Download AP Biology Reading Questions

AP Biology Reading Questions: Cells, Lesson 1- Overview and Endomembrane System
1. Explain how advances in microscopy led to advances in cytology. Provide two historical
examples.
2. Why are certain cellular structures unable to be observed with a light microscope?
3. How does the ratio of a cell’s surface area to volume place upward and downward limits
on cell size?
4. How do organelles allow for increased complexity in cells?
5. Provide four examples of cell tasks that are accomplished by proteins.
6. Explain/Diagram the relationship between DNA, RNA and protein in cells.
7. How does the structure of the nucleus allow it to fulfill its function?
8. True or False: The nucleolus is an intranuclear organelle. Explain your answer.
9. Why do ribosomes exist in the free and bound configurations in eukaryotic cells.
10. How does the structure of the endoplasmic reticulum (smooth and rough) allow it to fulfill
its function?
11. How does the structure of the golgi apparatus allow it to fulfill its function?
12. Why are vessicles necessary?
13. Diagram the endomembrane system. Include all organelles and processes that function
in the system.
AP Biology Reading Questions: Cells, Lesson 2- Energy Production and Storage
Ch. 6
1. Why do cells need ATP? Why can’t they just use glucose for their energy needs?
2. How is the structure of a lysosome related to its function?
3. Explain one normal function of lysosomes in a multicellular organism and one abnormal
function.
4. Draw a mitochondria. Label the matrix, cristae, inner membrane, outer membrane and
intermembrane space (you may need to look at ch. 9 for some of this).
5. How is the structure of a mitochondria related to its function?
6. Draw a chloroplast. Label the stroma, thylakoids, grana, outer membrane, inner membrane,
and where chlorophyll is (you may need to look at ch. 10 for some of this).
7. Why are mitochondria and chloroplasts separate from the endomembrane system?
8. Why are mitochondria and chloroplasts thought of as “semi-autonomous” organelles?
9. Diagram the relationship between the processes that occur in the mitochondria and the
processes that occur in the chloroplast.
10. Explain the functions of vacuoles and explain how they differ between plant cells and
animal cells.
11. Why does a cell need peroxisomes?
AP Biology Reading Questions: Cells, lesson 3- Growth and Communication
Ch. 6
1. How does the structure of the cytoskeleton enable its functions?
2. Of the three kinds of fillaments that make up the cytoskeleton, which kind comprise
centrioles in animal cells? What is the function of a centriole?
3. How do the structures of cillia and flagella enable their functions?
4. Compare and contrast the cell wall and the extracellular matrix. Provide at least one
similarity and one difference.
5. Make a table comparing and contrasting tight junctions, gap junctions, desmosomes and
plasmodesmata. Include the type of cells they are found in, their structures, functions and if
they are open for material transport or closed.
AP Biology Reading Questions: Cells, lesson 4- The Cell Membrane
Ch. 7
1. Diagram an individual phosopholipid and a bilayer of phospholipids. Label the hydrophillic
head, and hydrophobic tails in both.
2. What criteria of a substance determines if it will be able to pass through the phospholipid
bilayer. Give two examples of substances that can move through the bilayer and two examples
of substances that can’t.
3. Explain the Fluid Mosaic model of the cell membrane and describe the functions of the
proteins that are embedded in the membrane.
4. How is it possible that a protein can be embedded in the plasma membrane and also have
regions that are attracted to the intracellular and extracellular regions of a cell?
5. Diagram the cell membrane. Label the following parts: lipid bilayer, integral proteins,
peripheral proteins, cholesterol, cytoskeleton, extracellular matrix, glycoproteins, glycolipids.
Explain the function of each part of the cell membrane in contributing to the functioning of the
cell.
6. If cells can not visually inspect other cells, how do the cells of our immune system know if a
particular cell they encounter is part of us or part of another organism?
AP Biology Reading Questions: Cells, lesson 5- Transport
Ch. 7
1. How does the second law of thermodynamics allow for diffusion of substances?
2. Explain the major difference between simple diffusion and facillitated diffusion.
3. How is active transport possible, since it contradicts the tendencies of the second law of
thermodynamics?
4. Diagram one complete cycle of the Sodium-Potassium pump. Is this active or passive
transport?
5. How do large molecules get taken into the cell?
6. What is osmosis? What is tonicity?
7. Explain the meaning of the statement: “Tonicity is only useful as a comparative term.”
8. Is it possible for a solution to be both hypertonic and hypotonic? Why or Why not?
9. Why do animal cells prefer to be in isotonic solutions, while plant cells prefer to be in
hypotonic solutions?
10. How does a paramecium deal with its hypotonic environment?
11. Explain the function of aquaporins.