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AP Biology — Heredity, Gene Expression, Evolution & Ecology flashcards

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Units 5–8 of the AP Biology course: meiosis and inheritance patterns, chi-square, DNA replication and gene expression, operons and epigenetics, biotechnology, natural selection and Hardy–Weinberg, speciation and tree reading, population and community ecology, energy flow and nutrient cycles.

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Learn deck · part of AP Biology · written against: College Board AP Biology Course and Exam Description (eight units). Updated 2026-10-10.

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  1. At which stage of meiosis does crossing over occur, and what does it accomplish?
    During prophase I, when homologous chromosomes pair up (synapsis) and non-sister chromatids exchange segments, producing recombinant chromosomes with new combinations of alleles.
    Heredity › Meiosis
  2. How does independent assortment generate genetic variation?
    At metaphase I each homologous pair lines up in a random orientation, so which parent's chromosome goes to which pole is decided independently for every pair — a human can make 2232^{23} (about 8 million) chromosome combinations before crossing over is even counted.
    Heredity › Meiosis
  3. What is the key difference between anaphase I of meiosis and the anaphase of mitosis?
    In anaphase I homologous chromosomes separate while sister chromatids stay attached, halving the chromosome number; in mitotic anaphase (and in anaphase II) the sister chromatids separate.
    Heredity › Meiosis
  4. In what sense are the two strands of a DNA double helix antiparallel, and why does that matter for replication?
    One strand runs 5′ to 3′ and the other 3′ to 5′. Because DNA polymerase can add nucleotides only to a free 3′ end, one new strand (the leading strand) is built continuously while the other (the lagging strand) is built in short Okazaki fragments.
    Gene Expression › DNA Structure and Replication
  5. What did the Meselson–Stahl experiment demonstrate about DNA replication?
    That replication is semiconservative: each new double helix keeps one original strand and gains one new strand, shown by the single intermediate-density band after one round of replication in light nitrogen and the intermediate plus light bands after a second round.
    Gene Expression › DNA Structure and Replication
  6. What are the roles of helicase, primase and ligase in DNA replication?
    Helicase unwinds the double helix at the replication fork, primase lays down the short RNA primer DNA polymerase needs to start, and ligase seals the nicks between Okazaki fragments on the lagging strand. The name primase is beyond the AP course; background only.
    Gene Expression › DNA Structure and Replication
  7. What three conditions must hold for natural selection to act on a population?
    There must be variation in a trait, the variation must be heritable, and individuals with some variants must leave more offspring than others.
    Natural Selection › Selection and Evidence
  8. A population of mice lives on pale sand, and lighter-colored mice survive better. Which mode of selection is this, and how will the coat-color distribution change?
    Directional selection — the whole distribution shifts toward lighter coats over generations as the favored extreme leaves more offspring.
    Natural Selection › Selection and Evidence
  9. What is the difference between exponential and logistic population growth?
    Exponential growth is a J-shaped curve in which the population grows at a constant per-capita rate with no limits; logistic growth is S-shaped, slowing as the population approaches the carrying capacity (K) set by limited resources.
    Ecology › Populations
  10. A population grows logistically with carrying capacity K. Predict when the number of individuals added per unit time is highest.
    At about K/2 — the population is already large enough to produce many offspring, while its per-capita growth rate is still half the maximum; the product of the two peaks there.
    Ecology › Populations

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Review status: Second-reader reviewed, with corrections applied.

Checked against:

  • OpenStax Biology 2e, consulted as a reference; no text copied.
  • Checked against Campbell Biology, 12th ed. (reference only; no text copied).
  • Topic coverage follows the published AP Biology course units in the Course and Exam Description effective Fall 2025 (the AP name is used nominatively; no exam or course material reproduced).

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