Biology as a Science
What are the three types of variables we talked about when designing an experiment?
Independent variables, dependent variables, and controlled variables.
What are the four categories of biomolecules.
What is an enzyme?
Include the type of biomolecule & its function.
An Enzyme is a protein that acts as a biological catalyst, lowering the activation of reactions.
What is the name of the cell organelle that controls what enters and exits cells for every cell type on the planet?
Cell Membrane.
Differentiate between autotrophs and heterotrophs. Give an example of each.
Autotrophs create their own energy usually with photosynthesis. An example is a maple tree.
Heterotrophs consume other organisms for energy. An example is a human.
What is a control group?
A control group is a group of participants in an experiment that does not receive the variable being tested.
What differentiates one amino acid from the next?
The R group.
Name all three organs that food does NOT pass through during digestion.
Liver, pancreas, and gallbladder.
Write the chemically balanced formula for photosynthesis.
6CO2 + 6H2O ---Sunlight---> 6O2 + C6H12O6
What kind of graph would be best for displaying the ages of all honors biology students at Newton North.
A histogram.
Which two types of biomolecules typically do not mix? Why not?
Carbohydrates and Lipids typically do not mix because carbs are generally polar and lipids are non-polar.
How does competitive inhibition differ from noncompetitive inhibition?
A noncompetitive inhibitor binds to the allosteric site, changing the shape of the binding site.
What type(s) of transport is used in the creation of ATP?
ATP Synthase uses passive transport to move H+ ions from high concentrations inside the thylakoid to low concentrations in the stroma.
100 bonus points if the team mentioned the active transport of H+ ions into the thylakoid by the cytochromes.
Why are most plants green?
Name all eight characteristics that living things have in common.
1) Grow & Develop
2) Respond to Stimuli
3) Reproduce
4) As a group they evolve over time
5) Made of cells
6) Maintain a stable internal environment (homeostasis)
7) Obtain & use energy
8) Have DNA/RNA
Explain water’s role in hydrolysis and dehydration synthesis reactions
Hydrolysis: water acts as a reactant, breaking down larger molecules (polymers) into smaller subunits (monomers) by inserting itself into the bonds holding them together;
Dehydration Synthesis: water is a product, and is released when two smaller molecules are joined to form a larger molecule, essentially removing a water molecule from the newly formed bond
How is mechanical digestion different from chemical digestion?
Chemical digestion includes enzyme-catalyzed reactions and strong acids such as the stomach acid.
Mechanical digestion is the physical crushing, mashing, and cutting of food with peristalsis and teeth.
Explain why a ball at the top of a hill is often used as an analogy for passive transport.
A ball's conversion of potential energy into kinetic energy when rolling down a hill is analogous to a molecule's potential energy when moving from a high to a low concentration.
Describe the three ways plants transport water from the soil all the way to the leaves.
1) Plants actively transport water into the roots.
2) Capillary action helps to move water up the xylem.
3) Osmosis transports the water from the xylem to the cells in the leaves.
If your internal temperature drops too low, which type of feedback loop would help return your temperature to normal? How do you know?
Your body's temperature is maintained using negative feedback loops because they work to return your body to a "set point" within a system, such as 98.8º F.
In contrast, a positive feedback loop increases the stimulus, moving farther away from the set point.
Differentiate between the primary & secondary structure of a protein.
Primary structure: Formed by the linear sequence (order) of amino acids and the peptide bonds between amino acids.
Secondary Structure: Hydrogen bonding between amino acids forming beta-sheets and alpha-helixes.
Explain why an enzyme that works in the small intestine would not work in the stomach.
Enzymes are proteins that can denature in extreme conditions like stomach acid.
If an enzyme that evolved to work in the small intestine ended up in the stomach it would denature and not be able to catalyze a reaction.
What process involves the fusion of a vesicle with the plasma membrane to release its contents into the extracellular space, a mechanism crucial for hormone secretion and synaptic signaling
Exocytosis.
FINAL JEOPARDY - MAKE SURE EVERYONE HAS BET.
Come up with an example of structure and function from one of the units this year EXCEPT the digestive system.
You have two minutes!