Macromolecules
Which macromolecule is the primary long-term energy storage molecule in animals and is made mostly of fatty acid chains?
Lipids (fats)
Which organelle is responsible for producing most of a eukaryotic cell’s ATP?
Mitochondria
Give a short definition of homeostasis
Maintenance of stable internal conditions despite external changes.
What is the basic functional unit of the nervous system?
Neuron
What are the two main reactants of photosynthesis and the two main reactants of aerobic cellular respiration?
Photosynthesis reactants: CO2 and H2O. Aerobic respiration reactants: glucose and O2.
Name the macromolecule class whose monomers are amino acids and that can function as enzymes.
Proteins
Define osmosis in terms of solvent and solute movement across a selectively permeable membrane.
Osmosis is diffusion of water across a selectively permeable membrane from low solute (high water) to high solute (low water) concentration.
Explain how sweating helps maintain body temperature
Sweating: evaporative cooling reduces body temperature
Name the part of a neuron that typically receives signals and the part that sends signals to other cells.
Dendrite receives; axon sends (axon terminals release neurotransmitter).
During the light-dependent reactions, which molecule is split to supply electrons, and what gas is released?
Water (H2O) is split (photolysis) and O2 is released.
What is the polymer of glucose used by plants for structural support in cell walls?
Cellulose
Circle the cellular transport processes that require energy and name one example of each (choose from: diffusion, facilitated diffusion, osmosis, endocytosis, exocytosis).
Active transport processes: endocytosis and exocytosis (require energy/ATP).
What happens to red blood cells placed in pure water, and why?
Hypotonic — water enters cells, cells swell and may burst
Define an action potential in one sentence
Action potential is a rapid depolarization and repolarization of a neuron's membrane
Name the two energy-carrying products of light-dependent reactions used in the Calvin cycle and one high-energy carrier produced in cellular respiration.
ATP and NADPH from light-dependent reactions; NADH (and FADH2) as high-energy carriers in cellular respiration.
Describe the role of ATP in cells and identify which macromolecule family ATP is most directly associated with.
ATP stores and releases usable energy by transferring phosphate groups; ATP is a nucleotide (nucleic acid derivative / energy carrier).
In Elizabeth’s U-shaped tube model (semipermeable membrane permeable to water not sugar), predict which side’s water level rises if Side A has lower sugar concentration than Side B — and explain why.
Water moves from Side A into Side B; Side A level falls and Side B rises — osmosis toward higher solute concentration.
Identify two organ systems that cooperate to maintain blood glucose levels and briefly state their roles.
Endocrine (insulin from pancreas lowers blood glucose) and digestive/liver (glycogen storage and release) systems cooperate
How do neurotransmitters cross a synapse and influence the next neuron?
Neurotransmitters are released from synapse and bind receptors on another cell
What is oxygen’s role at the end of the electron transport chain in aerobic respiration?
Oxygen accepts electrons at the end of the electron transport chain
Explain how enzyme proteins lower activation energy in chemical reactions
Enzymes lower activation energy by stabilizing transition states or providing alternative pathways
Describe how aquaporins affect water movement
Aquaporins are membrane channel proteins that facilitate rapid water movement
Name the Independent, Dependent, and 3 Constants from our Carrot Lab
Independent - Solution Concentration
Dependent - Carrot Percent Mass Change
Constants - Time submerged, Size of Carrot, Volume of Solution
Explain how myelination affects nerve impulse conduction speed
Myelin insulates axons, increasing conduction speed
Compare aerobic respiration and fermentation: oxygen requirement, ATP yield per glucose (approximate), and give one situation where a cell relies on fermentation.
Aerobic respiration requires oxygen and yields ~30–32 ATP per glucose; fermentation does not require oxygen and yields ~2 ATP per glucose.