Biology Review Questions

What characteristics do all living things share?

All living things have a cellular organization, contain similar chemicals, use energy, respond to their surroundings, grow and develop, and reproduce.

What elements does carbon bond with to make up life's molecules?

Carbon can bond w/ many elements, including hydrogen, oxygen, phosphorus, sulfur, carbon, and nitrogen to form molecules of life.

What procedures are at the core of scientific methodology?

Observing and asking questions, making inferences and forming hypotheses, conducting controlled experiments, collecting and analyzing data, and drawing conclusions.

Where do organisms get energy?

Organisms get the energy they need from food.

What is the relationship between photosynthesis and cellular respiration?

Photosynthesis removes carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, and cellular respiration puts it back.

What organelles help make and transport proteins and other macromolecules?

The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is an organelle that helps make and transport proteins and lipids .

What is a scientific theory?

A well-tested concept that explains a wide range of observations.

Why is ATP useful to cells?

ATP is what the cell uses for energy.

What are the main points of the cell theory?

All living organisms are composed of one or more cells. The cell is the basic unit of structure and organization in organisms. Cells arise from pre-existing cells.

How does the structure of water contribute to its unique properties?

Because water is a polar molecule, it is able to form multiple hydrogen bonds, which account for many of water's special properties.

Why is it important for cells to buffer solutions against rapid changes in pH?

Buffers dissolved in life's fluids play an important role in maintaining homeostasis in organisms.

How does passive transport work?

By diffusion.

What are the reactants and products of photosynthesis?

During photosynthesis, light energy converts carbon dioxide and water (the reactants) into glucose and oxygen (the products).

The difference between elements and compounds.

Elements have one type of atom Compounds have multiple elements.

What happens during the process of photosynthesis?

In the process of photosynthesis, plants convert the energy of sunlight into chemical energy stored in the bonds of carbohydrates.

What are the functions of chloroplasts and mitochondria?

Mitochondria are the "powerhouses" of the cell, breaking down fuel molecules and capturing energy in cellular respiration. Chloroplasts are found in plants and algae. They're responsible for capturing light energy to make sugars in photosynthesis.

How is the metric system important to science?

Most scientists use the metric system when collecting data and performing experiments.

What is cellular respiration?

Process that releases energy from food in the presence of oxygen.

How do prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells differ?

Prokaryotic cells do not have a nucleus. Eukaryotic cells have a nucleus. (They BOTH have DNA though).

What are the functions of each of the four groups of macromolecules?

Proteins - Molecular Machines. Nucleic Acids - Information Repositories. Lipids - Waterproof Membranes. Carbohydrates - Stored Energy.

How does active transport work?

Proteins in the membrane move substrates against the concentration gradient.

What three subatomic particles make up atoms?

Protons, neutrons, electrons.

What is the function of the cell membrane?

Regulates the movement of materials into and out of the cell.

The characteristics of life.

Reproduce, grow, respond, cells, DNA, energy.

What are the main types of chemical bonds?

The main types of chemical bonds are ionic bonds and covalent bonds.

What is the role of the cell nucleus?

The nucleus contains nearly all the cell's DNA and, with it, the coded instructions for making proteins and other important molecules.

In what ways does a compound differ from its component elements?

The physical and chemical properties of a compound differ from its component elements.

What are the functions of vacuoles, lysosomes, and the cytoskeleton?

The vacuoles are needed for storage. The lysosomes recycle waste. The cytoskeleton provides the shape of the cell.

How are all of the isotopes of an element similar?

They have the same number of electrons, and all isotopes of an element have the same chemical properties.

What are the goals of science?

To provide natural explanations for events in the natural world.

How does water's polarity influence its properties as a solvent?

Water's polarity gives it the ability to dissolve both ionic compounds and other polar molecules.