AP Biology Summer Assignment 2012-2013
WELCOME TO AP BIOLOGY! 
I hope you are looking forward to an exciting year! Since this is a college level course, it will be
rigorous and will demand time both in and out of the classroom. If you’re up to the challenge, get
started by completing the following assignment prior to the beginning of the school year. It will be
collected on the first day of school and will count as your first grade! Don’t wait until the end of the
summer to complete the assignment - pace yourself! I have divided the questions by chapters from the
textbook we will be using. You do not need the AP Biology book to answer them but there is an online
site to access it:
1. Register at www.pearsonschool.com/access
2. Enter the first 6 letters of one of the codes below (SSNAST)
3. Click on Covered Titles to Select Discipline (Science) and Title
(Our book is Campbell Biology, 8e, AP Edition)
4. Choose Student Registration
5. Accept - Pearson License Agreement
6. Access Information * Create username & password
* Enter the Student Access Code below: (you will only need one of the codes!)
SSNAST-SNAPK-SULCI-MEWED-TUBBY-WAXES
or
SSNAST-NANDA-SULCI-MEWED-HIGHS-NONES
7. Account Information - complete your name & school information
8. Confirmation & Summary - link to login and join a class
You will have a test on these 5 chapters during the second week of the new school year. The tests are
normally 65 multiple choice questions and 1 free response (essay).
I will periodically check my school email during the summer, so if you have any questions, let me know!
dianne.adams@cobbk12.org Enjoy the summer (and learn some biology)!
Answer the following questions and define the key terms. (I did not author questions 1-55 … they are often used
as summer assignment questions since they review chemistry concepts already learned. I apologize to the original author who is
unknown to me – otherwise I would give that author credit!)
Chapter 1: Introduction, Themes in the Study of Life
1.Diagram the hierarchy of structural levels in biology.
2.Explain how the properties of life emerge from complex organization.
3.Describe 7 emergent properties associated with life. Give a biological example for each.
4.Distinguish between prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells.
5.List and distinguish the 3 Domains of Life.
6.Briefly describe the 4 Kingdoms found in the Domain Eukarya.
7.Briefly describe how Darwin’s ideas contributed to the conceptual framework of biology.
8.Outline the scientific method.
9.Distinguish between inductive and deductive reasoning.
10.Explain how science and technology are interdependent.
11.The College Board recognizes 8 Major Themes in Biology. Briefly describe each in your own words
and give an example for each theme.
A.Science as a Process
E.Relationship of Structure to Function
B.Evolution
F.Regulation
C.Energy Transfer
G.Interdependence in Nature
D.Continuity and Change
H.Science, Technology, and Society
12.Key Terms: population, community, ecosystem, biome, hypothesis, control group, variable,
experimental group, theory
Chapter 2: The Chemical Context of Life
(Since most of you have just completed a chemistry course, these questions should be easy for you!)
13.State 4 elements essential to life that make up 96% of living matter.
14.Describe the structure of an atom.
15.Distinguish between atomic number, atomic weight, mass number, and valence.
16.Explain why radioisotopes are important to biologists.
17.Explain the octet rule.
18.Distinguish among nonpolar covalent, polar covalent, and ionic bonds.
19.Describe the formation of a hydrogen bond and explain how it differs from a covalent or ionic bond.
20.Explain why weak bonds are important to living organisms.
21.Key Terms: ion, cation, anion, isotope, half life, electronegativity
Chapter 3: Water and the Fitness of the Environment
22.Describe how water contributes to the fitness of the environment to support life.
23.Describe the structure and geometry of a water molecule.
24,Draw 5 water molecules hydrogen-bonded together and indicate the slight negative and positive
charges that account for the formation of hydrogen bonds.
25.Describe the biological significance of the cohesiveness of water.
26.Explain how water’s high specific heat, high heat of vaporization, and expansion upon freezing affect
both aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems.
27.Explain how the polarity of water makes it a versatile solvent.
28.A.How many grams of lactic acid (C3H6O3) are in a 0.5M solution of lactic acid?
B.How many grams of salt (NaCl) must be dissolved in water to make 2 liters of a 2M salt solution?
29.Explain how acids and bases directly or indirectly affect the hydrogen ion concentration of a
solution.
30.Using the bicoarbonate buffer system as an example, explain how buffers work.
31.Key Terms: hydrophilic, hydrophobic, cohesion, adhesion, solution, solvent, solute, surface tension
Chapter 4: Carbon and the Molecular Diversity of Life
32.What is organic chemistry?
33.Explain why carbon atoms are the most versatile building blocks of molecules.
34.Describe how carbon skeletons may vary, and explain how this variation contributes to the diversity
and complexity of organic molecules.
35.Distinguish between structural, geometric, and stereoisomers.
36.List and draw the major functional groups.
37.Key Terms: isomers, functional groups, aldehyde, ketone, amines, thiols
Chapter 5: The Structure and Function of Macromolecules
38.List the four main types of macromolecules
39.Describe the characteristics of carbohydrates and list the 3 main types.
40.Define a glycosidic linkage and give an example of one.
41.Describe the importance of polysaccharides.
42.Explain the difference between starch, cellulose, and glycogen.
43.Explain what distinguishes lips from the other major classes of macromolecules.
44.List the unique properties of the 3 major groups of lipids: fats, phospholipids, and steroids.
45.Identify an ester linkage and how it is formed.
46.Distinguish between a saturated and unsaturated fat.
47.Describe the characteristics of proteins.
48.Explain what an amino acid is and how they make up proteins.
49.Explain what a peptide bond is and how it is formed.
50.List the 4 major types of protein conformations (levels) and describe each.
51.Explain how proteins may be denatured.
52.Define the characteristics of nucleic acids.
53.List the major components of a nucleotide.
54.Distinguish between a purine and a pyrimidine.
55.Key Terms: monomer, polymer, dehydration synthesis (condensation synthesis), hydrolysis, chitin
56.Find a biological science article from a recent publication (within the last year). The article can be
of any length but you must attach a copy. Once you have read and understood the article, cite it
appropriately, summarize it in one paragraph, explain the significance of the article in a second
paragraph, and why you chose it in a third. (These 3 paragraphs should not take up more than one page
total!)
57. Find an online site that gives a free learning style assessment. (Your preferred learning style
influences the way you learn) Use one of the search engines and type in “learning styles survey” or
“learning styles ”. Take one of the free tests (make sure it gives immediate results) to find what your
learning style is. Once you see your results, find a few suggestions for how to study based on your
particular learning style. Write down your learning style (ex: Visual, Kinesthetic, Auditory, Logical,
etc.) and some “suggestions” given. We will discuss these during the first couple of days of class.