AP Biology Syllabus and Assignments
Personal Philosophy
I enjoy teaching AP Biology because it presents students with not only an indepth survey of the concepts of biology, but also provides them with an opportunity to
analyze how living systems work and why they work that way. Emphasizing the themes
of biology throughout the year allows students to understand the connections between the
different topics of study and to see the unity and diversity of life on Earth and the
evolutionary processes that have led to life's current state of organization and complexity.
I also like to show students that our current knowledge base did not happen overnight, but
rather by a continuous accumulation of ideas developed by the historical processes of
scientific observation and experimentation, and future generations will build upon the
discoveries produced by the endeavors of past and current researchers. I firmly believe
that science is much more that a body of facts and ideas; it is a process by which new
ideas are discovered in the context of previous information. Vocabulary and facts are
necessary to serve as the language that is used to communicate ideas efficiently and to
provide a foundation for new ideas.
Prerequisites
Students who enroll in AP Biology must have completed Freshman Physics in
ninth grade, Chemistry I Advanced in tenth grade, and Biology I Advanced in eleventh
grade and should have earned A’s and B’s in those classes. Exceptions to the above will
be considered on a case-by-case basis, allowing students who have demonstrated a strong
desire to learn, a strong work ethic, and marked improvement in their science grades as
their academic career has progressed to have the opportunity to take AP Biology.
Course Overview
AP Biology is a thematic, laboratory-based course that meets seven or eight fifty
minute periods per week, making it possible to cover all of the information presented in
the textbook and to have time to complete all twelve of the designated AP laboratory
experiments as well as other experiments and activities. Evolution is the underlying and
all-encompassing theme of the course, providing the basis for the understanding of all the
other themes.
Students are scheduled for a double period each day and may meet three double
periods in a row while performing a particular lab experiment. Lab work uses more than
twenty-five percent of our allotted class time. Students work in lab teams to perform
experiments, but each student will be responsible for his or her own lab report, using
team and class data to develop graphs and conclusions.
Our school is a laptop school, and as can be seen in syllabus that follows, students
will be directed to numerous websites for each unit that provide additional information,
animations, tutorials, scientific experiments, and virtual labs to improve their
understanding of biological concepts. The companion website for their textbook is also a
valuable resource.
When time permits, selected videos from acclaimed productions such as
Evolution by WGBH, The Private Life of Plants by the BBC, The Triumph of Life by
PBS, the Trials of Life by Time Life Video, or DNA by the Howard Hughes Medical
Institute will be watched to visually enhance learning. Students will be expected to write
lab reports for each of the twelve AP labs and to prepare the take-home essays provided
for each chapter of the textbook. Unit tests will consist of a multiple choice section and
several essays, similar to the AP exam format. Students will be given copies of released
AP exams to practice and to evaluate their understanding of a broad range of topics.
Useful Websites- More specific websites are listed with each topic
College Board Info/ AP Exam Info
http://apcentral.collegeboard.com
Raven and Johnson Text
http://www.mhhe.com/raven7
Cells Alive
http://www.cellsalive.com
DNA From the Beginning
http://dnaftb.org/dnaftb/
Kimball's Biology Pages
http://users.rcn.com/jkimball.ma.ultranet/BiologyPages/
Prentice Hall Lab Bench- The Biology Place
http://www.phschool.com/science/biology_place/labbench/index.html
Howard Hughes Medical Institute- Biointeractive
http://www.hhmi.org/biointeractive/
Textbooks:
Raven, Peter H., George B. Johnson, Jonathan B. Losos, and Susan R. Singer. Biology
7th Edition. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2005
College Entrance Examination Board. AP Lab Manual for Students, College Board,
2001
Summer Reading Assignment:
Wilmut, Ian, Keith Campbell, and Colin Tudge. The Second Creation: Dolly and the Age
of Biological Control. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 2001
Course Syllabus and Homework Assignments
Many basic threads or themes are common to the study of biological concepts and
they will reoccur throughout the year as we explore various topics. It is important
that you be able to relate new information to the basic themes and to make
connections between the concepts that you are studying. The major themes of this
course are consistent with the stated themes in the College Board Biology Course
Description and the North Carolina Standard Course of Study. Scientific
vocabulary and specific facts are learned so that you will understand the basic
concepts and be able to effectively communicate your understanding of the basic
themes. The twelve required AP labs will illustrate some of the major concepts
related to the major themes, and virtual labs will be used to assist in the preparation
and analysis of your collected data. The themes (and some examples of concepts
that relate to the themes) that often overlap and that you will encounter repeatedly
in your study of biology are:
1. Evolution (North Carolina Competency Goals 5 and 6) and Continuity and
Change.
a. How has the tremendous diversity of life on earth come about?
b. Why do all organisms have so many things in common (unity of
life)?
c. How have living organisms structurally, physiologically, and
behaviorally adapted to different habitats?
d. How does evolution happen? What is its driving force?
e. What is the evidence for evolution?
f. How do new species arise?
g. How are separate species maintained?
2. Structure and Function (NC Competency Goal 2 and 3)
a. How does the structure of a molecule, membrane, organelle, cell, or
other biological entity affect its function?
b. What happens when structures or molecules are not built properly?
c. What are the structures and functions of the basic molecules that
make up living organisms?
d. Why does water have so many unique properties?
e. Why is water essential to life on Earth?
f. Why do proteins have such diverse and specific functions?
g. What features of DNA’s structure make it an ideal molecule
for storing or passing on genetic information?
3. Regulation of Internal Activities (NC Competency Goals 3 and 4)
a. Why must organisms maintain order and homeostasis?
b. What price must organisms pay to maintain order?
c. How do organisms maintain order and homeostasis?
d. How do organisms use disequilibria to their advantage?
e. Why and how do the cells of a multicellular organism communicate
with each other?
f. How do enzymes regulate metabolic activities?
g. How is gene expression controlled?
h. How do cells regulate their internal environments?
i. How is the cell cycle controlled?
4. Heredity and Reproduction (NC Competency Goal 4) (Also Continuity
and Change)
a. How do cells and organisms reproduce?
b. How is genetic information passed from generation to generation
(heredity).
c. How is genetic information expressed in a cell?
d. How do mitosis and asexual reproduction promote continuity?
e. How does meiosis and sexual reproduction promote variability?
5. Energy (NC Competency Goal 3)
a. How do living organisms acquire, use, and store energy?
b. Why do living organisms require energy?
c. What do energy processes in all living organisms have in common?
d. Trace the evolution of energy processes through time.
6. Science as a Process (Also the history of scientific experimentation)
(NC Competency Goal 1)
a. How are scientific experiments designed and carried out?
b. How is data statistically analyzed?
c. How were some of the classic experiments in biology carried out?
d. What is a “good” experiment?
e. How was the cell theory developed?
f. How did Mendel discover the basic principles of genetics?
g. How did the work of pioneers like Hammerling, Avery, Levine,
Griffith, Chargaff, Franklin, Hershey and Chase, Franklin, Watson
and Crick, Meselson and Stahl, Beadle and Tatum, Jacob and
Monod and others contribute to our understanding of DNA
structure and function?
h. How did Pasteur put an end to the theory of abiogenesis?
i. How did Darwin formulate his theories about evolution?
7. Organization (NC Competency Goal 3)
a. How are living organisms organized on a molecular and cellular
level?
b. How do organ systems accomplish the basic functions of the body?
c. What evolutionary advances made multicellularity possible?
d. How are ecosystems organized?
8. Interdependence of Living Organisms-Ecological Principles
(NC Competency Goal 7)
a. How do matter and energy flow through ecosystems?
b. What relationships have evolved between living organisms?
c. How do populations grow?
d. How do living organisms interact with their environments?
e. What are the evolutionary advantages of specific behaviors?
f. What role has coevolution played in the development of complex
ecosystems?
9. Science, Technology and Society (NC Competency Goals 1, 4, and 7)
a. How has our knowledge of biology progressed over the years?
b. What current global environmental issues are we facing?
c. What can we do to deal with environmental problems?
d. How many people can the world support?
e. What ethical concerns have advances in molecular biology created?
f. How can molecular biology improve our lives?
10. Continuity and Change
a. How do species remain distinct and separate from other species?
b. How do new species arise?
c. What characteristics do all organisms share? Why?
d. What has created the diversity of living organisms on Earth?
e. How are humans changing the Earth?
f. How do communities change over time?
g. How do biochemical pathways evolve?
h. How do organisms respond to environmental changes?
i. How does mitosis contribute to genetic stability?
f. How do meiosis and other forms of genetic recombination cause
variation?
g. How do specific behaviors evolve?
h. How do populations change over time?
i. How have climate changes influenced the history of life on Earth?
j. How has the species composition of Earth changed over time?
k. What factors cause changes in gene frequencies?
l. How have the activities of living organisms changed the Earth over
time?
Essay writing skills are very important to your success on the AP Exam, since you
will need to write four detailed, organized, and thorough essays on that exam. This
is the best practice for learning themes and concepts and supporting them with
details. These questions must be completed prior to the unit exam for that topic.
Lab concepts will be covered when you write your lab reports. You will work in lab
groups, but each of you will write individual lab reports.
Use your text, your notes, and the internet to answer the essays. Reference copies of
other AP Biology textbooks are available for loan.
Unit Topics, Reading Assignments and Chapter Essays- due dates will
vary yearly.
Percentage goals for AP Exam are listed with each topic, as are the
general themes to which each topic relates.
Unit 1-Themes of biology, characteristics of life, classification of life and
the evidence for evolution.
(Units 1, 2, 3 cover the Diversity of organisms-8% of AP Exam, and
Evolutionary Biology-8% of the exam). Some concepts relate to the
structure and function of plants and animals (32% of AP Exam) and the
evolutionary trends in animal and plant bodies. Continuity and Change
are also very evident in this unit.
Read Chapters 1, 22, 25 -The Science of Biology- How We Classify Organisms
The Evidence for Evolution
Web Sources:
Victorian Science: An Overview
http://www.victorianweb.org/science/sciov.html
Understanding Evolution- UC Berkeleyhttp://evolution.berkeley.edu/
Talk Origins Archivehttp://www.talkorigins.org/
Artificial Selection in the Lab- Ender’s Guppy Experiment- UC Berkeley
http://evolution.berkeley.edu/evosite/evo101/IVB1bInthelab.shtml
Evolution- A Context for Biology
http://www.woodrow.org/teachers/bi/1995/
Archeopteryx- UC Berkeley
http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/diapsids/birds/archaeopteryx.html
The Fish Out of Time- Dinofish.com
http://www.dinofish.com/
Malaria and the Red Cell- Harvard University
http://sickle.bwh.harvard.edu/malaria_sickle.html
Which Embryo is Human?
http://www.exploratorium.edu/exhibits/embryo/embryoflash.html
Flashy fish/Sex and the Single Guppy- PBS
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/evolution/educators/lessons/lesson4/act2.html
The Peppered Moth- An Update- Kenneth Miller’s Evolution Page
http://www.millerandlevine.com/km/evol/Moths/moths.html
Haeckel’s Embryos-Kenneth Miller- Brown University
http://www.millerandlevine.com/km/evol/embryos/Haeckel.html
How to Construct and Use a Dichotomous Key
http://www.zoo.utoronto.ca/able/volumes/vol-12/7-timme/7-timme.htm
Tree Leaf Key
http://forestry.about.com/library/treekey/bltree_key_id_start.htm
Phylogenetic Systematics
http://evolution.berkeley.edu/evolibrary/article/phylogenetics_01
LAB Characteristics of Life- Observing Pond Water OrganismsMicroscopy- (Very Wet Lab)
Chapter 1 - The Science of Biology -Homework Essays:
1. What characteristics distinguish living organisms from inanimate
objects?
2. Do you think that life exists on other planets, solar systems, or galaxies?
If so, how would the conditions found there affect the organisms that
live there? Would the same physical and biological laws apply to these
organisms as they do on earth? Why or why not?
3. Which biological processes are the basis for energy transfer on Earth?
Where and how do organisms get the energy to carry out their metabolic
functions?
4. By what biological process does a population of organisms become
more successful in a particular environment? Can a single organism
adapt to an environmental change? Why or why not? What factors
control the process of adaptation?
5. How are all living organisms similar to each other?
6. What factors control the development of and eventual structural and
functional capabilities of that organism?
7. Give examples of the relationship between structure and function in
living organisms.
8. What makes classification or organisms into different groups possible?
9. What observations and ideas led Charles Darwin to develop the theory
of evolution by natural selection?
10. In what ways does scientific inquiry differ from other methods of
obtaining knowledge about our natural world?
11. What is the importance of a control group in a scientific experiment?
12. How does inductive thinking differ from deductive thinking?
13. How do independent and dependent variables differ?
Chapter 22- Evidence for Evolution
1. How would you defend the theory of evolution to a person who says
that there are too many gaps in the fossil record to believe in evolution?
2. How do we know how old a fossil is?
3. What is the driving force behind evolution? Give examples to support
your answer.
4. Describe industrial melanism and its adaptive significance.
5. Briefly outline anatomical and molecular evidence for evolution.
6. Compare and contrast convergent (parallel) and divergent evolution.
7. Is evolution goal directed? Does it guarantee continued improvement of
organisms?
8. How can we explain the fact that diverse organisms can share so many
molecular similarites, such as cytochrome c homology, or
interchangeable genes?
9. Why have body systems not evolved to be more efficient than they are?
Chapter 25- Systematics and Phylogeny
1. Discuss the evolutionary relationships between the three domains of
organisms.
2. How may have eukaryotes evolved from prokaryotes?
3. Discuss the three types of eukaryotic life cycle
4. What types of evidence should be used in designing phylogenetic trees.
5. What is binomial nomenclature?
6. How are cladograms produced?
LAB-Designing Dichotomous Keys (Dry Lab)
LAB- Classifying Canimalcules (Dry Lab)
Smith, D.J. “The Caminalcule Family Tree.” Investigating Evolutionary
Biology in the Laboratory. Ed. William F. McComas.
Reston, VA: National Association of Biology Teachers, 1994
LAB- Designing Cladograms and Phylogenetic Trees- (Dry Lab)
_________________________________________________________________
Out of class Extension Unit- Diversity among the lower organisms.
Read the following chapters, and I will give you a take-home test
to reinforce what you have read about the diversity of life in these four
groups. We will do plants and animals later.
Chapter 26 Viruses- Lytic cycle vs lysogenic cycle, retrovirus
life cycle
Chapter 27 Bacteria- prokaryotic structures, gram positive vs
gram neg
Chapter 28 Protista-know basic types, methods of reproduction,
and methods of movement. Evolutionary improvements over
prokaryotes
`
Chapter 30 Fungi- concentrate on mating types and basic structure
symbiotic relationships
Take Home Test- Due
________________________________________________________________________
Unit 2- Origin and Evolutionary History of Life-Macroevolution
Read Chapters 4, 29, and 31-34
Also pages 882-884 (locomotion), 888-889 (digestive systems), 906
(open vs. closed circulation), 915-917 (heart evolution), 926-929
(respiratory evolution), 954-956 (brain evolution), 1046-1050
(osmoregulatory evolution)
Web Sources:
Geologic Time- USGS
http://pubs.usgs.gov/gip/geotime/contents.html
Plate Tectonics Animation
http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/geology/anim1.html
History of Life-Online Biology Book- Michael Farabee, Ph.D
http://www.emc.maricopa.edu/faculty/farabee/BIOBK/BioBookPaleo2.html
http://www.emc.maricopa.edu/faculty/farabee/BIOBK/BioBookPaleo3.html
http://www.emc.maricopa.edu/faculty/farabee/BIOBK/BioBookPaleo4.html
http://www.emc.maricopa.edu/faculty/farabee/BIOBK/BioBookPaleo5.html
The Cambrian
http://www.palaeos.com/Paleozoic/Cambrian/Cambrian.htm
Mass Extinctions
http://hannover.park.org/Canada/Museum/extinction/massextinc.html
The Triumph of Life-PBS
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/triumphoflife/
Into the Abyss-PBS (Hydrothermal vents)
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/abyss/
A Science Odyssey- Human Evolution Activity- PBS
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aso/tryit/evolution/#
Human Prehistory Exhibit
http://users.hol.gr/%7Edilos/prehis.htm
Origin of Life on Earth
Evolutionary History of Plants
Evolutionary History of Animals
Human evolution
Chapter 4- Origin and Early History of Life -Homework Essays:
1.Why does current opinion favor the hypothesis that life originated in the
oceans?
2.Describe the Miller-Urey experiment. What does it suggest?
3.How may cell membranes have formed? Why is this a crucial step in
the evolution of life.
4.When did eukaryotes appear in the fossil record? What advantages do
they have over prokaryotes?
5.Which do you think evolved first, heterotrophy or autotrophy? Why?
HISTORY of LIFE HANDOUTS
1. What major types of events have driven the macroevolution of life on
Earth?
2. Trace vertebrate evolution from the Cambrian to the Cenozoic
Lab-Tracing the History of Life on Earth- (at Soccer Field)-(Lab
Activity) McComas, William F. “How Long is a Long Time.” Investigating
Evolution in the Laboratory. Ed. William F. McComas. Reston, VA.:
National Association of Biology Teachers, 1994.
Chapter 29- Homework Essays:
1. What characteristics are used to divide plants into four major groups?
2. Briefly discuss the alternation of generation life cycle in plants.
3. What adaptations have plants made to a terrestrial environment?
4. How does alternation of generations differ in mosses, in ferns, and in
higher plants like angiosperms and gymnosperms?
5. From what type of organism did all plants evolve? How long ago?
6. How do monocots differ from dicots?
7. Describe the parts of a flower.
8. Why have angiosperms become the most dominant plants on Earth?
`
When did they become dominant?
Chapters 31-34 Animal Evolution and Diversity-Homework Essays:
1. What five key transitions in body plan can be seen in the course of
animal evolution?
2. Compare and contrast protostomes and deuterostomes
3. Compare acoelomate, psuedocoelomate, and coelomate body plans.
4. What type of organism may have been the common ancestor of
animals?
5. What is the advantage of multicellularity?
6. What evidence links the following groups evolutionarily?
Mollusks and Annelids
Annelids and Arthropods
Echinoderms and Chordates
7. What evolutionary innovations are first seen in arthropods?
8. Trace the evolution of excretory mechanisms in the animal kingdom
9. Trace the evolution of respiratory mechanisms in the animal kingdom.
10.Trace the evolution of circulatory mechanisms in the animal kingdom.
11.What are the major features of Chordates and vertebrates?
12.Why was the amniotic egg a key to reptile success?
13.Trace the evolution of vertebrates from the earliest fishes to mammals,
listing the approximate time periods when each type appeared, became
dominant, or declined.
14.What adaptations were necessary for animals to become terrestrial?
Chapter 34 (pg 720-728) Homework Essays- Due - Nov 8th
1. What is a primate?
2. Compare apes to hominids.
3. What are the differences between Anthropoids, Hominoids, and
Hominids?
4. What two hypotheses have been proposed to explain the modern
distribution of humans? What evidence supports these ideas?
Unit 3- Microevolution and Speciation
Read Chapters 21, 23, 24
Genes within Populations (variation and microevolution)
The Origin of Species (how species arise and stay separate)
Evolution of Genomes and Developmental Mechanisms
Web sources:
Teach Evolution and Make it Relevant
http://www.evoled.org/Lessons/speciation.htm
Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium- Kimball’s Biology Pages
http://users.rcn.com/jkimball.ma.ultranet/BiologyPages/H/Hardy_Weinberg.html
M & M Lab- Woodrow Wilson Institute- Linda Gostinger
http://users.rcn.com/jkimball.ma.ultranet/BiologyPages/H/Hardy_Weinberg.html
Fishy Frequencies- Woodrow Wilson Institute- Judith Stanhope and Judith Jones
http://www.woodrow.org/teachers/bi/1994/fishy.html
Hardy-Weinberg Problems
http://science.nhmccd.edu/biol/hwe.html
Distribution of Blood types
http://anthro.palomar.edu/vary/vary_3.htm
Species, Speciation, and the Environment- Niles Eldridge, Ph.D.
http://www.actionbioscience.org/evolution/eldredge.html
Reproductive Isolation and Mechanisms of Reproduction-Botany Online
http://www.biologie.uni-hamburg.de/b-online/e38/38.htm
Isolating Mechanisms- Lacewing Songs- PBS
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/evolution/library/05/2/l_052_01.html
Species and Speciation-Talk Origins Archive
http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/faq-speciation.html
Species and Speciation- Edward O. Wilson
http://www.actionbioscience.org/biodiversity/wilson.html
Allopatric Speciation- Panama- PBS
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/evolution/library/05/2/l_052_03.html
Chapter 21-Genes Within Populations
1. Briefly discuss experiments showing speciation in Trinidadian guppies.
2. How do members of a population vary genetically? Give evidence to
support your answer.
3. What five conditions are necessary to prevent changes in gene
frequencies from generation to generation? Can this happen?
4. What factors almost guarantee that gene frequencies will change each
generation?
5. What is heterozygote advantage? Give an example.
6. How do the three patterns of natural selection differ from one another in
process and result?
7. Define founder effect and population bottleneck. How do they affect
gene frequencies within a population?
8. What is meant by the term "fitness"?
AP LAB 8- Population Genetics and Evolution-(Active Lab)
and Prentice Hall Lab Bench (Virtual Lab)
http://www.phschool.com/science/biology_place/labbench/lab11/intro.html
Fishy Frequencies-(Lab Activity}
http://www.woodrow.org/teachers/bi/1994/fishy.html
M & M Lab- (Lab Activity)
http://users.rcn.com/jkimball.ma.ultranet/BiologyPages/H/Hardy_Weinberg.html
Chapter 23- Origin of Species- Homework Essays:
1. Define the following:
a. sympatric species
b. sibling species
c. subspecies
d. species
e. allopatric species
2. Why is the biological species concept less applicable to organisms like
bacteria and plants?
3. Discuss prezygotic isolating mechanisms that maintain separate species.
4. Discuss postzygotic isolating mechanisms that help maintain separate
species.
5. How do new species arise?
a. compare allopatry with sympatry.
b. compare autopolyploidy with allopolyploidy
c. discuss adaptive radiation and character displacement
6. How has the diversity of life changed through time?
7. How do species clusters illustrate adaptive radiation?
8. Discuss current opinion concerning the pace of evolutionary change.
LAB-Comparing Gradualism and Punctuated Equilibrium-(Dry
Lab) McComas, William F. and Brian J. Alters. “Modeling Modes of
Evolution: Comparing Phyletic Gradualism and Punctuated Equilibrium.”
Investigating Evolutionary Biology in the Laboratory . Ed. William F.
McComas. Reston, VA: National Association of Biology Teachers, 1994.
Chapter 24- Evolution of genomes and development- Homework Essays:
1. How do the genomes of a pufferfish, a mouse, a chimpanzee, an insect,
a protist, and plants compare? How are they different?
2. What factors cause genomic differences?
3. How may a developmental gene gain a new function?
4. How can different genes lead to convergent functions?
5. Did different types of eyes develop independently?
6. What is an ortholog? What is conservation of synteny? What is a
paralog?
7. Explain how polyploidization can lead to a new species, like modern
wheat.
________________________________________________________________________
Unit 4- Community Ecology and Animal Behavior
(Units 4 and 5 relate to the Ecological themes-10% of AP Exam,
Evolution-8% of the AP Exam as well as Science and SocietyEnvironmental Issues and Continuity and Change.
Read Chapters 52, 54 and 39
Websites:
Examples of Mutualism
http://www.cbu.edu/~seisen/ExamplesOfMutualism.htm
Insane Snail Parasite
http://people.smu.edu/eheise/Leucochloridium_paradoxum.htm
The Arts of Deception-Camouflage and Mimicry
http://rainforests.mongabay.com/0306.htm
Mullerian Mimicry
http://io.uwinnipeg.ca/~simmons/Chap5398/sld016.htm
Commensalism
http://www.botany.uwc.ac.za/sci_ed/grade10/ecology/symbiosis/commen.htm
Ants and Acacias- Mutualism
http://waynesword.palomar.edu/acacia.htm#thorn1.gif
Pheromones
http://users.rcn.com/jkimball.ma.ultranet/BiologyPages/P/Pheromones.html
Mating Strategies
http://www.news.cornell.edu/Chronicle/00/12.14.00/mating_strategies.html
Mating Pair Strategies in Yellow Warblers, monogamous birds-Animal Behavior
http://www.life.uiuc.edu/pjw/1997-Y&W-AB.pdf
Brood Parasitism
http://fsc.fernbank.edu/Birding/parasitism.htm
Brood Parasites
http://www.stanford.edu/group/stanfordbirds/text/essays/Brood_Parasitism.html
Honybee communication
http://users.rcn.com/jkimball.ma.ultranet/BiologyPages/B/BeeDances.html
Kin selection and altruism
http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/altruism-biological/
Plant Succession
http://users.rcn.com/jkimball.ma.ultranet/BiologyPages/S/Succession.html
Secondary compounds in Plants- Botany Online
http://www.biologie.uni-hamburg.de/b-online/e20/20.htm
Plant Secondary compounds
http://www.angelfire.com/ri/skibizniz/plant_bio_102/powerpoints/12_secondary_
products.html
Plant Defenses
http://www.bio.davidson.edu/courses/Bio112/Bio112LabMan/bioassay.pdf
Avoidance of Plant Secondary Compounds by European Starlings
http://www.aphis.usda.gov/ws/nwrc/is/04pubs/hile041.pdf
Bombadier Beetles
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bombardier_beetle
Chapter 54-Community Ecology
1.How does a habitat differ from a niche?
2.How does an organisms realized niche differ from its fundamental
niche?
3.Explain the principle of competitive exclusion.
4.How do organisms avoid niche overlap and competitive exclusion?
5.Discuss character displacement.
6.Discuss coevolution in the following situations:
a. predator-prey relationships
b. plant-herbivore relationships
c. parasite-host relationships
d. mutualism
e. commensalism
7. How does Batesian mimicry differ from Mullerian mimicry?
8. What mechanisms have prey organisms evolved to evade
predators?
a. Animals
b. Plants
9. How have herbivores evolved to overcome plant defenses?
10. What is succession and what may be its causes?
11. How does primary succession differ from secondary succession?
12. What is a keystone species?
Chapter 52-Behavioral Biology
1. Based on this chapter, what are the key factors that contibute to a
behavior?
2. What events lead up to the performance of a fixed action pattern?
3. Discuss nonassociative learning, habituation, and sensitization.
4. Compare classical conditioning to operant conditioning.
5. What role does instinct play in behavior?
6. What is imprinting?
7. What factors allow a bird to learn to sing a proper song?
8. Compare circadian rhythms to circannual rhythms.
9. Define the following: diurnal, nocturnal, crepuscular
10. What are pheromones used for?
11. Discuss honeybee communication.
12. Differentiate between taxis and kinesis
13. What cues are used for naviagation and migration in buterflies anmd
birds?
14. What is cognitive behavior?
15. Discuss the benefits and costs of the following behaviors:
a. foraging
b. territoriality
c. mate choice and courtship
d. agonistic
e. altruism
16. What factors contribute to the evolution of monogamy, polygyny, and
polyandry?
17. What is reproductive fitness? inclusive fitness?
18. In which species is sexual dimorphism more pronounced?
19. Which type of young require more parental investment, altrical or
precocial?
20. Discuss Hamilton's Rule and kin selection
21. What are the benefits and disadvantages of group living?
22. What is the adaptive value of any particular evolved behabior?
Chapter 39- Plant Defenses
1. What is a secondary metabolite?
2. How do plants use secondary metabolites as defense systems?
3. Discuss coevolution between plants and their insect predators.
4. Discuss partnerships that plants have evolved with animals that provide
protection from predators.
5. How is the wound response in plants related to signal transduction in
animal cells?
AP LAB 11- Animal Behavior-(Wet Lab) and
Virtual Lab-Prentice Hall Lab Bench- The Biology Place
http://www.phschool.com/science/biology_place/labbench/lab11/in
tro.html
______________________________________________________________________
Unit 5- Ecology- Population Dynamics, Ecosystems, Human Impact
Unit 5 also relates to the theme of Organisms and Populations,
which is 50% of the AP Exam.
Read Chapters 53, 55, 56, 57
Websites:
Community and Ecosystem Dynamics
http://www.emc.maricopa.edu/faculty/farabee/BIOBK/BioBookcommecosys.html
The Biosphere and Biogeochemical Cycles
http://www.emc.maricopa.edu/faculty/farabee/BIOBK/BioBookcycles.html
Population Ecology
http://www.emc.maricopa.edu/faculty/farabee/BIOBK/BioBookpopecol.html
World Population clock
http://www.ibiblio.org/lunarbin/worldpop
US Census World Population clock
http://www.census.gov/ipc/www/popclockworld.html
Population Pyramids
http://www.census.gov/ipc/www/idbpyr.html
Survivorship curves
http://users.rcn.com/jkimball.ma.ultranet/BiologyPages/P/Populations2.html
Nitrogen Cycle
http://library.thinkquest.org/11353/nitrogen.htm
Nitrogen Cycle
http://www.physicalgeography.net/fundamentals/9s.html
Phosphorus cycle
http://neptune.gsfc.nasa.gov/STAFF/brianc/phospho.html
Eutrophication
http://www.umanitoba.ca/institutes/fisheries/eutro.html
Carbon Cycle
http://neptune.gsfc.nasa.gov/STAFF/brianc/co2.html
Water Science for Schools- USGS
http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/mearth.html
Journey to Planet Earth- PBS
http://www.pbs.org/journeytoplanetearth/
Environmental Biology-Ecosystems
http://www.marietta.edu/~biol/102/ecosystem.html
Ozone
http://airnow.gov/index.cfm?action=health2.index
What is Acid Rain?
http://pubs.usgs.gov/gip/acidrain/2.html
Global Warming
http://globalwarming.enviroweb.org/ishappening/ishappening_frameset.html
Climate Change
http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/
Invasive species-Zebra Mussels
http://nas.er.usgs.gov/taxgroup/mollusks/zebramussel/default.asp
Primary Productivity
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Primary_production
Chapter 53-Population Ecology
1. Discuss the three types of population dispersion and the ecological or
evolutionary reasons for each particular pattern.
2. How do metapopulations help a species to avoid extinction?
3. What factors influence the growth rate of a population?
4. What is the relationship between body size and generation time?
5. Distinguish between the three types of survivorship curves and give an
example of each.
6. How does an organism balance reproductive fitness with the cost of
reproduction?
7. Define semelparity and iteroparity- what are the adaptive advantages of
each?
8. When would you expect a population to have:
a. a sigmoid growth curve (S curve)
b. an exponential growth curve (J curve)
9. How do density dependent factors differ from density independent
factors?
10. Why do many populations cycle between times of abundance and
times of scarcity?
11. Describe;
a. k selected species- advantages? disadvantages?
b. r selected species- advantages? disadvantages?
12. What can a population pyramid tell you about a population?
13. What are the characteristics of a slow growing or stable population?
14. What factors cause a population’s growth to slow down?
Chapter 55-Dynamics of Ecosystems and Human Impact on the
Environment
.
1. Discuss the flow of water through the hydrologic cycle.
2. What role does transpiration play in the water cycle?
3. How do humans interfere with the water cycle?
4. Discuss the carbon cycle.
5. How have humans interfered with the carbon cycle?
6. Discuss the activities of bacteria that enable the nitrogen cycle to
operate?
7. How have human activities altered the nitrogen and phosphorus cycles?
8. Discuss the phosphorus cycle and the role of mycorhizae in the process.
9. What were the conclusions of the Hubbard Brook experiment?
10. Why are food chains never very long?
11. How much energy moves between levels of the trophic level system?
12. How does gross primary productivity compare with net primary
productivity?
13. Define secondary productivity.
14. Which ecosystems are the most productive?
15. Compare and contrast the pyramids of biomass, energy, and numbers.
16. Differentiate between top-down regulation of trophic systems and
bottom-up regulation.
17.What is species richness and what factors promote it?
18.Why are there more species in the tropics?
19. Discuss the equilibrium model of island biogeography proposed by E
O. Wilson.
AP LAB 12- Dissolved Oxygen and Aquatic Primary Productivity
(Wet Lab)
(Virtual Lab)- Prentice Hall Lab Bench-The Biology Place
http://www.phschool.com/science/biology_place/labbench/lab12/in
tro.html
The Biosphere- Chapter 56
1. What three types of adaptations to local environments do organisms
display?
2. What are the underlying causes of Earth's climate patterns?
3. What is the rain shadow effect?
4. Compare the effects of latitude and altitude on ecosystem structure.
5. What factors are responsible for the distribution of the major biomes?
6. What are the major characteristics of each of the major biomes?
7. What causes the phenomenon known as El Nino?
8. Discuss horizontal and vertical divisions of the marine environment.
What factors determine these divisions?
9. Discuss vertical stratification of freshwater ecosystems with respect to
light and temperature.
10. How do the properties of water contribute to spring and fall overturns?
11. Why are overturns and upwellings important?
12. Compare oligotrophic and eutrophic lakes.
Future of the Biosphere-Chapters 56 and 57
1. What is the primary factor that contributes to almost all other
environmental problems?
2. How can we produce more food to support growing populations?
3. What problems are associated with the use of nuclear power?
4. What evidence supports the concept of global warming?
5. Outline some possible effects of global warming.
6. How does biological magnification happen?
7. What are endocrine mimics or disruptors?
8. What are the primary causes of acid rain and dry acid depostion?
9. How does acid rain affect aquatic ecosystems?
10. How does acid rain affect soils and plants?
11. Discuss the chemical process that leads to the thinning of the ozone
layer.
12. How are photochemical smog and ground level ozone created?
13. Why is deforestation a major problem, especially in tropical regions?
14. What steps should be followed to solve environmental problems?
15. What is the concept of sustainability and why should it be a goal?
Conservation Biology- Chapter 57
1. How can we preserve topsoil?
2. What problems are associated with groundwater depletion?
3. How can biodiversity be preserved?
4. What are the major factors that contribute to extinction of a species?
5. Why are keystone species so important to an ecosystem?
________________________________________________________________________
Unit 6- The Chemistry of Life
(Units 6 and 7 relate to the Chemistry of Life-7% of AP Exam and
Cellular Energetics-8% of AP Exam)
Read Chapter 2 and 3
The Nature of Molecules
The Chemical Building Blocks of Life
Websites:
Large Molecules Problem Set- The Biology Project
http://www.biology.arizona.edu/biochemistry/problem_sets/large_molecules/large
_molecules_problems.html
Biochemistry of Amino Acids
http://web.indstate.edu/thcme/mwking/amino-acids.html
Major Roles of Lipids
http://web.indstate.edu/thcme/mwking/lipids.html
Biochemistry of Carbohydrates
http://web.indstate.edu/thcme/mwking/lipids.html
Biochemistry of Nucleic Acids
http://web.indstate.edu/thcme/mwking/lipids.html
Terpenes
http://dl.clackamas.cc.or.us/ch106-06/terpenes.htm
Discover How Proteins Function
http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/units/basics/protein/
Biological Molecule tests
http://science.nhmccd.edu/biol/macromol/controls.html
Chapter 2 -The Nature of Molecules (see also chapters on energy,
photosynthesis, respiration, and nutrition and transport in plants for
examples of concepts.)
1. What are the biological uses of radioisotopes?
2. Why are oxidation, reduction, and electron transfer important in
biological systems? Give examples to support your answer.
3. What are the most common elements in biological systems and what are
their uses?
4. How does the elemental composition of plants differ from that of
animals?
5. How can the rate of a chemical reaction be increased? How is it done in
living organism?
6. Why must living organisms use energy?
7. What are coupled reactions?
8. What is the biological significance of water's thermal properties?
9. What is the biological significance of water's density properties?
10. What causes surface tension?
11. What makes water rise up through the trunk of a tree?
12. Why is water such a good solvent?
13. How does water affect the structure of macromolecules?
14. What are buffers, and why are they important in living systems?
Explain buffering in the human circulatory system.
Chap. 3- The Chemical Building Blocks of Life
1. Why are functional groups important to the structure and function of
biological molecules?
2. Why is carbon well-suited to be the basis of organic chemistry?
3. How are macromolecules built or torn apart in living systems?
4. What is meant by the term protein specificity? How is this specificity
attained?
5. What determines the structure of a protein?
6. How does a motif differ from a domain?
7. What role do chaperonins play?
8. How does a nucleoside differ from a nucleotide?
9. Why does A only bond to T and C only to G in DNA molecules?
10.How does RNA differ from DNA?
11.What proerty do all lipids share?
12.How does a saturated fat differ from an unsaturated fat?
13.Why do fats contain more energy that sugars or proteins?
14.How do fructose, glucose, and galactose differ from one another? How
are they similar?
15.What functions do dissacherides serve in plants and animals?
16.How does plant starch differ from animal starch?
17.Why is cellulose indigestible by most organisms?
18.How does chitin differ from cellulose?
19.What properties of a phospholipid allow the formation of cell
membranes?
20.What two classes of macromolecules contain hormones?
________________________________________________________________________
Unit 7- Energy Processes in Living Organisms
Unit 7 relates to Cellular Energetics (8% of AP Exam) and the
Chemistry of Life (7% of the Exam)
Read Chapters 8, 9, 10 Energetics
Websites:
ATP and Biological Energy
http://www.emc.maricopa.edu/faculty/farabee/BIOBK/BioBookATP.html
Interactive Tutorial- Respiration
http://science.nhmccd.edu/biol/bio1int.htm
ATP Synthase animation
http://www.biologie.uni-osnabrueck.de/biophysik/junge/pics.html
Cellular Metabolism and Fermentation
http://www.emc.maricopa.edu/faculty/farabee/BIOBK/BioBookGlyc.html
Electron Flow in Photosynthesis
http://www.zoo.utoronto.ca/able/volumes/vol-10/4-harris/4-harris.htm
Oxygenic Photosynthesis
http://www.biology.ualberta.ca/facilities/multimedia/index.php?Page=250
Photosynthesis
http://www.emc.maricopa.edu/faculty/farabee/BIOBK/BioBookPS.html
The Power of Green
http://photoscience.la.asu.edu/photosyn/default.html
Enzymes
http://ull.chemistry.uakron.edu/genobc/Chapter_20/
Enzymes
http://users.rcn.com/jkimball.ma.ultranet/BiologyPages/E/Enzymes.html
Enzymes, Kinetics and Diagnostic Use
http://web.indstate.edu/thcme/mwking/enzyme-kinetics.html
Reactions and Enzymes
http://www.emc.maricopa.edu/faculty/farabee/BIOBK/BioBookEnzym.html
Energy, Enzymes and Catalysis Problem Set
http://www.biology.arizona.edu/biochemistry/problem_sets/energy_enzymes_cata
lysis/energy_enzymes_catalysis.html
Chapter 8-Energy and metabolism
1. How do the laws of thermodynamics affect energy flow through living
organisms?
2. What is free energy? What is meant by a positive or negative free
energy change?
3. How do enzymes reduce activation energy?
4. Discuss the induced fit theory of enzyme activity.
5. What factors affect enzyme activity? How does each factor affect the
enzyme's function?
6. How do cofactors differ from coenzymes, or do they?
7. Discuss the ATP-ADP cycle. How does ATP store energy?
8. How did biochemical pathways evolve?
9. Discuss negative feedback or end product inhibition of biochemical
pathways.
10.How does each of the following influence the rate of an enzyme
catalyzed reaction?
a. increasing the concentration of the substrate
b. increasing the amount of enzyme when the substrate is constant.
c. adding a molecule that is similar to the substrate
d. adding mercury or other heavy metal
e. adding a molecule that binds to the allosteric sit of the enzyme
11.Free energy is an important concept in biological reactions. Many
chemical reactions have positive free energy. How is it possible that
these reactions are carried out in a cell?
12.What role do cofactors (metals and coenzymes) play in enzyme
regulated reactions?
AP LAB 2- Enzyme Catalysis (Wet Lab)
Investigating Enzyme Catalysis Using Toothpickase-(Dry Lab)
Skinner, Peggy O’Neill. “Investigating Enzyme Reaction Rate Using
Toothpickase.” Burlington, NC. Carolina Biological Supply, 1998
Prentice Hall Lab Bench- The Biology Place (Virtual Lab)
http://www.phschool.com/science/biology_place/labbench/lab2/int
ro.html
Respiration- Chapter 9
1. Compare aerobic respiration, anaerobic respiration, and fermentation.
2. What free energy change is obtained by the catabolism of one mole of
glucose at STP?
3. Living organisms basically make their ATP in two ways, substrate level
phosphorylation and chemiosmosis. Compare and contrast these two
mechanisms.
4. Summarize glycolysis with respect to the following:
a. fate of glucose
b. use of ATP and production of ATP
c. NAD+ molecules reduced to NADH
d. Number of Hydrogens trapped
e. mechanism by which ATP is produced
5. Why must NADH be regenerated to NAD+ by aerobic respiration or
fermentation?
6. Why do fermentation when it produces no extra energy?
7. What is the overall purpose of the Krebs Cycle?
8. Where are the carbon dioxide products produced in the respiration
process?
9. With respect to the Krebs cycle:
a. How many ATP's are produced and by what process?
b. How many NAD+ molecules are reduced to NADH?
c. How many times does it operate per glucose molecule?
10.What role do oxidation/reduction reactions play in the generation of
ATP?
11.Trace the flow of electrons through the electron transport chain.
12.How many ATP's are generated:
a. per NADH molecule? Why?
b. per FADH2 molecule? Why?
c. in the entire electron transport chain?
d. in the entire respiration process?
13. How is the production of ATP inhibited if the cell has enough already?
14. How do other molecules like fats and proteins enter the respiration
pathway?
15. What is the role of oxygen in the respiration process?
AP LAB 5- Cell Respiration (Wet Lab)
Prentice Hall Lab Bench (Virtual Lab)
http://www.phschool.com/science/biology_place/labbench/lab5/int
ro.html
Photosynthesis-Chapter 10
1. How does the structure of the thylakoid membrane facilitate the process
of photosynthesis?
2. What substance serves as an electron donor in photosynthesis?
3. What does the term "reducing power" mean?
4. What is the function of a pigment?
5. What role do accessory pigments play in photosynthesis?
6. Compare bacterial photosynthesis with plant photosynthesis.
7. Trace the flow of electrons through photosystem I and photosystem II
8. What are the major products of the light independent reaction?
9. What enzyme fixes carbon dioxide?
10. What is the purpose of the Calvin or C3 cycle?
11. How does C4 photosynthesis prevent the loss of energy due to
photorespiration?
12. How is photosynthesis altered in arid environments?
AP LAB 4- Plant Pigments and Photosynthesis (Wet Lab)
Prentice Hall Lab Bench (Virtual lab)
http://www.phschool.com/science/biology_place/labbench/lab4/int
ro.html
________________________________________________________________________
Unit 8- Cell Structure and Function
(Unit 8 relates to Cell Structure and Function-10% of AP Exam
as well as Structure and Function of Plants and Animals-32% of AP
Exam)
Read Chapters 5,6,49, 58- Cells and Homeostasis
Websites:
Cell Organelles and Functions
http://carrot.mcb.uconn.edu/~gogarten/mcb259/organelles.htm
Comparing Prokaryotes and Eukaryotes
http://www.biology.ualberta.ca/facilities/multimedia/index.php?Page=253
Studying Cells Tutorial
http://www.biology.arizona.edu/cell_bio/tutorials/cells/cells.html
Peroxisomes and Glyoxisomes
http://www.biologie.uni-hamburg.de/b-online/e23/23c.htm
Cell Biology Animation
http://www.johnkyrk.com/
Eukaryote
http://www.mrs.umn.edu/~goochv/CellBio/lectures/euk/euk.html
Cell animations- Don Slish, Ph.D.
http://faculty.plattsburgh.edu/donald.slish/animations.html
Membrane Transport Animations
http://www.northland.cc.mn.us/biology/Biology1111/animations/transport1.html
Cells Alive
http://www.cellsalive.com/
Cell Membrane Transport
http://www.emc.maricopa.edu/faculty/farabee/biobk/BioBooktransp.html
Membrane Transport animations
http://www.wiley.com/legacy/college/boyer/0470003790/animations/membrane_t
ransport/membrane_transport.htm
Cell Membrane Transport
http://library.thinkquest.org/C004535/cell_membranes.html
Excretory System
http://www.emc.maricopa.edu/faculty/farabee/biobk/BioBookEXCRET.html
Chapter 5-Cell Structure
1. Why must cells be small?
2. Compare and contrast prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells with respect to
the following:
a. organization of hereditary material
b. membrane bound organelles
c. presence of ribosomes
d. components of cell walls
e. compartmentalization of cellular activities
f. structural components of flagella
g. mechanism of cell division
3. How do gram positive bacteria differ from gram negative bacteria
4. Why are internal membranes of such importance to a eukaryotic cell?
5. How does the function of rough ER differ from that of smooth ER?
6. Compare and contrast plant and animal cells.
7. Discuss the secretory pathway from the time a protein is produced by
the ribosome until it is exported from the cell.
8. How are the hydrolytic enzymes of the lysosome activated?
9. Compare the structure and function of microfilaments, microtubules,
and intermediate filaments.
10. How is movement achieved in and by cells?
LAB- Observing Plant and Animal Cells (Wet Lab)
Chapter 6-Cell Membranes
1. Describe the Fluid Mosaic Model of membrane structure
2. How are cell membranes studied?
3. Discuss the functions of the various kinds of proteins in the plasma
membrane.
4. Why are membranes selectively permeable?
5. How does facilitated diffusion differ from active transport?
6. Which way does water flow when a cell is placed in:
a. a hyposmotic or hypotonic solution
b. a hyperosmotic or hypertonic solution
c. an isosmotic or isotonic solution
7. Compare receptor-mediated endocytosis with other forms of
endocytosis.
8. How does the sodium-potassium pump work? (see also pgs 1076-1077)
9. How does coupled transport work? Give some examples. (see digestive
system- absorption of glucose)
AP LAB 1- Diffusion and Osmosis (Wet Lab)
Prentice Hall Lab Bench (Virtual Lab)
http://www.phschool.com/science/biology_place/labbench/lab1/int
ro.html
Chapter 49-Regulation of the Internal Environment
1. Compare the osmotic problems of marine fish and freshwater fish. How
does each deal with their particular problem?
2. Trace the evolution of osmoregulatory organs from flatworms to
vertebrates.
3. How do sharks deal with osmotic stress?
4. Why does living in an estuary pose unique osmotic problems?
Solutions?
5. Define osmolality, tonicity, and water potential.
6. Compare and contrast the advantages and disadvantages of producing
the following as waste products:
Ammonia
Urea
Uric acid
7. Why can only mammals and birds produce urine that is hypertonic to
their body fluids? Why are mammals the best at this?
8. What are the functions of the following parts of the mammalian kidney?
Glomerulus and Bowman's capsule
Proximal convoluted tubule
Loop of Henle
Distal Convoluted tubule
Collecting Duct
9. How much blood flows through the kidneys each day? How much water
leaves the blood each day? How much water is reabsorbed and put back
into the blood each day? How much is excreted?
10. Explain how the countercurrent multiplier system in the loop of Henle
and the countercurrent exchange between the Vasa recta and the loop
of Henle work together to create a hypertonic renal medulla
11. Discuss the action of ADH on kidney function
12. How do aldosterone, ADH, renin, and angiotensin II interact to control
the levels of sodium, potassium, and water in the blood.
_______________________________________________________________________
Unit 9-Cellular Communication Mechanisms (Connections in many
units) (Relates to Structure and Function of Plants and Animals-32% of
AP Exam as well as Cells-10% of AP Exam)
Read Chapter 7, 19 as main chapters
Also 43 (pg900-902),44 (pg 920), 45 (pg 939-953, 964-966), 46 (pg
975-976,) 47 (pg 991-999), 48 (pg 1017, 1020-1025) for specific examples.
Websites:
Cell Junction Images
http://images.google.com/images?q=cell+junctions&hl=en&rls=GGLR,GGLR:20
05-40,GGLR:en&um=1&sa=X&oi=images&ct=title
Cell Junctions
http://users.rcn.com/jkimball.ma.ultranet/BiologyPages/J/Junctions.html
Signal Transduction
http://www.biochemweb.org/signaling.shtml
Cell Signaling Pathways
http://www.sigmaaldrich.com/Area_of_Interest/Life_Science/Cell_Signaling/Scie
ntific_Resources/Pathway_Slides___Charts.html
Antigen Presentation
http://www.cellsalive.com/antibody.htm
Immune System
http://uhaweb.hartford.edu/BUGL/immune.htm
Nervous System
http://www.emc.maricopa.edu/faculty/farabee/BIOBK/BioBookNERV.html
G Protein animation
http://entochem.tamu.edu/G-Protein/index.html
Neuron Coding and Information Transfer
http://entochem.tamu.edu/neurobiology/index.html
Action Potential animation
http://intro.bio.umb.edu/111-112/112s99Lect/neuro_anims/a_p_anim1/WW1.htm
Action Potential Images
http://intro.bio.umb.edu/111-112/112s99Lect/neuro_anims/a_p_anim1/WW3.htm
Nerve Impulse Animations
http://outreach.mcb.harvard.edu/animations/actionpotential.swf
Action Potential graph
http://www.psych.ualberta.ca/~ITL/ap/ap.swf
Nerve Impulse Animation
http://www.biology4all.com/resources_library/source/63.swf
Saltatory Conduction- The Animated Brain
http://www.brainviews.com/abFiles/AniSalt.htm
Chapter 7-Cell-Cell Interactions-Cell signaling and communication between cells:
1. What determines which signals can produce a response within a
cell?
2. What are the four basic types of cell signaling?
3. By what methods were cell surface receptors characterized?
4. Lipid soluble signals interact with intracellular receptors
after entering the cell. Give some examples of this process. (see also
pgs1130-1131)
5. Compare the first messenger signaling pathway with the second
messenger pathway.
6. How do G-Protein-Linked-Receptors work?
7. Compare and contrast the two types of second messenger
systems.(see also 1132-1133)
8. How are signals amplified in cells, magnifying the response.
9. What are the two types of cell identity markers? Why do cells
need them?
10. Discuss the structure and function of the three types of cell
junctions.
11. Give examples of cell signaling within the immune system.
12. Discuss cell signaling in the induction process during
development (341)
13. During development, cells migrate throughout the embryo to
reach their final destinations. How do they know when to stop and form
tissues and organs?
14. Discuss the chain of events that lead up to and cause muscle
contraction
15. Compare and contrast negative feedback
16. Explain communication during Glucose regulation-902
How do insulin and glucagon interact to control blood
glucose conc.?
16. Control of digestion- 900-901
What hormones control digestion?
17. Control of blood volume- 920
See Q 12 above
Chapter 45-Neurons, neurotransmitters and synapses- 939-953,964-966
1. How is the resting potential produced in a neural membrane?
2. Discuss the steps in an action potential. Why does each happen?
3. What allows impulses to move faster on an axon?
4. How do signals cross synapses?
5. Discuss the different types of neurotransmitters and their effects.
6. What is synaptic integration?
7. What is the neurological basis of addiction?
8. How do reflexes differ from normal relaying of messages?
9. How does the sympathetic division of the autonomic nervous
system prepare you to flee or fight?
10. When would the parasympathetic division be most active?
Paracrine Signaling- 936
1. What does nitric oxide do?
Chemoreception1. How do aortic and carotid bodies control pH (chemoreception- 932)
2. How do we taste and smell- (contact receptors-975-976)
Chapter 47 -Endocrine signaling and hormones (pg 992-999)
1. How do protein messages differ from steroid messages?
2. What are the two most important second messenger
pathways?
Chapter 19- Cellular Mechanisms of Development
1. How do cells acquire their cell fates?
Induction and determination during development-391-394
Chapter 48- Communication in the Immune System
Communication in the immune response-1017,1020-1025
antigen presentation, macrophages, B cells, T cells
Positive and negative feedback- study examples
1. How does the immune system detect invaders?
2. How does antigen presentation take place?
3. How do B cells and T cells communicate?
4. What are the functions of lymphokines?
5. Discuss positive feedback and T Cell activation
________________________________________________________________________
Unit 10-Cell Division
(Unit 10 relates to Cells (10% of AP Exam) and Heredity (8% of
AP Exam) as well as Continuity and Change.
Read Chapters 11-12
Cell Division- Mitosis, Meiosis
Websites:
Interactive Mitosis Tutorial
http://www.sci.sdsu.edu/multimedia/mitosis/
The Cell Cycle
http://users.rcn.com/jkimball.ma.ultranet/BiologyPages/C/CellCycle.html
Checkpoints in the Cell Cycle
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/bv.fcgi?rid=mcb.section.3575
Cell cycle checkpoints
http://www.answers.com/topic/cell-cycle-checkpoint
Cell Cycle animation
http://www.cellsalive.com/cell_cycle.htm
Online Onion Root Tips
http://www.biology.arizona.edu/cell_bio/activities/cell_cycle/cell_cycle.html
Cell Division- Meiosis
http://www.emc.maricopa.edu/faculty/farabee/BIOBK/BioBookmeiosis.html
Cell Division Tutorials
http://biog-101-104.bio.cornell.edu/BioG101_104/tutorials/cell_division.html
Meiosis
http://taggart.glg.msu.edu/bs110/meiosis.htm
Meiosis: An Interactive Animation
http://www.cellsalive.com/meiosis.htm
Nova Online- How Cells Divide- Mitosis vs. Meiosis
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/miracle/divide.html#
Mitosis: An Interactive Animation
http://www.cellsalive.com/mitosis.htm
Prentice Hall Biocoach Activity- assembling the stages of meiosis
http://www.phschool.com/science/biology_place/biocoach/meiosis/stages.html
Crossing Over in Meiosis
http://www.accessexcellence.org/RC/VL/GG/crossing.html
Crossing Over and Genetic Recombination in Meiosis
http://users.rcn.com/jkimball.ma.ultranet/BiologyPages/C/CrossingOver.html
Crossing Over in Sordaria
http://www.jdenuno.com/PDFfiles/Sordaria.pdf
Chapter 11 and 12
Mitosis
1. How does cell division in prokaryotes differ from that of eukaryotes?
2. How does mitosis differ in plants, animals, and fungi?
3. What is the purpose of mitosis?
4. How and why is chromatin packaged into chromosomes?
5. What is a karyotype? what does it tell us about an individual?
6. What do diploid and haploid mean?
7. How do sister chromatids differ from homologous chromosomes?
8. What controls the progression of a cell from each stage of the cell
cycle to the next?
9. Summarize the events of each of the following:
a. prophase
b. metaphase
c. anaphase
d. telophase
e. cytokinesis
10. How do growth factors promote cell division?
11. How do growth factors influence the cell cycle, sometimes leading to
cancer?
Meiosis
1. What is the purpose of meiosis?
2. During which stage of meiosis does reduction division take place?
3. How does the sexual life cycle of plants differ from that of animals?
4. Which stage of meiosis is know as the reduction division? Why?
5. Discuss the events of Prophase I of meiosis. How do they differ from
prophase of mitosis?
6. How do metaphase I of meiosis and metaphase of mitosis differ?
7. How does the separation of chromatids differ in mitosis and meiosis?
8. What happens during synapsis?
9. How does crossing over contribute to variability?
10.How does independent assortment of chromatid pairs contribute to
variability?
11.How does spematogenesis differ from oogenesis?
AP LAB 3- Mitosis and Meiosis-(Wet Lab)
Online Virtual Lab- Onion Root Tips- University of Arizona
http://www.biology.arizona.edu/cell_bio/activities/cell_cycle/cell_c
ycle.html
________________________________________________________________________
Unit 11-Reproduction and Development
Unit 11 relates to Structure and Function of Plants and Animals
(32% pf AP Exam), Continuity and Change, and Science,
Technology and Society.
Websites:
Flowering Plant Reproduction
http://www.emc.maricopa.edu/faculty/farabee/biobk/BioBookflowersII.html
AsexualReproduction in Plants
http://www.ri.net/schools/Narragansett/NHS/PerDwebpage/asexual.html
Advantages of Asexual and Sexual Reproduction
http://library.thinkquest.org/22016/contribute/asex_sex.htm
Plant Life Cycle Images
http://www.biology.ualberta.ca/facilities/multimedia/index.php?Page=250
Asexual Reproduction in Plants and Animals
http://users.rcn.com/jkimball.ma.ultranet/BiologyPages/A/AsexualReproduction.h
tml
Spermatogenesis
http://www.cvm.okstate.edu/instruction/mm_curr/histology/MR/HiMRP4.htm
Sexual Reproduction in Humans
http://users.rcn.com/jkimball.ma.ultranet/BiologyPages/S/Sexual_Reproduction.ht
ml
Meiosis and Gametogenesis
http://faculty.clintoncc.suny.edu/faculty/Michael.Gregory/files/Bio%20100/Bio%
20100%20Lectures/Meiosis/meiosis.htm
Oogenesis
http://www.cvm.okstate.edu/instruction/mm_curr/histology/fr/HiFRp05.htm
Apoptosis
http://www.acs.ucalgary.ca/~browder/apoptosis.html
Embryonic Induction
http://www.dac.neu.edu/biology/c.ellis/emb22/
Developmental Mechanisms problem Set-Mangold and Spemann EXP.
http://www.biology.arizona.edu/developmental_bio/problem_sets/Developmental
_Mechanisms/06t.html
Chapter 50- Sex and Reproduction
1. What are the advantages and disadvantages of asexual and sexual
reproduction?
2. How is sex determined in mammals?
3. How do Oviparity, Ovoviviparity, and Viviparity differ?
4. How do males and females who use external fertilization know when to
release their gametes?
5. What is the advantage of internal fertilization?
6. Discuss the functions of the extraembryonic membranes in an amniotic
egg.
7. Compare and contrast spermatogenesis and oogenesis in humans.
8. What role does negative feedback play in the hormonal control of sperm
production?
9. Discuss the interactions between the hormones that control the
menstrual cycle.
10. How does a viable embryo signal the mother to prevent menstruation?
Chapter 19-Cellular mechanisms of Development
1. How does plant development differ from animal development?
2. Discuss Metamorphosis in insects.
3. What role do genes play in pattern formation and the formation of a
body plan in fruit flies?
4. What are homeotic genes?
5. What is significant about the fact that diverse organisms such as a fruit
fly and a mouse have very similar Hox genes? What theme of biology
does this represent?
6. What role does apoptosis play in development?
Chapter 51- Vertebrate Development
1. What usually prevents more that one sperm from entering and egg?
2. What determines the location of the gray crescent and what does the
gray crescent determine for the embryo?
3. How does cleavage differ in mammals as compared to other chordates?
Why is this significant?
4. The cells of the blastocyst are already beginning to commit to particular
developmental pathways. What influences this process?
5. How does gastrulation happen? What is its most important result?
6. What happens during neurulation?
7. What is the function of the neural crest in vertebrates?
8. What role does cellular communication play in development?
9. How does determination differ from commitment?
10. When are most of a baby’s organs formed during pregnancy?
11. What role does positive feedback play in birth?
Chapter 41- Reproduction in Plants
1. What are the various pathways that lead to the formation of flowers?
2. What is the difference between a monoecious plant and a dioecious
plant?
3. What evolutionary trends are evident in the alternation of generation
lifestyle as you compare primitive plants like mosses and ferns to more
advanced plants like angiosperms?
4. How are pollen grains produced in angiosperms?
5. How are the cells of the embryo sac formed?
6. Why is the coevolution of plants and their pollinators important?
7. What are the functions of a flower?
8. How can self pollination be advantageous.
9. How do plants avoid self pollination? What is the advantage of
outcrossing?
10. Discuss the fertilization process in plants. Why double fertilization?
Chapter 36- Plant Development
1. How does development in plants differ from development in animals?
2. How are three dimensional shape and form determined in plant
development?
3. What are the evolutionary advantages of producing seeds?
4. What are the functions of fruits?
5. Compare and contrast development in monocots and dicots.
6. Define the following terms:
hypocotyl
radicle
coleoptile
epicotyl
cotyledon
____________________________________________________________
Unit 12- The Discovery of DNA Structure and Function
Units 12 and 13 relates to Molecular Genetics (9% of AP Exam),
Science as a Process, and Science, Technology and Society themes
Read Chapters 14, 15, 18
Chapter 14- DNA, The Genetic Material
(Also DNA From the Beginning Web site) Cold Spring Harbor)
(Vitual Lab Exercises) Excellent Site!
http://www.dnaftb.org/dnaftb/
Other Websites:
DNA Interactive- Dolan DNA Learning Center
http://www.dnai.org/
Nucleic Acids Problem Set- The Biology Project
http://www.biology.arizona.edu/molecular_bio/problem_sets/nucleic_acids/nuclei
c_acids_1.html
The Basics and Beyond
http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/units/basics/
Hammerling’s Acetabularia
http://www.accessexcellence.org/RC/VL/GG/hammerling_s.html
and
http://www.science-projects.com/Acetabularia.htm
Famous DNA Experiments
http://library.thinkquest.org/27819/ch6_2.shtml
Griffith’s Experiment
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Griffith_experiment.svg
How Scientists Think- 21 Experiments
http://www.mhhe.com/biosci/genbio/rjbiology/rjhst.html
DNA Structure and function
http://biology.clc.uc.edu/courses/bio104/dna.htm
Access Excellence- Graphics Gallery
http://www.accessexcellence.org/RC/VL/GG/index.html
Gene Almanac- Biology Animation Library
http://www.dnalc.org/ddnalc/resources/animations.html
DNA and Molecular Genetics
http://www.emc.maricopa.edu/faculty/farabee/BIOBK/BioBookDNAMOLGEN.h
tml
Access Excellence- Biotech Chronicles
http://www.accessexcellence.org/RC/AB/BC/index.html
DNA Workshop-You Try It – PBS
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aso/tryit/dna/index.html
Polymerase Chain Reaction- Access Excellence
http://www.accessexcellence.org/RC/AB/IE/PCR_Xeroxing_DNA.html
Southern Blotting
http://lifesciences.asu.edu/resources/mamajis/southern/southern.html
Southern Blot animation
http://highered.mcgrawhill.com/olcweb/cgi/pluginpop.cgi?it=swf::535::535::/sites/dl/free/0072437316/120078/b
io_g.swf::Southern%20Blot
Western Blot Activity- The Biology Project
http://www.biology.arizona.edu/IMMUNOLOGY/activities/western_blot/w_main
.html
Western Blot Method
http://www.bio.davidson.edu/COURSES/genomics/method/Westernblot.html
Northern Blotting
http://lifesciences.asu.edu/resources/mamajis/northern/northern.html
lac Operon Animation
http://www.sumanasinc.com/webcontent/anisamples/majorsbiology/lacoperon.ht
ml
NDSU Virtual Cell-lac Operon animation
http://vcell.ndsu.nodak.edu/~christjo/vcell/animationSite/index.htm
lac Operon Movie
http://www.dartmouth.edu/~cbbc/courses/movies/LacOperon.html
lac Operon Animation Quiz
http://highered.mcgrawhill.com/sites/0072556781/student_view0/chapter12/animation_quiz_4.html
Chapter 14
1.What did each of the following classic experiments suggest?
Hammerling's work with Acetabularia
Levine's Chemical Analysis
Chargaff''s Chemical Analysis
Briggs and King's, John Gurdon's, and F.C. Steward's
combined works.
Griffith's transformation experiment.
Hershey Chase Experiment
Franklin's Experiments
Meselson- Stahl experiments
Beadle and Tatum's experiments
Frederick Sanger
Vernon Ingram
2. What are the functions of the three DNA polymerases used in
replication of DNA.
3. Why must primers be added during DNA replication?
4. Which is the leading strand and which is the lagging strand?
5. What do the following enzymes do?
DNA primase
DNA helicase
DNA ligase
DNA gyrase ( a topoisomerase)
6. What function do single stranded binding proteins fulfill?
7. What are the three stages of DNA replication in prokaryotes?
8. How does DNA replication differ in eukaryotes?
9. How did Beadle and Tatum create and test nutrional mutants in
Neurospora?
Chapter 15- Genes and How they Work
1. What are the four types of RNA molecules and their functions?
2. What are the functions of the E, P, and A sites on a ribosome?
3. How did Watson and Crick disover that the DNA message was a
triplet code?
4. What is a reading frame? How does a mutation affect it?
5. Is the code totally universal?
6. What enzyme carries out transcription? Where does it attach?
7. Discuss the three stages of transcription.
8. Can RNA polymerase repair mistakes? If not, why is it not a problem?
9. How does the RNA polymerase know where to stop transcibing in a
bacterium?
10.What do the three types of RNA polymerase do?
11.What post transcriptional modifications are made to primary RNA
transcripts?
12. How is splicing done in eukaryotes? What is alternative splicing?
13. How are specific amino acids attached to their respective tRNA
molecules?
14. How is initiation of translation achieved?
15. What do elongation factors do?
16. What is translocation (not in phloem)?
Chapter 18- Control of Gene Expression
1. List the various levels of gene expression control
2. How does DNA packaging affect access to a promoter?
3. Why does the DNA not need to be unzipped to locate a gene?
4. What are the four basic structural motifs that allow transcription
factors to attach to DNA?
5. How is gene expression regulated in prokaryotes?
6. How does an inducable operon differ from a repressible operon?
7. What motif does the tryptophan repressor use to attach to DNA?
8. How do activators affect gene expression? Why?
9. How does transcription in eukaryotes differ from prokaryotes?
What are the roles of the extra molecules?
10. Discuss posttranscriptional control in eukaryotes.
11. What is gene shuffling or variable gene expression?
________________________________________________________________________
Unit 13- Biotechnology and Molecular Biology
Unit 13 relates to Molecular Genetics (9% of AP Exam),
Science as a Process, and Science Technology and Society.
Read Chapters 16, 17
Websites:
See Also-Websites for Unit 12
Electrophoresis
http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/units/biotech/gel/
Gene Almanac-electrophoresis, transformation, PCR
http://www.dnalc.org/ddnalc/resources/electrophoresis.html
SDA Gel Electrophoresis
http://bcs.whfreeman.com/biochem5/cat_040/ch04/ch04xd02.htm
Interactive Animation- Restriction Enzymes and electrophoresis
http://www.wiley.com/legacy/college/boyer/0470003790/animations/agarose/agar
ose.htm
Gene Almanac- Polymerase Chain Reaction
http://www.dnalc.org/ddnalc/resources/pcr.html
Chapter 17- Genomes
1. What are the four classes of protein encoding genes?
2. What are the bvarious types of noncoding DNA in eukaryotes
3. What is synteny? What does it tell us?
4. What is a DNA microarray and what is it used for?
5. What is the science of proteonomics?
Chapter 16 -Gene Technology
1. Explain electrophoresis and what it tells us.
2. How and why is polymerase chain reaction done?
3. How do restriction enzymes work? Why are they used?
4. How is a DNA library constructed?
5. What are reporter genes?
6. How does a researcher locate a gene of interest?
7. What is recombinant DNA?
8. How is a cDNA library constructed and why?
9. How is DNA fingerprinting done?
10. Outline some important applications of biotechnology.
11. What is southern blotting? western blotting? northern blotting?
AP LAB 6- Molecular Biology (Electrophoresis and
Transformation) (Wet Lab)
Prentice Hall Lab Bench (Virtual Lab)
http://www.phschool.com/science/biology_place/labbench/lab6/int
ro.html
Virtual Lab- Agarose Electrophoresis
http://arbl.cvmbs.colostate.edu/hbooks/genetics/biotech/gels/virgel
.html
_______________________________________________________________________
Unit 14 – Genetics
Unit 14 relates to Heredity (8% of AP Exam), Cells (10% of AP
Exam), Continuity and Change, Science as a Process, and Science,
Technology and Society.
Read Chapter 13- Patterns of Inheritance
Websites:
Pea Soup- the Story of Mendel
http://www.sonic.net/~nbs/projects/anthro201/
Intro to Genetics
http://www.emc.maricopa.edu/faculty/farabee/BIOBK/BioBookgenintro.html
Mendelian Genetics- The Biology Project
http://www.biology.arizona.edu/mendelian_genetics/mendelian_genetics.html
Genetics Problems
http://sps.k12.ar.us/massengale/ap_geneticsproblems.htm
Genetics Practice Problems
http://biology.clc.uc.edu/courses/bio105/geneprob.htm
The Biology Project- Genetics Problem Sets
http://www.biology.arizona.edu/mendelian_genetics/problem_sets/monohybrid_c
ross/monohybrid_cross.html
What’s Your Bloodtype?
http://chapters.redcross.org/br/northernohio/INFO/bloodtype.html
Gene Interactions
http://www.emc.maricopa.edu/faculty/farabee/BIOBK/BioBookgeninteract.html
Human genetics
http://www.emc.maricopa.edu/faculty/farabee/BIOBK/BioBookhumgen.html
The Basics and Beyond
http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/units/basics/
Karyotyping activity
http://www.biology.arizona.edu/human_bio/activities/karyotyping/karyotyping.ht
ml
Human Genetic Disorders
http://www.cedarfalls.k12.ia.us/buildings/cfhs/Science/hones/Science/Human_Genetic_Disorders.html
Chapter 13
1. Why were garden peas a good choice for genetic experiments?
2. How do you establish a pure breeding organism?
3. What do the terms F1 and F2 signify?
4. How does phenotype differ from genotype?
5. What is a test cross? Why would you use one?
6. What is a phenotypic ration? a genotypic ratio?
7. When do actual results get closer to probable outcomes?
8. What are alleles?
9. Define homozygous and heterozygous.
10. Explain the following:
a. Law of segregation
b. Law of independent assortment
c. Principle of Dominance
11. What are homologous chromosomes?
12. Explain the following:
a. Continuous variation
b. Pleiotropy
c. Incomplete Dominance
d. Codominance
e. Epistasis
f. Variable expression of genes due to environmental effects
13. Be able to do the following types of problems:
a. Monohybrid crosses
b. Dihybrid Crosses
c. Multiple alleles problems
d. Interpreting a pedigree chart
e. Sex linkage problems
f. Incomplete dominance problems
g. Codominance problems
14. How is genetic recombination achieved?
15. How are crossing over mistakes fixed?
16. How can crossover frequency be used to construct a genetic map
17. Two genes on the same chromosome are said to be ______________.
18. What are the autosomes?
19. What is a Barr Body? Is it the same in every cell?
20. What are the effects of nondisjunction?
21. How can genetic defects be diagnosed before birth?
AP LAB 7- Genetics of Living Organisms/ Chi Square Analysis
(Wet Lab)
Prentice Hall Lab Bench (Virtual Lab)
http://www.phschool.com/science/biology_place/labbench/lab7/int
ro.html
____________________________________________________________________
Unit 15- Animal Systems (also evolutionary trends and comparisons of
humans and other animals)
Unit 15 relates to the Structure and Function of Plants and
Animals (32% of AP Exam), Chemistry of Life (7 % of AP Exam)
Diversity of Organisms (8% of AP Exam) and Evolutionary
themes.
Review chapter 34- Vertebrates
Read Chapters 42-51
Websites:
Muscle Contraction Animation
http://entochem.tamu.edu/MuscleStrucContractswf/index.html
Chapter 42 Animal Structure, Vertebrates, Locomotion
1.What are the functions of the major organ systems in a vertebrate?
2. Compare the systems evolutionarily from Porifera to vertebrata.
3. What is the function of epithelial tissue?
4. What are the four types of epithelial tissue? Give examples of each
type.
5. What do all connective tissues have in common?
6. What are the functions of the major types of connective tissues
7. How does cartilage differ from bone?
8. Discuss the basic structure of a bone.
9. Why is blood considered to be as connective tissue?
10. What are the basic types of blood cells and their functions?
11. How do the three types of muscle tissue differ?
12. How is nerve tissue different from all the other types?
13. What are the three types of animal skeletons? What are their main
functions?
14. What are the three types of joints?
15. How do the following differ?
origin vs. insertion
isometric vs. isotonic contraction
synergists vs. antagonists
16. Discuss the sliding filament model of muscle contraction
17. What is the role of Calcium in muscle contraction? What is the role of
ATP?
18. How is muscle contraction stimulated by the nervous system?
19. How do fast twitch and slow twitch muscle fibers differ?
20. What is summation? What is tetany?
21. What is creatine phosphate needed for?
Chapter 43 -Enzymes and Digestion
Websites:
Digestive system
http://www.emc.maricopa.edu/faculty/farabee/biobk/BioBookDIGEST.html
1. Compare the digestive systems of a hydra, planarian, roundworm,
annelid, and a vertebrate.
2. How does the digestive system of a carnivore differ from a herbivore?
3. How do birds compensate for a lack of teeth?
4. Why doesn't food get into the lungs?
5. What is the function of the esophagus? What is peristalsis?
6. What prevents food from moving back from the stomach into the
esophagus?
7. What do the following cells produce? What are the functions of the
secretions?
a. chief cells
b. parietal cells
8. What organic molecules are digested in the stomach?
9. What are the three parts of the small intestine? How long is each part?
10.What are the functions of villi and microvilli?
11.What do brush border enzymes do? Are they attached to anything?
12.What do the pancreatic secretions do? (bicarbonate, trypsin,
chymotrypsin, lipase, pancreatic amylase)
13. What are the functions of the liver secretions? (bile pigments and bile
salts)
14.What organic molecules are digested in the small intestine?
15.What organic molecules begin digestion in the mouth?
16. How are enzymes controlled so that hey do not act until secreted?
17. How are portal systems different from usual circulatory arrangements?
18. How does the absorption of the products of fat digestion differ from
the absorption of the products of protein or carbohydrate digestion?
19. How do cotransport systems help glucose cross the membranes of the
epithelial cells that line the digestive tract? (see pgs 120 and 121 for
cotransport mechanisms)
20. How much fluid is reabsorbed in the small intestine? in the large
intestine?
21. What is the function of the large intestine, or colon? How long is it?
22. What are the common functions of the cloaca in birds and reptiles?
23. What control system kicks in after each of the following stimuli?
a. proteins enter the stomach
b. secretion of gastrin
c. HCl lowers the pH of the stomach
d. chyme enters the small intestine
24. What are the functions of each of the following in the control of
digestion?
a. gastrin
b. pepsinogen
c.Cholecystokinin (CCK)
d. Secretin
e. Gastric Inhibitory Peptide (GIP)
f. Neural reflexes
25. What do the commensalistic bacteria in the large intestine produce for
us?
26. What is the normal function of an appendix in many animals?
Chapters 44-45 Circulation and Respiration
Websites:
Circulatory system
http://www.emc.maricopa.edu/faculty/farabee/biobk/BioBookcircSYS.html
http://biology.clc.uc.edu/courses/bio105/circulat.htm
Interactive Quizes
http://www.getbodysmart.com/ap/circulatory/menu/circulatory.html
Respiratory system
http://www.emc.maricopa.edu/faculty/farabee/biobk/BioBookRESPSYS.html
http://users.rcn.com/jkimball.ma.ultranet/BiologyPages/P/Pulmonary.html
Interactive Quizes
http://www.getbodysmart.com/ap/respiratorysystem/menu/animation.html
Countercurrent Exchange-countercurrent Multiplier
http://www.biol.sc.edu/~vogt/courses/phys/PDF/counter-current.pdf
Countercurrent exchange
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Counter-current_exchange
Circulation
1.Which is more efficient,an open circulatory system or a closed
circulatory system?
2. How do erythrocytes differ from leukocytes in structure and function?
3. What are the functions of the circulatory system?
4. What is plasma?
5. How do capillaries differ from arteries and veins?
6. How do veins differ from arteries?
7. What is the function of the lymph system?
8. Trace the evolution of the heart from fish, to amphibians, to reptiles, to
mammals and birds.
9. Trace the flow of blood through a human circulatory system.
10.What are the functions of the following in the cardiac cycle:
tricuspid valve
bicuspid or mitral valve
pulmonary valve
aortic valve
11. Define the terms systole and disastole. How do these relate to blood
pressure?
12.
Discuss the events involved in electrical excitation and
contraction of the heart.
13. Correlate the events of the cardiac cycle to an EKG diagram.
14. What is the baroreceptor reflex?
15. How does arteriosclerosis differ from atherosclerosis?
AP LAB 10- Physiology of the Circulatory System (Wet Lab)
Prentice Hall LabBench Activity- (Virtual Lab)
http://www.phschool.com/science/biology_place/labbench/lab10/in
tro.html
Respiratory System
1. What are the properties of a good gas exchange surface, according to
Fick's Law of diffusion?
2. Why is it more difficult to breathe at high altitudes?
3. How does counter current exchange in gills allow the maximum
absorption of oxygen?
4. How do insects obtain oxygen?
5. What are the advantages and disadvantages of a lung?
6. How do amphibians maximize oxygen uptake?
7. Why are bird lungs more efficient than ours?
8. What is meant by the phrase "negative pressure breathing"?
9. What are tidal volume and vital capacity?
10.What controls the rate of breathing?
11.Why is hemoglobin able to load oxygen at the lungs but release
it at the tissues?
12.What is the Bohr effect and what does it do to hemoglobin's affinity for
oxygen? Why is it important?
13.How is carbon dioxide carried back to the lungs?
14.Why is it important that most of the carbon dioxide in the blood stream
is in the form of bicarbonate?
15.Hemoglobin also carries nitric oxide. What is its function?
Chapters 45-46 Nervous System and Senses
Websites:
Nervous system
http://www.emc.maricopa.edu/faculty/farabee/BIOBK/BioBookNERV.html
Central Nervous System
http://users.rcn.com/jkimball.ma.ultranet/BiologyPages/C/CNS.html
Peripheral Nervous system
http://users.rcn.com/jkimball.ma.ultranet/BiologyPages/P/PNS.html
Autonomic Nervous System
http://www.nda.ox.ac.uk/wfsa/html/u05/u05_010.htm
Anatomy of the Eye-Diagram
http://www.ivy-rose.co.uk/Topics/Anatomy_Eye.htm
Structures of the Ear
http://hart.camden.rutgers.edu/intro/sensationperception/sld027.htm
Chapter 45-Nervous System (communication and control)
1. What are the functions of the following types of neurons?
a. sensory
b. interneuron
c. motor
2. How do Schwann cells aid in salutatory conduction of impulses?
3. How is the resting membrane potential achieved?
4. How does a ligand-gated ion channel differ from a voltage gated ion
channel?
5. Describe the effects of summation of graded potentials.
6. How is an action potential generated? What is meant when action
potentials are described as “All or none”?
7. How do impulses cross synapses?
8, If action potentials are all the same size, how does the brain register the
difference between stimuli of different intensities and at different
locations?
9. Descibe synaptic integration
10. Trace the evolution of the vertebrate brain.
11. What are the functions of the following areas of the brain:
Cerebellum
Medulla Oblongata
Thalamus
Hypothalamus
Cerebral Cortex
Hippocampus
Primary Somatosensory Cortex
Primary Motor Cortex
12. Which areas of the body are the motor cortex and somatosensory
cortex most “concerned” about? Why?
13. Why are reflexes adaptive?
14. How do the actions of the Sympathetic and Parasympathetic divisions
of the Autonomic System different?
Chapter 46- Sensory Systems
1. What are the three basic types of sensory receptors?
2. How are stimulus intensity and action potential frequency related in
sensory cells?
3. Briefly discuss the types of skin sensory receptors.
4. How are tastes and smells detected?
5. How is the lateral line of a fish similar in structure and function to the
cupula and cilia in the semicircular canals and the hair cells of the
basilar membrane of the cochlea of the human ear?
6. How is acceleration detected in the labyrinth?
7. How is sound converted to neural impulses in the Cochlea?
8. Compare the direction of flow of sensory information to the direction of
flow of light in the vertebrate eye. What problem does this cause?
9. How do the functions of rods and cones differ?
10.How does the generation of an action potential as a response to light
differ from the way that most action potentials by other senses are
stimulated?
11.Why do predators often have forward facing eyes while prey species
have eyes on the side of their heads?
12.Which animals use the following sensory organs and what do they
detect?
Jacobson’s Organs
Ampullae of Lorenzini
Magnetic receptors
Chapters 47, 49 Control Systems-Regulating the internal environment.
Chapter 49Excretory System and Maintaining Homeostasis
Websites:
Excretory system
http://www.emc.maricopa.edu/faculty/farabee/biobk/BioBookEXCRET.html
Kidneys
http://health.howstuffworks.com/kidney.htm
The Kidney
http://users.rcn.com/jkimball.ma.ultranet/BiologyPages/K/Kidney.html
Renal animations- countercurrent multiplier
http://www.cellphys.ubc.ca/undergrad_files/301KKurine_anim.htm
Excretion
http://zoology.muohio.edu/claussen/excretion.html
1. Compare the osmoregulatory systems of flatworms earthworms
(annelids), mollusks, crustaceans, insects, and vertebrates.
2. How does the osmotic concentration of the excreted fluid compare with
the body fluids of each of the previous organisms?
3. What are the only types of organisms that can create excretions that
are hypertonic to body fluids? Why can they do this?
4. Compare and contrast the mechanisms by which freshwater fish, marine
bony fish, and cartilaginous fish deal with their respective
environments.
5. Discuss filtration in the human kidney.
6. Why does the kidney both reabsorb and secrete certain substances?
Which parts of the nephron are responsible for these functions?
7. What are the four functions of the kidney?
8. What is the function of the loop of Henle, and how does it achieve
this function?
9. What is the function of the glomerulus and Bowman's capsule?
10. After blood is filtered in the Bowman's capsule, where does it go
next?
11. What happens to the filtrate in the proximal convoluted tubule?
12. Why is the loop of Henle described as a countercurrent multiplier
system?
13. How do the peritubular capillaries create a countercurrent exchange
system?
14. What is the function of the distal convoluted tubule?
15. Why do birds use more energy to make uric acid than mammals do to
make urea and why do mammals use more energy to make urea than
fish use to make ammonia?
16. Why can birds and mammals create waste that is hyperosmotic to their
body fluids?
17. Why is it unwise for a shipwrecked human to drink seawater?
18. How does ADH control blood volume and urine volume?
19. How does diabetes insipidus differ from diabetes mellitus?
20. How does the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system work?
Chapter 47-Endocrine System
Websites:
Endocrine system
http://www.emc.maricopa.edu/faculty/farabee/biobk/BioBookENDOCR.html
1. How does a hormonal response differ from a neural response?
2. How do protein and steroid hormones differ in the way that they
generate responses by cells?
3. How can one hormone generate different responses in different cells?
4. How does negative feedback help to regulate homeostasis?
5. What are the functions of the Anterior and Posterior Pituitary Glands?
6. Which two hormones are absolutely necessary for survival? What do
they control that is so essential?
7. Compare the effects of the following antagonistic hormones:
Insulin/Glucagon
8. What interactions between hormones regulate insect development and
metamorphosis? How could a plant protect itself from an insect
predator by interfering with this interaction?
Review Chapters 26, 27,28,Viruses, Bacteria, Protista
Chapter 48 Immune System
Websites:
Humoral Immune Response
http://bcs.whfreeman.com/thelifewire/content/chp18/1802004.html
Leukocyte Extravasation
http://www.whfreeman.com/kuby/content/anm/kb01an01.htm
Immune System- Friend or Foe
http://www.hhmi.org/biointeractive/immunology/
Animations
http://highered.mcgrawhill.com/sites/0072437316/student_view0/chapter48/animations.html
The Biology Project
http://www.biology.arizona.edu/immunology/immunology.html
1. Describe the body’s nonspecific defenses.
2. At least three parts of the immune system kill bacteria or infected cells
by punching holes in their cell walls or membranes. What does this
accomplish? (Remember Cell Membrane Functions)
3. Discuss the inflammatory response.
4. Give examples of cellular communication between cells of the immune
system.
5. How is antibody diversity generated?
6. Why do invading organisms use antigen shifting?
7. Compare and contrast Humoral Response and Cell-Mediated Response
8. Discuss Clonal Selection
9. Discuss Positive and Negative selection of Tcells in the thymus gland.
10. Compare the primary immune response to the secondary immune
response. What accounts for the difference?
11.Compare active immunity with passive immunity
________________________________________________________________________
Unit 16- Plant Systems-Structure and Function
Unit 16 relates to Structure and Function of Plants and Animals
(32% of AP Exam) and Evolutionary Themes
Chapter 35- Plant Form
Websites:
Monocot Stem Diagram
http://www.uic.edu/classes/bios/bios100/lectf03am/monocotstem.htm
Dicot Root
http://www.cartage.org.lb/en/themes/Sciences/BotanicalSciences/PlantsStructure/
MatureRoot/MatureRoot.htm
Plant Structure
http://www.emc.maricopa.edu/faculty/farabee/biobk/BioBookPLANTANATII.html
Dicot Root
http://botweb.uwsp.edu/anatomy/dicotrootxs.htm
Dicot Stem
http://www.bio.txstate.edu/~dlemke/botany/1410lab/lab_exercises/lab4/stems/dicotstem.
html
Monocot Root
http://images.google.com/images?q=monocot+root&hl=en&rls=GGLR,GGLR:200540,GGLR:en&um=1&sa=X&oi=images&ct=title
Leaf Structure
http://www.emc.maricopa.edu/faculty/farabee/biobk/BioBookPLANTANAT.html
Leaf Structure
http://www.biotopics.co.uk/plants/leafst.html
1. How does the function of the apical meristem differ from that of the
lateral meristem?
2. What are the three primary meristems and what tissues do they become?
3. What are the functions of the following lateral meristems?
a. cork cambium
b. vascular cambium
4. Describe the three basic tissue types in a plant.
5. How do modern plant systems differ from those of early plants?
What did these changes allow plants to do?
6. Compare and contrast the following plant cell types as to structure
and function.
Ground Tissues
a. parenchyma
b. schlerenchyma
c. collenchyma
Vascular Tissues
a. xylem
b. phloem
7. In which parts of a plant is most active cell division taking place?
8. Compare the arrangement of vascular tissues in a monocot stem and a
dicot stem.
9.Compare the structure of a monocot root with a dicot root.
Chapter 37- Transport in Plants
Websites:
Transpiration
http://users.rcn.com/jkimball.ma.ultranet/BiologyPages/T/Transpiration.html
Translocation
http://users.rcn.com/jkimball.ma.ultranet/BiologyPages/P/Phloem.html
Gas Exchange in Plants
http://users.rcn.com/jkimball.ma.ultranet/BiologyPages/G/GasExchange.html
Stomatal Opening and Closing
http://www-saps.plantsci.cam.ac.uk/records/rec106.htm
Stomata
http://www.esf.edu/efb/course/efb530/lectures/stomata.htm
1. Why does water move across cell membranes? (Review AP Lab 1)
2. How do plants manipulate concentration gradients to make water enter
the root cells?
3. What tissues are responsible for the transport of water and food in a
vascular plant?
4. How are the opening and closing of stomata regulated? When do they
open or close?
5. What other adaptations prevent water loss in plants?
6. What problem do flooded plants face? How do they solve it?
7. What special adaptations do plants that live in salt water display?
8. Discuss the cohesion-tension theory of transpiration.
9. What hypothesis explains the translocation of foods in a plant?
AP LAB 9- Transpiration (Wet lab)
Prentice Hall LabBench Activity (Vitual Lab)
http://www.phschool.com/science/biology_place/labbench/lab9/int
ro.html
Chapter 38- Plant Nutrition
1. How do macronutrients differ from micronutrients?
2. What are the major macronutrients that plants need?
3. What are micronutrients usually used for?
4. How does acid rain increase the loss of nutrients from the soil?
5. What symbiotic partnerships have evolve between plants and
microorganisms to increase nutrient uptake in poor soils?
6. Carnivorous plants have adapted to meet what problem?
Chapter 40 Plant sensory systems
1. How do plants detect light?
2. What is the cellular basis of phototropic movements in plants?
3. Why do stems display negative gravitropism while roots display
positive gravitropism?
4. What is thigmotropism?
5. How is turgor pressure related to plant movements?
6. Do plants sleep? How do they know when to sleep?
7. Why do plant and animals have circadian rhythms?
8. Why do plants sometimes enter periods of dormancy?
9. Discuss the primary functions of the following plant hormones:
a. auxins
b. cytokinins
c. gibberellins
d. brassinosteriods
e. oligosaccharines
f. ethylene
g. abscisic acid
10. Why must plants and animal cells communicate with each other?
11. Compare the mechanisms of communication in plants and animals
Unit 17-Practicing AP Essays and Multiple Choice Exams