Exam (elaborations) UCF BIOLOGY EXIT EXAM GUIDE

UCF BIOLOGY EXIT EXAM STUDY GUIDE 2026/2027 COMPLETE QUESTIONS WITH CORRECT/DETAILED ANSWERS // 100% GUARANTEED PASS BRAND NEW VERSION A++ Hydrogen bonds - ANSWER Very weak bonds; occurs when a hydrogen atom in one molecule is attracted to the electrostatic atom in another molecule; strongest IMF London Dispersion forces - ANSWER The intermolecular attractions resulting from the constant motion of electrons and the creation of instantaneous dipoles; weakest IMF Dipole-dipole forces - ANSWER Attractions between oppositely charged regions of polar molecules Ion-dipole forces - ANSWER Attractive forces between an ion and a polar molecule Starch - ANSWER Energy store in plants (polysaccharide) Glycogen - ANSWER Energy store in animals (polysaccharide) Carbohydrates - ANSWER The starches and sugars present in foods; simplified sugars that supply energy Lipids - ANSWER Substances that are soluble in nonpolar solvent Protein - ANSWER A three dimensional polymer made of monomers of amino acids. pH - ANSWER Quantitative measure of the acidity or basicity of aqueous or other liquid solutions where 1 is high acidity and 14 is high basicity Cells - ANSWER The basic unit of structure and function in all living things Enzymes - ANSWER Catalysts for chemical reactions in living things Catalysts - ANSWER Chemical agents that selectively speed up chemical reactions without being consumed by the reaction. Product - ANSWER A substance produced in a chemical reaction Reactant - ANSWER A chemical substance that is present at the start of a chemical reaction Reaction time - ANSWER The time elapsing between the beginning of the application of a stimulus and the beginning of an organism's reaction to it. Animal cell - ANSWER A small living part of a multicellular organism that eats to gain energy and reproduces sexually; Lacks a cell wall and chloroplast Plant cell - ANSWER A small living part of a multicellular organism that makes its own food in chloroplast and reproduces sexually or asexually; contains cell wall, chloroplast, and large vacuole Mitochondria - ANSWER Powerhouse of the cell, organelle that is the site of ATP (energy) production Golgi apparatus - ANSWER A system of membranes that modifies and packages proteins for export by the cell Parietal lobe - ANSWER A region of the cerebral cortex whose functions include processing information about touch. Occipital lobe - ANSWER A region of the cerebral cortex that processes visual information Pituitary gland - ANSWER The endocrine system's most influential gland. Under the influence of the hypothalamus, the pituitary regulates growth and controls other endocrine glands. Pons - ANSWER A brain structure that relays information from the cerebellum to the rest of the brain Testosterone - ANSWER The most important of the male sex hormones. Both males and females have it, but the additional testosterone in males stimulates the growth of the male sex organs in the fetus and the development of the male sex characteristics during puberty Estrogen - ANSWER A sex hormone, secreted in greater amounts by females than by males. In nonhuman female mammals, estrogen levels peak during ovulation, promoting sexual receptivity. Negative feedback - ANSWER A primary mechanism of homeostasis, whereby a change in a physiological variable that is being monitored triggers a response that counteracts the initial fluctuation. Positive feedback - ANSWER A type of regulation that responds to a change in conditions by initiating responses that will amplify the change. Takes organism away from a steady state. Organ system - ANSWER A group of organs that work together in performing vital body functions. Asexual reproduction - ANSWER Process by which a single parent reproduces by itself Sexual reproduction - ANSWER A reproductive process that involves two parents that combine their genetic material to produce a new organism, which differs from both parents Mitosis - ANSWER Part of eukaryotic cell division during which the cell nucleus divides after chromosomes are replicated Meiosis - ANSWER Cell division that produces reproductive cells in sexually reproducing organisms Endothermic - ANSWER Absorbs heat Exothermic - ANSWER Releases heat Spontaneous reaction - ANSWER A reaction that will proceed without any outside energy Catabolism - ANSWER Metabolic pathways that break down molecules, releasing energy. Anabolism - ANSWER Metabolic pathways that construct molecules, requiring energy. Catalysis - ANSWER A process by which a chemical agent called a catalyst selectively increases the rate of a reaction without being consumed by the reaction. Enthalpy - ANSWER The heat content of a system at constant pressure ATP - ANSWER (adenosine triphosphate) main energy source that cells use for most of their work ADP - ANSWER (Adenosine Diphosphate) The compound that remains when a phosphate group is removed from ATP, releasing energy Charles Darwin - ANSWER English natural scientist who formulated a theory of evolution by natural selection (); father of modern evolution Natural selection - ANSWER A process in which individuals that have certain inherited traits tend to survive and reproduce at higher rates than other individuals because of those traits. Gene flow (migration) - ANSWER Movement of alleles into or out of a population due to the migration of individuals to or from the population Krebs Cycle (Citric Acid Cycle) - ANSWER The Krebs Cycle, also known as the citric acid cycle, takes place in the matrix of the mitochondria. In the Krebs Cycle, each of the two acetyl coenzyme A molecules enter the cycle and combine with oxaloacetate to form citric acid, which then loses two carbons as carbon dioxide. The cycle is now ready to begin again with the second Acetyl CoA. For each Acetyl CoA, the Krebs Cycle produces 1 ATP, 3 NADH, and 1 FADH2. Calvin Cycle - ANSWER Light-independent reactions of photosynthesis in which energy from ATP and NADPH is used to build high-energy compounds such as sugar Endothermic - ANSWER Absorbs heat Exothermic - ANSWER Releases heat Endergonic - ANSWER A chemical reaction that requires the input of energy in order to proceed (positive △G) Exergonic - ANSWER Chemical reactions that release energy (negative △G) Spontaneous reaction - ANSWER A reaction that will proceed without any outside energy Catabolism - ANSWER Metabolic pathways that break down molecules, releasing energy. Anabolism - ANSWER Metabolic pathways that construct molecules, requiring energy. Catalysis - ANSWER A process by which a chemical agent called a catalyst selectively increases the rate of a reaction without being consumed by the reaction. Enthalpy - ANSWER The heat content of a system at constant pressure Entropy - ANSWER A measure of disorder or randomness. ATP - ANSWER (adenosine triphosphate) main energy source that cells use for most of their work ADP - ANSWER (Adenosine Diphosphate) The compound that remains when a phosphate group is removed from ATP, releasing energy Thermodynamics - ANSWER The study of energy transformations that occur in a collection of matter. Kinetics - ANSWER Study of forces associated with the motion of a body Prophase - ANSWER Chromosomes become visable, nuclear envelop dissolves, spindle forms Prometaphase - ANSWER The second stage of mitosis, in which the nuclear envelope fragments and the spindle microtubules attach to the kinetochores of the chromosomes. Metaphase - ANSWER Chromosomes line up in the middle of the cell Anaphase - ANSWER Phase of mitosis in which the chromosomes separate and move to opposite ends of the cell Telophase - ANSWER After the chromosome seperates, the cell seals off, Final Phase of Mitosis. Cytokinesis - ANSWER Division of the cytoplasm during cell division Interphase - ANSWER Period of the cell cycle between cell divisions Zygote - ANSWER Fertilized egg Gametes - ANSWER A mature haploid male or female germ cell that is able to unite with another of the opposite sex in sexual reproduction to form a zygote (sex cells) Fertilization - ANSWER Process in sexual reproduction in which male and female reproductive cells join to form a new cell DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) - ANSWER A complex molecule containing the genetic information that makes up the chromosomes. RNA (ribonucleic acid) - ANSWER A nucleic acid that translates the code stored in DNA, which makes possible the synthesis of proteins; single stranded