Download Excluded.Materials

As you begin to study for the AP Biology exam you should
be aware of the following EXCLUDED MATERIALS
Exclusion statements define content or specific details about the content that do not need to be
covered because this level of detail does not foster students’ conceptual understanding. This
information will not be tested. The yellow highlights are intended to draw your attention to
materials you must know.
Details of how fossils are dated are beyond the scope of the course.
Names and dates of mass extinctions are beyond the scope of the course.
Complete pathways for the processes of respiration and photosynthesis are out of scope of the
course and exam.
Memorization of the steps in the Calvin cycle, the structure of the molecules, and the names of
enzymes involved are out of scope of the course and exam. You do need to know about light
and dark reactions and photosystems 1 & 2. And NADPH2
Memorization of the steps in glycolysis and the Krebs cycle, or of the structures of the
molecules and the names of the enzymes involved, are out of scope of the course and exam.
You do need to know about glycolysis, Krebs cycle, and oxidation and reduction of molecules.
The names of the specific electron carriers (i.e. cytochromes) are out of scope of the course and
exam. You need to understand chemiosmosis and electron transport chains, however.
The names of the five classes of antibodies and their specific activities are out of scope of the
course and exam.
Memorization of the structures of specific antibodies is out of scope of the course and exam.
Details about the specific stages of development are out of scope of the course and exam.
Memorization of the names, molecular structures, and specific effects of all plant hormones are
out of scope of the course and exam.
Memorization of the names, molecular structures, and specific effects of hormones or features
of the brain responsible for physiological phenomena are out of scope of the course and exam.
Students NEED TO know about circadian rhythms.
The names of the particular enzymes involved in DNA replication beyond DNA polymerase,
ligase, RNA polymerase, helicase, and topoisomerase, are outside the scope of the course for the
purposes of the exam. Students DO NEED to know about leading & lagging strands and the
steps of replication.
The details and names of the enzymes and factors involved in each of the steps of translation
are beyond the scope of the course and exam. Students DO NEED to understand transcription
and translation, and the areas where controls on transcription and translation occur. Be able to
compare and contrast eukaryotic with prokaryotic control of gene expression.
Memorizing the genetic code is beyond the scope of the course and exam.
Knowledge of any one specific cyclin-cdK pair or growth factor is beyond the scope of the
course but you DO NEED to understand how cyclins and cdKs work together as a
mechanism of cell cycle control.
Memorizing the names of the phases of mitosis is out of scope of the course and exam but
students DO NEED to know what happens in each. Students must understand that mitosis is a
continuous process and understand the order of the processes of replication, alignment, and
separation.
Epistasis and pleiotropy are out of scope of the course and exam. Personally - I don’t trust this
statement.
Students DO NEED to know the horizontal acquisitions of genetic information from the
environment (transformation), viruses (transduction) other bacteria (conjugation) or between
DNA molecules (transposition) increase variation. Details and specifics about these various
mechanisms are beyond scope of the course and exam.
The details of sexual reproduction cycles in various plants and animals are out of scope of the
course and exam. However, the similarities of the processes that provide for genetic variation
are relevant and should be understood. You should be able to compare and contrast basic
cycles as it relates to the evolutionary advantages in plants (shift in emphasis of gametophyte
and sporophyte) and to compare examples of montoremes vs marsupials vs placental
mammals.
Names and processes of specific small molecules within the cell that act as intracellular
messengers are out of scope of the course and exam. Chemical signaling, signal transduction,
cascade pathways, and membrane receptors are expected to be understood.
Specific mechanisms of the diseases (diabetes, heart disease, neurological disease, cancer,
cholera, and autoimmune disorders) are out of scope of the course and exam.
Specific mechanisms of action for drugs (hypertension drugs, anesthetics, antihistamines, birth
control drugs) are out of scope of the course and exam.
The types of nervous systems, the development of the human nervous system, the details of the
various structures and features of the human brain, and details of specific neurologic processes
are out of scope of the course and exam. Understanding how neurons signal is within the scope.
The details of the various communications and community behavioral systems as in packs and
hives are out of scope of the course and exam. However examples of how behavioral systems,
whether they are pack systems of individual behaviors, may influence the survival and
evolution of species is important.
The chemical structure of the specific nucleotides (you do not need to understand the chemical
nuances of each of the nitrogenous bases) is out of scope of the course and exam. You DO
NEED to understand the importance of the chemical basis of nucleotides for complimentary
base pairing, replication of DNA and RNA as well as transcription and translation.
The chemical structure of specific amino acids or proteins is out of scope of the course and
exam. You DO NEED to understand the general structure and the chemical nature of
functional differences of amino acids and proteins.
The chemical structure of specific lipids (for example - you do not need to be able to distinguish
linoleic acid from stearic acid) is out of scope of the course and exam.
The chemical structure of specific carbohydrate polymers (you do not need to be able to
distinguish the structure of chitin from other carbs) is out of scope of the course and exam.
The role of the Golgi organelle in specific phospholipid synthesis and packaging of enzymatic
contents of lysosomes, peroxisomes, and secretory vesicles is out of scope of the course and
exam.
Specific examples of how lysosomes carry out intracellular digestion are out of scope of the
course and exam.
The molecular structure of chlorophyll a is out of scope of the course and exam.
No specific cofactors or coenzymes are within the scope of the course and exam.
No specific cell-cell competition is within the scope of the course and exam.
No specific details of symbiotic interactions are within the scope of the course and exam. You
DO NEED to be able to discuss examples of symbiotic relationships (mutualism vs parasitism
vs commensalism as well as things such as mycorrhizae).
You DO NEED to understand how cells communicate with each other through direct contact
with other cells or from a distance via chemical signaling.
You DO NEED to understand and be able to provide examples of how multi-cellular animals
have nervous systems that detect external and internal signals, transmit and integrate
information, and produce responses.
You DO NEED to understand and be able to provide examples of how plants and animals have
a variety of chemical defenses against infections that affect dynamic homeostasis.