NYSTCE Biology CST flashcards
NYSTCE Biology CST · Build recall with a focused review session.
32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.
- Cell theory
- All living organisms are composed of one or more cells, the cell is the basic unit of structure and function, and new cells arise only from existing cells.
- Prokaryote vs eukaryote
- Prokaryotes lack a nucleus and membrane-bound organelles and have circular DNA; eukaryotes have a nucleus, linear chromosomes, and organelles such as mitochondria and chloroplasts.
- Plasma membrane structure
- A phospholipid bilayer with embedded proteins, cholesterol, and carbohydrates; it is selectively permeable and described by the fluid mosaic model.
- Passive transport
- Movement of substances across a membrane down a concentration gradient without energy input, including simple diffusion, facilitated diffusion through channels, and osmosis of water.
- Active transport
- Movement of substances against a concentration gradient requiring ATP, as in the sodium-potassium pump moving three sodium ions out and two potassium ions in.
- Enzyme function
- Enzymes are biological catalysts that lower activation energy by binding substrates at the active site; they are not consumed and are affected by temperature and pH.
- Glycolysis
- The first stage of cellular respiration, occurring in the cytoplasm, splitting one glucose into two pyruvate molecules and netting two ATP and two NADH.
- Krebs cycle
- A series of reactions in the mitochondrial matrix that oxidizes acetyl-CoA, producing NADH, FADH2, ATP, and carbon dioxide as waste.
- Oxidative phosphorylation
- Electron transport chain and chemiosmosis on the inner mitochondrial membrane that use a proton gradient to generate most cellular ATP.
- Light reactions
- Thylakoid membrane reactions of photosynthesis that split water, release oxygen, and produce ATP and NADPH for the Calvin cycle.
- Calvin cycle
- Stroma reactions that use ATP and NADPH to fix carbon dioxide into three-carbon sugars via the enzyme RuBisCO.
- DNA replication
- Semiconservative process in which helicase unwinds DNA, polymerase adds complementary nucleotides, and each new double helix retains one original strand.
- Transcription
- Synthesis of an RNA molecule from a DNA template by RNA polymerase, occurring in the nucleus of eukaryotes.
- Translation
- Ribosomal process in which mRNA codons are matched to tRNA anticodons to assemble amino acids into a polypeptide chain.
- Mitosis phases
- Prophase, metaphase, anaphase, and telophase produce two genetically identical diploid daughter cells; cytokinesis divides the cytoplasm afterward.
- Meiosis
- Two successive divisions producing four haploid gametes; crossing over in prophase I and independent assortment create genetic variation.
- Mendelian segregation
- Each organism carries two alleles per gene, and these alleles separate during gamete formation so each gamete receives only one.
- Independent assortment
- Alleles of different genes on separate chromosomes distribute independently during meiosis, producing varied combinations of traits in gametes.
- Punnett square
- A grid used to predict the genotype and phenotype ratios of offspring from known parental genotypes, such as a 3:1 ratio in a monohybrid cross.
- Sex-linked traits
- Traits whose genes are located on sex chromosomes, usually the X chromosome, causing different inheritance patterns in males and females.
- Mutation types
- Changes in DNA sequence including substitutions, insertions, and deletions; frameshift mutations alter all downstream codons and often disrupt protein function.
- Natural selection
- Differential survival and reproduction of individuals with heritable variations, causing adaptive traits to increase in frequency over generations.
- Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium
- Allele frequencies remain constant in a population lacking mutation, migration, selection, and genetic drift, with random mating and a large population size.
- Speciation
- Formation of new species when populations become reproductively isolated, often following geographic separation or polyploidy.
- Taxonomic hierarchy
- Levels from broad to specific: domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus, and species; binomial nomenclature uses genus and species.
- Homeostasis
- Maintenance of stable internal conditions through feedback mechanisms, such as negative feedback regulating body temperature and blood glucose.
- Nervous system signaling
- Neurons transmit electrochemical impulses; action potentials result from ion channel changes, and neurotransmitters cross synapses to relay signals.
- Immune response
- The body defends against pathogens through innate barriers and adaptive responses involving B cells producing antibodies and T cells destroying infected cells.
- Photosynthesis equation
- Carbon dioxide plus water plus light energy yields glucose plus oxygen, summarized as 6CO2 + 6H2O + light to C6H12O6 + 6O2.
- Cellular respiration equation
- Glucose plus oxygen yields carbon dioxide, water, and ATP, summarized as C6H12O6 + 6O2 to 6CO2 + 6H2O plus energy.
- Ecological energy flow
- Energy enters ecosystems through producers and moves up trophic levels; roughly ten percent transfers between levels, so higher levels support fewer organisms.
- Carrying capacity
- The maximum population size an environment can sustain indefinitely given available resources; populations may overshoot and then decline.