BCH EXAM 1 QUESTIONS WITH
CORRECT DETAILED ANSWERS.
Features of living organisms - ANSWER- (1) Possess chemical complexity and
microscopic organization
(2) Ability to extract, transform, and use energy from the environment
(3) Defined functions for each biological component and regulation of interactions
between components
(4) Ability to sense and respond to the environment
(5) Ability to self-replicate
(6) As a species, ability to evolve and adapt to environment
Bigger the organism - ANSWER- Slower it evolves
Eukaryote - ANSWER- A cell that contains a nucleus and membrane bound organelles
Bacteria/archea - ANSWER- Single cell organisms w/no nuclear membrane
Major features of prokaryotic cells - ANSWER- 1-10 um, single celled (bacteria,
archaea), flagella for motility and pili for adhesion, cell envelope w plasma membrane
and layers surrounding it, cytoplasm enclosed by plasma membrane
How many ribosomes in bacterial cells - ANSWER- 15,000
Major features of eukaryotic cells - ANSWER- size 5-100 um, mostly multicellular, outer
membrane w dynamic structure of lipids and proteins, nucleus enclosed by membrane,
cytoplasm enclosed by outer membrane
Peroxisome - ANSWER- Oxidizes fatty acids
Lysosome - ANSWER- degrades intracellular debris
Golgi complex - ANSWER- processes, packages, and targets proteins to other
organelles or for export
Smooth ER - ANSWER- Site of lipid synthesis and drug metabolism
Nucleus - ANSWER- Contains genes (chromatin)
Nucleolus - ANSWER- Site of ribosomal synthesis by RNA
Rough ER - ANSWER- Site of protein synthesis
,Mitochondrion - ANSWER- oxidizes fuels to produce ATP
Chloroplast - ANSWER- harvests sunlight, produces ATP and carbohydrates
Starch granule - ANSWER- temporarily stores carbohydrate products of photosynthesis
Thylakoid - ANSWER- site of the light driven ATP synthesis
Cell wall - ANSWER- Provides shape and rigidity, protects cell from osmotic swelling
Vacuole - ANSWER- Degrades and recycles macromolecules, stores metabolites
Plasmodesma - ANSWER- provides path between two plant cells
Glyoxysome - ANSWER- contains enzymes of the glyoxylate cycle
Purpose of cytoskeleton - ANSWER- Provides shape and organization to cell, helps
cell/organelles move. For example, can redivide organelles between daughter cells
when they are ready to split
Actin filaments - ANSWER- 6 nm width, made from G-actin
Microtubules - ANSWER- 23 nm width, made from tubulin
Intermediate filaments - ANSWER- 10 nm width, made from a-keratin
Miller-Urey Experiment - ANSWER- Sparking a mixture of CH4, NH3, H2O, H2S, H2
yielded Glycine, alanine, aspartic acid, glutamic acid. Even though there was likely no
H2 on Earth, same experiment worked with HCN
Carbon is how much dry weight of cells - ANSWER- about half
Main 4 elements in animal cells - ANSWER- Hydrogen, carbon, nitrogen, oxygen
Mass ranking of elements in animal cells - ANSWER-
Oxygen>carbon>hydrogen>nitrogen>calcium>phosphorus>Potassium=Sulfur=Chlorine
>sodium>magnesium
Trace elements - ANSWER- Iron, cobalt, copper, zinc, iodine, Selenium, fluorine
Molecular composition of human cells ranking - ANSWER-
Water>protein>lipid>RNA>other organic>DNA
Lower limit size of cells - ANSWER- 600-800 proteins
Upper limit size of cells - ANSWER- Rate of molecular diffusion across cell membrane
, Nucleic acids do what - ANSWER- store and transmit genetic information
Proteins do what - ANSWER- Structure and catalysis
Lipids do what - ANSWER- Membranes and energy storage
Polyssacharides do what - ANSWER- Energy storage, structure, surface recognition
Gibbs free energy - ANSWER- amount of energy in a reaction at constant temp and
pressure
Enthalpy - ANSWER- heat of a reaction reflecting the number and kind of chemical
bonds in reactants and products
Entropy - ANSWER- Quantitative expression of randomness or disorder in a system
Anabolism - ANSWER- set of metabolic pathways by which large molecules are made
from smaller ones, requiring energy
Catabolism - ANSWER- set of metabolic pathways that breakdown molecules into
smaller units and release energy
What is the energy of a Covalent bond - ANSWER- 470 kj/mol
Hydrogen bond energy - ANSWER- 23 kj/mol
How many hydrogen bonds does liquid water make - ANSWER- 3.4
How many hydrogen bonds does ice make - ANSWER- 4
Hydrogen bond donors - ANSWER- N-H, O-H, etc.
Hydrogen bond acceptors - ANSWER- N:, O:
Strong hydrogen bonds in a line or angled? - ANSWER- In a line
Hydrophobic interactions strength - ANSWER- 0.4-4 kj/mol
Aromatic ring stacking strength - ANSWER- 0.4-4 kj/mol
Van der Waals interaction strength - ANSWER- 0.4-4 kj/mol
Hydrogen bond strength - ANSWER- 4-40 kj/mol
Electrostatic (pH, charges) - ANSWER- 4-40 kj/mol