Rutgers Biology Final (115) Study
Guide Questions with Guaranteed
Pass Solutions 2025/2026 Updated.
Nervous system - Answer circuits of neurons and supporting cells
neuronal plasticity - Answer the ability nervous system to change after birth. Changes to the
number of connections between neurons that take place during an individual’s lifetime
Embryonic neural development and neuronal plasticity - Answer synapse formation involved
in both
short term memory - Answer information stored for a short time, released if not used
long term memory - Answer activated when information needs to be retained. When
needed info retrieved into STM
long term potentiation - Answer lasting increase in the strength of synaptic transmission -
physiological changes, facilitated memory and retrieval, activity dependent
failure to retrieve from long term memory would affect LTP but not LTM OR STM
LTP (long term potentiation)/memory formation facilitated by - Answer chunking
Encoding - Answer transfer from STM to LTM forms a memory
emergent properties - Answer result from the arrangement and interaction of parts within a
system
emergence - Answer the whole is more than just the sum of its parts
Levels of organization(Low to High) - Answer molecule, organelle, cells, tissues, organs/organ
systems, organisms, populations, communities, ecosystem, biosphere
reductionism - Answer reduction of complex systems to similar components that are more
manageable to study
,hypothesis - Answer testable explanation for observations based on available data; an
educated guess
theory - Answer broad explanation with significant support, leads to new hypothesis and
accurate predictions
law - Answer statement of what always occurs under certain circumstances, observable
pattern, not explanatory
atoms made up of - Answer protons, neutrons, electrons
potential energy - Answer energy that a material possess due to its location or structure. can
be used to do work
valence electrons - Answer outermost shell
molecule - Answer a compound of 2 or more atoms held together by chem bonds
Electronegativity - Answer measure of an atoms affinity for e in chem bonds
covalent bonds - Answer sharing of a pair of valence electrons by two atoms. STRONGEST
BOND
Non-polar: electrons shared equally
polar covalent: unequal sharing causes partial + or - charge
Ionic Bond - Answer highly unequal electronegativity. bond between cation (+) and anion (-)
Van deer Waals interactions - Answer short lived, weak interactions due to electron position
and motion
Hydrogen Bonds - Answer When H bonds with O or N type of van der waals but stronger
1st emergent property of water - Answer 1) Hydrogen bond: water is a polar molecule
2nd emergent property of water - Answer cohesive (stick together due to H bonds) (causes
surface tension: measure of how difficult it is to break the surface of a liquid)/adhesive (stick to
other stuff) behavior
,3rd emergent property of water - Answer Moderate Temperature: high specific heat
(amount of energy it takes to raise 1g of a substance 1 degree Celsius) (takes a lot of energy to
raise temp of water)
4th emergent property of water - Answer expansion upon freezing (ice floats freezes top to
bottom)
5th emergent property of water - Answer versatility as a solvent: hydrophilic: loves water has
affinity for it, will dissolve, can form H bonds with water. Hydrophobic: non polar and non ionic
cannot for H bonds, no affinity for water
Carbon Backbone variation - Answer Length
Branching
Double bonds
Rings
Hydrocarbons - Answer Compounds composed of only carbon and hydrogen
Nonpolar, Uncharged (non ionic)=hydrophobic= insoluble in H2O
functional groups - Answer key to molecular function dictate functions of molecules, affect
chem properties
7 functional groups - Answer 1) hydroxyl (OH) polar, hydrophilic
2)carbonyl (C=O) 2 types: carbonyl at the end: aldehyde/carbonyl in middle: keytone, polar,
hydrophilic
3)carboxyl (COOH) C double O and single OH, polar hydrophilic, IMPORTANT PART OF AMINO
ACIDS
4)amino group (NH2) proton acceptor: basic IMPORTANT PART OF AMINO ACIDS 5)sulfhydryl
(SH) important in some protein structures, thiols compounds with sulfhydryl groups, polar,
hydrophilic
6)phosphate group (PO4H2) acidic hydrophilic
7)methyl (CH3) nonpolar Hydrophobic. in dna effects gene expression
Macrmolecules - Answer large molecules formed by thousands of atoms
Polymers - Answer Large compound formed from combinations of many monomers.
, Monomer - Answer The subunit that serves as the building block of a polymer.
dehydration reaction - Answer synthesizing a polymer, removes a water molecule forming a
new bond. enzymes:dehydrogenase
Hydrolysis - Answer Breaking down a polymer by adding water, enzyme: hydrolase
4 classes of macromolecules - Answer carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, nucleic acids
Carbohydrates - Answer classified by location of carbonyl and #of carbons
Monomer, Polymer, Disaccharide
A Carbohydrates the architecture/function determined by - Answer its sugar monomers and
the positions of its glycosidic linkages
A Monomer is a ___________, ____________ is the most common one - Answer
monosaccharide, glucose
A disaccharide is made up of __________ formed via ____________ linkage. - Answer 2
monos, glycosidic
These two carbohydrates are used for storage - Answer starch and glycogen
These two carbohydrates are used for striation - Answer cellulose and chitin
A Polymer is also known as _________, its function is ________,______ and __________. -
Answer Polysaccharide; fuel, structure and storage
Lipids three important families are... - Answer Three important families: fats, phospholipids,
steroids
Steroids differ in ________________ groups
EX:________________ - Answer functional , cholesterol
Phospholipids are made up of - Answer glycerol, 2 fatty acids tails and a phosphate group
Guide Questions with Guaranteed
Pass Solutions 2025/2026 Updated.
Nervous system - Answer circuits of neurons and supporting cells
neuronal plasticity - Answer the ability nervous system to change after birth. Changes to the
number of connections between neurons that take place during an individual’s lifetime
Embryonic neural development and neuronal plasticity - Answer synapse formation involved
in both
short term memory - Answer information stored for a short time, released if not used
long term memory - Answer activated when information needs to be retained. When
needed info retrieved into STM
long term potentiation - Answer lasting increase in the strength of synaptic transmission -
physiological changes, facilitated memory and retrieval, activity dependent
failure to retrieve from long term memory would affect LTP but not LTM OR STM
LTP (long term potentiation)/memory formation facilitated by - Answer chunking
Encoding - Answer transfer from STM to LTM forms a memory
emergent properties - Answer result from the arrangement and interaction of parts within a
system
emergence - Answer the whole is more than just the sum of its parts
Levels of organization(Low to High) - Answer molecule, organelle, cells, tissues, organs/organ
systems, organisms, populations, communities, ecosystem, biosphere
reductionism - Answer reduction of complex systems to similar components that are more
manageable to study
,hypothesis - Answer testable explanation for observations based on available data; an
educated guess
theory - Answer broad explanation with significant support, leads to new hypothesis and
accurate predictions
law - Answer statement of what always occurs under certain circumstances, observable
pattern, not explanatory
atoms made up of - Answer protons, neutrons, electrons
potential energy - Answer energy that a material possess due to its location or structure. can
be used to do work
valence electrons - Answer outermost shell
molecule - Answer a compound of 2 or more atoms held together by chem bonds
Electronegativity - Answer measure of an atoms affinity for e in chem bonds
covalent bonds - Answer sharing of a pair of valence electrons by two atoms. STRONGEST
BOND
Non-polar: electrons shared equally
polar covalent: unequal sharing causes partial + or - charge
Ionic Bond - Answer highly unequal electronegativity. bond between cation (+) and anion (-)
Van deer Waals interactions - Answer short lived, weak interactions due to electron position
and motion
Hydrogen Bonds - Answer When H bonds with O or N type of van der waals but stronger
1st emergent property of water - Answer 1) Hydrogen bond: water is a polar molecule
2nd emergent property of water - Answer cohesive (stick together due to H bonds) (causes
surface tension: measure of how difficult it is to break the surface of a liquid)/adhesive (stick to
other stuff) behavior
,3rd emergent property of water - Answer Moderate Temperature: high specific heat
(amount of energy it takes to raise 1g of a substance 1 degree Celsius) (takes a lot of energy to
raise temp of water)
4th emergent property of water - Answer expansion upon freezing (ice floats freezes top to
bottom)
5th emergent property of water - Answer versatility as a solvent: hydrophilic: loves water has
affinity for it, will dissolve, can form H bonds with water. Hydrophobic: non polar and non ionic
cannot for H bonds, no affinity for water
Carbon Backbone variation - Answer Length
Branching
Double bonds
Rings
Hydrocarbons - Answer Compounds composed of only carbon and hydrogen
Nonpolar, Uncharged (non ionic)=hydrophobic= insoluble in H2O
functional groups - Answer key to molecular function dictate functions of molecules, affect
chem properties
7 functional groups - Answer 1) hydroxyl (OH) polar, hydrophilic
2)carbonyl (C=O) 2 types: carbonyl at the end: aldehyde/carbonyl in middle: keytone, polar,
hydrophilic
3)carboxyl (COOH) C double O and single OH, polar hydrophilic, IMPORTANT PART OF AMINO
ACIDS
4)amino group (NH2) proton acceptor: basic IMPORTANT PART OF AMINO ACIDS 5)sulfhydryl
(SH) important in some protein structures, thiols compounds with sulfhydryl groups, polar,
hydrophilic
6)phosphate group (PO4H2) acidic hydrophilic
7)methyl (CH3) nonpolar Hydrophobic. in dna effects gene expression
Macrmolecules - Answer large molecules formed by thousands of atoms
Polymers - Answer Large compound formed from combinations of many monomers.
, Monomer - Answer The subunit that serves as the building block of a polymer.
dehydration reaction - Answer synthesizing a polymer, removes a water molecule forming a
new bond. enzymes:dehydrogenase
Hydrolysis - Answer Breaking down a polymer by adding water, enzyme: hydrolase
4 classes of macromolecules - Answer carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, nucleic acids
Carbohydrates - Answer classified by location of carbonyl and #of carbons
Monomer, Polymer, Disaccharide
A Carbohydrates the architecture/function determined by - Answer its sugar monomers and
the positions of its glycosidic linkages
A Monomer is a ___________, ____________ is the most common one - Answer
monosaccharide, glucose
A disaccharide is made up of __________ formed via ____________ linkage. - Answer 2
monos, glycosidic
These two carbohydrates are used for storage - Answer starch and glycogen
These two carbohydrates are used for striation - Answer cellulose and chitin
A Polymer is also known as _________, its function is ________,______ and __________. -
Answer Polysaccharide; fuel, structure and storage
Lipids three important families are... - Answer Three important families: fats, phospholipids,
steroids
Steroids differ in ________________ groups
EX:________________ - Answer functional , cholesterol
Phospholipids are made up of - Answer glycerol, 2 fatty acids tails and a phosphate group
