And now a word from Dr. Shmeuss:
Cells are everywhere and are the basis of life on this planet. Big cells, little cells, special cells, normal cells, blood cells, skin cells, and muscle cells all make up a girl named Janet.
…okay, so the meter's a little off. This isn't the Shmoop guide to the AP English Language and Composition exam.
As you've probably guessed by now, this section covers cells and how they work and reproduce themselves—including everything from eukaryotic cells, like those from humans, and prokaryotic cells, like bacteria.
The exam will test you on what a cell is made of, different cell types from various organisms, how cells reproduce themselves and any errors that can occur, as well as the various molecules that help the cell function on a molecular level, like DNA, proteins, and carbohydrates…just to name a few.
It's a lot of material, but then again, there are a lot of cells out there.
On the Florida EOC exam, this section typically consists of 20 multiple-choice questions that cover three main concepts. Specifically, you'll need to know:
That cells are the basic building blocks of organisms that have specialized parts for different functions. In fact, all living organisms on Earth are made of cells. Lots and lots of cells.
How organisms grow, reproduce cells, and know not to put arms and legs in the wrong place. Cells aren't always correct in their reproducibility, however, and errors do occur. Hey, they're only human…wait a minute, scratch that.
The importance of different molecules in various metabolic processes that produce and consume energy, the importance of plants (hint: oxygen production), and why everyone keeps telling us to drink so much water.