is the activity of an enzyme regulated?
B. Cells
1.
2.
3.
4.
Prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells
- What are their similarities and differences?
- What are their evolutionary relationships?
Membranes
- What is the current model of the molecular architecture of membranes?
- How do variations in this structure account for functional differences among
membranes?
- How does the structural organization of membranes provide for transport and
recognition?
- What are various mechanisms by which substances cross membranes?
Subcellular organization
- How does compartmentalization organize a cell’s function?
- How are the structures of the various subcellular organelles related to their
functions?
- How do organelles function together in cellular processes?
- What factors limit cell size?
Cell cycle and its regulation
- How does the cell cycle assure genetic continuity?
- How does mitosis allow for the even distribution of genetic information to new cells?
-
What are the mechanisms of cytokinesis?
How is the cell cycle regulated?
How can aberrations in the cell cycle lead to tumor formation?
C. Cellular Energies
1.
2.
3.
Coupled reactions
- What is the role of ATP in coupling the cell’s anabolic and catabolic processes?
- How does chemiosmosis function in bioenergetics?
Fermentation and cellular respiration
- How do catabolic pathways break down organic molecules?
- What is the role of oxygen in energy-yielding pathways?
- How do cells generate ATP in the absence of oxygen?
Photosynthesis
- How does photosynthesis convert light energy into chemical energy?
- How are the chemical products of the light-trapping reactions coupled to the
synthesis of carbohydrates?
- What kinds of photosynthetic adaptations have evolved in response to different
environmental conditions?
- What interactions exist between photosynthesis and cellular respiration?
II. Heredity and Evolution
Heredity events control the passage of structural and functional information from one generation
to the next.
A. Heredity
1.
2.
3.
Meiosis and gametogenesis
What features of meiosis are important in sexual reproduction?
- Why is meiosis important in heredity?
- How is meiosis related to gametogenesis?
- What are the similarities and differences between gametogenesis in animals and
gametogenesis in plants?
Eukaryotic chromosomes
- How is genetic information organized in the eukaryotic chromosomes?
- How does this organization contribute to both continuity of and variability in the
genetic information?
Inheritance patterns
- How did Mendel’s work lay the foundation of modern genetics?
- What are the principal patterns of inheritance?
B. Molecular Genetics
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
RNA and DNA structure and function
- How do the structures of nucleic acids relate to their functions of information storage
and protein synthesis?
- What are the similarities and differences between prokaryotic and eukaryotic
genomes?
Gene regulation
- What are some mechanisms by which gene expression is regulated in prokaryotes
and eukaryotes?
Mutations
- In what ways can genetic information be altered?
- What are some effects of these alterations?
Viral structure and replication
- What is the structure of viruses?
- What are the major steps in viral reproduction?
- How do viruses transfer genetic material between cells?
Nucleic acid technology and applications
- What are some current recombinant technologies?
- What are some practical applications of nucleic acid technology?
- What legal and ethical problems may arise from these applications?
C. Evolutionary Biology
1.
2.
3.
Early evolution of life
- What are the current biological models for the origins of biological macromolecules?
- What are the current models for the origins of prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells?
Evidence for evolution
- What types of evidence support an evolutionary view of life?
Mechanisms of evolution
- What is the role of natural selection in the process of evolution?
- How are heredity and natural selection involved in the process of evolution?
- What mechanisms account for speciation and macroevolution?
- What different patterns of evolution have been identified and what mechanisms are
responsible for each of these patterns?
III. Organisms and Populations
The relationship of structure to function is a theme that is common to all organisms; the
interactions of organisms with their environment is the major theme in ecology.
A. Diversity of Organisms
1.
2.
3.
4.
Evolutionary patterns
- What are major body plans of plants and animals?
Survey of the diversity of life
- What are representative organisms from Monera, Fungi, and Protists?
- What are representative members of the major animal phyla and plant divisions?
Phylogenetic classification
- What are the distinguishing characteristics of each group (kingdoms and the major
phyla and divisions of animal and plants?
Evolutionary relationships
- What is some evidence that organisms are related to each other?
- How do scientists study evolutionary relationships among organisms?
- How is this information used in classification of organisms?
B. Structure and function of plants and animals
1.
2.
3.
Reproduction, growth, and development
- What patterns of reproduction and development are found in plants and animals and
how are they regulated?
- What is the adaptive significance of alternation of generations in the major groups of
plants?
Structural, physiological, and behavioral adaptations
- How does the organization of cells, tissues, and organs determine structure and
function in plant and animal systems?
- How are the structure and function related in various organ systems?
- How do the organ systems of animals interact?
- What adaptive features have contributed to the success of various plants and animals
on land?
Response to the environment
- What are the responses of plants and animals to environmental cues, and how do
hormones mediate them?
C. Ecology
1.
2.
Population dynamics
- What models are useful in describing the growth of a population?
- How is population size regulated by abiotic and biotic factors?
Communities and ecosystems
- How is energy flow through an ecosystem related to trophic structure (trophic
levels)?
- How do elements cycle through ecosystems?
- How do organisms affect the cycling of elements and water through the biosphere?
- How do biotic and abiotic factors affect community structure and ecosystem
function?
3.
Global issues
- In which ways are humans affecting biogeochemical cycles?
AP Biology Objectives
I. Basic Chemistry
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Define atomic number and atomic mass.
Identify and define isotopes
Define and describe ionic, covalent, and hydrogen bonds.
Define ion
Define electronegativity and understand its relationships to polar molecules.
II. Properties of Water
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Relate the polarity of water molecules and their tendency to form hydrogen bonds to the
special properties of water that make it the basis for life on earth.
Define hydrogen bond and give its characteristics.
Define specific heat, surface tension, adhesion, cohesion, capillary action, imbibition, heat
and vaporization, and heat of fusion. Explain the relationship of each of these to the concepts
of polarity and/or hydrogen bonding
Describe water’s solvent properties and the idea of hydration shells.
Distinguish between hydrophilic and hydrophobic interactions.
Understand the pH scale.
Define acid, base, buffer, and explain why living organisms require that pH remain within a
narrow range.
III. Organic Compounds
1.
2.
3.
Explain why the most common elements in the bodies of living organisms form highly stable
Molecules.
Identify examples of each of the four main classes of organic and building block units of
which they are composed. Give the functions of each of these classes of compounds.
Explain the levels of organization of a protein and be able to give an example of each.
IV. Chemical Reactions
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
List factors that influence the rate of chemical reactions and explain how each of these affects
the rate. Know which of these factors are important in governing the rates of reactions within
the human body.
Explain why the structure and biological activity of a protein are determined by the sequence
of the various amino acids in its polypeptide chains.
Explain why the three-dimensional structure of an enzyme is the key to its activity, and the
role that temperature, pH, and inhibitors play in altering enzyme activity.
Describe the influence of cofactors and coenzymes on enzyme activity.
Discuss the induced fit theory of enzyme activity.
V. The Cell
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Explain spontaneous generation.
State Oparin’s heterotroph hypothesis and explain how Miller’s experiment supports it.
Describe coacervate droplets and proteinoid microsphere and indicate ways in which they
resemble living cells.
Distinguish between heterotrophs and autotrophs, eukaryotes and prokaryotes, aerobes and
anaerobes.
Describe the fluid-mosaic model of the cell membrane.
Relate the permeability of the cell membrane to its structure as envisioned in the fluid-mosaic
model.
Describe the formation of the plant cell wall and its significance in the life of the plant.
Describe the structure and give the function of the following organelles – nucleus,
chromosomes, nucleoli, endoplasmic reticulum (rough and smooth), ribosomes, lysosomes,
Golgi apparatus, vacuole, centriole, plastids, mitochondria, peroxisomes, cilia, flagella,
cytoskeleton.
Discuss the similarities found in the structure of centrioles, basal bodies, cilia and flagella.
VI. Cell Transport
1.
2.
3.
4.
Distinguish between diffusion and osmosis.
Distinguish between passive diffusion, facilitated diffusion, and active transport.
Explain the role of the cell membrane in transport.
Define endocytosis, exocytosis, receptor-mediated endocytosis, phagocytosis, and
pinocytosis.
VII. The flow of energy
1.
2.
3.
4.
State the laws of thermodynamics.
Define free energy and entropy.
Distinguish between oxidation and reduction, anabolism and catabolism.
Describe the structure and function of ATP.
VIII. Photosynthesis
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Write the general equation for photosynthesis.
Describe the structure of the chloroplast.
Define the role of pigments in photosynthesis.
Distinguish between an action spectrum and an absorption spectrum.
List the inputs and outputs of the light dependent and light independent reactions.
Explain ATP production in the light dependent reaction using the theory of chemiosmosis.
Compare the process of cyclic and noncyclic photophosphorylation and identify the products
of each.
Explain how the products of the light reaction are used to reduce carbon dioxide to form
PGAL, and describe the fate of PGAL.
Describe the structural and functional differences between C3 and C4 plants. Explain the
functional significance of the Kranz anatomy.
IX. Cellular respiration
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Describe the process of cellular respiration, including the main stages in the process, the role
of oxygen and amount of energy produced.
Describe the roles of NAD, FP (FAD), cytochromes and oxygen in cellular respiration.
Account for the critical importance of the respiratory electron transport chain, and explain
why cyanide and certain other poisons that block the chain are lethal.
Relate the structure of the mitochondrion to its function.
Relate chemiosmosis to ATP production in the mitochondrion.
X. Cell division
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Describe binary fission and give examples of organisms that reproduce by this process.
Distinguish between mitosis and cytokinesis.
Diagram the cell cycle, including the different stages of interphase and of mitosis.
Discuss the events that occur during each stage of mitosis. Differentiate between mitosis in
the plant cell and in the animal cell.
Distinguish between haploid and diploid cells.
Compare and contrast meiosis with mitosis, and give the importance of each process in the
life of an organism.
Explain the function of the second meiotic division.
Explain why spermatogenesis produces four sperm cells whereas oogenesis produces only one
egg. Know the other differences between sperm and egg production.
XI. Genetics
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Define and use correctly the terms allele, segregation, F1 and F2.
Distinguish between the following pairs of terms: dominant and recessive; homozygous and
heterozygous; monohybrid cross and dihybrid cross; phenotype and genotype.
Explain how a test cross is performed and why it is a useful genetic tool.
Use a Punnett square or probabilities to do monohybrid and dihybrid crosses.
Explain how incomplete dominance differs from complete dominance.
Give the characteristic phenotype ratios of the F2 in a dihybrid cross in which the two genes
are independent. Explain why polygenic inheritance and epistasis alter this ratio.
State Mendel’s first and second laws and relate them to the chromosomal theory of
inheritance.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
Distinguish between multiple alleles and multiple inheritance patterns.
Give the possible genotypes of blood types A, B, AB, O, and explain the importance of these
blood types in giving blood transfusion.
Briefly discuss the inheritance of the Rh factor and explain why there is a potential danger to
an Rh-positive fetus when the mother is Rh-negative.
Explain, using an example, how lethal genes can persist in a population.
Give the method of sex determination in Drosophila and human beings.
Distinguish between the sex chromosomes and autosomes.
Discuss the pattern of inheritance of sex-linked characteristics and explain why the recessive
sex-linked characteristics are expressed more often in males than in females.
Explain what a Barr body is and how it affects gene expression in the female.
Define linkage, and explain how crossing-over creates genetic variability.
Show how crossing over frequencies are calculated and how they can be used to make
chromosomal maps.
Explain how translocation, deletion, duplication, inversion, and nondisjunction alter
chromosomes.
XII. Molecular genetics
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
Cite the experimental evidence of Beadle and Tedium, Griffith, Avery, and Hershey and
Chase that supports the conclusion that DNA is the genetic material.
Name the three components of nucleotides and the four nitrogenous bases found in DNA.
Indicate which are pyrimidines and which are purines.
Describe the Watson-Crick model of DNA structure and the evidence on which it is based.
Show how this model accounts for precise replication of the genetic material.
Describe the Meselson and Stahl experiment and its importance.
Give the sequence of a new chain of DNA that is replicated from a given strand of DNA.
State the one gene-one enzyme theory and indicate how it has been modified.
Give three differences between DNA and RNA structure.
Name the three types of RNA, and indicate where each is synthesized and where each is
active.
Discuss the function of each of the following in protein synthesis: DNA, mRNA, rRNA,
tRNA, ribosomes, amino acids.
Describe the processes of transcription and translation, and explain how genes control cellular
functioning.
Define mutation, give four examples of different types of mutations, and indicate how
mutations can be induced.
Define and use correctly the following terms: bacteriophage, episome, plasmid.
Explain how plasmids are used in recombinant DNA technology, and cite the advantages and
possible dangers of this technology.
Explain the Jacob-Monod operon theory.
Compare and contrast the eukaryotic and prokaryotic chromosome.
Describe the control of gene expression in eukaryotes.
XIII. Evolution
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
State Darwin’s theory of evolution.
Give the evidence for evolution obtained from studies of fossils, morphology, biochemistry,
physiology, and biogeography.
Explain why genetic variation must be expressed phenotypically to lead to evolutionary
change, yet exclusively phenotypic variations are not raw material for evolution.
Give reasons why Lamarck’s hypothesis of inheritance of acquired characteristics is not
accepted today.
Determine allelic frequencies and set up a Punnett square to determine genotypic frequencies
in a population.
Give the Hardy-Weinberg Law, and discuss its meaning for evolutionary theory.
Explain what natural selection means in modern evolutionary theory, and explain how natural
selection may increase the frequency of a given allele in a gene pool of a population.
Contrast directional, stabilizing, and disruptive selection.
9. Discuss the sources of variation in evolution.
10. Define and give an example of heterozygote superiority and explain how it favors
polymorphism.
11. Define and give an example of polymorphism.
12. Define adaptation and give examples.
13. Explain how the Industrial Revolution led to a rapid evolutionary change in populations of the
English peppered moth.
14. Define population and species.
15. Explain the isolation model of speciation; distinguish between allopatry and sympatry.
16. Explain the term adaptive radiation, and discuss the evidence for this phenomenon using the
Galapagos finches as an example.
17. Give the relationship between the stability of the environment and the rate of evolution.
XIV. Introduction to Anatomy and Physiology, digestion, respiration, and
circulation
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.
25.
26.
27.
28.
Distinguish between the terms anatomy and physiology.
Use standard terms for anatomical location.
Explain the role of each organ-system in homeostasis.
Describe and give examples of the four primary tissues.
Define digestion and explain why digestion of complex foods is necessary.
Trace the route food follows from the time it enters your mouth until the indigestible residue
leaves the anus. Indicate where most digestion and absorption occur.
Discuss the chemical changes that occur in food as it passes through the digestive tract. Give
the function(s) of saliva, gastric juice, bile, pancreatic juice, and secretions of the intestinal
glands.
Explain how the lining of the small intestines is adapted to increase the absorptive surface
area.
Give three functions of the large intestines.
Discuss control of digestive function.
List the nutrients required by heterotrophs and give the function of each nutrient in the body.
Describe the evolution of the respiratory system.
Discuss the oxygen- hemoglobin dissociation curve.
Explain the pathway of air as it moves through the respiratory system.
Discuss gas exchange in the lung.
Discuss the transport of carbon dioxide in the blood.
Understand the control of respiration.
Discuss the evolution of the heart.
Discuss the circuit of blood through the heart and systemic circulation.
Explain the differences in blood pressures throughout the circulatory system, the reasons for
those differences, and the effects of those differences on the anatomy of the different parts of
the circulatory system.
Understand the conduction of the impulses through the heart wall.
Discuss control of the circulatory system including autonomic and endocrine influences.
Describe the three formed elements of the blood and their functions.
Discuss hemoglobin and its role in the red blood cell.
Describe the components of plasma.
Understand the clotting process.
Describe the anatomy of the lymphatic system.
Describe the events in the capillary bed that makes the lymphatic system necessary.
XV. Excretion and water balance, temperature regulation, immune response
1.
2.
3.
4.
Discuss the role played by the kidney in maintaining homeostasis.
Describe the anatomy of the renal corpuscle and renal tubule.
Trace the pathway of a blood cell through the renal circulation.
Discuss in detail the process of urine formation in man explaining the roles of filtration,
reabsorption, and tubular secretion, specifically where and how each of these processes
occurs.
5.
Explain how the countercurrent-multiplier system of the loop of Henle acts to concentrate the
urine.
6. Discuss temperature regulation in both exotherms and endotherms.
7. Describe the nonspecific defenses in humans.
8. Describe the immune response.
9. Explain the three ways in which antibodies control foreign cells.
10. Distinguish between the functions of B-cells and T-cells.
11. Describe the clonal selection theory of antibody formation.
12. Describe what is known about AIDS, including the structure of HIV modes of transmission,
risk factors, and the means by which the virus compromises the immune system.
XVI. Endocrine system, nervous system, muscle
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
Define hormones and indicate how they are transported from the site of synthesis to the sites
of action in higher animals.
Define the term endocrine and list the major endocrine organs in the human body.
List three actions of insulin in reducing the concentration of glucose in the blood. Contrast its
action with that of glucagon.
Discuss functions of the hormones of the adrenal medulla, adrenal cortex, thyroid, and
parathyroid.
Give the functions of the anterior pituitary hormones.
Define and give examples o f a tropic hormone.
Describe the relationship between the hypothalamus and the posterior pituitary.
Describe the roles of the anterior pituitary and the hypothalamus in coordinating the activity
of the vertebrate endocrine system.
Describe the second messenger model of hormonal control and show how this model explains
why only small quantities of hormone are required for normal functioning and why only
certain cells are influenced by given hormone.
Describe the mode of action of the steroid hormones.
Describe the sliding filament theory of muscle contraction.
Describe the structure of a muscle cell.
Diagram and explain a typical muscle contraction.
Draw and label a neuron.
Describe a neuron in the resting state and the active state.
Understand synaptic and neuromuscular transmission.
Distinguish between the terms neuron and nerve.
Distinguish between the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems.
Explain the functions of the major parts of the forebrain, midbrain, and hindbrain.
XVII. Reproduction and development
1.
List in order all the structures through which a sperm passes between its point of origin in the
human male and the exterior. Indicate where the accessory sexual glands add their secretions.
2. Give the components of semen and list the functions of the seminal fluid.
3. Name the structures of the human female reproductive system and give the function of each.
Indicate where fertilization occurs.
4. Describe the sequence of changes in one human menstrual cycle, including the hormonal
changes and interactions involved.
5. Indicate the role played by each of the following in controlling or maintaining pregnancy in
the human female; placenta, corpus luteum, chorionic gonadotropin, progesterone.
6. List the hormones thought to be involved in the birth process and in milk production. Give the
function of each hormone.
7. Describe the processes of spermatogenesis and oogenesis.
8. Describe the events triggered by the penetration of the animal egg by the sperm and discuss
the process of fertilization.
9. Define these terms: zygote, cleavage, morula, blastula, gastrula.
10. Indicate the ultimate fate of the three germ layers.
11. Discuss the formation of the placenta.
12. Indicate the functions on the amnion, yolk sac, and allantois, including the differences in these
structures in shelled eggs and in placental animals.
13. Indicate the main events of human development.
14. Discuss changes in fetal circulation at birth.
15. Discuss the experimental evidence available on development.
XVIII. Behavior
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Distinguish between innate and learned behavior patterns and give an example of each.
Discuss innate releasing mechanisms and fixed action patterns.
Discuss habituation, associative learning, trial and error learning, discrimination, insight
learning, and imprinting.
Discuss the role of rituals in animal behavior.
Describe social dominance and territoriality and give examples of animals which demonstrate
each.
XIX. Taxonomy
1.
2.
3.
XX.
Describe the taxonomic divisions.
Use and describe binomial nomenclature.
Define domain. Demonstrate the similarities and differences in the three domains.
Prokaryotes
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Describe the three shapes of bacteria.
Draw and label a typical bacterium.
Define prokaryote.
Explain the three types of genetic recombination in bacteria.
Give positive and negative contributions that prokaryotes make to the ecosystem.
Describe types of nutrition seen in prokaryotes.
Describe the relationship between bacteria and archaebacteria.
Describe a virus.
Explain why a virus may be considered both living and nonliving.
Indicate the importance of interferon.
XXI. Protists
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Describe protists in general terms.
Describe how prokaryotes evolved into eukaryotes.
Describe locomotion in protozoans.
Explain the oddity of Euglena.
Describe the characteristics of diatoms, dinoflagellates, brown and red algae, slime molds.
XXII. Kingdom Fungi
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Describe saprobe and parasite.
Describe the anatomy of fungi.
Define hypha and mycelium.
Describe the sexual reproductive structures in the three major classes of fungi.
Describe what lichens are and their contributions to the ecosystem.
XXIII. Kingdom Plantae
1.
2.
3.
4.
Describe the evolution of aquatic plants.
Indicate evidence for green algae being the ancestors of land plants.
Describe evolutionary trends in the Volvocine line of green algae.
Draw a typical alternation of generations life cycle and apply it to moss, fern, pine, and
angiosperm life cycles.
5. List evolutionary developments in land plants.
6. Define xylem and phloem.
7. Describe evolutionary trends in vascular plants.
8. Describe seed structure.
9. Describe the structures and functions of flowers and fruits.
10. Describe double fertilization.
11. Distinguish between monocots and dicots.
XXIV. Plant anatomy and physiology
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.
Discuss the evolution of the plant body.
List the differences between monocots and dicots.
Describe the structure and function of the leaf, including a discussion of the cuticle,
epidermis, palisade mesophyll, spongy mesophyll, veins, and stomata.
Describe some leaf modifications.
Indicate the functions of collenchyma, schlerenchyma, and parenchyma in plants.
Identify and describe sieve tubes and companion cells, tracheids and vessels.
Discuss cell patterns in the stem.
Describe the structure of the root, including the epidermis, cortex, vascular cylinder, and pith.
Distinguish between taproots and adventitious roots.
List several means of asexual reproduction in flowering plants.
Describe the structure of the male and female gametophytes in the flowering plants.
Describe seed and fruit formation.
Distinguish between primary and secondary growth and tissue responsible for each.
Distinguish between annuals, biennials, and perennials.
Define transpiration and the cohesion-tension theory of water movement in plants.
Discuss factors which influence transpiration.
Discuss the theories to explain stomatal opening and closing.
Distinguish between C3, C4, and CAM photosynthesis.
Define translocation and the tissues for it.
Discuss the pressure-flow hypothesis of translocation.
Indicate the functions of auxins, gibberellins, cytokinins, abscisic acid, and ethylene.
Discuss the influence of hormones on flowering.
Discuss photperiodism and the role of phytochrome in it.
Describe Circadian rhythms in plants.
XXV. Kingdom Animalia
1.
2.
Discuss general evolutionary trends in the major animal phyla from the cellular to the system
of development.
Define the terms protostome and deuterostome and indicate the animals in this group.
XXVI. Ecology
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
Define the following terms: ecosystem, biosphere, niche, habitat, carrying capacity, limiting
factors, and symbiosis.
Discuss the concept of trophic levels and energy movement through them.
Define the ten percent rule.
Indicate the differences between a photosynthetic and a chemosynthetic ecosystem.
Chart the carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, and water cycle.
Distinguish between primary and secondary succession and give examples.
Distinguish between primary and secondary succession and give examples.
Draw, label, and discuss exponential and sigmoid growth curves.
Describe interactions of natality, mortality, and emigration in determining the size of a
population.
Express the competitive exclusion (Gause’s) principle and give examples.
Discuss predator-prey relationships.
Compare predation and parasitism.
Describe protective mechanisms such as concealment, camouflage, noxious chemicals, etc.
Compare mutualism, commensalism, and parasitism, as types of symbiosis and give examples
of each.
Describe characteristics of the major biomes.
Distinguish between altitudinal and terrestrial biomes.
Discuss the seasonal cycle of temperature changes in a temperate-zone lake.
*** It is very important that you do not lose this handbook. We will refer to the handbook several times
throughout the year and will use it extensively for the end of the year review!