Download What you absolutely must know to pass the regent`s test

What you absolutely must
know to pass the regent’s
test
What is a hypothesis?
An untested prediction based on what you
know about the topic.
 Has cause and effect (If, then statement)

What is a theory?

An explanation of natural events
supported by strong evidence.
What is a controlled experiment?
An experiment that compares to results of
two or more groups.
 Experimental and control groups

What is an experimental group?
The group being tested
 Receiving the variable that the other
group(s) do not get. What you are testing

What is a placebo?

Fake treatment given to someone in the
control group so they don’t know they are
different.
What is the independent variable?
The variable that is being tested. Ex: new
drug.
 When graphed it is plotted on the X axis.

What is the dependent variable?
Variable that is measured at the end of the
experiment.
 We measure the effect of the independent
variable
 Ex: we can measure (the effect a drug has
on heart rate beats per minute)
 .we can measure the effect energy drinks
have on test performance (test grades)

What are the characteristics of a
good experiment? (there are 7)
1. can be repeated by others with same
results.
 2. Does not have to agree with your
hypothesis
 3. Large sample to test

What would happen if a life form
could not maintain homeostasis?

Disease or death
What is an autotroph? Give ex.
Organism that makes own food from the
sun
 Plant, algae

Explain photosynthesis.

Take radiant (solar) energy from the sun
and use it to make sugars or
carbohydrates.
What is a heterotroph? Give ex.
Must consume other organism for energy.
 Mushroom, animal

In what cell organelle does
photosynthesis take place?

Cholorplast
What is respiration?

Break down of sugar molecules to release
the energy so the organism may use it
What is the form of energy in the
cell.

ATP
In what organelle does respiration
take place?

mitochondria
What is does aerobic respiration
mean?

Uses oxygen to make ATP.
What is anaerobic respiration?

Making ATP without using oxygen.
What process makes more ATP,
anaerobic or aerobic respiration?

Aerobic respiration yields a lot more ATP.
When the muscles run out of energy
during exercise, anaerobic
respiration begins. What is the
product of this fermentation.

Lactic acid.
How are photosynthesis and
respiration connected.
Photosynthesis uses co2 and releases
oxygen, respiration uses oxygen and
releases co2.
 Part of the carbon, oxygen cycle.

All of the life processes including
nutrition, excretion, transport, etc.
make up what in an organism?
Metabolism
 It is the sum of all the life processes.

Define diffusion. Does it require
energy?
Movement of molecules from high
concentration to low.
 You want an even concentration on both
sides.
 Diffusion does not require energy.

Define active transport
Movement of molecules from low
concentration to high concentration
(opposite direction as diffusion)
 Requires energy to move

What is osmosis?

Diffusion of water in or out of a cell.
What happens to a cell in a
hypertonic environment.
High salt outside, low water inside cell
 Water diffuses out and shrivels up.

What happens to cell in a hypotonic
solution.
High salt inside cell, low outside
 Water diffuses inside and cell can burst.

What is a stimulus?

A change in the environment that you
respond to.
What is a neuron?

A nerve cell
What is an impulse of the nervous
system

Electrical signal carried by the nerves.
What is a hormone? Give 1 ex.
A chemical messenger or signal secreted
by different glands.
 Adrenalin, testosterone, estrogen

Name one of the characteristics of
living things. (8)
Living things are made up of cells.
2. Living things reproduce.
3. Living things are based on a universal genetic code.
4. Living things grow and develop.
5. Living things use materials and energy.
6. Living things respond to their environment.
7. Living things maintain a stable internal environment.
8. As a group, living things change over time (evolve).
1.
What is the name for proteins on
the surface of cells that receive
signals from the nervous endocrine
system?

Receptor molecule
What four elements make up most
living organisms?
C, H, O, N
 Carbon, Hydrogen, Oxygen, Nitrogen

What does it mean to be organic?

Something is made of Carbon and
Hydrogen, bonded together.
What type of molecule is the
C6H12O6? Is it organic?
Sugar, carbohydrate
 Yes

Is CO2 organic?

NO
What are the monomers of
carbohydrates?

Simple sugars.
What is the function of a
carbohydrate in the body? Give an
example of a carbohydrate?
Provide body with energy.
 Sugar, starch

What are the monomers of lipids?

Fatty acids and glycerol
What are the functions of lipids?
Give an example of lipids
Storage form of energy.
 Fats, oils, waxes.

What are the monomers of
proteins?

Amino acids
What are the functions of proteins
in the body?

Make hormones, enzymes, cell structures
and antibodies.
What determines the specific
function of a protein?

The shape of the protein determines its
shape.
What is an enzyme?

A catalyst meaning it affects the rate the
body reactions occur.
What is the “lock and key model”
for enzymes?

One type of enzyme will react (fits) one
type of molecule.
What affect does temperature have
on the way enzymes react.
Cold temps decrease reaction rate
 High temps increase reaction rate.
 As rate gets too high, the proteins die and
no reaction occurs.

What is pH

A scale used to measure the strengths of
acids and bases.
What is the ph ranges for acids and
bases.
Acids: pH lower than 7
 Bases pH higher than 7
 pH of 7 is neutral (water)

What are the 3 components of the
cell theory?
All living things are composed (made of)
cells.
2. Cells are the basic units of structure and
function in living things.
3. New cells are produced from existing
cells.
1.
What is the function of the nucleus

Control activities of the cell
What is the function of the
mitochondria?

Make ATP
What is the function of the
ribosome? In what 2 places will you
find them

Proteins are
assembled here out
of amino acids.
What is an inference?

A conclusion one comes to based in his or
her observations.
What is the function of the golgi
aparatus (golgi body)

Make, process and
package proteins.
Sends proteins to
their final destination
What is the function of the
lysosome?

Contains digestive
enzymes to help
break food down. Also
breaks down old
organelles
What is the function of the
endoplasmic reticulum?

A) intracellular
transport: moves
things around cell
B. provides surface
area for biochemical
reactions
What are the two types of ER?

Smooth and rough
What is the function of a vacuole?

Used for storage,
vacuoles usually
contain water or food
What is the function of the
cytoplasm?
A) holds other
organelles
B) many chemical
reactions of cell
metabolism occur
here.
C) contains enzymes
needed for cellular
reactions
What is the function of the cell or
plasma membrane?
controls transport of
materials into & out
of the cell, therefore
maintaining
homeostasis within
the cell.
What organelles do plants have
that animals cells do not.
Chloroplast
 Cell wall

What is the function of the cell
wall?
supports and protects the plant cell. Has
pores that allow free passage of
materials.
** the cell wall is not alive and is not
selectively permeable

What is the function of the
cholorplast?

Site of photosynthesis.
What is the cell membrane made
of?

Lipid bilayer and embedded proteins.
What does selectively permeable
mean? What organelle doe this
describe.
Some molecules can pass, while others
can not.
 The cell membrane.

What size molecule pass thru the
cell membrane?

Usually small ones like amino acids and
simple sugars.

Whole proteins and carbohydrates are too
large.
Starting with a cell, the simplest
form of life, what is the organization
of life?

Cells-tissues-organs-organ systemwhole organism.
A group of cells that perform a
similar function are:

tissue
A group of tissue that perform a
similar function are

An organ
Every cell has the same exact DNA
due to replication and mitosis. Why
are some cells different than others
like heart cells and lung cells?
Each cells has the same genes, but
different genes are turned on in different
cells.
 Skins cells have all the genes to make
nerve cells, but those genes are turned off.

What is digestion?

When large food molecules are broken
into smaller molecules so they can be
absorbed.
What is the path of the digestive
system from start to finish?
Mouth
 Esophagus
 Stomach
 Small intestines
 Large intestines
 Rectum

What is peristalsis?

Involuntary contractions of smooth muscle
that move food through the digestive tract.
What is mechanical digestion?
Where does it occur?
Physically breaking down food.
 Mouth with teeth
 Stomach- churning food.

What is chemical digestion?
Where does it occur?
Body chemicals and enzymes to break
down food.
 Mouth has amylase to break down sugar
 Stomach has acid

What is the function of the
circulatory system?
Transport materials through the body.
 Water, nutrients hormones, waste, oxygen

What doe red blood cells carry
They carry oxygen.
 Hemoglobin helps them bind to oxygen.

What is the function of White blood
cells?

Fight disease.
What is phagocytosis?

White blood cells engulf or eat pathogens
such as bacteria to remove them from the
body.
What is the function of platelets?

Clot the blood.
What is the fluid part of the blood
called? What does it tranport?
Plasma,
 Everything but oxygen

What is the difference between
sexual and asexual reproduction?
Asexual: one parent, offspring is
genetically identical to parent.
 Sexual: Two parents, offspring is variation
of both parents.

What organism reproduces
faster, one that uses the asexual
process or sexual process?

Asexual is much faster
Is mitosis a form of sexual or
asexual reproduction?

asexual
During mitosis, how does the
chromosome number in the first
parent cell compare to the two new
daughter cells?

Exact same.
What type of cells on humans
under mitosis?

Body or somatic cells.
How many chromosomes do
humans have?
23 pairs or 46 chromosomes.
What are alleles?

A gene that is a code for a trait.
Where do we get our alleles

One from mother, one from father.
What are the four nitrogenous
bases that make up DNA and how
do they pair up
adenine-thymine
 Guanine-cytosine

What word describes a three letter
code for a specific amino acid?
What is an amino acid(hint)?
C
O
D
O
N

What base is missing in RNA?
What base replaces it?
Thymine is missing
 Uracil replaces it.

During protein synthesis, where
does mRNA carry the code so an
protein can be assembled (hint) ?
site of protein synthesis in the cell
 Ribosome

A change in the DNA code is a

mutation
In what cells must mutation occur
in in order to be passed to the next
generation?

Sex cells, AKA gametes, egg and cell.
Explain the process of selective
breeding? Why is it done?
Taking the organisms with the most
desired traits and breeding them
 To get the most desired traits in animals in
plants.

What is genetic engineering (gene
splicing)?

Taking a gene from one organism and
putting it into another so it produces
something different.
How is genetic engineering used to
make human insulin?
Human insulin gene is put into a bacteria
cell.
 Bacteria is tricked into making human
insulin.

What is DNA fingerprinting?

Using DNA to identify someone, criminal,
your baby’s daddy etc.
Under evolution, what is the
common ancestor theory?

Modern species evolved from earlier
different species
What is Darwin’s theory of natural
selection?

The animals with the best traits survive to
reproduce.
What are the three components of
natural selection?
1. Overproduction: more are born than the
environment can support.
 2. Competition: There are limited
resources and too many animals
 3. Survival and reproduction: animals with
best traits pass their DNA (reproduce)

Name one natural force that drives
evolution?

Change in environment
What does variation mean? Give
one example we used in lab.
Organism of the same species have
different characteristics.
 Beaks of finches.

Within a species is it better to have
more or less variations?

More is better. When the environment
changes, that species has a better chance
to survive.
For the time period that evolution t
takes place, what is gradualism?

Organisms change slowly and steady over
a period of time.
What is punctuated equilibrium?

Evolution takes place in quick spurts
followed by a long with no change.
What does it mean when organisms
evolve due to geographic isolation?
Means that the two species have been
separated so they can no longer
reproduce.
 Eventually the evolve in different directions
and become different species.
 Mountains, rivers, oceans, can cause this
separation.

Name two of any of the types of
evidence that support evolution?
Fossil record (geology)
 Genetics: comparing DNA
 Biochemistry (similar body processes)
 Anatomy: comparing body parts
 Embryology: comparing developing
embryos.

What is the primary source of
energy in the ecosystem?

The sun.
Define producer organism? Give
another name for a producer.
Organism that uses the radiant energy to
make sugar, starch so others can
consume it.
 Autotroph, plant

In a food pyramid, how much
energy is lost when you move up
the food chain?

10%
What does abiotic mean? Give 2
examples.

factors non-living factors which affect the
ability of organisms to survive and
reproduce.

light intensity, temperature range, type of
soil or rock, water availability, level of
pollutant
What are limiting factors? Give an
example
Factors which determine the types and
numbers of organisms in an ecosystem.
 Many limiting factors restrict the growth of
populations.
 Ex. Low temperature in arctic, any abiotic
factors.

What are biotic factors? Give an
ex.
the living things or their materials that
affect an organism in its environment.
 This would include organisms, their
presence, parts, interaction, and wastes.
 Some Biotic Factors
 parasitism
 disease
 predation (one animal eating another)

What is the carrying capacity of an
environment?
Carrying capacity: the maximum number
of organisms the resources of an
ecosystem can support.
 It is limited by the available abiotic and
biotic resources
 as well as the ability of the environment to
recycle the dead organisms through the
activities of bacteria and fungi.

What is a primary consumer?

A herbivore or animal that eats
producers/plants
What is the difference between a
secondary consumer and an
omnivore?
A secondary consumer is a carnivore that
just eats meat.
 An omnivore eats both plants and
animals.

What is the difference between a
food chain and a good web? Which
is more accurate and why?
Food chain is simpler, a food web is many
food chains in one diagram.
 Food chain because organism consume
more than one food source.

In the water cycle, what is
transpiration?

water lost to the atmosphere by the
activities of plants (as water vapor).
What is condensation?

water vapor condenses to form clouds,
Briefly explain the carbon-oxygen
cycle.
Plants take in carbon dioxide and release
oxygen
 Animals take in oxygen and release
carbon dioxide.

What is the role of a decomposer?
Give one example of one.
Recycle the materials in dead organisms
 Bacteria and fungus.

What is symbiosis?

Close living relationships among
organisms..
Parasitism is a type of symbiosis.
What is it?
the parasite benefits at the expense of the
host
What is mutualism and give an
example?
both organisms benefit from the association.
Ex: flower and butterfly
What is commensalism and give an
example?

one organism is benefited and the other is
unharmed. Ex: mushroom on tree
Define biodiversity.

refers to the differences in living things in
an ecosystem.
Why does more biodiversity make
the environment more stable?
as it provides for more genetic variation
among species.
 A great diversity of species increases the
chance that at least some living things will
survive when the environment changes.

Define ecological succession?
The process by which the forest grows
back after it has been disrupted.
 Can also be development of a lake.

What is a pioneer organism? Are
they still there after the environment
is fully grown back?



the first organisms to reoccupy an area which
has been disturbed.
These pioneer organisms change their
environment, eventually creating conditions
which are less favorable for themselves
but establishing conditions under which more
advanced organisms can live.
What is climax community?

This final stable plant community
What is a niche?

includes how a population responds to the
abundance of its resources and enemies
What is a biosphere?

All the regions of the earth and its
atmosphere in which living organisms
are found or can live.
What is a renewable resource and
give an example?

any natural resource that can replenish
itself naturally over time
ex: wood, coal, fresh water etc.

In the beginning of the evolution unit, we talked
about evidence for evolution. There were six
evidences for evolution. One was Plate
Tectonics. Name two of the other five.

Fossils, comparative anatomy, comparative
embryology, comparative biochemistry,
adaptations.
Under comparative anatomy, we
talked about homologous
structures.
Define
this
and
give
an
.
example
Two organisms that have similar bone
structures, but different functions.
 Example: whale fin, human hand, bat
wing……

Also, under comparative anatomy,
we discussed vestigial organs.
.
What
are they and give an example
Organs or traces of organs that no longer
serve a purpose.
 Example: appendix, tail bones


Explain Lamark’s theory of inheritance of
acquired traits?
If an organisms body was altered, it would
be passed to the next generation
 Ex. Mouse tail is cut off, babies will have
no tails.


What does adaptive radiation mean? (hint
for half credit
Radiation: branching from one source
 Answer: the process by which a species
evolve into a number of different species,
each in a different environment.


What does Lamark’s theory of “use and
disuse claim?”
Organisms can change the size or shape
of their organs
 Use: birds can grow wings by trying to fly.
 Disuse: If birds don’t use wings, they lose
them.


Define “decent with modification”

Each species has descended with
changes from other species over time.

Name one of the four sources of variation
in the gene pool?

Mutations, sexual reproduction, migration,
genetic drift.

Define migration

Organisms move in and out of a
population, spreading their genes.

Why did Darwin have trouble explaining
where variations in the finches came from
(hint for half credit)?
Hint: what did he not know about that we
know a lot about today?
 DNA and genes.


In what cells must mutations occur in for
them to be passed to the next generation
(hint for half credit)?
There are only two types of cells, one type
are somatic or body cells. The other type
is the answer
 Answer: Sex cells

What does the chart represent?
When several species evolve from
one species

Adaptive radiation
A group of house flies are sprayed
with an insecticide. Several
generations later, house flies are
resistant to the insecticide. Why?
Mutations causes some to be resistant.
 Those that are resistant had babies that
are also resistant.
 As the nonresistant died, all that was left
was the resistant flies.


Why do mammals, fish and reptiles all
have gill slits when they are embryos?

They all had a common ancestor
What is this an example of

Homologous
structures
What does this chart explain?

Punctuated
equilibrium
Darwin’s theory of natural selection
is based on five major concepts.
Name two and explain them.





Speciation: creation of new species
Adaptation: inherited traits allow an organism to
survive in a changing environment.
Variation: difference among the same species
Competition: compete for limited resources
Overproduction: More are produced than can
survive

Define gene pool

The total of all the genes in a group of
reproducing organism
Identify the specific cause, the
negative effect and how we are
trying to fix acid rain.
Burning fossil fuels
 Loss of biodiversity
 Hybrid cars, laws

What is an exotic species and how
can they be dangerous to the
environment?
Imported foreign organisms have caused
problems for native organisms (one’s
already living there).
 These exotic species out competition
native organisms killing them off

What causes acid precipitation?

Most acid rain in New York State is caused
by sulfur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide
pollution from the burning of fossil fuels.
What are the problems caused by
acid precipitation?
Streams and lakes becoming more acid,
killing fish, frogs and other life.
 Damage forests and other plants in a
variety of ways

Explain global warming? What
causes it?

increased burning of fossil fuels and the
release of carbon dioxide
increase in level of carbon dioxide and
other gases is not allowing much infrared
(heat radiation) to escape the planet into
outer space.
 This is causing our planet to slowly warm.

What are the negative effects of
global warming?
Rising sea levels and coastal flooding
 Changed rain patterns resulting in
droughts and crop failures
 Increase in insect diseases in regions
 Ex. New York State: warmer winters fail to
kill the disease carrying insects like West
Nile









Name two actions taken by
humans to reduce damage to the
environment.
1. Recycling wastes
2. Conserving available resources
3. Using cleaner resources (ex: solar over fossil
fuels)
4.protection of habitats and endangered species
5. use of biological controls instead of pesticides
and herbicides
6. Farming native plants (ex: cocoa in the
rainforest)
7. Planting trees to replace those cut down.
8. Rotating crops or planting cover crops to reduce
soil loss.
What are autosomes and how
many pairs do humans have?
The chromosomes that are not sex
chromosomes.
 22 pairs of autosomes
 1 pair of sex chromosomes

What was the human genome
project?

human genome project was the attempt of
scientist to sequence the entire DNA
molecule of a human being (all six feet of
it).
What is DNA fingerprinting? What
technique is used to compare the
DNA?


identifying of individuals using the unique
sequence of bases in their DNA molecule
Gel electrophoresis
What is artificial selection (form
of selective breeding)?

where individuals with desirable traits are
mated to produce offspring with those
traits.
What is inbreeding (selective
breeding)?

Breeding closely related individuals
What is hybridization?
involves crossing two individuals with
different desirable traits to produce
offspring with a combination of both
desirable traits.
 Ex : mule= donkey + horse

What is a restriction enzyme?
An enzyme that cuts DNA a specific base
sequence
 Ex: GGCC is DNA sequence and
restriction enzyme cuts between G and C

What is a point mutation?
mutations involving one nucleotide and they
occur at a single point on the DNA
molecule.
What is DNA
REPLICATION? What happens to
the cell after dna replicates?


duplicating or copying the DNA before
the cell divides.
Cell division/mitosis
What does DNA polymerase do?
- enzyme helps unzip DNA
 The two stands separate so DNA can be
copied.


Weak hydrogen bonds break between
the paired bases G-C
How does RNA differ from
DNA?
Sugar = ribose
 Single stranded
 Uracil replaces thymine

What are the 3 TYPES
OF RNA and what are their
functions?
Messenger RNA (mRNA) – carries
copies of instructions from the DNA
(serve as messengers from the DNA to
rest of cell).
 Ribosomal RNA (rRNA)– proteins that
make up ribosomes.
 Transfer RNA (tRNA)– transfers amino
acids from mRNA to the ribosome.

what is
TRANSCRIPTION?
RNA molecules are produced by copying
part of the nucleotide sequence of DNA
into a complementary strand.
.

what is a CODON?




Codon – 3 consecutive nucleotides on mRNA
that specify a single amino acid that is added
to a polypeptide chain.
Bases on RNA: UCGCACGGU
Broken in 3’s: UCG-CAC-GGU
Amino acids the bases code for.
Serine – Histidine – Glycine
What is an anticodon?

3 base sequence on tRNA
How is this chart used to find
amino acids on mRNA?
Define TRANSLATION
as part of protein synthesis and
where does it take place?
Translation – the cell uses the
information from mRNA to make
proteins.
 Takes place in the ribosomes.

What is the cell membrane made
of?

phospholipid bilayer and embedded
Protein molecules
Run through lipid layer
 Form channels & pumps

The cell membrane is selectively
permeable, what does this mean?


This means it allows
some things inside but
other things are rejected.
Things coming in and
out of the cell are called
transport.
What is an isotonic solution and
which direction does water move
when in this environment?
Isotonic solution: concentration of solute
(salt) is equal on both sides,
 the water will move back in forth but it
won't change the cell.
 "ISO" means the same
