ENERGY AP BIOLOGY TEST
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
chemiosmosis - ANSWER-A process for synthesizing ATP using the energy of an
electrochemical gradient and the ATP synthase enzyme.
chemoautotroph - ANSWER-An organism (typically a bacterium or a protozoan) that
obtains energy through chemical process, which is by the oxidation of electron
donating molecules from the environment, rather than by photosynthesis.
chlorophyll - ANSWER-Green pigment in plants that absorbs light energy used to
carry out photosynthesis
chloroplast - ANSWER-A structure in the cells of plants and some other organisms
that captures energy from sunlight and uses it to produce food.
citric acid cycle - ANSWER-A chemical cycle involving eight steps that completes the
metabolic breakdown of glucose molecules to carbon dioxide; occurs within the
mitochondrion; the second major stage in cellular respiration.
coenzyme - ANSWER-a small molecule (not a protein but sometimes a vitamin)
essential for the activity of some enzymes
cofactor - ANSWER-A nonprotein molecule or ion that is required for the proper
functioning of an enzyme. Often inorganic, nonprotein helpers such as zinc, iron, or
copper
compartmentalization - ANSWER-Membrane-bound organelles allow different parts
of the cell to perform different functions at the same time
consumer - ANSWER-An organism that eats other organisms
cyclic electron flow - ANSWER-A route of electron flow during the light reactions of
photosynthesis that involves only photosystem I and that produces ATP but not
NADPH or oxygen.
denaturation - ANSWER-A process in which a protein unravels, losing its specific
structure and hence function; can be caused by changes in pH or salt concentration
or by high temperature. Also refers to the separation of the two strands of the DNA
double helix, caused by similar factors.
electron transport chain - ANSWER-A sequence of electron carrier molecules
(membrane proteins) that shuttle electrons during the redox reactions that release
energy used to make ATP.
, entropy - ANSWER-A measure of the amount of disorder, chaos or randomness in a
system; the greater the disorder, the higher the level of entropy.
endergonic reaction - ANSWER-A non-spontaneous chemical reaction in which free
energy is absorbed from the surroundings.
enzyme - ANSWER-A type of protein that speeds up a chemical reaction in a living
thing
exergonic reaction - ANSWER-A spontaneous chemical reaction in which there is a
net release of free energy.
feedback inhibition - ANSWER-A method of metabolic control in which the end
product of a metabolic pathway acts as an inhibitor of an enzyme within that
pathway.
fermentation - ANSWER-A catabolic process that makes a limited amount of ATP
from glucose without an electron transport chain and that produces a characteristic
end product, such as ethyl alcohol or lactic acid.
glycolysis - ANSWER-Catabolism of glucose or other monosaccharides to pyruvate
and 2 molecules of ATP in the absence of oxygen or 34 molecules of ATP in the
presence of oxygen.
heterotroph - ANSWER-An organism that cannot make its own food.
induced fit model - ANSWER-Change in the shape of an enzyme's active site that
enhances the fit between the active site and its substrate(s)
light dependent reactions - ANSWER-reactions of photosynthesis that use energy
from light to produce ATP and NADPH
light independent reactions - ANSWER-Set of reactions in photosynthesis that do not
require light; energy from ATP and NADPH is used to build high-energy compounds
such as sugar; also called the Calvin Cycle
metabolic pathway - ANSWER-A series of chemical reactions that either builds a
complex molecule (anabolic pathway) or breaks down a complex molecule into
simpler compounds (catabolic pathway).
mitochondrion - ANSWER-Cell organelle that converts the chemical energy stored in
food into compounds that are more convenient for the cell to use
NAD nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate - ANSWER-a coenzyme that
carries protons or electrons from glycolysis and the Krebs cycle to the electron
transport chain
NADP - ANSWER-(nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate) one of the carrier
molecules that transfers high-energy electrons from chlorophyll to other molecules