Name______________________________________
CP Biology Midterm Review Sheet
Chpt 1: Intro to Biology
1. What is biology?
The study of life: science of life: the science that deals with all forms of life, including
their classification, physiology, chemistry, and interactions
2. List the 7 characteristics of life.
1. Living Things are Composed of Cells:
2. Living Things Have Different Levels of Organization:
3. Living Things Use Energy:
4. Living Things Respond To Their Environment:
5. Living Things Grow:
6. Living Things Reproduce:
7. Living Things Evolve
3. All living things maintain a balance within their cells and the environment through the
process of homeostasis.
4. A scientist noticed that the number of crayfish in creeks in Shaler was declining. Is this an
observation or hypothesis? EXPLAIN your answer!
Observation
Uses senses to gather information
An observation is what you see happen some physical measurement you can make.
A hypothesis is a specific, testable prediction about what you expect to happen in
your study. For example, an experiment designed to look at the relationship
between study habits and test anxiety might have a hypothesis that states, "We
predict that students with better study habits will suffer less test anxiety." Unless
your study is exploratory in nature, your hypothesis should always explain what
you expect to happen during the course of your experiment or research.
5. What is the scientific method?
The scientific method is a way to ask and answer scientific questions by making observations
and doing experiments.
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6. List the steps of the scientific method.
Observations
Ask a Question
Do Background Research
Construct a Hypothesis
Test Your Hypothesis by Doing an Experiment
Analyze Your Data and Draw a Conclusion
Communicate Your Results
7. How is a scientific theory different than a hypothesis?
A theory is a well-established principle that has been developed to explain some
aspect of the natural world. A theory arises from repeated observation and testing
and incorporates facts, laws, predictions, and tested hypotheses that are widely
accepted.
A hypothesis is a specific, testable prediction about what you expect to happen in
your study. For example, an experiment designed to look at the relationship
between study habits and test anxiety might have a hypothesis that states, "We
predict that students with better study habits will suffer less test anxiety." Unless
your study is exploratory in nature, your hypothesis should always explain what
you expect to happen during the course of your experiment or research.
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Chpt 2: Chemistry of Life
8. Draw an atom of carbon. Label the protons, electrons, and neutrons.
Red nucleus
Protons + CHARGE
Neutrons 0 charge
Electrons – charge (blue)
9. What is an atom? An ion?
Atom-smallest part of element: the smallest portion into which an element can be divided and still retain
its properties, made up of a dense, positively charged nucleus surrounded by a system of electrons
Ion- electrically charged atom or atom group: an atom or group of atoms that has acquired an electric
charge by losing or gaining one or more electrons
10. What is the difference between an ionic and covalent bond?
Ionic Bond -a chemical bond in which one atom loses an electron to form a positive ion and
the other atom gains an electron to form a negative ion.
Covalent bond -a bond between two or more atoms that is provided by electrons that travel
between the atoms nuclei, holding them together but keeping them a stable distance apart.
sharing electrons between two or more atoms
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11. Why is water polar? Name three important characteristics of water that are possible
because of water’s polarity.
Polar-A molecule having partial positive and
partial negative charges because of uneven
distribution of electrons
Properties of water
cohesion-water sticking to itself-causes surface tentions
adhesion-water sticking to other things
capillary action-attraction of liquid surface to solid: a phenomenon in which a liquid's surface
rises, falls, or becomes distorted in shape where it is in contact with a solid
12. What is an enzyme and how does it speed up a reaction?
Enzymes are large biological molecules responsible for the thousands of metabolic processes
that sustain life. They are highly selective catalysts,that speed up reactions by lowering the
activation energy.
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13. What is the pH scale? Draw a pH scale and label the acidic, basic, and neutral regions.
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Chpt 3: Organic Molecules
14. List the 4 major organic compound groups, describe the structure of each, name its
subunit, and give one example. (It would be helpful to make a chart here!)
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15. What does the word organic mean?
Carbon based chemistry of living things: relating to, derived from, or characteristic of living things
16. What are 3 other names for sugars? (Hint: means 1 sugar, 2 sugars, many sugars)
Monosaccharide-glucose, fructose
Disaccharide-sucrose
Polysaccharide-starches, cellulose, glycogen
Chpt 4: The Cell
17. What is the difference of a eukaryote and prokaryote? Give an example of each type of
cell.
Prokaryotic cells-have no true nucleus as the DNA is not contained within a membrane or
separated from the rest of the cell, but is coiled up in a region of the cytoplasm called the
nucleoid. Example is bacteria cells
Eukaryotic Cells have a distinct, membrane-bound nucleus. Examples of eukaryotic
organisms are animals, plants, fungi and protists. Their cells are organized into
compartmentalized structures such as nucleus, mitochondria, chloroplasts, and Golgi
bodies
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18. List the function of the following structures:
Nucleus- organelle that hold genetic information. (The control center of the cell)
Mitochondria- organelle where cellular respiration occurs. (Powerhouse of the cell)
Ribosome-structure where proteins are created. (Construction site of cells)
Smooth ER- organelle that detoxes and synthesizes lipids
Rough ER- pathway for proteins, usually transports proteins to golgi.
Golgi Apparatus- packages sorts, modifies proteins to ship them out of cell (post office of
cell)
Lysosome- uses enzymes to digest and break down substances in the cell (clean up
crew of cell)
Cell Membrane- Allows things to pass in and out of the cell (door ways to cell)
19. Beginning with cells, list the sequence of levels of organization in an organism.
Cells>>>>>tissue>>>>>Organ>>>>Organ system>>>Organism
Cell is the basic unit of life
A group of cells that perform a similar function is called a tissue.
A group of tissues that perform a similar function is called an organ.
A group of organs that perform a similar function is called an organ system
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20. List 3 structures plant cells have that animal cells do not contain. Briefly list the function
of each of these organelles.
Chloroplast-site where photosynthesis takes place
Central vacuole- large structure in plant cells, usually filled with water
Cell wall-offers extra support and protection made of cellulose
21. Which 2 plant cell structures can you see under a microscope?
Chloroplast, cell wall, and central vacuole
22. List the 3 major components of the cell theory.
All living things are made up of cells
Cells are the basic unit and structure of living things
Cells come from preexisting cells
Chpt 5: Homeostasis & Cell Transport
23. What happens to a plant cell when it is placed into a salt solution? What is this called?
Since the cell is placed in a hypertonic solution, due to osmosis, the water will
want to move from an area of high concentration to an area of low concentration,
therefore causing water to move out of the cell. Osmosis is the movement of
water from high concentration to low concentration.
24. What is the difference between diffusion and osmosis?
Diffusion is the movement of particles from high concentration to low concentration
Osmosis is the movement of water from high concentration to low concentration
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25. If a cell is placed in a hypertonic solution, the cell will shrink and if a cell is placed in a
hypotonic solution the cell will expand.
26. What is the difference between endocytosis and exocytosis?
Endocytosis is when a cell takes particles into itself. Phagocytosis and pinocytosis are 2
examples. Phagocytosis is when the cell engulfs a particle, pinocytosis means to drink,
so the cell takes in water (endo-inside)
Exocytosis is when the cell releases particles from itself (exo-exit)
27. A cell with a 50% salt concentration is placed into a solution with 10% salt. Draw a
diagram and explain what happens to the cell.
10% salt
90% water
50% salt
50% water
Water will move outside cell because it is a hypotonic solution. Water moves from 90%
towards the 50% water (from high to low)
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28. What are the two main types of cell transport? Name two ways they are different.
Passive transport requires no energy. Particles move from high to low concentration.
Examples are diffusion, osmosis, and facilitated diffusion.
Active transport requires energy and particles move from low to high. Examples of
active transport are endocytosis, exocytosis, ions channels
29. What is facilitated diffusion?
Facilitated diffusion is diffusion helped by protein channels
Chpt 6: Photosynthesis
30. What is the formula for photosynthesis?
31. In what type of cell does photosynthesis take place? In what organelle?
Plants. It takes place in chloroplast
32. What is the difference between an autotroph and a heterotroph? Give an example of
each.
Autotrophs-makes their own food-plants
Heterotrophy-uses other organisms to get nutrients-fungus, animals
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33. What is the source of energy for photosynthesis?
The sun is ultimate source of energy
34. What is the role of chlorophyll in photosynthesis? Why is it green?
Chlorophyll is pigments found in chloroplast that absorb sunlight energy.
It reflects green wavelength of light. It absorbs red violet region the most.
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35. What are the 2 stages of photosynthesis? Briefly describe what happens in each stage.
LDR-Uses water and energy from sunlight. The energy from sun breaks water,
releasing oxygen and creating ATP, NADPH-happens in thylakoids
Calvin Cylcle-Used ATP, NADPH, and carbon dioxide to create sugars-happens in
stroma.
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Chpt 7: Cellular Respiration
36. What is the formula for cell respiration?
37. What is the energy molecule produced in cell respiration?
ATP-adenosine triphosphate
38. What types of cells undergo cellular respiration? In what organelle?
Plant and animal cell use cellular respiration in mitochondria
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39. A person sprints across a finish line and experiences a cramp in their muscles. Explain
why this happens.
Lactic acid fermentation, the muscles ran out of oxygen
40. What is fermentation?
An anaerobic process where no oxygen is present, so to continue to create energy it follows
a different metabolic pathway
41. What is aerobic respiration?
A process where oxygen is present and the pathway goes through cellular respiration to
create ATP
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