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The AP Biology class notes cover key topics including the chemistry of life, cell structure and function, cellular energetics, cell communication, heredity, gene expression, and natural selection. Important concepts include the properties of water, biological macromolecules, enzyme kinetics, signal transduction, Mendelian and non-Mendelian genetics, and ecological principles. The notes emphasize the interconnectedness of biological processes and their implications for life and evolution.

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Bio

The AP Biology class notes cover key topics including the chemistry of life, cell structure and function, cellular energetics, cell communication, heredity, gene expression, and natural selection. Important concepts include the properties of water, biological macromolecules, enzyme kinetics, signal transduction, Mendelian and non-Mendelian genetics, and ecological principles. The notes emphasize the interconnectedness of biological processes and their implications for life and evolution.

Uploaded by

jonathan.earp55
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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AP Biology Class Notes

1. Chemistry of Life
Water’s emergent properties: cohesion/adhesion, high specific heat, solvent abilities, density
anomaly (ice floats).

Biological macromolecules

Carbohydrates: mono- vs. polysaccharides; glycosidic linkage; energy (starch, glycogen) &
structure (cellulose, chitin).

Lipids: triglycerides vs. phospholipids; saturated vs. unsaturated; membrane fluidity; steroids
(cholesterol, hormones).

Proteins: amino acids; four structural levels; enzymes (induced fit, Vmax, Km, cofactors,
inhibitors).

Nucleic acids: nucleotide structure; 5'→3' polymerization; base-pairing; ATP as energy currency.

2. Cell Structure & Function


Prokaryote vs. eukaryote, endosymbiont theory.

Membranes: fluid-mosaic model, selective permeability, transport (diffusion, osmosis, facilitated,


active, bulk).

Organelles & their roles: nucleus (transcription), ribosome (translation), ER, Golgi, lysosome,
mitochondrion (ATP), chloroplast (photosynthesis), cytoskeleton (motor proteins, microtubules).

Surface area-to-volume constraints.

3. Cellular Energetics
Enzyme kinetics: temperature/pH effects, cooperativity, feedback inhibition.

Photosynthesis: light reactions (PS II → PS I, photophosphorylation, NADPH), Calvin cycle


(RuBisCO, carbon fixation).

Cellular respiration: glycolysis, pyruvate oxidation, Krebs, oxidative phosphorylation


(proton-motive force, chemiosmosis).

Anaerobic pathways: lactic acid & alcoholic fermentation.

4. Cell Communication & Cell Cycle


Signal transduction: ligands, GPCRs, RTKs, second messengers (cAMP, Ca²⁺).
Cell cycle: checkpoints (G₁, G₂, M), cyclins/CDKs, apoptosis, cancer
(proto-oncogene→oncogene, tumor suppressors).

Mitosis vs. meiosis and genetic variation (crossing-over, independent assortment, random
fertilization).

5. Heredity & Gene Expression


Mendelian genetics: segregation, independent assortment, chi-square analysis.

Non-Mendelian: incomplete dominance, epistasis, linkage maps, mitochondrial inheritance.

DNA replication (semi-conservative, leading/lagging, telomerase).

Central dogma: transcription (RNA pol, promoters, splicing), translation (ribosome sites,
wobble).

Regulation: operons in prokaryotes, enhancers/silencers, epigenetics (methylation, histone


acetylation).

6. Natural Selection & Ecology


Microevolution: Hardy-Weinberg conditions, genetic drift, gene flow, selection types.

Speciation & phylogenetics: allopatric/sympatric, molecular clocks.

Population ecology: r- vs. K-strategists, survivorship curves.

Ecosystems: energy flow (10 % rule), nutrient cycles (N, C, P), trophic levels, keystone species,
human impact (climate change, eutrophication).

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