Biology Midterm Review Continued
Protein Synthesis
1. Distinguish between what happens in transcription and translation and where the two processes take place.
2. Use the following DNA sequence to determine which amino acids are coded for: ACTGCATTT. You’ll need your
Codon Table!
3. Name and give the function of the 3 types of RNA in protein synthesis.
4. How would a change in a single base pair of the DNA affect the resulting protein?
Cell Transport
Use the following illustrations to answer Questions 3-5.
5. The illustrations above demonstrate the transport of an ion across the plasma membrane, but they are out of
sequence. In what order do they belong?
A. D-C-B-A
B. A-B-D-C
C. C-B-D-A
D. A-D-B-C
6. What statement is true about diagram D?
B. The ion movement is random
C. Energy is required
D. The fatty acids in the plasma membrane could also move apart to allow the ion through
E. The concentration of ions is higher at the top of diagram D at the bottom
7. Which process is best represented by these diagrams?
F. Diffusion
B. Active Transport
C. Endocytosis
D. Passive Transport
8. Compare and contrast active transport and facilitated diffusion.
9. A Paramecium expels water when it is in fresh-water. What can you conclude about the concentration gradient
in the organism’s environment?
Carbon Cycle
10. Which of the following would most decrease the amount of carbon dioxide in the air?
A. A growing maple tree
B. A running dog
C. A person driving a car
D. A burning forest
11. Which 2 elements are important in the carbon cycle? A. oxygen and nitrogen B. hydrogen and nitrogen C. oxygen
and carbon D. carbon and hydrogen
RNA and DNA Structure
12. Mark whether each of the following basic components is absent or present in DNA and RNA.
Component Name
DNA
RNA
Phosphate group
Simple sugar
Nitrogenous base
Hydrogen bonds
Adenine
Thymine
Guanine
Cytosine
Uracil
Double helix
Ribose
Deoxyribose
Cell Cycle
13. Name the 5 phases of the cell cycle and give a brief description of each:
14. Which of the following indicates the correct order of mitosis in animal cells?
A. A-B-C-D
B. B-C-A-D
C. C-A-D-B
D. C-B-A-D
Organelle Functions
15. Describe the differences between a prokaryotic and a eukaryotic cell.
16. Compare mitochondria and chloroplasts. Why are they referred to as energy transformers?
17. Choose the correct vocabulary words to fit the definitions below:
________________ Organelle that is the boundary between the cell and its environment
________________ Membrane-bound organelles that transform energy in all eukaryotic cells
________________ Name of the organelle inside the nucleus
________________ Highly organized structures within cells
________________ Organelles that are the sites of protein synthesis
________________ Organelle that stores things in the cell
________________ Basic unit of organization of both unicellular and multicellular organisms
18. Which of the following is NOT found in both plant and animal cells?
A. cell wall
B. cytoskeleton
C. ribosomes
D. mitochondria
Energy Flow
19. What is the source of energy for life on Earth?
20. Order the following levels of biological organization from the broadest to the smallest categories:
Biological community, Population, Biosphere, Ecosystem, Organism
21. Match the correct definition to each of the levels used in Question 20.
__________________ A group of organisms, all of one species, which interbreed and live in the same place at
the same time.
__________________An individual living thing that is made of cells, uses energy, reproduces, responds, grows,
and develops.
__________________The portion of Earth that supports life.
__________________ Populations of plants and animals that interact with each other in a given area and with
the abiotic components of that area.
__________________ All the populations of different species that live in the same place at the same time.
22. Why do autotrophs always occupy the lowest level of ecological pyramids?
23. Which of the following describes energy and matter in ecosystems?
A. Both energy and matter are completely recycled.
B. Matter recycles, but some energy is transferred.
C. Energy is recycled, but most matter is lost.
D. Both matter and energy are completely lost.
Use the following energy pyramid diagram to answer Questions 25 and 26.
24. In the pyramid of energy above, less energy is available in the second level because _______.
A. There is more food that at the first level
B. Energy from the first level was given off as heat
C. The organism at the top doesn’t need very much energy
D. Producers don’t use as much energy
25. Distinguish between a food web and a food chain. Draw one of each.
26. The amount of energy at each level is about ______ of what it was on the level before:
A. 50%
B. 25%
C. 20%
D. 10%
Photosynthesis and Respiration
27. Give the starting materials and products of each of these two processes.
28. In which structure does photosynthesis take place?
A. Cytoplasm B. chloroplast C. Nucleus D. Ribosome
29. Name the three steps of aerobic cellular respiration and tell where they take place.
30. What is the purpose of NADH?
31. What is the difference between aerobic and anaerobic respiration?
Cell Energy and Enzymes
32. What type of biomolecule is an enzyme?
A. Protein B. Nucleic acid C. Lipid D. Carbohydrate
33. List 4 factors that affect the functioning of an enzyme?
34. Illustrate how enzymes are used and recycled. Include and label the following aspects: enzyme, active site,
substrate, enzyme-substrate complex, product
35. Illustrate the ATP-ADP energy cycle. Include and label the following aspects: adenosine triphosphate, adenosine
diphosphate, adenine, ribose, phosphoric acid, ATP synthase, stored energy, released energy
36. Where is energy stored in the ATP molecule and how, specifically, is it released for use by the cell?
DNA Replication
37. Define the function of the following enzymes: DNA polymerase, helicase, and ligase
38. Draw the structure of DNA and label the following parts: nucleotide, nitrogen base, hydrogen bond, deoxyribose
sugar, phosphate group
Biomolecules
39. Give the monomers, an example, and a use of the following four major biomolecules: carbohydrates, lipids,
protein, nucleic acids
40. Match the following nutrient tests with the appropriate biomolecule: Iodine, Brown paper towel test, Benedict’s
solution, Biuret’s solution
Scientific Method
41. What is the difference between a dependent and an independent variable?
42. What is the first step of the scientific method process?
43. Draw a logistic and an exponential growth graph.
Human Impact on the Environment
44. Define the following human impacts on the environment and give an example of how it could impact an
ecosystem: acid rain, non-native species, deforestation
Characteristics of Life and Intro to Ecology
45. Name the 5 unifying characteristics of living things.
46. What is homeostasis?
47. What is the difference between a habitat and a niche?
48. Give an example of the four types of relationships between organisms: predator-prey, commensalism,
mutualism, and parasitism
Key
1.

2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
Smooth endoplasmic reticulum
Rough endoplasmic reticulum
Golgi apparatus
 Nucleus
 Vacuole
DNA – A sequence of three nucleotides in DNA codes for an amino acid. The amino acid sequence determines
the protein structure.
RNA – A codon is a 3-base sequence of mRNA that codes for a single amino acid.
Transcription is the process of making an mRNA copy from a portion of a DNA strand. Translation is the process
of converting the mRNA sequence into a sequence of amino acids in a protein.
The rough ER is rough because of the ribosomes attached to it. The ribosomes actively construct proteins. The
smooth ER has no ribosomes, and carries out other functions, such as lipid production and storage.
The shape of a protein is determined by the number and sequence of amino acids and whether the protein is
made of one or more chains of amino acids. The interactions between the amino acids fold the protein into its
final three-dimensional shape.
C. C-B-D-A
B. Energy is required
B. Active transport
D. D
C. C
B. B
A. A
Molecules tend to move from higher to lower concentration. Active transport reverses the trend requiring
energy input.
Facilitated diffusion and active transport use carrier proteins. Facilitated diffusion does not require energy;
active transport does.
The organism is in a hypotonic environment and the concentration gradient is from the outside to inside.
A. A growing maple tree
Component Name
DNA
RNA
Phosphate group
Present
Present
Simple sugar
Present
Present
Nitrogenous base
Present
Present
Hydrogen bonds
Present
Present
Adenine
Present
Present
Thymine
Present
Absent
Guanine
Present
Present
Cytosine
Present
Present
Uracil
Absent
Present
Double helix
Present
Absent
Ribose
Absent
Present
Deoxyribose
Present
Absent
18. X, Y
19. X – highest rate of mitosis
20. Any area of rapid growth such as skin, hair follicles, intestine lining
21. Answers may vary: the phase has already occurred, the phase has not yet occurred, area of view is not rapidly
growing, etc.
22. D. C-B-A-D
23. Eukaryotic cells have membrane-bound organelles, including a nucleus. A prokaryotic cell has no membranebound organelles. Most of its metabolism takes place in its cyctoplasm.
24. Folding the membrane allows much more material to be compressed into the small space. This maximizes the
amount of energy production that can take place within this space. The folding increases the surface area where
chemical reactions can occur. Examples: endoplasmic reticulum, chloroplasts, and mitochondria.
25. Both mitochondria and chloroplasts are composed of two membranes, with the inner membrane being highly
folded. Chloroplasts contain chlorophyll and other pigments used to capture light energy. Mitochondria and
chloroplasts transform energy from one form to another.
26. Plasma membrane, mitochondria, organelle, ribosomes, cell
27. A. chloroplast
28. Biosphere – Ecosystem – Biological Community – Population – Organism
29. Population – Organism – Biosphere – Ecosystem – Biological Community
30. Autotrophs capture light energy and create nutrients. When eaten, they provide nutrients for all other
organisms.
31. B. Matter recycles, but some energy is transferred.
32. B. energy from the first level was given off as heat
33. D. 10%