"Official" 2014 USABO thread

<p>3 - This question is not wrong. Primary structure determines all structures above it, therefore playing the major role (ignoring of course environment, but even then primary structure determines how the protein reacts to the environment). Protein folding begins as soon as you have more than one amino acid in the nascent peptide chain. </p>

<p>12 - Parental types are brown eye/brown coat and black eye/white coat (the former is recessive and the latter dominant). Thus, anything that isn’t one of the above two is a recombinant. (49+42+36+23)/1000 = .15 = 15%. </p>

<p>@Everyone who’s done with campbell - If you can’t beat the cutoff score +/- 10 on semis and get 35+ on the Open exam, you haven’t read Campbell thoroughly enough. If you are truly done, Alberts/Voet/Lehninger is great for context, and Ravens helps you pick up a few of the random questions. Then just spam practice IBOs and semis and stuff ([Past</a> IBOs ? International Biology Olympiad](<a href=“http://www.ibo-info.org/ibo-results-and-awards]Past”>http://www.ibo-info.org/ibo-results-and-awards)). Have fun!</p>

<p>@BeanD: Thanks!</p>

<p>Ok so moment of truth: If I start cramming now and do 2 chapters a day (how long does each chapter take?), could I scrape by into semifinals? I’m pretty good at cramming last minute and acing tests, if I say so myself. I’ve been meaning to study for USABO, but I haven’t. Or is there a better way to do this in the short time left? (Like memorize an outline/AP Bio Prep book first and then study some Campbell?)</p>

<p>Why don’t you use the Student Study Guide for Campbell Biology… It compiles all the useful information and excludes all the wordy examples in one book. Basically, an outline for the actual textbook.You have so little time, so try to go through it</p>

<p>@beanDelphinki: the moment the amino acid chain starts forming, chaperonins usually bind to it to keep it from folding prematurely though so wouldn’t it be primarily the primary structure that determines the final structure?
And also, you can really meet the semifinal cutoff score with just campbell’s? Isn’t it usually ~140? Personally i think that’s a bit high for just Campbells /: (though knowing it very thoroughly is going to be your FIRST priority regardless)</p>

<p>@Lucky - I can’t say I know for sure, but my understanding of chaperonins is that they form a chamber for folding. A growing peptide chain can’t go into a chamber (unless the entire ribosome enters the chaperonin chamber, which seems dubious). And yes, to the best of my knowledge primary structure is the main contributor (assuming constant environment)
As far as semis… I know quite a few people made it to camp last year on just Campbell and lab exp. (usually biochem/mol.bio). If you can’t get the latter, then a mol. bio/biochem book probably helps. Mainly just the experimental techniques stuff, since you gotta know those and how that all works. Campbell cell bio is thorough enough for everything you’ll see on semis imo.
There’s a few random stuff that shows up, but those aren’t worth studying for unless you’re completely done w/ everything else (as you said, it isn’t first priority)</p>

<p>@window - Just read the parts on animal, plant, cell, and ethology. That should be more than enough to get into semis based on the subject partitions. According to NSQ (past IBO, current testwriter) ethology is definitely worth knowing cause it’s one very easy chapter. A lot of the ecology/genetics/evolution is fairly intuitive, so I’d mainly focus on the stuff you can’t BS your way out of (animal, plant, etc.).</p>

<p>thanks for your input!
Do you recommend anything else for semifinals?
It’s my first and last year for USABO and I really want to make CAMP so I’m grateful for any information :P</p>

<p>Thanks, guys. @Bean: By cell, do you mean the earlier chapters (chapter 6-10)? And I noticed on the 2012 open exam that there are quite a few chemistry questions. I’m not good at chemistry at all, so would chapters 6-10 and the animal, plant, and ethology chapters still get me into the semis? Thanks.</p>

<p>Also, should I just skip chapters 22-34 then? (22-25 is Mechanisms of Evolution and 26-34 is Evolutionary History of Biological Diversity.) Or are there some specific chapters from those units that I should read? </p>

<p>If I make it into semifinals, should I read the chapters on evolution that I skipped? Or is evolution not that important?</p>

<p>tbh if you’re that crunched on time, the best way to study is probably to just go through a number of open tests just looking at the questions without answering them. Get a feel for the test itself, then base your studying on what you’re confident and not so confident on.
To get into semis, keep in mind you only need to get about half right.</p>

<p>As for when you make semis, then I’d probably recommend going through all if not most of campbells. Taxonomy is annoying and may or may not be worth reading it very in depth, but in the end it’s your call</p>

<p>Can anyone post past Semifinal exam cutoff score, and total score, if can detail out how the total score calculated is greatly appreciated, since different questions may have different points, it is very confusition. I am in the process to prep the semi. Anyone has 2013 semi and answer key ? Thanks for your help!</p>

<p>Yo gaizzz the open exam is so ez. </p>

<p>Hi guys I just took the test; Lets discuss Questions!</p>

<p>Which of the following is not a nucleotide?
A. Adenine
B. Thymine
C. Guanine
D. Cytosine
E. Fatty Acids</p>

<p>I put E, what did you guys put?</p>

<p>Hello, I took the test as well. I do not think you are allowed to discuss though. Please delete the previous post.</p>

<p>@greenbat23, I believe everybody has taken the test, and even if some people did, I cannot delete the post. Nevertheless, I discussed this with CEE and they said that discussion of questions is allowed as long as you took the test personally.</p>

<p>Another question:</p>

<p>Which of these compounds is found in chicken?</p>

<p>A. ATP Synthase
B. Cyclooxidative Succinent Dehydrogenase
C. Dihydrophospho Lipase
D. Jiehydroxyl Feicyclokinase
E. Cell Walls</p>

<p>I put ATP Synthase because chicken should obviously undergo respiration</p>

<p>@sciencechamp24, I don’t believe you are privileged to do so. My friend has not taken it yet and now has a two question advantage over me. I have reported these posts for removal.</p>

<p>Which of the following sequences of nucleotides cannot exist:</p>

<p>A. ACCCTGTGGGTATATACC
B. AUUGGUACCCACUGUAA
C. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
D. ACCCTGTgGGTATATACC
E. UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU</p>

<p>I believe that the answer is D, because all the other one seem valid, but D has a lowercase g? Can anyone help me on this one? It might just be a test error though.</p>

<p>Actually, the 5th answer choice (E) was actually
UUTTUTUTUUUUTTUUT.</p>

<p>Nevermind, wrong thread! I was talking about a different bio exam.</p>

<p>Hey guys! It’s 11:11! Make a wish! I wish to pass he Bio Olympiad!</p>

<p>Please do not continue posting these questions. You can be arrested for doing so.</p>