AP Biology for Dummies

378 Pages·2008·2.71 MB·English

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AP Biology
FOR
DUMmIES
‰
by Peter Mikulecky,PhD
Advanced Science Teacher,Fusion Learning Center
Michelle Rose Gilman
Founder/CEO Fusion Learning Center
Brian Peterson
Science Department Chair,Fusion Learning Center
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AP Biology For Dummies®
Published by
Wiley Publishing, Inc.
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Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774
www.wiley.com
Copyright © 2008 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana
Published simultaneously in Canada
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About the Authors
Peter Mikulecky:Peter Mikulecky grew up in Milwaukee, an area of Wisconsin unique for its
high human-to-cow ratio. After a breezy four-year tour in the Army, Peter earned a BS in bio-
chemistry and molecular biology from the University of Wisconsin – Eau Claire and a PhD in
biological chemistry from Indiana University. With science seething in his DNA, he sought to
infect others with a sense of molecular wonderment. Having taught, tutored, and mentored
in classroom and laboratory environments, Peter was happy to find a home at Fusion
Learning Center and Fusion Academy. There, he enjoys persuading students that biology
andchemistry are in fact fascinating journeys, not entirely designed to inflict pain on
haplessteenagers. His military training occasionally aids him in this effort.
Michelle Rose Gilman:Michelle Rose Gilman is most proud to be known as Noah’s mom
(HiMunch!). A graduate of the University of South Florida, Michelle found her niche early
and at 19 was already working with emotionally disturbed and learning disabled students in
hospital settings. At 21 she made the trek to California, and there she found her passion for
helping teenage students become more successful in school and life. What started as a small
tutoring business in the garage of her California home quickly expanded and grew to the
point where traffic control was necessary on her residential street.
Today, Michelle is the Founder and CEO of Fusion Learning Center and Fusion Academy, a
private school and tutoring/test-prep facility in Solana Beach, California, serving over 2,000
students per year. She is the author of ACT For Dummies, Precalculus For Dummies,and other
books on self-esteem, writing, and motivational topics. Michelle has overseen dozens of pro-
grams over the last 20 years, focusing on helping kids become healthy adults. She currently
specializes in motivating unmotivatable adolescents, comforting their shell-shocked parents,
and assisting her staff of 35 teachers.
Michelle lives by the following motto: “There are people content with longing; I am not one
ofthem.”
Brian Peterson:Brian remembers a love for science going back to his own AP Biology high
school class. At the University of San Diego, Brian majored in Biology and minored in
Chemistry, with a pre-med emphasis. Before embarking to medical school, Brian took a young-
adult-professional detour and found himself at Fusion Learning Center/Fusion Academy, an
independent private school, where he quickly discovered a love of teaching. Years later, he
finds himself the Science Department Head at Fusion and oversees a staff of 11 science teach-
ers. Brian, also known as “Beeps” by his favorite students, is committed to encouraging the
love of science in his students by offering unique and innovative science curricula.
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Dedication
We would like to dedicate this book to all the students who motivate us to be better teachers,
and to everyone who has waited patiently for us while we wrote this book: We are now ready
to play!
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Authors’ Acknowledgments
Thanks to Bill Gladstone from Waterside Productions for being an amazing agent and for
notonly giving us the opportunity to write this book but believing enough in us to continue
giving us more. You’re a brave man, Bill! Thanks to our Wiley editors, Stacy Kennedy and,
especially, Jennifer Connolly for her constant humor, compassion, and salt lick.
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Publisher’s Acknowledgments
We’re proud of this book; please send us your comments through our Dummies online registration form located at
www.dummies.com/register/.
Some of the people who helped bring this book to market include the following:
Acquisitions, Editorial, and Media Development Composition Services
Project Editor: Jennifer Connolly Project Coordinator: Kristie Rees
Acquisitions Editor: Stacy Kennedy Layout and Graphics:Claudia Bell, Carrie A.Cesavice,
Reuben W. Davis, Stephanie D. Jumper
Copy Editor: Jennifer Connolly
Proofreaders: Laura Albert, Susan Moritz,
Technical Editor: Barry Ludvik
Evelyn W. Still
Senior Editorial Manager: Jennifer Ehrlich
Indexer: Galen Schroeder
Editorial Supervisor: Carmen Krikorian
Editorial Assistants:Erin Calligan Mooney, Joe Niesen,
Leeann Harney, David Lutton
Cover Photos: © David Chasey/Getty Images
Cartoons: Rich Tennant (www.the5thwave.com)
Publishing and Editorial for Consumer Dummies
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Publishing for Technology Dummies
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Composition Services
Gerry Fahey,Vice President of Production Services
Debbie Stailey,Director of Composition Services
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Contents at a Glance
Introduction.................................................................................1
Part I: Doing Your Best for the Test ...............................................5
Chapter 1: Dissecting the AP Biology Exam..............................................................................................7
Chapter 2: Strategies, Suggestions, and Schedules................................................................................13
Part II: Molecules and Cells........................................................21
Chapter 3: Biochemistry: The Little Things That Count.......................................................................23
Chapter 4: Answering Questions on Biochemistry................................................................................45
Chapter 5: The Cell’s Structure: Factories at Work................................................................................55
Chapter 6: Answering Questions about Cell Structure..........................................................................65
Chapter 7: Dividing Cells and Conquering the Processes.....................................................................71
Chapter 8: Answering Questions about Cell Functions.........................................................................81
Chapter 9: Cell Respiration: Energized and at the Ready!.....................................................................89
Chapter 10: Answering Questions about Cell Respiration..................................................................103
Part III: Living Large — Organisms and Populations ..................111
Chapter 11: Rooting Through Plant Life................................................................................................113
Chapter 12: Answering Questions about Plant Life.............................................................................129
Chapter 13: Animals and Behavior.........................................................................................................139
Chapter 14: Answering Questions About Animals and Behavior.......................................................175
Chapter 15: Taxonomy and Classification.............................................................................................185
Chapter 16: Answering Questions on Taxonomy and Classification.................................................197
Chapter 17: Getting Along in the World: Ecology.................................................................................205
Chapter 18: Answering Questions About Ecology...............................................................................219
Part IV: Inheriting and Evolving................................................227
Chapter 19: Heredity: Looking Like Your Parents................................................................................229
Chapter 20: Answering Questions About Heredity..............................................................................237
Chapter 21: Genetics: Getting Down to DNA Level..............................................................................245
Chapter 22: Answering Questions on Genetics....................................................................................257
Chapter 23: Evolving: Past, Present, and Future..................................................................................267
Chapter 24: Answering Questions on Evolution...................................................................................277
Part V: Putting It All into Practice, or,
Practicing What Has Been Preached..........................................287
Chapter 25: Test 1.....................................................................................................................................289
Chapter 26: Answers to Test 1................................................................................................................307
Chapter 27: Test 2.....................................................................................................................................313
Chapter 28: Answers to Test 2................................................................................................................333
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Part VI: The Part of Tens...........................................................337
Chapter 29: Ten Terms to Tattoo on Your Brain...................................................................................339
Chapter 30: Ten Pathways (and Cycles)................................................................................................343
Chapter 31: Ten Organelles to Know.....................................................................................................347
Chapter 32: Ten Points on Plants and Animals ....................................................................................351
Index.......................................................................................355
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Table of Contents
Introduction .................................................................................1
About This Book.........................................................................................................................1
Foolish Assumptions.................................................................................................................2
How This Book Is Organized.....................................................................................................2
Part I: Doing Your Best for the Test...............................................................................2
Part II: Molecules and Cells.............................................................................................2
Part III: Living Large — Organisms and Populations...................................................3
Part IV: Inheriting and Evolving......................................................................................3
Part V: Putting It All into Practice, or, Practicing What Has Been Preached............3
Part VI: The Part of Tens.................................................................................................3
Icons Used in This Book............................................................................................................3
Where to Go from Here..............................................................................................................4
Part I: Doing Your Best for the Test................................................5
Chapter 1: Dissecting the AP Biology Exam......................................................................7
Proving Your College Prowess..................................................................................................7
Getting to the Guts of the Exam...............................................................................................8
The multiple-choice questions.......................................................................................8
The free-response questions...........................................................................................8
Ticking through the Topics Covered.......................................................................................8
Trying to Decide: To Guess or Not to Guess..........................................................................9
Getting the Skinny on Scoring..................................................................................................9
Tabulating the multiple-choice section.......................................................................10
Adding up the free-response section...........................................................................10
Reaching the composite score ....................................................................................10
Packing Your Tools for the Test.............................................................................................11
Requesting Special Modifications..........................................................................................11
Chapter 2: Strategies, Suggestions, and Schedules......................................................13
Training For a Marathon, Not a Sprint..................................................................................13
Taking Care of Yourself Before the Test................................................................................14
Staying active .................................................................................................................14
Eating well.......................................................................................................................14
Learning to relax.............................................................................................................14
Staying away from artificial study aids (drugs).........................................................15
Acing the Questions.................................................................................................................15
The multiple-choice questions.....................................................................................15
The free-response questions.........................................................................................18
Four Stress-Busters to Help You Survive During the Test..................................................18
Counting to four.............................................................................................................19
Stretching........................................................................................................................19
Practicing visualization.................................................................................................19
Thinking positively.........................................................................................................19
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APBiology For Dummies
Part II: Molecules and Cells.........................................................21
Chapter 3: Biochemistry: The Little Things That Count.................................................23
Matters of Matter: Biology Emerges from Chemistry..........................................................23
An elegance of elements................................................................................................24
The importance of being wet........................................................................................25
The Power of Carbohydrates.................................................................................................27
Sweet! Sugars for life......................................................................................................27
Storing fuels for later.....................................................................................................29
Amino Acids, Proteins, and Enzymes....................................................................................29
Running metabolism......................................................................................................30
Building the blocks of life..............................................................................................33
Parts and Processes of Nucleic Acids...................................................................................35
Forming RNA and DNA...................................................................................................35
Using the genetic code to make proteins....................................................................36
Chapter 4: Answering Questions on Biochemistry........................................................45
Pointers for Practice................................................................................................................45
Testing Your Knowledge..........................................................................................................46
Answering multiple-choice questions.........................................................................46
Answering free-essay response questions..................................................................48
Lab on diffusion and osmosis.......................................................................................48
Lab on enzyme catalysis...............................................................................................49
Checking Your Work................................................................................................................51
Chapter 5: The Cell’s Structure: Factories at Work........................................................55
Categorizing Cells....................................................................................................................55
Poking around prokaryotes..........................................................................................55
You, a eukaryote.............................................................................................................55
Powerhouse Parts: Cell Structures........................................................................................56
Prokaryotic cell structure.............................................................................................56
Eukaryotic cell structure...............................................................................................58
Crossing the Border: Six Ways to Transport........................................................................60
Chapter 6: Answering Questions about Cell Structure..................................................65
Pointers for Practice................................................................................................................65
Testing Your Knowledge..........................................................................................................66
Answering multiple-choice questions.........................................................................66
Answering free-essay response questions..................................................................69
Checking Your Work................................................................................................................69
Chapter 7: Dividing Cells and Conquering the Processes............................................71
Stages and Phases: The Cell Cycle.........................................................................................71
Between phases of cell divisions: Interphase.............................................................72
Splitting into Two: Mitosis and Cytokinesis................................................................73
Shuffling Genetic Information.................................................................................................77
Meiosis I...........................................................................................................................77
Meiosis II..........................................................................................................................78