Living Environment Regents Reference Table & Formulas
The key Living Environment formulas, concepts, and vocabulary to know for the exam.
Living Environment doesn't have a single official reference table. The exam tests vocabulary, lab procedures, and the four mandated lab activities (Beaks of Finches, Diffusion through a Membrane, Making Connections, Relationships and Biodiversity) directly. Use the Resources shelf and RegentsLab study cards for vocab + concepts.
Key Living Environment formulas
| Name | Formula | What it's for |
|---|---|---|
| Photosynthesis | $6CO_2 + 6H_2O \xrightarrow{\text{light}} C_6H_{12}O_6 + 6O_2$ | Plants convert carbon dioxide and water into glucose and oxygen using light energy. |
| Cellular respiration | $C_6H_{12}O_6 + 6O_2 \rightarrow 6CO_2 + 6H_2O + \text{ATP}$ | The reverse: glucose and oxygen release usable energy (ATP). It runs in every living cell. |
| Central dogma | $\text{DNA} \rightarrow \text{mRNA} \rightarrow \text{protein}$ | Genes are transcribed to mRNA, then translated into proteins that do the cell's work. |
| Energy flow (10% rule) | $\approx 10\%\ \text{of energy passes to the next level}$ | Only about a tenth of the energy at one trophic level reaches the next, which is why food chains are short. |
Key concepts
- Cell transport — Diffusion and osmosis move materials down a gradient with no energy. Active transport uses ATP to move against the gradient.
- Natural selection — Heritable variation plus competition means the best-suited individuals survive and reproduce, shifting the population over generations.
- Homeostasis & feedback — Organisms keep internal conditions stable through feedback loops (temperature, glucose, water). Enzymes work best within a narrow range.
- Mitosis vs meiosis — Mitosis makes two identical body cells for growth and repair. Meiosis makes four genetically varied sex cells with half the chromosomes.
- Ecosystem roles — Producers make food, consumers eat, decomposers recycle nutrients. Energy flows one way; matter cycles.
Must-know vocabulary
- Allele — One version of a gene. Different alleles produce different traits.
- Genotype vs phenotype — Genotype is the genetic makeup (e.g. Bb); phenotype is the physical trait you see.
- ATP — The cell's energy currency, produced mainly in the mitochondria.
- Enzyme — A protein catalyst that speeds up a reaction; sensitive to temperature and pH.
- Biodiversity — The variety of species in an ecosystem; more diversity means more stability.
- Mutation — A change in DNA. It is the ultimate source of the variation evolution acts on.
Frequently asked questions
Does the Living Environment Regents give you a reference sheet?
Living Environment doesn't have a single official reference table. The exam tests vocabulary, lab procedures, and the four mandated lab activities (Beaks of Finches, Diffusion through a Membrane, Making Connections, Relationships and Biodiversity) directly. Use the Resources shelf and RegentsLab study cards for vocab + concepts.
What formulas do you need for the Living Environment Regents?
The most-used Living Environment formulas are on this page with what each one is for. There are 4 key formulas to know.