Biology 112
Exam 2 Questions
Chapter 3
1. List and describe the 3 basic parts of a cell.
2. Identify the major components that make up the plasma membrane.
3. Is the plasma membrane a double membrane? Or is it a phospholipid
bilayer? Oh yeah? Does that mean a double membrane (like the
mitochondrial membrane or the nuclear membrane) consists of two
phospholipid bilayers?
4. Is the plasma membrane semipermeable or selectively permeable? What’s
the difference?
5. Give the basic function of the following plasma membrane proteins: carrier
protein; channel protein; receptor protein; enzymatic protein; cell recognition
protein.
6. What is cytoplasm? What is the major component of cytoplasm?
7. What is an organelle? Does it have a membrane?
8. Give the basic function of the following organelles: rough endoplasmic
reticulum, smooth endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi apparatus, ribosomes,
lysosomes, peroxisomes, centrioles, cilia, flagella.
9. Identify the 3 major components (filaments or tubules) of the cytoskeleton.
What is the function of the cytoskeleton?
10. What is the nucleus of the cell? What does it contain?
11. What is a nucleolus?
12. What is passive transport? Does it require ATP? Are substances transported
from areas of high concentration into areas of lower concentration by passive
transport mechanisms or is it the reverse?
13. How does facilitated diffusion differ from simple diffusion?
14. What is osmosis?
15. What is filtration?
16. Define the following types of solutions with respect to a cell: isotonic;
hypotonic; hypertonic.
17. What would happen to a cell placed in these solutions?
18. What is active transport? Does it require ATP? Are substances transported
from areas of high concentration into areas of lower concentration by passive
transport mechanisms or is it the reverse?
19. Define endocytosis and exocytosis. Are these active transport processes?
20. What are the 3 forms of endocytosis?
21. Define mitosis, cytokinesis, and homologous chromosomes.
22. What are stem cells? What is differentiation?
23. Define apoptosis.
Chapter 4
1. Define metabolism; anabolism; catabolism.
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2. What is an enzyme? What is the function of an enzyme? How does an
enzyme perform this function?
3. To which class of organic macromolecule do enzymes usually belong? (Are
they usually carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, or nucleic acids?)
4. What is a substrate? What is an active site?
5. What is a cofactor?
6. What is a metabolic pathway?
7. What is the major energy source used for most chemical reactions? Where
does it come from?
8. Define: oxidation; cellular respiration. What are the 3 major steps in cellular
respiration?
9. What molecule is broken down through glycolysis? What are the major
products of glycolysis?
10. What is the maximum energy yield from complete aerobic respiration of one
glucose molecule? What other products are produced?
11. Where in a human cell does aerobic respiration primarily occur? Why is
oxygen required?
12. Define: gene; genome.
13. Where does DNA replication occur?
14. What is the function of DNA polymerase? What does it use for a template?
What does it produce?
15. Why is replication said to be semiconservative?
16. What is transcription? Where does it occur?
17. What is the function of RNA polymerase? What does it use for a template?
What does it produce?
18. What is translation? Where does it occur?
19. What is the function of a ribosome? What does it “read”? What does it
produce?
20. What is the function of tRNA?
21. Given a DNA sequence, be able to give the corresponding mRNA sequence
produced by transcription.
22. Define: codon; start codon; stop codon. Given an mRNA molecule length, be
able to give the corresponding polypeptide length.
Chapter 5
1. Identify 5 major characteristics shared by all epithelial tissues. What is a
basement membrane?
2. List 5 major functions of epithelial tissue.
3. Identify the general structure (cell types), location & function for the following
epithelial tissues: simple squamous epithelial tissue; simple cuboidal epithelial
tissue; simple columnar epithelial tissue; pseudostratified columnar epithelial
tissue.
4. Identify the general structure (cell types), location & function for the following
epithelial tissues: stratified squamous epithelial tissue; stratified cuboidal
epithelial tissue; stratified columnar epithelial tissue; transitional epithelial
tissue.
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5. Define gland. What is the difference between an endocrinegland and an
exocrine gland?
6. Define: merocrine gland; apocrine gland; holocrine gland.
7. Identify the product secreted by each of the following: serous cells; mucous
cells; goblet cells.
8. Identify the major characteristics of connective tissues. What is extracellular
matrix?
9. Identify the major function of the following connective tissue cells: fibroblasts;
macrophages; mast cells.
10. Identify the relative strength & major function of the following connective
tissue fibers: collagen fibers; elastic fibers; reticular fibers.
11. Identify the general structure (cell types and fibers), location & function for the
following connective tissues: loose connective tissue; adipose connective
tissue; dense connective tissue.
12. Identify the general structure (cell types and fibers), location & function for the
following connective tissues: hyaline cartilage; elastic cartilage; fibrocartilage.
13. Identify the general structure (cell types and fibers), location & function for the
following connective tissues: bone; blood.
14. Identify the general structure, location & function for the following muscle
tissues: smooth muscle; skeletal muscle; cardiac muscle.
15. For each of the above muscle types, indicate any unique features & whether it
is under voluntary or involuntary control.
16. Identify the location & general function of nervous tissue. What cell types are
found within nervous tissue?
17. Briefly describe & indicate where you might find each of the following
membranes in the body: serous membrane; mucous membrane; cutaneous
membrane; synovial membrane.
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