AP Biology Comprehensive Free Response Question List

AP Biology Comprehensive Free Response Question List

A.P. BIOLOGY OUTLINE: CHEMISTRY OF LIFE

Water

Organic Molecules in organisms

Free energy changes

Enzymes

(1968)Suppose that you have isolated an extract from a tissue and you have found that the extract speeds up the rate of a particular reaction. What kind of information would you need to demonstrate that the substance responsible for increasing the rate of this reaction is an enzyme? Explain how this information would indicate that the catalytic effect is due to an enzyme.

(1969)Proteins functioning as enzymes exhibit precise specifications. Discuss the levels of structural organization within proteins which are responsible for specific molecular interaction.

(1972)A class of biology students performed an experiment on the digestion of starch by salivary amylase. Each student determined the length of time required for different dilutions of his saliva to digest completely a standard concentration of starch. Iodine was used to test for the presence of starch. The results obtained by some of the class are summarized in the table below.

TIME REQUIRED FOR THE DISAPPEARANCE OF STARCH WITH VARIOUS SALIVA DILUTIONS

(saliva: H2O)

Student 1:9 (10%)1:19 (5%)1:49 (2%)1:99 (1%)

A45 seconds50 seconds100 seconds135 seconds

B(no end point)

C90 seconds100 seconds200 seconds270 seconds

D260 seconds300 seconds600 seconds800 seconds

a.Present the data for Student A in graphic form.

b.Carefully examine the data collected by the four students above and state as many conclusions as you can that are supported by these data.

c.Assuming there have been no errors in techniques, form as many hypotheses as you can to explain the differences observed.

d.Design one experiment to test the validity of one hypothesis. Clearly state what data you would want to collect in this experiment to test your hypothesis.

(1973)Hypotheses derived from laboratory experiments and field observations have been advanced to explain the origin of life on earth. Starting with a probable prelife environment, describe the formation and evolution of the various trophic forms (nutrition types) to and including unicellular organisms. Describe at least one experiment whose results support one of these scientific hypotheses.

(1978) Give specific examples to illustrate the theory of enzyme action, and include in your discussion the effects of each of the following:

a.Substrate concentration

b.pH shifts

c.Temperature shifts

d.Competitive inhibition.

(1981)Discuss the biological importance of each of the following organic compounds in relation to cellular structure and function in plants and animals.

a. Carbohydrates
b. Proteins
c. Lipids
d. Nucleic Acids

(1975)Describe the chemical compositions and configuration of enzymes and discuss the factors that modify enzyme structure and/or function.

(1991)Carbon is a very important element in living systems.

a.Describe the various characteristics of the carbon atom that make possible the building of a variety of biological molecules.

b.Explain how reactions involving carbon-containing compounds can contribute to the greenhouse effect.

c.The following structures are examples of two different categories of biological compounds. Describe how each category of compounds is important to the structure and functions of living systems.

Category ICategory II

A drawing of a phospholipid* A drawing of an amino acid

*Drawings not available

(1994)Enzymes are biological catalysts.

a.Relate the chemical structure of an enzyme to its specificity and catalytic activity.

b.Design a quantitative experiment to investigate the influence of pH or temperature on the activity of an enzyme.

c.Describe what information concerning the structure of an enzyme could be inferred from your experiment.

(1996) The unique properties (characteristics) of water make life possible on Earth. Select three properties of water and:

a. for each property, identify and define the property and explain it in terms of the physical/chemical nature of water.

b. for each property, describe one example of how the property affects the functioning of living organisms.

(2001) Proteins-large complex molecules- are major building blocks of all living organisms. Discuss the following in relation to proteins.

(a) The chemical composition and levels of structure of proteins.

(b) The roles of DNA and RNA in protein synthesis

(c) The roles of proteins in membrane structure and transport of molecules across the membrane

A.P. BIOLOGY OUTLINE:

CELLS:

Prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells

Subcellular organization

Cell cycle and its regulation

(1959)Some of the differentiated structures of plant and animal cells are cell walls, plasma membranes, chromosomes, chloroplasts, mitochondria, and spindle fibers. Discuss four of these with respect to:

1) function and 2) physico-chemical nature.

(1960)

a. Make a schematic diagram of a generalized plant or animal cell, showing the structure of its parts as revealed by electron microscopy. Make a diagram the size of a full page and label it completely, indicating whether the cell is from a plant or an animal.

b. List the parts included in your diagram and describe briefly the activities or functions thought to be performed by each one.

(1964)a. Describe the structure of the cell membrane as revealed by electron microscopy and biochemical studies.

b. Explain how the passage of substances through the cell membrane is regulated by the physical and chemical properties of the substances involved.

c. Explain how the concentration of a solute on either side of a semi-permeable membrane affects osmosis.

(1969)Suppose a team of scientists is examining the cells of a newly discovered species. They observe under the light microscope an organelle that appears to be different from any that has been described before. Assume that you are the director of the research team. Describe the methods that you would have the team use to determine whether the structure is a mitochondrion, ribosome, lysosome, nucleolus, or indeed a new organelle. Discuss the advantages and limitations of each method in revealing the role of the unknown organelle in the living cell.

(1970)Electron microscope studies have revealed the probable structures of plasma membranes and the membranes of various cell components.

a.Describe the kinds of observations and experiments that are used to study the basic structure and molecular components of these membranes.

b.Discuss mechanisms by which materials are thought to move across membranes.

c.Discuss the significance of membranes in the biochemical events which occur in mitochondria and chloroplasts.

(1975)All living cells exploit their environment for energy and for molecular components in order to maintain their internal environments. Describe the roles of several different membrane systems in these activities.

(1978)Describe a model of the cell membrane of a eukaryotic cell and discuss different ways in which substances move across the membrane.

(1981)Describe the structural arrangement and function of the membranes associated with each of the following eukaryotic organelles:

a.Mitochondrion

b.Endoplasmic Reticulum

c.Chloroplast

d.Golgi Apparatus

(1983)Describe the fluid-mosaic model of a plasma membrane. Discuss the role of the membrane in the movement of materials through by each of the following processes.

a.Active Transport

b.Passive Transport

(1984)Describe the structure of a generalized eukaryotic plant cell. Indicate the ways in which a nonphotosynthetic prokaryotic cell would differ in structure from this generalized eukaryotic plant cell.

(1987)Discuss the process of cell division in animals. Include a description of mitosis and cytokinesis, and of the other phases of the cell cycle. Do not include meiosis.

(1993)Membranes are important structural features of cells.

a.Describe how membrane structure is related to the transport of materials across a membrane.

b.Describe the role of membranes in the synthesis of ATP in either cellular respiration or photosynthesis.

(1994)Discuss how cellular structures, including the plasma membrane, specialized endoplasmic reticulum, cytoskeletal elements, and mitochondria, function together in the contraction of skeletal muscle cells.

(1998) Cells transport substances across their membranes. Choose THREE of the following four types of cellular transport.

• Osmosis
• Active Transport
• Facilitated diffusion
• Endocytosis/exocytosis

For each of the three transport types you choose

a. describe the transport process and explain how the organization of cell membranes functions in the movement of specific molecules

across the membrane.

b. explain the significance of each type of transport to a specific cell (you may use different cell types as examples.)

(2006)A major distinction between prokaryotes and eukaryotes is the presence of membrane-bound organelles in eukaryotes.

a. Describe the structure and function of TWO eukaryotic membrane-bound organelles other than the nucleus.

b. Prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells have some non-membrane-bound components in common. Describe the function of

TWO of the following and discuss how each differs in prokaryotes and eukaryotes.

• DNA
• Cell wall
• Ribosomes

c. Explainthe endosymbiotic theory of the origin of eukaryotic cells and discuss an example of evidence supporting this theory.

(2006) Sexual reproduction requires that half of the chromosomes in a zygote come from one parent and the other half from the second parent.

a. Describe the process by which a germ cell's complement of chromosomes is halved in the formation of gametes.

b. Chooseone organism or group of organisms that reproduce asexually. Describe the mode of asexual reproduction in that organism and explain the advantages to the organism of asexual reproduction.

c. Chooseone organism of group of organisms that reproduce sexually. Describe the mode of asexual reproduction in that organism and explain the advantages to the organism of sexual reproduction.

(2007)Membranes are essential components of all cells.

(a)Identify THREE macromolecules that are components of the plasma membrane in a eukaryotic cell and discuss the structure and function of each.

(b)Explain how membranes participate in THREE of the following biological processes:

• Muscle contraction
• Fertilization of an egg
• Chemiosmotic production of ATP
• Intercellular signaling

A.P. BIOLOGY: HEREDITY AND EVOLUTION

A. HEREDITY

Meiosis and gametogenesis

Eukaryotic chromosomes

Inheritance patterns

B. MOLECULAR GENETICS

RNA and DNA structure and function

Gene regulation

Mutation

Viral structure and replication

Nucleic acid technology and applications

(1960)Discuss the gene, with regard to structure, duplication, mutation, and nature of action.

(1962)Deoxyribonucleic acid or DNA has been described as the chemical basis of heredity. Discuss present-day concepts regarding its:

a.chemical nature and physical structure

b.mode of duplication

c.relationship to protein synthesis

(1963)Describe two experiments, one from the area of bacterial transformation and the other from the field of viruses, that have helped to establish the belief that DNA is the chemical basis of heredity.

(1965)Biologists and biochemists have made outstanding progress within the past quarter century in elucidating principles and structures which govern the activities of living matter. These areas of progress include the structure and code of the DNA molecule.

Discuss this development and its impact on biological though and progress. Your answer should include:

a.a brief account of the development

b.the names of the most prominent investigators involved

c.the nature of its impact on biology.

(1965)Discuss the role of each of the following in protein synthesis:

a.soluble or transfer RNA

b.messenger RNA

c.ribosomes

d.ATP

(1967)The formation of Watson–Crick complementary base pairs between single strands of molecules of nucleic acids occurs in at least three separate reactions. Discuss each of these reactions from the following points of view:

a.the type of nucleic acids involved

b.the role of each nucleic acid in the duplication of cellular constituents.

(1969)Proteins and nucleic acids are fundamental molecules of the living state.

a. Write word equations for the synthesis of proteins and nucleic acids, using the appropriate subunits.

b. A wide variety of macromolecules exists in proteins and nucleic acids. For each group, explain how it is possible to have such great variety of structure with a relatively small number of different subunits.

c. Proteins functioning as enzymes exhibit precise specifications. Discuss the levels of structural organization within proteins which are responsible for specific molecular interaction.

(1974)Describe protein synthesis in terms of molecular structures of the nucleic acids and using a specific example, explain how a new phenotypic characteristic may result from a change in DNA.

(1977)Proteins are composed of amino acid subunits which form stable three-dimensional structures.

a.Describe how the genetic instructions coded in DNA are translated into the primary structure (sequence of amino acids subunits) of a protein molecule.

b.Explain how interactions among the individual amino acid subunits influence the transformation of the moleculeinto its three-dimensional structure and how they stabilize it.

(1979)In relation to the chemical nature of the gene, describe:

a.the chemical structure of the gene

b.the replication (self-copying) of the gene

c.gene mutations, including chromosomal aberrations

(1982)A portion of a specific DNA molecule consists of the following sequence of nucleotide triplets:

TACGAACTTGGGTCC

This DNA sequence codes for the following short polypeptide.

methionine – leucine – glutamic acid – proline – arginine

Describe the steps in the synthesis of this polypeptide. What would be the effect of a deletion or an addition in

one of the DNA nucleotides? What would be the effect of a substitution in one of the nucleotides?

(1984)Experiments by the following scientists provided critical information concerning DNA. Describe each classical experiment and indicate how it provided evidence for the chemical nature of the gene.

a.Hershey and Chase – bacteriophage replication

b.Griffith and Avery, MacLeod, and McCarty – bacterial transformation.

c.Messelson and Stahl – DNA replication in bacteria.

(1985)Describe the operon hypothesis and discuss how it explains the control of messenger-RNA productions and the regulation of protein synthesis in bacterial cells.

(1986)Describe the biochemical composition, structure, and replication of DNA. Discuss how recombinant DNA techniques may be used to correct a point mutation.

(1987)Describe the production and processing of a protein that will be exported from a eukaryotic cell. Begin with the separation of the messenger RNA from the DNA template and end with the release of the protein at the plasma membrane.

(1990)Describe the steps of protein synthesis beginning with the attachment of a messenger RNA molecule to the small subunit of a ribosome and ending with the release of the polypeptide from the ribosome. Include in your answer a discussion of how the different types of RNA function in this process.

(2001) Proteins-large complex molecules- are major building blocks of all living organisms. Discuss the following in relation to proteins.

(a) The chemical composition and levels of structure of proteins.

(b) The roles of DNA and RNA in protein synthesis

(c) The roles of proteins in membrane structure and transport of molecules across the membrane

(2005)Protein synthesis is vital for cell growth and metabolism.

(a)Describe transcription and translation.

(b)Identify similarities between transcription and translation.

(c)Identify differences between transcription and translation.

(d)Describe structural changes that can occur to a protein after translation to make it function properly.

(2005)The unit of genetic organization in all living organisms is the chromosomes.

(a)Describe the structure and function of the parts of a eukaryotic chromosome. You may wish to include a diagram as part of your description.

(b)Describe the adaptive (evolutionary) significance of organizing genes into chromosomes.

(c)How does the function and structure of the chromosome differ in prokaryotes?

(2009)

The flow of genetic information from DNA to protein in eukaryotic cells is called the central dogma of biology.

(a) Explain the role of each of the following in protein synthesis in eukaryotic cells.

• RNA polymerase

• Spliceosomes (snRNPs)

• Codons

• Ribosomes

• tRNA

(b) Cells regulate both protein synthesis and protein activity. Discuss TWO specific mechanisms of protein

regulation in eukaryotic cells.

(c) The central dogma does not apply to some viruses. Select a specific virus or type of virus and explain how it

deviates from the central dogma.

A.P. BIOLOGY OUTLINE: CELLULAR ENERGETICS

Coupled Reactions

Fermentation and cellular respiration

Photosynthesis

RESPIRATION QUESTIONS:

(1963)Compare the intermediate steps in the fermentation of a molecule of sugar by yeast with respiration in a muscle tissue cell. Include in your answer the role of ATP formed in each of these two processes.

(1965)Biologist and biochemists have made outstanding progress within the past quarter century in elucidating principles and structures which govern the activities of living matter. These areas of progress include:

a.The structure and code of the DNA molecule

b.The use of radioactive isotopes as tracers in biological processes.

c.The citric acid cycle and its relationship to mitochondria.

d.The use of electron microscopy in revealing the structure of the cell.

Discuss any one of these developments and its impact on biological thought and progress. Your answer should include:

a.a brief account of the development

b.the names of the most prominent investigators involved

c.the nature of its impact on biology.

(1967)When a cell is metabolizing in the absence of oxygen and it is then exposed to an environment containing oxygen, a series of oxidation-reduction reactions is initiated which enables the cell to increase its activities.

a.Outline the oxidation-reduction reactions that are initiated under these conditions and indicate the point at which molecular oxygen interacts with the oxidative system.

b.Explain how the cell derives additional energy by switching from non-oxidate to oxidative metabolism.

(1977)Explain how the molecular reactions of cellular respiration transform the chemical bond energy of Krebs cycle substrates into the more readily available bond energy of ATP. Include in your discussion the structure of the mitochondrion and show how it is important to the reactions of the Krebs cycle and the electron transport chain.

(1982)Describe the similarities and differences between the biochemical pathways of aerobic respiration and photosynthesis in eukaryotic cells. Include in your discussion the major reactions, the end products, and energy transfers.

(1989)Explain what occurs during the Krebs (citric acid) cycle and electron transport by describing the following:

a.The location of the Krebs cycle and electron transport chain in the mitochondria

b.The cyclic nature of the reactions in the Krebs cycle.