Name_____________________________________________ Student ID

Number_____________________
Seat Number________________

Section C
EXAM VERSION
A
BioSci 93
Midterm Exam
October 30th, 2013
1. Ensure that you are sitting at your assigned seat.
2. Record your Name, Student ID # and Seat # on each page of the
exam
booklet. Keep your student ID out and visible. We will be checking during
the exam.
3. For multiple choice questions, only use pencils.
Bubble AND write in your student ID # on the scantron card.
Acts of dishonesty during the examination will result in disqualification
(score of 0
points) and a permanent letter added to your university transcript file.

Name_____________________________________________ Student ID
Number_____________________
Seat Number________________
1. I am taking version:
A. A
B. B
2. Which of the following molecules is likely to cross directly the lipid
bilayer of the plasma membrane:
A. Glucose
B. CO2
C. H2O
D. NaCl
E. NaOH
3. What gives rise to the cohesiveness of water molecules?
A. hydrophobic interactions
B. nonpolar covalent bonds
C. ionic bonds
D. hydrogen bonds
E. both A and C
4. Lipase is an enzyme that catalyzes the hydrolysis of dietary lipids. If
lipase is added to a solution containing fats the most likely result is
the:
A. free energy of the reaction will increase
B. concentration of free glycerol will increase and lipase will be
unchanged
C. concentrations of both lipase and free fatty acids will be
unchanged
D. endergonic reaction of lipid synthesis will be coupled to an
exergonic ATP reaction
E. volume of water in the solution will increase
5. An aquaporin channel consists of four protein subunits. A loss of a
subunit affects which level of structure?
A. Primary
B. Secondary
C. Tertiary
D. Quaternary
6. Projecting neurons in the human brain have long axons that can
measure several centimeters. Scientists have observed large number
of cytoskeletal fibers in the cytoplasm of these axons. Which
statement is true:
A. Neurofilaments increase the stability and resistance of the axons
B. Myosin increases the contractility and speed up vesicle
movement along microtubules in the axons

Name_____________________________________________ Student ID
Number_____________________
Seat Number________________
C. Dynein uses microtubular tracks to stabilize the plus end of the
microtubule
D. Microfilaments form a stable network that is utilized for vesicular
transport over long distances in the axons
E. Kinesin both stabilizes the axon and moves vesicles towards the
minus end of the microtubular tracks
7. In a recent research study, scientists discovered a way to create
synthetic nanotubes made of peptides. The nanotube can function as
a solar panel and use sun light to energize electrons and also add them
to NADP+ to make NADPH. What is the biological equivalent of this
reaction?
A. calvin cycle
B. citric acid cycle
C. light reactions
D. oxidative phosphorylation
E. chemiosmosis
8. Timmy is a Bio 93 TA working on regeneration of limbs in a
salamander known as the axolotl. When a salamander loses a leg,
cells near the injury releases a protein called FGF (fibroblast growth
factor) that binds only to nearby cells and triggers the regeneration of
the leg. FGF is:
A. An example of a hormone signal
B. An integral protein
C. Synthesized on free ribosomes
D. Released from the cell by exocytosis
E. An extracellular matrix protein
9. The lysosome maintains a(n) (ACIDIC or BASIC) internal
environment in order for its enzymes to function properly. To maintain
this environment, a pump in the lysosomal membrane pumps (OH- or
H+) ions into the lysosome, creating a (LOW or HIGH) pH.
A. Acidic; OH-; low
B. Basic; OH-; high
C. Acidic; H+; low
D. Basic; H+; high
E. Acidic; H+; high
10. During an experiment using hybrid cells formed by the fusion of
mouse and human cells, both mouse and human membrane proteins
were detected throughout the plasma membrane of hybrid cells after 1
hour. Addition of unsaturated phospholipids to the membrane of the
mouse and human cells would likely cause:

Name_____________________________________________ Student ID
Number_____________________
Seat Number________________
A. A reduction in the time required by mouse and human
membrane proteins to localize throughout the plasma membrane
of the hybrid cell
B. An increase in the time required by mouse and human
membrane proteins to localize throughout the plasma membrane
of the hybrid cell
C. An expansion of the nuclear lamina in both mouse and human
nuclei in the hybrid cell
D. A reduction in lateral drifting of phospholipids in the plasma
membrane after 1 hour
E. A reduction in the number of membrane proteins in the cell
membrane after 1 hour.
11. Each time ovoalbumin is hydrolyzed to release an aminoacid
subunit, a
_________________ is broken.
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.

Hydrogen bond
Peptide bond
Disulfide bond
Glycosidic linkage
Phosphodiester linkage

12. The protein tau is heavily phosphorylated, which means that

phosphate groups are incorporated to the:
A. R groups of polar amin oacids
B. functional groups of the polypeptide backbone
C. alpha carbon in the polypeptide backbone
D. R groups of basic amino acids
E. R groups of non polar amino acids
13. True or False: If an enzyme is added to a chemical reaction, then
the reaction will change from endergonic to exergonic.
A. True
B. False
14. You are performing research on human cells growing in a flask.
You meant to add a growth factor to help them grow and continue
dividing, but must have mistakenly added something different. All of
your cells have stopped growing and dividing. Upon inspection, you
notice that every cell has twice the number of chromosomes it should,
and the chromosomes have separated to opposite poles of the cell.
Then you realize you mistakenly had added cytochalasin D, but you
have no idea what this compound does. Based on your observation of
what the cells look like, what do you think cytochalasin D does?
A. disrupts microtubule formation
B. disrupts DNA synthesis machinery

Name_____________________________________________ Student ID
Number_____________________
Seat Number________________
C. disrupts microfilament formation
D. disrupts kinetochore formation
E. disrupts mitotic spindle formation
15. Thylakoids are found in:
A. The inner membrane of mitochondria
B. Golgi
C. rER
D. Chloroplasts
E. Liver cells
16. One of the buffers that contribute to pH stability in human blood is carbonic acid
(H2CO3). Carbonic acid is a weak acid that dissociates into a bicarbonate ion (HCO3-)
and a hydrogen ion (H+). Thus,
H2CO3 HCO3- + H+
If the pH of the blood drops, one would expect:
A. a decrease in the concentration of H2CO3 and an increase in the concentration of
HCO3-.
B. the concentration of hydroxide ion (OH-) to increase.
C. the concentration of bicarbonate ion (HCO3-) to increase.
D. the HCO3- to act as a base and remove excess H+ with the formation of H2CO3.
E. the HCO3- to act as an acid and remove excess H+ with the formation of H2CO3.
17. A hypotonic solution will have a higher concentration of
_______________molecules than the inside of an animal cell,
consequently, the cell will be _____________
A. solute plasmolyzed
B. water shriveled
C. solute lysed
D. water lysed
18. A single aminoacid mutation in ubiquitin results in defective
binding of ubiquitin to other proteins. This defect leads to:
A. increased levels of chaperonin function
B. reduced lysosomal activity
C. altered protein degradation
D. increased acidification of lysosomes
E. reduced rate of receptor mediated endocytosis
19. You are a scientific design artist for Disney Alien Encounters. You
have designed living plants that appear blue due to a novel pigment
you discovered. Your boss, who is never happy, decides the plants

Name_____________________________________________ Student ID
Number_____________________
Seat Number________________
must be violet. In your lab, you design a new pigment with what
property?
A. high absorbance of violet 400 nm wavelength light
B. low absorbance of blue 450-500 nm wavelength light
C. low absorbance of violet 400 nm wavelength light
D. low absorbance of blue through red wavelength light (450-700
nm)
20. One of the main byproducts of peroxisome function is:
A. SH2
B. CO2
C. O2 or
D. H2O2
E. CH3
21. Substrate level phosphorylation refers to:
A. generation of ATP during oxidative phosphorylation
B. generation of ATP from ADP and Pi
C. generation of ATP from ADP and a phosphorylated substrate
D. ATP energy investment phase in glycolysis
E. the conversion of ATP to ADP and Pi
22. Sickle cell anemia is caused by a point mutation in one of the
subunits of the hemoglobin molecule. A consequence of it is that:
A. misfolding of hemoglobin exposes hydrophobic aminoacids to the
cytoplasmic environment
B. the quaternary structure of hemoglobin is altered
C. hemoglobin molecules aggregate inside red blood cells
D. A and B are correct
E. A, B and C are correct
23. A drug that specifically inhibits ATP synthase will:
A. increase the production of oxygen
B. increase the pH difference across the inner mitochondrial
membrane
C. increase the pH in the intermembrane mitochondrial space
D. increase the speed of the electron transport chain
24. A nucleic acid has backbone that is composed of _______ and
_______, resulting in a ___________ charge.
A. pentose, nucleoside, positive
B. pentose, nitrogenous base, negative
C. phosphate, pentose, positive
D. pentose, phosphate, negative
E. nucleoside, phosphate, negative

Name_____________________________________________ Student ID
Number_____________________
Seat Number________________
25. Mutations in the nuclear lamina cause progeroid syndromes
(accelerated aging) in humans. At the cellular level, what would you
expect to be the most likely consequence of these mutations?
A. the loss of all nuclear function
B. the inability of the cell to degrade polymers
C. a change in the shape of the nucleus
D. failure of chromosomes to carry genetic information
E. inability of the nucleus to import and export molecules
26. Glycolysis, occurring in the ________________, results in the
production of ___________ and ____________.
A. cytosol, pyruvate, NADH
B. mitochondrial matrix, pyruvate, NADPH
C. cytosol, NADH, acetyl-CoA
D. intermembrane space of mitochondria, water, ATP
E. inner mitochondrial membrane, acetyl-CoA, NADH
27. If a virus were to pick up a gene that controlled cell cycle, would
that virus now have the ability to transform a normal cell into a cancer
cell? Problem not scored
A. yes, but only if the gene is a proto-oncogene
B. yes, but only if the gene is an oncogene
C. yes, if the gene is a tumor suppressor gene
D. no, viruses cant pick up genes
28.

I. One end of a microtubule can grow or release dimers at a

faster rate than the other.
II. Movement of cilia and flagella is the result of motor proteins
causing microtubules to move relative to each other

A. Both statements are true

B. Both statements are false.
C. I is true and II is false
D. I is false and II is true

29. Which of the following are critical for the primary structure of a
protein?
A. SH----SH bonds
B. Peptide bonds
C. -pleated sheets
D. Hydrogen bonds

Name_____________________________________________ Student ID
Number_____________________
Seat Number________________
E. Chemical bonds between R groups of amino acids