AP Bio Review for the Final Exam

Front

What is the definition of degrees of freedom in statistics?

Back

Degrees of freedom refer to the number of independent values or quantities which can be assigned to a statistical distribution. It is often calculated as the number of observations minus the number of parameters estimated.

Front

What is the role of a restriction enzyme in molecular biology?

Back

Restriction enzymes act like molecular scissors that cut DNA at specific sequences, allowing for the manipulation and analysis of genetic material.

Front

What does 'antiparallel' mean in the context of DNA structure?

Back

Antiparallel refers to the orientation of the two strands of DNA, where one strand runs in the 5' to 3' direction and the other runs in the opposite 3' to 5' direction.

Front

What base pairs with adenine in DNA?

Back

Thymine pairs with adenine in DNA.

Front

What is the function of DNA polymerase?

Back

DNA polymerase is an enzyme that synthesizes new DNA strands by adding nucleotides to a growing DNA chain during DNA replication.

Front

What is the significance of the 5' and 3' ends of a DNA strand?

Back

The 5' and 3' ends indicate the directionality of the DNA strand, which is crucial for processes like replication and transcription.

Front

What is the primary function of ligase in DNA replication?

Back

Ligase is an enzyme that joins together Okazaki fragments on the lagging strand during DNA replication, sealing nicks in the sugar-phosphate backbone.

Front

What is the difference between DNA and RNA?

Back

DNA is double-stranded and contains deoxyribose sugar, while RNA is single-stranded and contains ribose sugar.

Front

What is a nucleotide?

Back

A nucleotide is the basic building block of nucleic acids, consisting of a sugar, a phosphate group, and a nitrogenous base.

Front

What are the four nitrogenous bases in DNA?

Back

The four nitrogenous bases in DNA are adenine (A), thymine (T), cytosine (C), and guanine (G).