BIOL 2110 General Biology Exam Review

Comprehensive practice flashcards covering cellular biology, metabolism, photosynthesis, and genetics based on the BIOL 2110 exam transcripts.

What pigment is responsible for the red-yellow colors seen in leaves during autumn?

Carotenoids

Which enzyme is responsible for synthesizing ATP in both aerobic respiration and photosynthesis?

ATP synthase

What is the overall purpose of the Calvin cycle?

To make $C_6H_{12}O_6$ (glucose)

During which phase of photosynthesis is ATP produced?

Light dependent reactions

In photosynthesis, the electron transport chain pumps $H^+$ ions from where to where?

From the stroma to the thylakoid lumen

What molecules are located at the center of a photosystem in plants?

Chlorophyll

What is the name of the process where inorganic $CO_2$ is incorporated into an organic molecule?

Carbon fixation

In photosystem I, the energy in excited electrons is utilized to form which molecule?

NADPH

What is the term for polar molecules that dissolve in water?

Hydrophilic

An atom with 11 protons, 12 neutrons, and 10 electrons has which atomic number and overall charge?

Atomic number of 11 and an overall charge of $+1$

How many more $H^+$ ions does a solution with a pH of 5 have compared to a solution with a pH of 7?

$100X$ more

What type of chemical bond is formed when valence electrons are shared equally?

Nonpolar covalent bond

Which chemical bond represents the strongest interaction among covalent, hydrogen, and ionic bonds?

Covalent bond

What type of chemical reaction requires water to break bonds between starch monomers?

Hydrolysis

What is the primary building block of starch, glycogen, and cellulose?

Glucose

Which polysaccharide is a major component of wood and forms plant cell walls?

Cellulose

What type of bond links amino acids to form a protein's primary structure?

Peptide bond

Which nitrogen base is complementary to cytosine (C)?

Guanine (G)

What is the property called when water molecules stick to the charged surface of glass?

Adhesion

What role do bicarbonate ions play in the blood to keep pH balanced?

Buffer

What type of energy is stored within food molecules?

Potential energy

Is the reaction $ATP \rightarrow ADP + P + \text{energy}$ exergonic or endergonic, and what is its $\text{ΔG}$?

Exergonic; negative $\text{ΔG}$

How do enzymes speed up chemical reactions?

By lowering the activation energy

What is an induced fit?

A slight change in enzyme shape when a substrate binds to it

What level of protein structure is defined by its 3-dimensional shape?

Tertiary structure

What interactions maintain the secondary structure of proteins?

Hydrogen bonds

Which nitrogen base is found in RNA but not in DNA?

Uracil (U)

What is the process called when a protein unfolds and loses its function due to extreme temperature?

Denaturation

What is the most important factor that limits the size of cells?

Diffusion of substances in and out of the cell

Which organelle is found in all cells?

Ribosomes

Which organelle is found in animal cells but notably absent in plant cells?

Centrosome (centriole pair)

What organelle is filled with the enzyme catalase?

Peroxisome

Which organelle is abundant in cells exposed to large amounts of toxins like alcohol?

Smooth endoplasmic reticulum (SER)

What is the name for the condensed form of DNA molecules wrapped around proteins?

Chromatin

Which organelle tags, sorts, and ships secretory proteins?

Golgi apparatus

Where is the site of aerobic respiration in eukaryotic cells?

Mitochondria

Which plant organelle stores water, waste, and digestive enzymes?

Central vacuole

What molecule stabilizes the cell membrane, keeping it from being too solid or too fluid?

Cholesterol

Which two molecules are the major components of the cell membrane?

Lipids (phospholipids) and Proteins

What type of transport moves solutes from high to low concentration down a gradient?

Diffusion, facilitated diffusion, and osmosis

What process allows secretory proteins to leave the cell in bulk?

Exocytosis

What is an antiporter?

A carrier protein that moves two solutes across the membrane in opposite directions

What happens to an animal cell when placed in distilled water?

It will lyse

What junction allows communication between two connected plant cells?

Plasmodesmata

State the First Law of Thermodynamics.

Energy cannot be created or destroyed

Which part of the cytoskeleton facilitates cell crawling?

Microfilaments (actin filaments)

What is the relationship between evolution and natural selection?

Natural selection is one mechanism that causes evolution to take place

What is an adaptation?

A feature or trait that makes an individual organism better suited to a particular environment

What domain contains unicellular, microscopic organisms without a nucleus that have peptidoglycan in their cell walls?

Bacteria

How many double covalent bonds can an oxygen atom ($\text{atomic number 8}$) form in an electrically neutral state?

2

How many valence electrons does a carbon atom ($\text{atomic number 6}$) have?

4

What are the three main types of cytoskeletal fibers?

Microfilaments (actin filaments), intermediate filaments, and microtubules

What is the basic unit of life?

The cell

Define homeostasis.

The regulation of internal conditions, such as maintaining body temperature or water balance

What is the end product of glycolysis?

Pyruvate

Where does the citric acid (Krebs) cycle occur in eukaryotes?

The matrix of mitochondria

How many 'turns' of the Calvin cycle are required to produce one molecule of glucose?

6

Which molecule is the source of atmospheric oxygen in photosynthesis?

Water ($H_2O$)

What enzyme catalyzes carbon fixation in the Calvin cycle?

Rubisco

Plants take in $CO_2$ and release $O_2$ through which leaf pores?

Stomata

What is the final electron acceptor in aerobic respiration?

$$O_2$$

Where do protons build up to create potential energy during aerobic respiration?

The intermembrane space of mitochondria

Which process oxidizes NADH to recycle $NAD^+$ in the absence of oxygen?

Fermentation