AP Biology Study Guide
Comprehensive AP Biology guide covering all eight units: Chemistry of Life, Cell Structure & Function, Cellular Energetics, Cell Communication & Cell Cycle, Heredity, Gene Expression & Regulation, Natural Selection, and Ecology. Built for the 5.
The Prep Den AP Biology study guide is your complete companion for revising the course: full topic-by-topic coverage, spaced-repetition flashcards, practice quizzes with worked explanations, a key-terms bank, and exam-technique tips. Use it as your main study guide or as a supplement to your textbook and class notes.
Topics Covered
What you get
Unit 1: Chemistry of Life
THE BIG PICTURE. Unit 1 establishes the chemical foundation of life: and the structure-function relationship that the rest of AP Biology builds on. The unit weighs 8–11% of the AP exam and connects to Big Idea 2 (Energetics), Big Idea 3 (Information Storage and Transmission), and Big Idea 4 (Systems Interactions). Mastery of monomer-polymer relationships, water chemistry, and protein folding is essential: every later unit assumes this foundation.
Sample Flashcards
Why is water a polar molecule, and why does that matter biologically?
Water is polar because oxygen is far more electronegative than hydrogen, pulling shared electrons closer. The O end is δ−; the H ends are δ+.
This polarity lets water form hydrogen bonds with other water molecules and with polar/ionic solutes, giving it:
- Cohesion and adhesion
- High specific heat
- High heat…
List four properties of water and one biological consequence of each.
- High specific heat → buffers temperature in oceans/cells.
- High heat of vaporization → evaporative cooling (sweat).
- Cohesion + tension → unbroken water column in xylem.
- Less dense as a solid → ice floats, insulating water beneath in winter.
Sample Key Terms
Polarity
Unequal sharing of electrons in a covalent bond, producing partial positive and partial negative regions on a molecule. Drives water's hydrogen bonding.
Hydrogen Bond
A weak attraction between a partially positive H atom (bonded to N, O, or F) and a lone pair on another electronegative atom. Individually weak, collectively powerful.
Cohesion
Water molecules sticking to other water molecules via H-bonds. Enables surface tension and the unbroken column of water in plant xylem.
What's Covered
- Unit 1: Chemistry of Life
- Unit 2: Cell Structure & Function
- Unit 3: Cellular Energetics
- Unit 4: Cell Communication & Cell Cycle
- Unit 5: Heredity
- Unit 6: Gene Expression & Regulation
- Unit 7: Natural Selection & Evolution
- Unit 8: Ecology
- AP Biology: Skills, Labs & Exam Strategy
9 topics · 176+ flashcards · quizzes & matching games included
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