Category: Curriculum Map

Chapter 50 AP Obj – Intro to Ecology

 

 

Chapter 50    Introduction to Ecology & the Biosphere
Objectives
The Scope of Ecology
1. Define ecology. Identify the two features of organisms studied by ecologists.
2. Describe the relationship between ecology and evolutionary biology.
3. Distinguish between abiotic and biotic components of the environment.
4. Distinguish among organismal ecology, population ecology, community ecology, ecosystem ecology, and landscape ecology.
5. Clarify the difference between ecology and environmentalism.
Interactions Between Organisms and the Environment Affect the Distribution of Species
6. Define biogeography.
7. Describe the questions that might be asked in a study addressing the limits of the geographic distribution of a particular species.
8. Describe the problems caused by introduced species and illustrate with a specific example.
9. Explain how habitat selection may limit distribution of a species within its range of suitable habitats.
10. Describe, with examples, how biotic and abiotic factors may affect the distribution of organisms.
11. List the four abiotic factors that are the most important components of climate.
12. Distinguish between macroclimate and microclimate patterns.
13. Provide an example of a microclimate.
14. Explain, with examples, how a body of water and a mountain range might affect regional climatic conditions.
15. Describe how an ecologist might predict the effect of global warming on distribution of a tree species.
16. Name three ways in which marine biomes affect the biosphere.
Aquatic and Terrestrial Biomes
17. Describe the characteristics of the major aquatic biomes: lakes, wetlands, streams, rivers, estuaries, intertidal biomes, oceanic pelagic biomes, coral reefs, and marine benthic biomes.
18. Define the following characteristics of lakes: seasonal turnover, thermal stratification, thermocline, photic zone.
19. Explain why the following statement is false: “All communities on Earth are based on primary producers that capture light energy by photosynthesis.”
20. Describe the characteristics of the major terrestrial biomes: tropical forest, desert, savanna, chaparral, temperate grassland, coniferous forest, temperate broadleaf forest, and tundra.
21. Give an example of a biome characterized by periodic disturbance.
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Chapter 35 AP Objectives

 

Chapter 35     Plant Structure and Growth
Objectives
The Plant Body
1. Describe and compare the three basic organs of vascular plants. Explain how these basic organs are interdependent.
2. List the basic functions of roots. Describe and compare the structures and functions of fibrous roots, taproots, root hairs, and adventitious roots.
3. Describe the basic structure of plant stems.
4. Explain the phenomenon of apical dominance.
5. Describe the structures and functions of four types of modified shoots.
6. Describe and distinguish between the leaves of monocots and those of eudicots.
7. Describe the three tissue systems that make up plant organs.
8. Describe and distinguish between the three basic cell types of plant tissues. For each tissue, describe one characteristic structural feature and explain its functional significance.
9. Explain the functional relationship between a sieve-tube member and its companion cell.
The Process of Plant Growth and Development
10. Distinguish between determinate and indeterminate growth. Give an example of each type of growth.
11. Distinguish among annual, biennial, and perennial plants.
12. Explain this statement: “In contrast to most animals, which have a stage of embryonic growth, plants have regions of embryonic growth.”
13. Distinguish between the primary and secondary plant body.
14. Describe in detail the primary growth of the tissues of roots and shoots.
15. Describe in detail the secondary growth of the tissues of roots and shoots.
16. Name the cells that make up the tissue known as wood. Name the tissues that comprise the bark.
Mechanisms of Plant Growth and Development
17. Explain why Arabidopsis is an excellent model for the study of plant development.
18. Explain what each of these Arabidopsis mutants has taught us about plant development:
a. fass mutant
b. gnom mutant
c. KNOTTED-1 mutant
d. GLABRA-2 mutant
19. Define and distinguish between morphogenesis, differentiation, and growth.
20. Explain why (a) the plane and symmetry of cell division, (b) the orientation of cell expansion, and (c) cortical microtubules are important determinants of plant growth and development.
21. Explain how pattern formation may be determined in plants.
22. Give an example to demonstrate how a cell’s location influences its developmental fate.
23. Explain how a vegetative shoot tip changes into a floral meristem.
24. Describe how three classes of organ identity genes interact to produce the spatial pattern of floral organs in Arabidopsis.
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Chapter 34 AP Objectives

 

Chapter 34     Vertebrate Evolution and Diversity
Objectives
Invertebrate Chordates and the Origin of Vertebrates
1. Distinguish between the phyla of deuterostomes.
2. Describe the four derived traits that define the phylum Chordata.
3. Distinguish among the three subphyla of the phylum Chordata and give examples of each.
4. Discuss the evidence for and against Garstang’s hypothesis that vertebrates had a tunicate-like ancestor.
5. Explain what lancelets suggest about the evolution of the chordate brain.
Craniates Are Chordates with a Head
6. Discuss the importance of genetic duplication in chordate evolution.
7. Explain the fate of the neural crest cells in craniate development.
8. Explain what Haikouella and Haikouichthys tell us about craniate evolution.
Vertebrates Are Craniates with a Backbone
9. Describe the way of life and unique characters of the lamprey.
10. Describe conodonts, and explain why they are considered vertebrates.
11. Describe the trends in mineralized structures in early vertebrates.
Gnathostomes Are Vertebrates with Jaws
12. Explain one hypothesis for the evolution of the jaws of gnathostomes.
13. List the shared, derived characters that characterize gnathostomes.
14. Describe the evidence that suggests that the loss of bone in Chondrichthyes is a derived feature.
15. Describe the features of sharks that are adaptive for their active, predatory lifestyle.
16. Describe and distinguish between Chondrichthyes and Osteichthyes, noting the main traits of each group.
17. Identify and describe the main subgroups of Osteichthyes.
18. Name the three living lineages of lobe-fins.
Tetrapods Are Gnathostomes with Limbs and Feet
19. Define and distinguish between gnathostomes, tetrapods, and amniotes.
20. Explain what Acanthostega suggests about the origin of tetrapods.
21. Describe the common traits of amphibians and distinguish among the three orders of living amphibians.
Amniotes Have Amniotic Eggs
22. Describe an amniotic egg and explain its significance in the evolution of reptiles and mammals.
23. Explain why the reptile clade includes birds.
24. Describe a number of reptile features that are adaptive for life on land.
25. Explain why non-bird reptiles should be called “ectothermic” rather than “cold-blooded.”
26. Define and describe the parareptiles.
27. Distinguish between the lepidosaurs and the archosaurs.
28. Compare the interpretations of dinosaurs as ectotherms or endotherms.
29. Describe the specialized adaptations of snakes that make them successful predators.
30. List the modifications of birds that are adaptive for flight.
31. Summarize the evidence supporting the hypothesis that birds evolved from theropod dinosaur ancestors.
32. Explain the significance of Archaeopteryx.
33. Describe the characteristic derived characters of mammals.
34. Describe the evolutionary origin of mammals.
35. Distinguish among monotreme, marsupial, and eutherian mammals.
36. Describe the adaptive radiation of mammals during the Cretaceous and early Tertiary periods.
37. Compare and contrast the four main evolutionary clades of eutherian mammals.
Primates and the Evolution of Homo sapiens
38. Describe the general characteristics of primates. Note in particular the features associated with an arboreal existence.
39. Distinguish between the two subgroups of primates and describe their early evolutionary relationship.
40. Distinguish between hominoid and hominid.
41. Explain what Sahelanthropus tells us about hominid evolution.
42. Describe the evolution of Homo sapiens from australopith ancestors. Clarify the order in which distinctive human traits aro
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Chapter 36 AP Objectives

Chapter 36     Transport in Plants
Objectives
An Overview of Transport Mechanisms in Plants
1. Describe how proton pumps function in transport of materials across plant membranes, using the terms proton gradient, membrane potential, cotransport, and chemiosmosis.
2. Define osmosis and water potential. Explain how water potential is measured.
3. Explain how solutes and pressure affect water potential.
4. Explain how the physical properties of plant cells are changed when the plant is placed into solutions that have higher, lower, or the same solute concentration.
5. Define the terms flaccid, plasmolyze, turgor pressure, and turgid.
6. Explain how aquaporins affect the rate of water transport across membranes.
7. Name the three major compartments in vacuolated plant cells.
8. Distinguish between the symplast and the apoplast.
9. Describe three routes available for lateral transport in plants.
10. Define bulk flow and describe the forces that generate pressure in the vascular tissue of plants.
11. Relate the structure of sieve-tube cells, vessel cells, and tracheids to their functions in bulk flow.
Absorption of Water and Minerals by Roots
12. Explain what routes are available to water and minerals moving into the vascular cylinder of the root.
13. Explain how mycorrhizae enhance uptake of materials by roots.
14. Explain how the endodermis functions as a selective barrier between the root cortex and vascular cylinder.
Transport of Xylem Sap
15. Describe the potential and limits of root pressure to move xylem sap.
16. Define the terms transpiration and guttation.
17. Explain how transpirational pull moves xylem sap up from the root tips to the leaves.
18. Explain how cavitation prevents the transport of water through xylem vessels.
19. Explain this statement: “The ascent of xylem sap is ultimately solar powered.”
The Control of Transpiration
20. Explain the importance and costs of the extensive inner surface area of a leaf.
21. Discuss the factors that may alter the stomatal density of a leaf.
22. Describe the role of guard cells in photosynthesis-transpiration.
23. Explain how and when stomata open and close. Describe the cues that trigger stomatal opening at dawn.
24. Explain how xerophytes reduce transpiration.
25. Describe crassulacean acid metabolism and explain why it is an important adaptation to reduce transpiration in arid environments.
Translocation of Phloem Sap
26. Define and describe the process of translocation. Trace the path of phloem sap from a primary sugar source to a sugar sink.
27. Describe the process of sugar loading and unloading.
28. Define pressure flow. Explain the significance of this process in angiosperms.
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Chapter 37 AP Objectives

 

Chapter 37     Nutrition in Plants
Objectives
Nutritional Requirements of Plants
1. Describe the ecological role of plants in transforming inorganic molecules into organic compounds.
2. Define the term essential nutrient.
3. Explain how hydroponic culture is used to determine which minerals are essential nutrients.
4. Distinguish between macronutrient and micronutrient.
5. Name the nine macronutrients required by plants.
6. List the eight micronutrients required by plants and explain why plants need only minute quantities of these elements.
7. Explain how a nutrient’s role and mobility determine the symptoms of a mineral deficiency.
The Role of Soil in Plant Nutrition
8. Define soil texture and soil composition.
9. Explain how soil is formed.
10. Name the components of topsoil.
11. Describe the composition of loams and explain why they are the most fertile soils.
12. Explain how humus contributes to the texture and composition of soils.
13. Explain why plants cannot extract all of the water in soil.
14. Explain how the presence of clay in soil helps prevent the leaching of mineral cations.
15. Define cation exchange, explain why it is necessary for plant nutrition, and describe how plants can stimulate the process.
16. Explain why soil management is necessary in agricultural systems but not in natural ecosystems such as forests and grasslands. Describe an example of human mismanagement of soil.
17. List the three mineral elements that are most commonly deficient in agricultural soils.
18. Explain how soil pH determines the effectiveness of fertilizers and a plant’s ability to absorb specific mineral nutrients.
19. Describe problems resulting from farm irrigation in arid regions.
20. Describe actions that can reduce loss of topsoil due to erosion.
21. Explain how phytoremediation can help detoxify polluted soil.
The Special Case of Nitrogen as a Plant Nutrient
22. Define nitrogen fixation and write an overall equation representing the conversion of gaseous nitrogen to ammonia.
23. Explain the importance of nitrogen-fixing bacteria to life on Earth.
24. Summarize the ecological role of each of the following groups of bacteria.
a. ammonifying bacteria
b. denitrifying bacteria
c. nitrogen-fixing bacteria
d. nitrifying bacteria
25. Explain why improving the protein yield of crops is a major goal of agricultural research.
Nutritional Adaptations: Symbiosis of Plants and Soil Microbes
26. Describe the development of a root nodule in a legume.
27. Explain how a legume protects its nitrogen-fixing bacteria from free oxygen, and explain why this protection is necessary.
28. Describe the basis for crop rotation.
29. Explain why a symbiosis between a legume and its nitrogen-fixing bacteria is considered to be mutualistic.
30. Explain why a symbiosis between a plant and a mycorrhizal fungus is considered to be mutualistic.
31. Distinguish between ectomycorrhizae and endomycorrhizae.
Nutritional Adaptations: Parasitism and Predation by Plants
32. Name one modification for nutrition in each of the following groups of plants:
a. epiphytes
b. parasitic plants
c. carnivorous plants
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