Date of Exam: Monday May 8th 2017
· No food or drink allowed in testing area
· No electronics
· Simple 4 function calculators are the only “approved”
Format of Exam
Section I: Multiple Choice | 69 Questions | 90 Minutes | 50% of Exam Score
· Multiple-Choice: 63 Questions
o Specific questions on concept
· Grid-In: 6 Questions
o Discrete Questions integrating biology and mathematical skills
Section II: Free Response | 8 Questions | 90 minutes | 50% of Exam Score
· Long Free Response:
o 2 questions, one of which is lab or data-based
· Short Free Response:
o 6 questions, each requiring a paragraph-length argument/response
What Topics Does the AP Biology Exam Cover?
The College Board says in its Course Description that AP Biology has changed its focus from the more memorization-based curriculum that defined the course and exam in the past.The goal is for students to gain a deeper conceptual understanding of topics in biology.Reasoning skills and knowledge of the process of scientific inquiry are more important on the current AP Biology test than they have been before.
The College Board has tried to structure the exam so that content knowledge and reasoning skills are intertwined.This can be both good and bad: the good is that you won’t necessarily have to memorize as many little tidbits of information, the bad is that it can be harder to study for a test like this that covers more abstract forms of knowledge.
The exam and curriculum as a whole will be centered on your understanding of the following four “Big Ideas,” which each cover a bunch of different topics.Your success on the exam rests on being able to connect specific concepts with the overarching Big Ideas that define the course.I taught this course around the following ideas.
Big Idea 1: The process of evolution drives the diversity and unity of life
· Mechanisms of evolution and natural selection (CH.22)
o Darwin vs. Lamarack
o Evidence of evolution
o Homologous vs. analogous
o Adaptation
o Fitness
· Population evolution (CH. 23)
o Hardy-Weinberg principle - MATH and BIOLOGY
o Genetic drift
o Selection
· Origin of species (CH.24)
o Prezygotic vs. post zygotic barriers
o Allopatric vs. sympatric speciation
o Punctuated vs. gradual speciation
· History of Earth (CH. 25)
o Origin and age
o Methods of dating
o Endosymbiosis
o Biogeography
o Extinction
· Phylogeny and categorization of organisms (CH.27)
o Taxonomic categories
o Phylogenetic trees
o Clades
o 3 Domains
Big Idea 2: Biological systems utilize free energy and molecular building blocks to grow, to reproduce and to maintain dynamic homeostasis
· Chemistry of life and molecular biology (CH.3 & 4)
o 3 subatomic particles
o Types of chemical bonds
o Importance of hydrogen bonding
o Properties of water
o pH scale
o Importance of pH in biological systems
o Importance of buffers in biological systems
o Dehydration reactions
o Hydrolysis reactions
o Polymers
· Cell structure (CH. 6)
o Prokaryotic vs. eukaryotic cells
o Structure and function of organelles
o Plant cells vs. animal cells
· Cell membrane properties (CH.7)
o Osmosis vs. diffusion
o Selectively permeable
o Cell area and volume - MATH and BIOLOGY
· Metabolism/energy and homeostasis (CH.8)
o Endergonic vs. exergonic reactions
o ATP
o Enzymes and activation energy
o Enzyme characteristics
o Feedback inhibition
· Cellular respiration (CH. 9)
o Equation summary
o Fermentation vs. cellular respiration
o Glycolysis vs. pyruvate
o Electron transporters
o Role of mitochondrial membrane
· Photosynthesis (CH. 10)
o Equation summary
o Leaf anatomy and chloroplasts
o Conversion of solar to chemical energy
o Electron acceptors
o Light vs. dark reactions
· Biotechnology (CH. 20)
o Plasmids
o Viruses
o Gel electrophoresis
o PCR
o Clones
o Stem cells
o Gene therapy
Big Idea 3: Living systems store, receive, transmit and respond to information essential to life processes
· Cell communication (CH.11)
o Three stages of cell communication
o How receptors work
o Cell signal amplification
o Cell response
o Apoptosis
· Cell cycle (CH.12 & 13)
o Stages and their importance
o Cyclins and regulation
o Checkpoints
o Cancer and the cell cycle
o Mitosis and replication of cells
· Mendel and laws of inheritance (CH.14 & 15)
o Meiosis vs. mitosis
o Crossing over
o Chromosomal reduction
o Genetic problems, terms, and Mendelian patterns
o Pedigrees
o Sex-linked
o Altered chromosomes
o Genomic imprinting
· DNA/RNA (CH.16)
o Structure of DNA/RNA
o Replication of DNA
o Enzymes involved
o Bacterial vs. eukaryotic chromosomes
o DNA packaging
· Protein synthesis (CH.17)
o Transcription vs. translation
o Polypeptide formation
o Mutations and change in amino acids
· Genes regulation gene mutations (CH.18)
o Inducer molecules
o Repressors
o Regulators
o Operon
o Positive vs. negative gene control
o Methylation vs. acetylation
o microRNA
o Hox genes
· Immune systems and homeostasis (CH. 43)
o Examples of homoeostasis
o Feedback systems
o Antigens
o Immunity types
o T-helper cells
· Endocrine system and homeostasis (CH.45)
o Examples of homeostasis
o Feedback systems
o Hormones
· Nervous system and homeostasis (CH.48 & 49)
o Central vs. Peripheral
o Examples of homeostasis
o Feedback systems
o Long vs. short distance signaling
o Synapse and neurotransmitter
o Neuron types and anatomy
· Animal behavior (ch.51)
o Natural selection
o Innate vs. learned
o Communication
o Altruism vs. inclusive fitness
Big Idea 4: Biological systems interact, and these systems and their interactions possess complex properties
· Biological molecules and their reactions (CH.5)
o 4 organic compounds and their properties
o Protein structure
o Denaturing of proteins
· Plant structure and systems (CH.38 & 39)
o Flower structure
o Seeds and fruits
o Transpiration and water potential- MATH and BIOLOGY
o Hormones
o Photoperiodism
o Plant defenses
· Ecological principles (CH.52)
o Abiotic vs biotic factors
o Ecosystems
· Population ecology (CH. 53)
o Demographics
o Density dependent vs. density independent factors
o Logistic vs. exponential growth
· Community ecology (CH. 54)
o Niche
o Interspecific competition
o Symbiotic relationships
o Tropic structure
o Keystone species
o Primary vs. secondary succession
· Ecosystems and energy (CH. 55)
o Energy flow
o Biogeochemical cycles
o Gross vs net primary productivity - MATH and BIOLOGY
· Conservation biology (CH. 56)
o Biodiversity
o Biodiversity index - MATH and BIOLOGY
o Human impact
· Experimental design (all labs)
o Quantitative methods and data gathering - MATH and BIOLOGY
o Chi squared - MATH and BIOLOGY
o Creating and interrupting graphs- MATH and BIOLOGY
o Hardy-Weinberg – Computer model. Bunnies, practice problems - MATH and BIOLOGY
o Phylogenic trees – Protein project , mammal comparison
o Osmosis and cell size – gel blocks, potato cores- MATH and BIOLOGY
o Bacteria transformation – plow lab
o Restriction enzymes – electrophoresis, paper plasmid
o Transpiration – Transpiration model lab
o Animal behavior – Zoo, gold fish, heart rate, blood pressure
o Enzyme activity - MATH and BIOLOGY
o
Some useful links
· Good summary and review of main ideas:
http://internet.savannah.chatham.k12.ga.us/schools/ihs/staff/Johnson/Shared%20Documents/AP%20Biology/AP%20Biology%20Exam%20Guide.pdf
· Bozeman Biology:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6IDLSvCNPTs
· Last 3 years of free response questions and answers direct from the College Board:
http://apcentral.collegeboard.com/apc/members/exam/exam_information/1996.html