AP Biology Terms Interactive Matching Game
The AP Biology Terms Interactive Matching Game is an engaging activity designed to help students master essential AP Biology vocabulary. Each session selects 8 words at random from a comprehensive database of 106 AP Biology Terms, ensuring that every interaction is unique. Students are presented with definitions labeled A-H on one side and the corresponding AP Biology Terms on the other, requiring students to carefully analyze meanings and contexts to make accurate matches. Immediate feedback plays a vital role in the learning process by confirming correct answers and encouraging retries for mistakes, fostering confidence and deeper understanding. This interactive format enhances vocabulary retention and comprehension of challenging words. The activity’s dynamic nature and focused practice make it an ideal resource for study sessions and review, turning vocabulary building into an efficient and effective experience.
AP Biology Terms
active site
The part of an enzyme where the substrate will bind.
active transport
The movement of molecules across the cell membrane with the use of ATP.
amino acids
The 20 molecules that are held together by peptide bonds to make up proteins.
antibodies
Proteins made by the B cells that immobilize antigens.
antigen
The foreign particles or substances that trigger an immune response.
ATP
A high energy molecule that can be split apart to release energy for many different processes in living things.
autotroph
An organism that makes its own food.
binary fission
The asexual reproduction in bacteria.
buffer
A chemical that can release or absorb hydrogen ions depending on the conditions and therefore can maintain the pH of a solution at a constant level.
capillaries
The smallest of blood vessels that serve to distribute oxygenated blood from arteries to tissues of the body and to feed deoxygenated blood from tissues back into veins.
carrying capacity
The maximum population size of the species that the environment can sustain indefinitely, given the food, habitat, water, and other necessities available in the environment.
catalyst
A molecule that speeds up a chemical reaction by lowering the activation energy.
cell cycle
The continuous series of events that all somatic cells go through that includes interphase, mitosis, and cytokinesis.
cell wall
Structural part of some cells that can be made of cellulose, peptidoglycan, or chitin depending on what kingdom the organism belongs to.
cellular respiration
The process of breaking down glucose to make ATP.
centromere
The region of a chromosome to which the microtubules of the spindle attach, via the kinetochore, during cell division.
centrosome
An organelle near the nucleus of a cell that contains the centrioles (in animal cells) and from which the spindle fibers develop in cell division.
cholesterol
The steroid embedded in the cell membrane that keeps the membrane fluid and strong.
chlorophyll
The green pigment molecule found in the chloroplasts of higher plants and in cells of photosynthetic microorganisms which is primarily involved in absorbing light energy for photosynthesis.
chloroplast
The cell part responsible for photosynthesis in eukaryotic cells.
chromatin
The unwound form of DNA that is accessible for making RNA.
chromosomes
The DNA when it is wrapped up tightly around proteins during metaphase.
codominance
Form of dominance in which the alleles of a gene pair in a heterozygote are fully expressed, resulting in offspring with a phenotype that is neither dominant nor recessive.
codon
The three nucleotide combination on the messenger RNA that matches up with the three-letter combination on the transfer RNA and has the information to code for one amino acid.
cohesion
The attractive force between polar molecules of the same substance.
controlled variables
The many characteristics of the experimental group and control group which are held constant.
covalent bond
An intramolecular bond where atoms are sharing electrons equally.
cuticle
The waxy protective layer on plants that prevents desiccation.
cytokinesis
After mitosis or meiosis, it is the ‘splitting’ of the cytoplasm to form two or four new cells each with its own nucleus.
dehydration synthesis
The type of reaction that links together monomers to make polymers and releases water in the process.
diffusion
Net passive movement of particles from a region of higher concentration to a region of lower concentration until the concentration of substances is uniform throughout.
diploid
Cells that have two copies of each kind of chromosome.
DNA ligase
The enzyme that splices DNA together in genetic engineering and the Okazaki fragments of replication.
endoplasmic reticulum
The series of membranes inside the cell that allow for passage of materials through the cytoplasm and the synthesis of lipids.
endosymbiosis
The theory that eukaryotic cells arose from prokaryotic cells that lived closely together to the point that we now call these former cells ‘mitochondria’ and ‘chloroplasts.’
enzyme
An organic catalyst that lowers the activation energy of chemical reactions in organisms, thus increasing the rate of reaction.
eukaryotic cell
A cell with a nucleus and membrane-bound organelles.
facilitated diffusion
The movement of molecules across the cell membrane without the use of ATP, but with the help of a protein.
gametes
The haploid cells produced by meiosis.
gene
The section of DNA that is responsible for the production of one new polypeptide.
genetic engineering
The process of combining the DNA of two different organisms.
genome
The entire complement of chromosomes in an individual.
genotype
A set of alleles that determines the expression of a particular trait.
global warming
The increase in carbon dioxide and other gases causing heat to be trapped, raising the temperature of the earth.
glycerol
The three-carbon backbone molecule of the triglycerides.
glycogen
The polysaccharide that is how animals store glucose in their liver.
gonads
The site of meiosis in humans that includes the ovaries and testes.
haploids
Cells that have one copy of each kind of chromosome.
heterotroph
An organism that cannot manufacture its own food and instead obtains its food and energy by taking in organic substances.
heterozygous
Pair of genes where one is dominant and one is recessive.
homeostasis
The condition in animals where they keep their internal environment constant for a specific characteristic, often as a result of negative feedback.
homozygous
The description of an individual who has the same allele for a trait on both homologous chromosomes.
hydrogen bond
The weak intermolecular bond that forms between water molecules that causes them to ‘stick’ to each other.
hypothesis
A testable explanation for a question.
incomplete dominance
The type of inheritance where the heterozygous individual has a blend of the dominant and recessive trait.
independent variable
The one difference between the experimental group and the control group.
innate
Behavior of an organism that is not learned and is genetically determined.
insulin
The hormone that lowers blood sugar by having it stored as glycogen in the liver and increasing cellular uptake.
logistic growth
The type of population growth where the population has reached the carrying capacity and stays at a relatively constant level as indicated by an S-curve.
marker proteins
Proteins embedded in the cell membrane which allow organisms to differentiate between self and non-self cells.
meiosis
The type of nuclear division that leads to four nuclei with a haploid complement of chromosomes produced from one diploid nucleus.
messenger RNA
RNA made from DNA that carries the nucleotide template to the ribosome for protein synthesis.
mitochondria
In eukaryotic cells, it is the site of the Krebs cycle and electron transport chain of aerobic cellular respiration.
mitosis
The type of nuclear division that leads to two nuclei with the entire diploid complement of chromosomes.
mutation
A change in the DNA either by changing a chromosome’s structure or the order of nucleotides.
natural selection
The theory that explains how a population changes over time to reflect the individuals who are most successful.
nucleotides
The monomer subunit that links together along the sugar-phosphate backbone to form nucleic acids.
nucleus
Membrane-bound cell organelle that contains genetic material.
pancreas
The gland that releases glucagon and insulin to help control blood sugar.
passive transport
The transport of molecules across the cell membrane without the use of energy.
peptide bond
Bond formed between adjacent amino acids; between the carboxyl group of one amino acid and the amine group of another amino acid.
phenotype
The physical appearance of an organism as a result of the interaction of its genotype and environment.
phloem
The vascular tissue in plants that transports food from leaves to the rest of the plant.
phospholipid bilayer
The two layers of phospholipids arranged so that their hydrophobic tails are inward while their polar head groups are outward.
photosynthesis
The chemical reaction that makes glucose and oxygen from water and carbon in the presence of sunlight.
pituitary gland
The gland that controls the release of hormones from many other glands.
plasma
The liquid noncellular component of blood.
plasma membrane
The outer selectively permeable membrane bilayer of all cells.
polar bond
A bond where the atoms are sharing electrons unequally, creating small negative and positive charges on the atoms.
population
The members of a species within a specific area that has gene flow between its members.
primary productivity
The amount of photosynthesis in an ecosystem.
somatic cell
Any cell of an organism that is not a sex cell (not egg or sperm).
spindle fibers
The microtubules that are used to separate the chromosomes and drag them to separate sides during nuclear division.
stomata
The small openings on the underside of leaves that allow for carbon dioxide to come in and oxygen to escape.
symbiosis
A long-term relationship between organisms of two different species where at least one of the organisms benefits.
transcription
The making of RNA from DNA.
transfer RNA
RNA made from DNA that attaches to amino acids and delivers them to the mRNA in the ribosome.
translation
The process of making proteins from the mRNA template.
transpiration
The evaporation of water from the stomata of a leaf that allows water to be pulled up a stem.
virus
A non-cellular infectious agent that is unable to grow or reproduce outside a host cell and contains either RNA or DNA.
xylem
The vascular tissue in a plant that carries water up from the roots to the rest of the plant.
zygote
A fertilized egg.
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