Download AP Biology Free-Response Question Preparation

AP Biology Free-Response Question Preparation
Directions: Answer all questions on separate pieces of paper. Then use the scoring guides on the College
Board website (http://apcentral.collegeboard.com/apc/members/exam/exam_information
/219291.html ) to grade your answer. Each response/scoring of response is worth up to 6 points.
Answering and then scoring at least two of the free-response questions are required. Answering all four
free-response questions will enable you to earn up to 24 out of 12 points or 12 points extra credit in the
test category of your grade. Work independently on the writing of your free-response. Also try following
the timing guidelines (90 minutes to answer all four questions below).
Directions on writing your response from the College Board: Answers must be in essay form. Outline
form is not acceptable. Labeled diagrams may be used to supplement discussion, but in no case will a
diagram alone suffice. It is important that you read each question completely before you begin to write.
Write all your answers on the pages following the questions in the goldenrod booklet.
Questions 1 and 2 are 2011 Free-Response Form B questions which may be found at
http://apcentral.collegeboard.com/apc/public/repository/ap11_frq_biology_formb.pdf. The scoring
guide for question one is found at
http://apcentral.collegeboard.com/apc/public/repository/ap11_biology_form_b_scoring_guidelines.pdf
.
1. The cell cycle is fundamental to the reproduction of eukaryotic cells.
(a) Describe the phases of the cell cycle.
(b) Explain the role of THREE of the following in mitosis or cytokinesis.




Kinetochores
Microtubules
Motor proteins
Actin filaments
(c) Describe how the cell cycle is regulated and discuss ONE consequence of abnormal
regulation.
2. Ecological succession describes the pattern of changes in communities over time. The graph below
shows changes in plant diversity following the abandonment of an agricultural field in a temperate
biome.
(a) Discuss the differences in plant diversity shown in the graph and explain how the changes
affect the animal species composition between years 0 and 120.
(b) Identify TWO biotic and TWO abiotic factors and discuss how each could influence the
pattern of ecological succession.
(c) Design a controlled experiment to determine how the diversity of plant species in a newly
abandoned field would be affected by large herbivores.
Questions 3 and 4 are 2012 Free-Response questions which may be found at
http://apcentral.collegeboard.com/apc/public/repository/2012_frq_biology.pdf. The scoring guide for
question one is found at
http://apcentral.collegeboard.com/apc/public/repository/ap12_biology_scoring_guidelines.pdf
3. An agricultural biologist was evaluating two newly developed varieties of wheat as potential crops. In
an experiment, seedlings were germinated on moist paper towels at 20ºC for 48 hours. Oxygen
consumption of the two-day-old seedlings was measured at different temperatures. The data are shown
in the graph below.
(a) Calculate the rates of oxygen consumption in mL/min for each variety of wheat at 7°C and at
17°C. Show your work (including your setup and calculation).
(b) Explain the relationship between metabolism and oxygen consumption. Discuss the effect of
temperature on metabolism for each variety of seedlings.
(c) In a second experiment, variety A seedlings at both temperatures were treated with a
chemical that prevents NADH from being oxidized to NAD+. Predict the most likely effect of the
chemical on metabolism and oxygen consumption of the treated seedlings. Explain your
prediction.
4. Information flow in cells can be regulated by various mechanisms.
(a) Describe the role of THREE of the following in the regulation of protein synthesis:




RNA splicing
repressor proteins
methylation
siRNA
(b) Information flow can be altered by mutation. Describe THREE different types of mutations
and their effect on protein synthesis.
(c) Identify TWO environmental factors that increase the mutation rate in an organism, and
discuss their effect on the genome of the organism.
(d) Epigenetics is the study of heritable changes in the phenotype caused by mechanisms other
than changes in the DNA sequence. Describe ONE example of epigenetic inheritance.