AP BIOLOGY EXAM TERMS QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 2025
organic compounds - (ANSWER)contain carbon; examples include lipids, proteins, and carbs
functional groups - (ANSWER)amino (NH2), carbonyl (RCOR), carboxyl (COOH), hydroxyl (OH), phosphate
(PO4), sulfhydryl (SH)
fat - (ANSWER)glycerol and three fatty acids
saturated fats - (ANSWER)bad for you; animals and some plants have it; solidifies at room temp.
unsaturated fats - (ANSWER)better for you, plants have it; liquifies at room temp.
steriods - (ANSWER)lipids whose structures resemble chicken-wire fence. include cholesterol and sex
hormones
phospholipids - (ANSWER)glycerol + 2 fatty acids + 1 phosphate group; makes up membrane bilayers of
cells; hydrophobic interiors and hydrophillic exteriors
carbohydrates - (ANSWER)used by cells for energy and stucture; monosaccharides (glucose),
disaccharides (sucrose, maltose, lactose), storage polysaccharides (starch [plants], glycogen [animals]),
structural polysaccharides (chitin [fungi], cellulose [arthropods])
proteins - (ANSWER)made with the help of ribosomes out of amino acids; serve many functions
(transport, enzymes, cell signals, receptor molecules, structural components, and channels)
enzymes - (ANSWER)catalytic proteins that react in an induced-fit fashion with substrates to speed up
that rate of reactions by lowering the activation energy
competitve inhibtion - (ANSWER)inhibitor resembles substrate and binds to active site
,AP BIOLOGY EXAM TERMS QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 2025
noncompetitive inhibition - (ANSWER)inhibitor binds elsewhere on the enzyme; alters active site so that
the substrate cannot bind
pH - (ANSWER)logarithmic scale; <7 acidic, 7 neutral, >7 basic (alkaline); 4 is 10 times more acidic than 5
hydrolysis - (ANSWER)breaks down compounds by adding water
dehydration - (ANSWER)two components brought together, producing H2O
endergonic reaction - (ANSWER)reaction that requires input of energy
exergonic reaction - (ANSWER)reaction that gives off energy
redox - (ANSWER)electron transfer reactions
cell wall - (ANSWER)found in prokaryotes and plant cells eukaryotes; protects and shapes the cell
plasma membrane - (ANSWER)found in prokaryotes and eukaryotes; regulates what substances enter
and leave a cell
ribosome - (ANSWER)found in prokaryotes and eukaryotes; host for protein synthesis; form in nucleolus
smooth ER - (ANSWER)found in eukaryotes; lipid synthesis, detoxification, carbohydrate metabolism;
contains no ribosomes on cytoplasmic surface
rough ER - (ANSWER)found in eukaryotes; synthesizes proteins to secrete or send to plasma membrane;
contains ribosomes on cytoplasmic surface
, AP BIOLOGY EXAM TERMS QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 2025
Golgi - (ANSWER)found in eukaryotes; modifies lipids, proteins to secrete or send to plasma membrane;
contains ribosomes on cytoplasmic surface
mitochondria - (ANSWER)found in eukaryotes; power plant of cell; hosts major energy-producing steps
of respiration
lysosome - (ANSWER)found in eukaryotes; contains enzymes that digest organic compounds; serves as
cell's stomach
nucleus - (ANSWER)found in eukaryotes; control center of cell; host for transcription, replication, and
DNA
peroxisome - (ANSWER)found in eukaryotes; breakdown of fatty acids, detoxification of alcohol
chloroplast - (ANSWER)found in plant cells eukaryotes; site of photosynthesis in plants
cytoskeleton - (ANSWER)found in eukaryotes; skeleton of cell; consists of microtubules, microfilaments,
and intermediate filaments
vacuole - (ANSWER)large in plant cells and small in animal cells; storage vaults of cells
centrioles - (ANSWER)found in animal cells eukaryote; part of microtubule separation apparatus that
assits cell division in animal cells
fluid mosaic model - (ANSWER)plasma membrane is selectively permeable phosolipid bilayer with
proteins of various lengths and sizes interspersed with cholesterol amoung the phospholipids
integral proteins - (ANSWER)proteins implanted within lipid bilayer of plasma membrane
organic compounds - (ANSWER)contain carbon; examples include lipids, proteins, and carbs
functional groups - (ANSWER)amino (NH2), carbonyl (RCOR), carboxyl (COOH), hydroxyl (OH), phosphate
(PO4), sulfhydryl (SH)
fat - (ANSWER)glycerol and three fatty acids
saturated fats - (ANSWER)bad for you; animals and some plants have it; solidifies at room temp.
unsaturated fats - (ANSWER)better for you, plants have it; liquifies at room temp.
steriods - (ANSWER)lipids whose structures resemble chicken-wire fence. include cholesterol and sex
hormones
phospholipids - (ANSWER)glycerol + 2 fatty acids + 1 phosphate group; makes up membrane bilayers of
cells; hydrophobic interiors and hydrophillic exteriors
carbohydrates - (ANSWER)used by cells for energy and stucture; monosaccharides (glucose),
disaccharides (sucrose, maltose, lactose), storage polysaccharides (starch [plants], glycogen [animals]),
structural polysaccharides (chitin [fungi], cellulose [arthropods])
proteins - (ANSWER)made with the help of ribosomes out of amino acids; serve many functions
(transport, enzymes, cell signals, receptor molecules, structural components, and channels)
enzymes - (ANSWER)catalytic proteins that react in an induced-fit fashion with substrates to speed up
that rate of reactions by lowering the activation energy
competitve inhibtion - (ANSWER)inhibitor resembles substrate and binds to active site
,AP BIOLOGY EXAM TERMS QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 2025
noncompetitive inhibition - (ANSWER)inhibitor binds elsewhere on the enzyme; alters active site so that
the substrate cannot bind
pH - (ANSWER)logarithmic scale; <7 acidic, 7 neutral, >7 basic (alkaline); 4 is 10 times more acidic than 5
hydrolysis - (ANSWER)breaks down compounds by adding water
dehydration - (ANSWER)two components brought together, producing H2O
endergonic reaction - (ANSWER)reaction that requires input of energy
exergonic reaction - (ANSWER)reaction that gives off energy
redox - (ANSWER)electron transfer reactions
cell wall - (ANSWER)found in prokaryotes and plant cells eukaryotes; protects and shapes the cell
plasma membrane - (ANSWER)found in prokaryotes and eukaryotes; regulates what substances enter
and leave a cell
ribosome - (ANSWER)found in prokaryotes and eukaryotes; host for protein synthesis; form in nucleolus
smooth ER - (ANSWER)found in eukaryotes; lipid synthesis, detoxification, carbohydrate metabolism;
contains no ribosomes on cytoplasmic surface
rough ER - (ANSWER)found in eukaryotes; synthesizes proteins to secrete or send to plasma membrane;
contains ribosomes on cytoplasmic surface
, AP BIOLOGY EXAM TERMS QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 2025
Golgi - (ANSWER)found in eukaryotes; modifies lipids, proteins to secrete or send to plasma membrane;
contains ribosomes on cytoplasmic surface
mitochondria - (ANSWER)found in eukaryotes; power plant of cell; hosts major energy-producing steps
of respiration
lysosome - (ANSWER)found in eukaryotes; contains enzymes that digest organic compounds; serves as
cell's stomach
nucleus - (ANSWER)found in eukaryotes; control center of cell; host for transcription, replication, and
DNA
peroxisome - (ANSWER)found in eukaryotes; breakdown of fatty acids, detoxification of alcohol
chloroplast - (ANSWER)found in plant cells eukaryotes; site of photosynthesis in plants
cytoskeleton - (ANSWER)found in eukaryotes; skeleton of cell; consists of microtubules, microfilaments,
and intermediate filaments
vacuole - (ANSWER)large in plant cells and small in animal cells; storage vaults of cells
centrioles - (ANSWER)found in animal cells eukaryote; part of microtubule separation apparatus that
assits cell division in animal cells
fluid mosaic model - (ANSWER)plasma membrane is selectively permeable phosolipid bilayer with
proteins of various lengths and sizes interspersed with cholesterol amoung the phospholipids
integral proteins - (ANSWER)proteins implanted within lipid bilayer of plasma membrane
