NAS 2 CHALLENGE COMPREHENSIVE EXAM 2025/2026
ANSWERS AND QUESTIONS GRADED A+
✔✔describe how enzyme catalyze chemical reactions - ✔✔enzymes decrease the
activation energy required for a given chemical reaction to occur. helps speed up the
rate of reaction
✔✔identify waters role in life - ✔✔water is the universal solvent, helps cells transport
and use substances like oxygen or nutrients, helps regulate body temp, hydration and
moisturizes the body, lubrication for joints
✔✔define ph - ✔✔measure of acidity or basicity
✔✔identify values for acid on ph scale - ✔✔ph below 7 is acidic
✔✔identify values for alkaline on ph scale - ✔✔ph above 7 is basic/alkaline
✔✔define organic compound - ✔✔any large class of chemical compounds in which one
or more atoms of carbon are covalently linked to atoms of other elements, most
commonly hydrogen, oxygen, or nitrogen
✔✔monomer - ✔✔small unit that can join together with other small units to create
polymers
✔✔polymer - ✔✔large compound formed from combinations of many monomers
✔✔identify the four major groups of organic compounds - ✔✔carbohydrates, lipids,
proteins, and nucleic acid
✔✔Carbohydrates - ✔✔-sugars, starches, and fibers
-monosaccharides, disaccharides, oligosaccharides, polysaccharides
-the role is carbs are one of the body's main sources of energy; provides the body with
glucose
✔✔lipids - ✔✔-fatty, waxy, or oily compounds that are soluble in organic solvents and
insoluble in polar solvents such as water
-the main types are triglycerides, phospholipids, and steroids
-
✔✔proteins - ✔✔-a molecule made of amino acids
-insulin, histone, hemoglobin
✔✔Components of the cell theory - ✔✔-All living things are composed of cells
-Cells are the basic basic units of structure and function in living things
, -All cells come from preexisting cells
✔✔Basic requirements for cellular life - ✔✔
✔✔identify the role of ATP in life - ✔✔provides energy that is needed for essential body
and cell processes
✔✔Aerobic Respiration - ✔✔-a type of cellular respiration that requires oxygen
-yields more ATP
-produces carbon dioxide and water
✔✔Anaerobic Respiration - ✔✔-a type of cellular respiration that does not require
oxygen
-yields LESS atp
-lactic acid
✔✔Identify the three major stages of aerobic respiration - ✔✔1. Glycolysis (breakdown
of glucose)
2. Krebs cycle (
3. Oxidative phosphorylation (
finish this card
✔✔distinguish between genotype and phenotype. What is their relationship. - ✔✔-
Genotype is an organism's genetic makeup
-Phenotype is the physical traits that one can see
-phenotype is the detectable expression of a genotype
✔✔Dominant allele - ✔✔An allele whose trait always shows up in the organism when
the allele is present.
✔✔Recessive allele - ✔✔-An allele that is hidden whenever the dominant allele is
present
-Must have two recessive alleles in order for it to be present
✔✔Homozygous dominant - ✔✔Both alleles (factors) for a trait are the same and
dominant (AA)
✔✔homozygous recessive - ✔✔Both alleles (factors) for a trait are the same and
recessive (aa)
✔✔heterozygous genotypes - ✔✔Two different genes (one dominant and one
recessive)(Aa)
ANSWERS AND QUESTIONS GRADED A+
✔✔describe how enzyme catalyze chemical reactions - ✔✔enzymes decrease the
activation energy required for a given chemical reaction to occur. helps speed up the
rate of reaction
✔✔identify waters role in life - ✔✔water is the universal solvent, helps cells transport
and use substances like oxygen or nutrients, helps regulate body temp, hydration and
moisturizes the body, lubrication for joints
✔✔define ph - ✔✔measure of acidity or basicity
✔✔identify values for acid on ph scale - ✔✔ph below 7 is acidic
✔✔identify values for alkaline on ph scale - ✔✔ph above 7 is basic/alkaline
✔✔define organic compound - ✔✔any large class of chemical compounds in which one
or more atoms of carbon are covalently linked to atoms of other elements, most
commonly hydrogen, oxygen, or nitrogen
✔✔monomer - ✔✔small unit that can join together with other small units to create
polymers
✔✔polymer - ✔✔large compound formed from combinations of many monomers
✔✔identify the four major groups of organic compounds - ✔✔carbohydrates, lipids,
proteins, and nucleic acid
✔✔Carbohydrates - ✔✔-sugars, starches, and fibers
-monosaccharides, disaccharides, oligosaccharides, polysaccharides
-the role is carbs are one of the body's main sources of energy; provides the body with
glucose
✔✔lipids - ✔✔-fatty, waxy, or oily compounds that are soluble in organic solvents and
insoluble in polar solvents such as water
-the main types are triglycerides, phospholipids, and steroids
-
✔✔proteins - ✔✔-a molecule made of amino acids
-insulin, histone, hemoglobin
✔✔Components of the cell theory - ✔✔-All living things are composed of cells
-Cells are the basic basic units of structure and function in living things
, -All cells come from preexisting cells
✔✔Basic requirements for cellular life - ✔✔
✔✔identify the role of ATP in life - ✔✔provides energy that is needed for essential body
and cell processes
✔✔Aerobic Respiration - ✔✔-a type of cellular respiration that requires oxygen
-yields more ATP
-produces carbon dioxide and water
✔✔Anaerobic Respiration - ✔✔-a type of cellular respiration that does not require
oxygen
-yields LESS atp
-lactic acid
✔✔Identify the three major stages of aerobic respiration - ✔✔1. Glycolysis (breakdown
of glucose)
2. Krebs cycle (
3. Oxidative phosphorylation (
finish this card
✔✔distinguish between genotype and phenotype. What is their relationship. - ✔✔-
Genotype is an organism's genetic makeup
-Phenotype is the physical traits that one can see
-phenotype is the detectable expression of a genotype
✔✔Dominant allele - ✔✔An allele whose trait always shows up in the organism when
the allele is present.
✔✔Recessive allele - ✔✔-An allele that is hidden whenever the dominant allele is
present
-Must have two recessive alleles in order for it to be present
✔✔Homozygous dominant - ✔✔Both alleles (factors) for a trait are the same and
dominant (AA)
✔✔homozygous recessive - ✔✔Both alleles (factors) for a trait are the same and
recessive (aa)
✔✔heterozygous genotypes - ✔✔Two different genes (one dominant and one
recessive)(Aa)
