MESA COLLEGE, SAN DIEGO
School of Mathematics & Natural Sciences
Intro Molecular & Cell Biology (BIO 210A): Instructor: Elmar Schmid, Ph.D.
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Answer the following questions and mark it on a Scantron 882 answer sheet. All
questions must be answered by the student without help by class mates, friends or
other human beings. Make sure that you read the following statement below carefully
and sign it if you satisfy the guidelines outlined in this statement. This signed take home
exercise sheet (= page 1 of this document) must be turned in together with your
completed Scantron card in order to receive full credit for this assignment.
This assignment is due at the first class meeting the following week.
I HAVE ANSWERED THE QUESTIONS IN THIS EXERCISE ON MY OWN. I DID NOT CONSULT
OTHERS OR IN ANY CONDUCT IN ANY ACTIVITITES THAT COULD BE CONSTRUED AS CHEATING
IN THIS ASSIGNMENT. I DID NOT MAKE ANY COPIES OF THIS ASSIGNMENT.
_________________________________
(PRINT YOUR NAME)
________________________________
(YOUR SIGNATURE)
Q. 1:
Which of the following statements about Science is/are true?
A) Science assumes a natural cause behind a phenomenon which can be understood
B) Science is based on experimental evidence
C) Science is a body of knowledge
D) Science is a process of inquiry to expand human understanding of natural phenomena
E) all of the above
Q. 2:
Fat cells within the body of an animal and the surrounding biological material, e.g.
interstitial fluid and proteins refer to the _________ level of life’s hierarchical
organization.
A) cell
B) tissue
C) organelle
D) molecule
Q. 3: Biologists while studying life often break down complex systems, e.g. a plant cell, into
smaller and simpler components that are more manageable to study. This very
successful strategy in biology is referred to as
A) Fractionation
B) Simplification
C) Reductionism
D) Creationism
E) Fractalization
Q. 4: A scientist performs a controlled experiment. This means that:
A) the experiment is repeated many times to ensure that the results are accurate
B) the experiment proceeds at a slow pace to guarantee that the scientist can carefully
observe all reactions and process all experimental data
C) two experiments are conducted in parallel, one differing from the other by only one
single variable (factor)
D) two experiments are conducted in parallel, one differing from the other by two or more
variables
E) one experiment is performed but the scientist controls the variables
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MESA COLLEGE, SAN DIEGO
School of Mathematics & Natural Sciences
Intro Molecular & Cell Biology (BIO 210A): Instructor: Elmar Schmid, Ph.D.
Q. 5:
In order to be scientifically valid, a hypothesis must be which of the following?
A) always phrased as a question
B) published in a scientific journal
C) testable
D) falsifiable
E) both c) and d)
Q. 6:
Which of the following is/are (a) property(ies) of life?
A) a complex organization
B) the ability to take in energy and use it
C) the ability to respond to stimuli from the environment
D) the ability to reproduce
E) all of the above
Q. 7: The five most common chemical elements found in living organisms are?
A) C, H, O, Na, Cl
B) C, H, O, Na, Ca
C) C, H, O, N, Ca
D) C, N, O, Na, Cl
E) C, N, O, Ca, Fe
Q. 8: The abbreviation for the chemical element manganese in the Periodic Table of the
Elements is:
A) Mn
B) Mb
C) Mg
D) Mo
E) Ma
Q. 9: The atomic mass number shown in the periodic table of the chemical elements tells:
A) the total number of electrons of the chemical element
B) the number of protons
C) the number of neutrons
D) the number of protons and neutrons of the chemical element
E) the number of protons and electrons of the chemical element
Q. 10: How many electrons would you find in the outermost electron shell (orbital) of the
nitrogen atom?
A) 2
B) 4
C) 5
D) 6
E) 7
Q. 11: A molecule has the chemical sum formula C3H6O2S. What is the molecular weight (MW)
of this molecule [in g/mole]?
(Use the periodic table of the elements to find the correct answer!)
A) 58
B) 98
C) 106
D) 203
E) 234
Q. 12: Typically nitrogen atoms are composed of seven electrons, seven protons and seven
neutrons. An isotope of nitrogen could
A) be positively charged
B) be negatively charged
C) have more than seven electrons and more than seven protons
D) have more than seven each of electrons, protons and neutrons
E) have more than seven neutrons
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MESA COLLEGE, SAN DIEGO
SCHOOL OF MATHEMATICS & NATURAL SCIENCES
General Biology Lecture (BIOL 107); Instructor: Elmar Schmid, Ph.D.
Q. 13: The atoms of the chemical elements which make up a water molecule (H-O-H) are held
together by
A) ionic bonds
B) single covalent bonds
C) two double covalent bonds
D) polar covalent bonds
E) hydrogen bonds
Q. 14: The two chemical elements of the salt sodium fluoride in your tooth paste are held
together by which kind of chemical bond?
A) hydrogen bonds
B) ionic bonds
C) covalent bonds
D) van der Waals bond
E) sodium and fluoride are noble gases and do not form bonds
Q. 15: (The) characteristic(s) of the carbon atom that contribute(s) to its ability to form an
immense diversity of organic molecules include its
A) tendency to form covalent bonds
B) ability to bond with up to four other atoms
C) capacity to from single and double bonds
D) ability to bond with other carbon atoms to form branched or linear carbon skeletons
E) all of the above
Q. 16: The carbon atom has ____ unique, so-called hybrid sp3 orbitals which are arranged in a
defined orientation in space. The sp3 orbital orientation is responsible for the so-called
_________ structure of the C-atom.
A) 2 … crystal
B) 4 … crystal
C) 4 … tetrahedral
D) 8 … octahedral
E) 8 … tetrahedral
Q. 17: If the C-atom forms covalent bonds with four different atomic reaction partners, the
formation of left- and right handed molecules or so-called _________ is the consequence.
A) isotopes
B) stereoisomers
C) configurations
D) tetrahedrals
E) conformations
Q. 18: Hydrocarbon molecules
A) are inorganic compounds
B) are composed of carbon atoms that are attached to hydrogen skeletons
C) contain only carbon and hydrogen atoms
D) consist of atoms linked exclusively by single bonds
E) all of the above
Q. 19: Which of the following annotates a carboxyl group group?
A) – OH
B) – NH2
C) – COOH
D) – CO
E) – CH3
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MESA COLLEGE, SAN DIEGO
SCHOOL OF MATHEMATICS & NATURAL SCIENCES
General Biology Lecture (BIOL 107); Instructor: Elmar Schmid, Ph.D.
Q. 20: A hexose is a carbohydrate with a six ring structure.
A) true
B) false
Bonus Q.: Monosaccharides can be joined together by a process called dehydration synthesis.
Which of the following statement(s) is/are true of this process?
A) One monomer loses a hydrogen atom, and the other loses a hydroxyl group
B) Electrons are shared between atoms of the joined monomers
C) H2O is formed as the monomers are joined
D) Covalent bonds are formed between the monomers
E) All of the above are true
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