This episode of The APsolute RecAP: Biology Edition is a teaser for our YouTube Channel where we recap the entire AP Bio curriculum.
This episode is a teaser for our YouTube Channel where we recap the entire AP Bio curriculum. That’s right - all 8 units from start to finish with the top terms, concepts, and equations1 you need to remember for the exam in May.
Thank you for listening to The APsolute RecAP: Biology Edition!
(AP is a registered trademark of the College Board and is not affiliated with The APsolute RecAP. Copyright 2023 - The APsolute RecAP, LLC. All rights reserved.)
Website:
EMAIL:
Follow Us:
Hey I’m Melanie Kingett from the APsolute Recap and today’s video will recap the entire AP Bio curriculum. That’s right - all 8 units from start to finish with the top terms, concepts, and equations you need to remember for the exam in May. If you find this video helpful, make sure to like, subscribe and share with a friend.
Let’s Zoom Out
The goal of this video is to help you tell the difference between the things you remember and the things you don’t. Emergency room doctors don’t see patients in the order they arrive and you shouldn’t study in the order that you first learned. Just like doctors, we need to survey the scene and bump what's most urgently needs our attention to the top of the list. This process is called triage and we’re going to do this to the main AP Bio concepts so you can figure out what to study first. Before we start, print out the speed review document linked for free in the description below and get ready to color code like a stoplight as you follow along. Here's how the stoplight method works - Mark the topic box green if you absolutely remember the concept and can recall additional details and examples that I don’t mention. Color it in yellow if the concept sounds familiar to you, but the terms aren’t coming to the tip of your tongue. And red - this is reserved for “uhhh what is she talking about? I never learned that.” As the clock winds down for AP prep, study what's red first, yellow second and skip the green! You already know it. If you’re looking for additional study resources to dive deeper into the concepts you’ve marked red, I’ve linked our podcast, study guides, and the AP Biology Ultimate Review Packet with full length practice tests in the description below.
OK - Let’s zoom in.
Unit 1 - Chemistry of life. It all starts with water, the polar molecule of H2O that forms hydrogen bonds. And it's this bonding ability that gives water nearly every property it has - adhesion, cohesion, surface tension, high specific heat and universal solvent. Unit 1 also includes the most common elements carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen phosphorus and sulfur (CHNOPS) that we find in the four categories of biological molecules - carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids. Carbs have a 1:2:1 ratio of C:H:O and form rings or long chains. Their monomers often end in -ose, and function as both short and long term energy sources as well as structural materials. Lipids are nonpolar, form hydrocarbon chains and steroid rings, and have a hydrogen to oxygen ratio that is greater than 2 to 1. You’ll find their fatty acid tails as saturated or unsaturated with hydrogens which contributes to the fluidity of the phospholipid bilayer. Proteins are polypeptides of amino acid monomers, which bend and fold through hydrogen bonding and R group interactions. And since structure dictates function - proteins have some of the most diverse cellular roles - like enzymes, transport channels, and receptors. Rule of thumb, if a cellular job needs doing, it's probably done by a protein. The last biological molecules for the exam are nucleic acids, which are formed from nucleotide monomers. We will dive deeper on DNA and RNA in Unit 6. All of these polymers are formed through dehydration synthesis and split through hydrolysis reactions.
Unit 2 is Cell Structure and Function. Cells are classified as either prokaryotic or eukaryotic and stay relatively small because this allows for a greater surface area to volume ratio for material exchange efficiency. You’ll want to review the differences between cell types and the many examples of folding for surface area. The majority of the eukaryotic organelles are membrane bound and some are even part of the endomembrane system (like RER, SER and Golgi). Ribosomes are excluded from the club since they’re made of rRNA and protein. And although mitochondria and Chloroplasts have double membranes, they are also excluded due to their origins with the endosymbiosis theory. Unit 2 also includes types of transport which emphasizes the concentration of solutes, not quantity. You’ll see comparative terms such as hypertonic, isotonic, and hypotonic to describe solute concentration. Active transport requires the use of ATP and moves large or charged molecules against their concentration gradient through a protein. Passive transport moves small nonpolar molecules down their concentration gradient by diffusion or through a protein by facilitated diffusion. Water moves by osmosis, following its own concentration gradient and water potential, sometimes through an aquaporin. Remember, molecules are still in motion with isotonic solutions, there is just no net movement. You can also move larger molecules across membranes with vesicles through endo and exocytosis.
Wait - that’s it? Where’s the rest? If you were listening to the intro of this episode you may have noticed something different. That’s right - this podcast episode is a preview of our first AP Bio Speed Review Video. You’ll find us on Youtube where I recap all eight units in under 15 minutes with all original diagrams and animations. Plus, you can also download the speed review checklist to triage your understanding as you follow along.
To RecAP
The APsolute RecAP is now on YouTube! If you find our videos helpful, make sure to like, subscribe and share with a friend. Click the link in the episode description right now to start watching.
Today’s question of the day is about FRQs.
Question of the day: True or False. FRQs 2-6 are worth 4 points each.