PRACTICE QUESTIONS: EXAM 2

1) The symptoms of a certain inherited disorder in humans include male sterility. Which of the
following is a reasonable hypothesis for the molecular basis of this disorder?
A) a defective enzyme in the mitochondria
B) defective actin molecules in cellular microfilaments
C) defective dynein molecules in flagella
D) abnormal hydrolytic enzymes in the lysosomes
E) defective ribosome assembly in the nucleolus

2) Where is calcium stored inside cells?

A) nucleus
B) ER
C) centrioles
D) ribosomes
E) calcium depository granules

3) ________ allow a bacterium to move.

A) Cell walls
B) Cilia
C) Ribosomes
D) Mitochondria
E) Microvilli

4) Ions can travel directly from the cytoplasm of one animal cell to the cytoplasm of an adjacent
cell through
A) plasmodesmata.
B) intermediate filaments.
C) tight junctions.
D) desmosomes.
E) gap junctions.
5) When a potassium ion (K+) moves from the soil into the vacuole of a cell on the surface of a
root, it must pass through several cellular structures. Which of the following correctly describes
the order in which these structures will be encountered by the ion?
A) plasma membrane => primary cell wall => cytoplasm => tonoplast
B) secondary cell wall => plasma membrane => primary cell wall => cytoplasm => tonoplast
C) primary cell wall => secondary cell wall => plasma membrane => cytoplasm => tonoplast
D) primary cell wall => plasma membrane => tonoplast => cytoplasm => vacuole
E) tonoplast => primary cell wall => plasma membrane => cytoplasm

6) The cell walls of bacteria, fungi, and plant cells and the extracellular matrix of animal cells are
all external to the plasma membrane. Which of the following is not a characteristic of all of
these extracellular structures?
A) They must be highly permeable to water and small molecules in order to allow cells to
exchange matter and energy with their environment.
B) They must permit information transfer between the cell's external environment and the
cytoplasm.
C) They must provide a rigid structure that maintains an appropriate ratio of cell surface area to
volume.
D) They are constructed of materials that are largely synthesized in the cytoplasm and then
transported out of the cell.
E) They are composed of a mixture of proteins and carbohydrates.

7) All of the following serve an important role in determining or maintaining the structure of
plant cells. Which of the following are distinct from the others in terms of composition?
A) microtubules
B) microfilaments
C) plant cell walls
D) intermediate filaments
E) nuclear lamina

8) Which of the following statements about the cytoskeleton is incorrect?

A) The dynamic aspect of cytoskeletal function is made possible by the assembly and
disassembly of a few simple types of proteins into large aggregates.
B) Microfilaments are structurally rigid and resist compression, while microtubules resist
tension (stretching) .
C) Movement of cilia and flagella is the result of motor proteins causing microtubules to move
relative to each other.
D) Chemicals that block the assembly of the cytoskeleton would prevent many different
processes in cells.
E) Transport vesicles among the membranes of the endomembrane system depend on the
function of the cytoskeleton.
9) Which of the following possesses a microtubular structure similar to a basal body?
A) centriole
B) lysosomes
C) nucleolus
D) peroxisome
E) ribosome

10) Motor proteins provide for molecular motion in cells by interacting with what types of
cellular structures?
A) sites of energy production in cellular respiration
B) membrane proteins
C) ribosomes
D) cytoskeletons
E) cellulose fibers in the cell wall

11) A biologist ground up some plant leaf cells and then centrifuged the mixture to fractionate
the organelles. Organelles in one of the heavier fractions could produce ATP in the light, while
organelles in the lighter fraction could produce ATP in the dark. The heavier and lighter
fractions are most likely to contain, respectively,
A) mitochondria and chloroplasts.
B) chloroplasts and peroxisomes.
C) peroxisomes and chloroplasts.
D) chloroplasts and mitochondria.
E) mitochondria and peroxisomes.

12) Which of the following factors would tend to increase membrane fluidity?
A) a lower proportion of unsaturated phospholipids
B) a lower proportion of saturated phospholipids
C) a lower temperature
D) a relatively high protein content in the membrane
E) a greater proportion of relatively large glycolipids compared to lipids having smaller
molecular masses

13) In a hypotonic solution a plant cell will

A) lyse.
B) experience turgor.
C) neither gain nor lose water.
D) shrivel.
E) lose water.
14) All of the following molecules are part of the cell membrane except
A) lipids.
B) nucleic acids.
C) proteins.
D) phosphate groups.
E) steroids.

15) The presence of cholesterol in the plasma membranes of some animals

A) enables the membrane to stay fluid more easily when cell temperature drops.
B) enables the animal to remove hydrogen atoms from saturated phospholipids.
C) enables the animal to add hydrogen atoms to unsaturated phospholipids.
D) makes the membrane less flexible, allowing it to sustain greater pressure from within the
cell.
E) makes the animal more susceptible to circulatory disorders.

16) According to the fluid mosaic model of cell membranes, which of the following is a true
statement about membrane phospholipids?
A) They cannot move laterally along the plane of the membrane.
B) They flip-flop from one side of the membrane to the other only infrequently.
C) They occur in an uninterrupted bilayer, with membrane proteins restricted to the surface of
the membrane.
D) They are free to depart from the membrane and dissolve in the surrounding solution.
E) They have hydrophilic tails in the interior of the membrane.

17) The lateral mobility (fluidity) of lipids and proteins in membranes is a consequence of
A) lack of covalent bonds between the lipid and protein components of the membrane.
B) weak hydrophobic interactions among the components in the interior of the membrane.
C) the presence of liquid water in the interior of the membrane.
D) A and B only
E) A, B, and C

18) When a membrane is freeze-fractured, the bilayer splits down the middle between the two
layers of phospholipids. In an electron micrograph of a freeze-fractured membrane, the bumps
seen on the fractured surface of the membrane are
A) peripheral proteins.
B) phospholipids.
C) carbohydrates.
D) integral proteins.
E) cholesterol molecules.
19) Of the following functions, which is most important for the glycoproteins and glycolipids of
animal cell membranes?
A) facilitated diffusion of molecules down their concentration gradients
B) active transport of molecules against their concentration gradients
C) maintaining the integrity of a fluid mosaic membrane
D) maintaining membrane fluidity at low temperatures
E) a cell's ability to distinguish one type of neighboring cell from another

20) The solutions in the arms of a U-tube are separated at the bottom of the tube by a
selectively permeable membrane. The membrane is permeable to sodium chloride but not to
glucose. Side A is filled with a solution of 0.4 M glucose and 0.5 M sodium chloride (NaCl), and
side B is filled with a solution containing 0.5 M glucose and 0.1 M sodium chloride. Initially, the
volume in both arms is the same. If you examine side A after 3 days, you should find
A) a decrease in the concentration of NaCl and glucose and an increase in the water level.
B) a decrease in the concentration of NaCl, an increase in water level, and no change in the
concentration of glucose.
C) no net change in the system.
D) a decrease in the concentration of NaCl and a decrease in the water level.
E) no change in the concentration of NaCl and glucose and an increase in the water level.

21) You are working on a team that is designing a new drug. In order for this drug to work, it
must enter the cytoplasm of specific target cells. Which of the following would not be a factor
that determines whether the molecule enters the cell?
A) size of the drug molecule
B) polarity of the drug molecule
C) charge on the drug molecule
D) similarity of the drug molecule to other molecules transported by the target cells
E) lipid composition of the target cells' plasma membrane

22) In fermentation, ________ is ________.

A) NADH; reduced
B) NAD+; oxidized
C) NADH; oxidized
D) pyruvate; oxidized
E) ethanol; oxidized
23) Most of the energy that enters electron transport enters as
A) ATP.
B) acetyl CoA.
C) glucose.
D) CO2.
E) FADH2 and NADH.

24) Pyruvate is formed

A) on the inner mitochondrial membrane.
B) in the mitochondrial matrix.
C) on the outer mitochondrial membrane.
D) in the nucleus.
E) in the cytosol.

25) Glycolysis is an ________ reaction.

A) exergonic
B) endothermic
C) unregulated
D) endergonic
E) abnormal

26) What is the term used for the metabolic pathway in which glucose (C6O12H6) is degraded to
carbon dioxide (CO2) and water?
A) cellular respiration
B) glycolysis
C) fermentation
D) citric acid cycle
E) oxidative phosphorylation

27) The molecule that functions as the reducing agent (electron donor) in a redox or oxidation-
reduction reaction
A) gains electrons and gains energy.
B) loses electrons and loses energy.
C) gains electrons and loses energy.
D) loses electrons and gains energy.
E) neither gains nor loses electrons, but gains or loses energy.
28) When electrons move closer to a more electronegative atom, what happens?
A) Energy is released.
B) Energy is consumed.
C) The more electronegative atom is reduced.
D) The more electronegative atom is oxidized.
E) A and C are correct.

29) When electrons flow along the electron transport chains of mitochondria, which of the
following changes occurs?
A. ATP synthase pumps protons by active transport
B. NAD+ is oxidized
C. The pH of the matrix increases
D. The cytochromes phosphorylate ADP to form ATP
E. The electrons gain free energy

30) A molecule that is phosphorylated

A) has an increased chemical reactivity; it is primed to do cellular work.
B) has a decreased chemical reactivity; it is less likely to provide energy for cellular work.
C) has been oxidized as a result of a redox reaction involving the gain of an inorganic
phosphate.
D) has been reduced as a result of a redox reaction involving the loss of an inorganic phosphate.
E) has less energy than before its phosphorylation and therefore less energy for cellular work.

31) Cellular respiration harvests the most chemical energy from which of the following?
A) substrate-level phosphorylation
B) oxidative phosphorylation
C) converting oxygen to ATP
D) transferring electrons from organic molecules to pyruvate
E) generating carbon dioxide and oxygen in the electron transport chain

32) Where are the proteins of the electron transport chain located in mitochondria?
A) cytosol
B) mitochondrial outer membrane
C) mitochondrial inner membrane
D) mitochondrial intermembrane space
E) mitochondrial matrix
33) Amplification of a chemical signal occurs when
A) a receptor in the plasma membrane activates several G-protein molecules while a signal
molecule is bound to it.
B) a cAMP molecule activates one protein kinase molecule before being converted to AMP.
C) phosphorylase and phosphatase activities are balanced.
D) receptor tyrosine kinases dimerize upon ligand binding.
E) Both A and D occur.

34) Protein phosphorylation is commonly involved with all of the following except
A) activity of protein kinases.
B) enzyme activation.
C) activation of G-protein-linked receptors.
D) activation of receptor tyrosine kinases.
E) activation of protein kinase molecules.

35) Which observation suggested the involvement of a second messenger in epinephrine's

effect on liver cells?
A) Enzymatic activity was proportional to the amount of calcium added to a cell-free extract.
B) Receptor studies indicated that epinephrine was a ligand.
C) Glycogen breakdown was observed only when epinephrine was administered to intact cells.
D) Glycogen breakdown was observed when epinephrine and glycogen phosphorylase were
combined.
E) Epinephrine was known to have different effects on different types of cells.

36) Lipid-soluble signal molecules, such as testosterone, cross the membranes of all cells but
affect only target cells because
A) only target cells retain the appropriate DNA segments.
B) most cells lack the Y chromosome required.
C) only target cells possess the cytosolic enzymes that transduce the testosterone.
D) intracellular receptors are present only in target cells.
E) only in target cells is testosterone able to initiate the phosphorylation cascade leading to
activated transcription factor.
37) Testosterone hormones bind to ________ receptors.
A) receptor tyrosine kinases
B) plasma membrane ion-channel
C) steroid
D) intracellular
E) G-protein-linked

38) ________ catalyzes the production of ________, which then opens an ion channel that
releases ________ into the cell's cytoplasm.
A) Adenylyl cyclase; cyclic AMP; Ca2+
B) Adenylyl cyclase; IP3; Ca2+
C) Protein kinase; PIP2; Na+
D) Phospholipase C; cyclic AMP; Ca2+
E) Phospholipase C; IP3; Ca2+

39) From the perspective of the cell receiving the message, the three stages of cell signaling are
A) the paracrine, local, and synaptic stages.
B) signal reception, signal transduction, and cellular response.
C) signal reception, nucleus disintegration, and new cell generation.
D) the alpha, beta, and gamma stages.
E) signal reception, cellular response, and cell division.

40) The old saying "one rotten apple spoils the whole barrel" is due to chemical signaling in
plants via
A) an increased uptake of carbon dioxide during respiration in target cells.
B) a local regulator for apple development.
C) release of ethylene gas, a plant hormone for ripening.
D) an a/alpha cell signal system in the rotten apple.
E) a signal transduction pathway involving glycogen phosphorylase.

41) Carbon fixation involves the addition of carbon dioxide to

A) rubisco.
B) RuBP.
C) G3P.
D) 3-PGA.
E) NADPH.
42) C4 plants differ from other plants in that C4 plants
A) open their stomata only at night.
B) are better adapted to wet conditions.
C) transfer fixed carbon dioxide (CO2)to cells in which the Calvin cycle occurs.
D) use malic acid to transfer carbon dioxide to the Calvin cycle.
E) use PEP carboxylase to fix carbon dioxide.

43) If photosynthesizing plant cells are provided with CO2 synthesized with heavy oxygen (18O),
later analysis will show that all but one of the following compounds produced by the cells
contain the 18O label. That one exception is
A) sugar molecules.
B) G3P.
C) glucose.
D) RuBP.
E) O2.

44) Which of the following are products of the light reactions of photosynthesis that are utilized
in the Calvin cycle?
A) CO2 and glucose
B) H2O and O2
C) ADP, Pi, and NADP+
D) electrons and H+
E) ATP and NADPH

45) A plant has a unique photosynthetic pigment. The leaves of this plant appear to be reddish
yellow. What wavelengths of visible light are not being absorbed by this pigment?
A) red and yellow
B) blue and violet
C) green and yellow
D) blue, green, and red
E) green, blue, and violet

46) During photosynthesis, visible light has enough energy to

A) force electrons closer to the nucleus.
B) excite electrons.
C) split a water molecule into hydrogen and oxygen.
D) B and C only.
E) A, B, and C.
47) Theodor W. Engelmann illuminated a filament of algae with light that passed through a
prism, thus exposing different segments of algae to different wavelengths of light. He added
aerobic bacteria and then noted in which areas the bacteria congregated. He noted that the
largest groups were found in the areas illuminated by the red and blue light. What did
Engelmann conclude about the congregation of bacteria in the red and blue areas?
A) Bacteria released excess carbon dioxide in these areas.
B) Bacteria congregated in these areas due to an increase in the temperature of the red and
blue light.
C) Bacteria congregated in these areas because these areas had the most oxygen being
released.
D) Bacteria are attracted to red and blue light and thus these wavelengths are more reactive
than other wavelengths.
E) Bacteria congregated in these areas due to an increase in the temperature caused by an
increase in photosynthesis.

48) What does the chemiosmotic process in chloroplasts involve?

A) establishment of a proton gradient
B) diffusion of electrons through the thylakoid membrane
C) reduction of water to produce ATP energy
D) movement of water by osmosis into the thylakoid space from the stroma
E) formation of glucose, using carbon dioxide, NADPH, and ATP

49) Which metabolic pathway is common to both fermentation and cellular respiration?
A) the Krebs cycle
B) reduction of pyruvate to lactate
C) the electron transport chain
D) glycolysis
E) synthesis of acetyl CoA from pyruvate