Honors Final Exam Review
Biochemistry
1. Describe the structure of a water molecule. Explain why water molecules stick together.
Water is a polar molecule due to oxygen’s greater electronegativity,
which pulls the electrons towards the oxygen, giving the O a negative
charge and H a positive charge. Water molecules are connected to each
other via Hydrogen bonds (which occur due to the attraction of the +H
on one water molecule and the –O on another).
2. What are the 3 most common elements in organic compounds? CHO
3. Complete the following table:
Macromolecule
Carbs
Proteins
Lipids
Nucleic Acids
Function
Store energy for cells
Enzymes, structure, protection
Cell membranes
Store genetic info for protein
synthesis
Examples
Starch, sucrose, glucose
Keratin
Triglyceride, phospholipid
DNA RNA
4. What is the function of an enzyme? What suffix indicates that a molecule is an enzyme? Explain how
enzymes lower activation energy. Enzymes speed up chemical reactions by lowering the activation
energy (amount of energy needed to start a reaction). Enzymes are biological catalysts, meaning they
are not depleted when used. Enzymes all end in the suffix –ase.
5. Explain what would happen to the enzyme and the rate of reaction if the enzyme were placed in an
excess of heat or pH? Enzymes are denatured (change shape) when exposed to excess heat or pH which
causes them to decrease the rate of reaction.
Cell Structure
6. Compare and contrast prokaryotes and eukaryotes.
Prokaryotes = no nucleus, all have a cell wall, no organelles, small & simple (bacteria)
Eukaryotes = nucleus, organelles, large and complex (plants & animals)
7. What structures do ALL cells have in common (4)? Ribosomes, DNA, Cell membrane & cytoplasm
8. Compare and contrast plant and animal cells (outermost boundary, special structures).
Plants = chloroplast/mitochondria, central vacuole & cell wall outermost boundary
Animals = no chloroplast, has mitochondria cell membrane outermost boundary (no cell wall)
9. What indicates a greater complexity in eukaryotic cells compared to prokaryotic cells?
Compartmentalization through the presence of organelles .
10. Complete the following table with the correct organelle:
Organelle
Lysosome
Ribosome
Nucleus
Central Vacuole
Mitochondria
Chloroplast
Golgi body
Rough ER
Smooth ER
Cell membrane
Cell wall
Function
Waste disposal
Protein Synthesis
Store genetic information
Store mostly water and nutrients (plants)
Breaks down sugars to generate ATP
Converts sunlight into sugars
Packages, sorts and ships proteins
Modifies proteins
Synthesizes lipids & detoxifies the body
Regulates entry and exit of the cell
Provide rigid support for the cell shape
11. Place in order from simplest to most complex level of organization:
Molecules, organs, cells, organisms, tissues, organ systems, elements
Elements, molecules, cells, tissues, organs, organ systems, organisms
12. Draw and label the structure of a cell membrane (hydrophilic/phobic, heads, tails).
13. What is the function of the phospholipid bilayer in the cell membrane? To prevent most foreign
substances from gaining access to the cell
Cell Transport
14. Compare and contrast active and passive transport (ATP use, concentration gradient etc).
Active transport = against gradient, from low to high, requires energy (protein pumps)
Passive transport = with gradient, from high to low, does not require energy (osmosis, diffusion)
15. Define homeostasis. Maintaining a constant internal environment
16. Describe osmosis, diffusion, facilitated diffusion, protein pumps, exocytosis and endocytosis.
Osmosis = movement of water across a membrane from high to low
Diffusion = movement of materials across a membrane from high to low
Facilitated Diffusion = movement of water across a membrane from high to low with the use of a carrier
protein
Protein Pumps = Uses energy to change shape to move materials from low to high through the
membrane
Exocytosis = Moving bulk materials OUT of cell (requires energy)
Exocytosis = Moving bulk materials INTO cell (requires energy)
Cell Energy
17. Compare and contrast the structure/location/function of a mitochondria and chloroplast.
Mitochondria = 2 membranes, found in plants and animals, transform chemical energy in sugars into
usable energy in ATP
Chloroplast = 2 membranes, found only in plants, transform light energy into chemical energy (sugars)
18. Complete the following chart:
Store or release
energy?
Photosynthesis
Store in sugars
Cell Respiration
Release energy from
sugars as ATP
Reactants
Products
Location/Organism
Water
CO2
Glucose
O2
Plants only
Glucose
O2
Water
CO2
Plants & Animals
19. Explain the relationship between ADP & ATP. Which molecule is high energy or low energy? When is
energy released or stored? ATP = high energy molecule (energy stored in bond between 2nd and 3rd
phosphate)
ADP = low energy molecule  add P to create ATP and store energy
Genetics
20. Mark the description that applies to each type of cell division:
Occurs in most body cells
DNA must be replicated before this can occur
Required for sexual reproduction
For growth & repair
Mitosis
X
X
X
Meiosis
X
X
A multi-step process
X
X
Daughter cells are identical to each other and to
X
original cell
Increases genetic variation in a population
X
Produces 4 haploid gamete cells
X
Produces 2 diploid body cells
X
21. Draw a DNA & RNA molecule. Describe the differences between the two molecules.
DNA = 2 strands, contains ATCG, cannot leave nucleus
RNA = 1 strand, contains AUCG, can leave nucleus
22. How many bases are present in a codon? 3 How many amino acids are coded for one codon? 1
23. A DNA sequence is GTC CAA GCA AGT.
a. Determine the mRNA sequence produced from this DNA.
CAG GUU CGU UCA
b. Determine the amino acid sequence produced from this mRNA.
GLN – VAL – ARG - SER
24. A dog breeder owns one black dog and one white dog. Their first litter consists of 4 black puppies
and 5 white puppies. If black is dominant and white is recessive, what are the parents’ genotypes?
Parents: Bb x bb
Bb
bb
Puppies: 50% black and 50% white
Bb
bb
25. Snapdragons display incomplete dominance.
What would be the expected phenotypic ratio for the
offspring if we crossed a white flower and a pink
flower (RR = red, Rr = pink, rr = white).
50% Pink (Rr)
50% White (rr)
r
r
R
Rr
Rr
r
rr
rr
26. How would you determine if the shaded trait is dominant or
recessive? Explain.
Shaded trait is dominant. If the shaded trait were recessive, then
Person 1 & Person would have dd as their genotype and could not
have Person 7 (dominant phenotype). You cannot get a dominant
phenotype from two recessive parents.
27. What is a karyotype? How do you know if a patient exhibits trisomy 21?
Karyotype is a picture of all of the chromosomes found in an individual. Trisomy 21 (Down Syndrome)
means that the individual has 3 chromosome 21’s instead of 2.
28. Which of the following mutations would alter the amino acids sequence?
Deleting 5 nucleotides
Deleting 3 nucleotides
Inserting 6 nucleotides
Inserting 3 nucleotides
Embryology
29. Place the following sequence of terms in the correct order from beginning of develop to the end:
Blastula, zygote, fertilization, morula, organs forming, gastrula, cleavage
Fertilization, zygote, cleavage, morula, blastula, gastrula, organs forming
30. When undergoing embryonic development, if a cell started with 30 chromosomes, how many
chromosomes would be found in each cell in 2 weeks? 30
31. Describe the process of fertilization and cleavage. Fertilization = egg and sperm nucleus merge
Cleavage = series of cell divisions after fertilization
32. What is function of the placenta? Provide nourishment (food & O2) and excrete waste
33. Define stem cells and differentiation. When does differentiation occur during embryonic
development? Stems cells are undifferentiated cells that the potential to become any type of cells.
Differentation occurs after gastrulation (3 primary germ layers).
Microbiology
34. Why did doctors decide to suddenly begin washing their hands and surgical instruments?
They discovered that there were microorganisms that cause disease, which needed to be eliminated.
35. Compare and contrast bacteria and viruses.
Bacteria = living, have a nucleus, cause disease, reproduce on their own
Viruses = non-living, no nucleus, cause disease, require a host to reproduce
36. Describe 4 ways that bacteria are beneficial to human lives.
Bioremediation, food production, digestion, decomposition, removing waste.
37. Draw and label the basic structure of a virus.
Viruses contains DNA or RNA (nucleic acids) and a protein coat (capsid)
38. Why do we need to renew our flu shots every year? Because the flu virus mutates rapidly.