Download Honors Biology Final Exam Review, Spring 2008

Honors Biology Final Exam Review
Your exam will include, but is not limited to, the following topics:
Chapter 1: The Science of Biology
What is the goal of science?
Why is it advantageous for scientists to test only one variable at a time during an
experiment?
Distinguish between a variable and a control.
What steps are involved in making a valid conclusion?
What must happen for a hypothesis to become a theory?
What are the basic units of measurement in the metric system?
Chapter 2: The Chemistry of Life
Explain the relationship among atoms, elements, and compounds.
How are acids and bases different? How do their pH values differ?
What are the building blocks for carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids?
What relationship exists between an enzyme and a catalyst?
Chapter 15: Darwin’s Theory of Evolution
Explain what is meant by evolution, and give an example.
Describe three of Darwin’s observations about animals in South America and on the
Galapagos Islands.
How does natural variation affect evolution?
Distinguish between fitness and adaptation. Give an example of each.
How does Darwin’s principle of descent with modification explain the characteristics of
today’s species?
What does fossil evidence show about evolution?
Summarize the main ideas in Darwin’s theory.
Describe the concept of sexual selection.
Chapter 7: Cell Structure and Function
How are prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells alike? How do they differ?
Identify the major organelles in a cell. What is the structure/function of each?
Describe the process of diffusion.
Chapters 8 & 9: Photosynthesis & Respiration
What is ATP and how is it used in the cell?
Write the basic equations for photosynthesis & respiration using the names of the starting
and final substances of the process.
What is the purpose of photosynthesis?
What is the purpose of cellular respiration?
Chapter 10: Cell Growth and Division
Summarize what happens during the process of cell division.
How is a cell’s potential growth affected by its ratio of surface area to volume?
Chapter 11: Introduction to Genetics
List the 4 basic principles of genetics that Mendel discovered in his experiments. Briefly
describe each of these principles.
What is probability? How does probability relate to genetics?
In pea plants, the allele for yellow seeds is dominant to the allele for green seeds. Predict
the genotypic ratio of offspring produced by crossing two parents heterozygous for this
trait. Draw a Punnett square to illustrate your prediction.
In rabbits, B is an allele for black coat and b is an allele for brown coat. Write the
genotypes for a rabbit that is homozygous for black coat and another rabbit that is
heterozygous for black coat.
Chapter 12: DNA
Describe the components and structure of a DNA nucleotide.
What is meant by the term base pairing? How is base pairing involved in DNA
replication?
Explain the process of replication.
What is a codon?
If a code on a DNA molecule for a specific amino acid is CTA, what would be the
messenger RNA codon?
Describe the process of transcription and translation. What is the end product?
Chapter 13: Manipulating DNA (if we get to it)
How are large DNA molecules cut up?
What role does gel electrophoresis play in the study of DNA?
Describe what occurs during a polymerase chain reaction (PCR).
What happens during cell transformation?
Chapter 14: The Human Genome
Describe how a karyotype is prepared and analyzed.
What is the difference between autosomes and sex chromosomes?
Know how to read a pedigree. (if we get to it)
Is it possible for a person with blood type alleles IA and IB to have blood type A?
Explain.
What is a sex-linked (X-linked) disorder? Which sex is more likely to express a sexlinked disorder? Why?