BIOA11 midterm mock questions

How many liters of water does an average human need to replace each day by consuming food or drink?

A) 1 B) 2 C) 3 D) 4 Answer: C

Which vitamin is water soluble and cannot be synthesized by the body?

A) A B) C C) E D) K Answer: B

What is a major difference between saturated and unsaturated fats?

A) At room temperature, saturated fats are liquid and unsaturated fats are solid. B) Unsaturated fats have a flat molecular structure, but saturated fats are kinked. C) Saturated fat molecules are packed together loosely, but unsaturated fats are tightly packed. D) Unsaturated fats contain carbon-to-carbon double bonds, but saturated fats don't. Answer: D

In most cases, how does tap water compare to bottled water?

A) Bottled water has more impurities than tap water. B) Bottled water and tap water are equally clean. C) Tap water has more salt than bottled water. D) Tap water usually has a better odor than bottled water. Answer: B

Cells contain proteins that help transport substances from the exterior to the interior of the cell. Where are these proteins found?

A) Golgi apparatus B) lysosome C) mitochondrion D) plasma membrane Answer: D

What is the function of the plasma membrane in a photosynthetic eukaryotic cell?

A) It converts carbon dioxide and water into sugars. B) It isolates the cell's contents from the external environment. C) It controls protein synthesis in the cell. D) It recycles old extracellular material. Answer: B

What happens to excess protein in the body?

A) It is broken down and excreted in urine. B) It is used as energy by muscles. C) It is stored as fat. D) It is used to build bone mass. Answer: C

Why is fiber an important part of a healthful human diet?

A) It is easily digested into monosaccharides, which are used for energy. B) It may decrease the risk of certain types of cancers. C) It increases the amount of HDL and LDL cholesterol in the body. D) It contains more energy, gram for gram, than any other nutrient. Answer: B

Which statement is true about minerals?

A) Minerals will not dissolve in water. B) Some minerals contain carbon. C) Minerals cannot be made by the body. D) Minerals are not used by body cells. Answer: C

Imagine a balloon is made from a membrane that's permeable to water but not sucrose molecules. How would the balloon be affected if it is filled with a 50% sucrose solution and then placed in a beaker of water?

A) The balloon would not change in size or volume. B) The balloon would get smaller as it loses water. C) The balloon would get larger as it gains water. D) The balloon would eventually burst. Answer: C

How would the permeability of the phospholipid bilayer of plasma membranes be described?

A) The bilayer is always impermeable to small molecules. B) The bilayer is always permeable to charged atoms and molecules. C) The bilayer is differentially permeable. D) The bilayer is impermeable to all atoms and molecules. Answer: C

Carbohydrates are an excellent source of energy for the body. If a candy bar and a pear contain an equal number of calories from carbohydrates, which is a healthier food and why?

A) The candy bar is healthier because it contains processed sugars, which provide a faster energy source. B) The pear is healthier because it contains fewer chemical bonds to be broken during digestion. C) The pear is healthier because it contains more vitamins, minerals, and fiber. D) The candy bar is healthier because it contains preservatives that the pear lacks. Answer: C ,

Elodea is a freshwater aquatic plant that is often used as aquarium vegetation. How would an Elodea plant be affected by immersion in a saltwater aquarium?

A) The cells of the plant would burst as water from the aquarium moved into the plant. B) The cells of the plant would shrink as water from the plant moved into the aquarium. C) The solution inside each cell would get salty as the saltwater moved into the plant. D) The saltwater would not affect the plant in any way. Answer: B

Imagine a balloon is made from a membrane that's permeable to water but not sucrose molecules. How would the concentration of sucrose inside the balloon be affected if the balloon is filled with a 50% sucrose solution and then placed in a beaker of water?

A) The concentration won't change. B) The concentration will decrease. C) The concentration will increase. D) The concentration will increase and then decrease. Answer: B

Why are the trans-fatty acids common in fast foods a concern to nutritionists?

A) They increase the incidence of clogged arteries. B) They decrease the availability of iron to bodily cells. C) They cannot be digested by the human body. D) They outcompete the enzymes needed for normal bodily functions. Answer: A

How are trans fats different from regular saturated fats?

A) Trans fats cannot form carbon-carbon double bonds. B) Trans fats have flattened fatty acids. C) Trans fats are liquid at room temperature. D) Trans fats do not contain glycerol. Answer: B

What is the purpose of vitamins in the human body?

A) Vitamins are sources of stored energy. B) Vitamins help enzymes function properly. C) Vitamins act as hormones that trigger cells to take up glucose. D) Vitamins are the basis of the plasma membrane. Answer: B

Why are whole foods better for your health than processed foods?

A) Whole foods contain more sugars and less fiber, so they're more digestible than processed foods. B) Whole foods have been refined to provide the highest possible calorie content. C) Processed foods may contain antioxidants, which can cause disease. D) Processed foods don't contain all the vitamins and minerals found in whole foods. Answer: D ,

Which components form the structure of the plasma membrane?

A) a single layer of proteins B) a single layer of lipids with proteins embedded in it C) a double layer of proteins D) a double layer of lipids with proteins embedded in it Answer: D

Which molecule, when moving across a plasma membrane, would require the most ATP to be used?

A) a water molecule B) a simple sugar, such as glucose C) a dissolved gas, such as carbon dioxide D) an ion moving against a concentration gradient Answer: D

Which process involves the movement of molecules or atoms down a concentration gradient across plasma membranes?

A) active transport B) passive transport C) exocytosis D) endocytosis Answer: B

What are the protein pores in the plasma membrane that allow water to enter cells?

A) aquaporins B) electrolytes C) diffusion channels D) exocytes Answer: A

Which item has not been tested by the Food and Drug Administration for safety and effectiveness?

A) aspirin B) multivitamin C) antibiotic D) cough medicine Answer: B

Which food is most likely to contain all essential amino acids?

A) beef B) carrots C) corn D) rice Answer: A

To which category of nutrients does table sugar (sucrose) belong?

A) carbohydrates B) proteins C) fats D) minerals Answer: A

Which macronutrient is the major source of energy for cell processes?

A) carbohydrates B) proteins C) fats D) water Answer: A

What type of molecules, embedded in phospholipid bilayers, transport hydrophilic molecules into or out of the cell?

A) carbohydrates B) proteins C) nucleic acids D) lipids Answer: B

What is the liquid interior of the chloroplast called?

A) centriole B) chromatin C) Golgi apparatus D) stroma Answer: D

Which cell component is composed of microtubules and helps move chromosomes around during cell division?

A) centriole B) chromatin C) cytoskeletal element D) nucleolus Answer: A

Which organelle is a stack of membranous sacs that sort proteins to their proper cellular location?

A) centriole B) endoplasmic reticulum C) Golgi apparatus D) lysosome Answer: c

Which organelle performs photosynthesis?

A) chloroplast B) Golgi apparatus C) lysosome D) mitochondrion Answer: A

Which organelle is found in plant cells but not in animal cells?

A) chloroplast B) endoplasmic reticulum C) centriole D) mitochondrion Answer: A

Which organelle contains digestive enzymes that degrade a variety of macromolecules?

A) chloroplast B) endoplasmic reticulum C) lysosome D) mitochondrion Answer: C

Which organelle is a network of membranes involved in the production of proteins?

A) chloroplast B) endoplasmic reticulum C) lysosome D) nucleus Answer: B

Which substance requires sunlight for its synthesis?

A) cholesterol B) vitamin D C) vitamin K D) amino acids Answer: B

What is a deficiency of water in the body?

A) diffusion B) dehydration C) endocytosis D) hypertension Answer: B

Although viruses are extremely small, they are too large to enter a cell by passive transport. Which process brings viruses into a host cell?

A) diffusion B) osmosis C) exocytosis D) endocytosis Answer: D

How would amino acids and calcium ions from the bloodstream move across a cell membrane?

A) diffusion B) osmosis C) facilitated diffusion D) active transport Answer: C

Which organelle performs cellular respiration?

A) endoplasmic reticulum B) Golgi apparatus C) lysosome D) mitochondrion Answer: D

In which eukaryotic cell structure are ribosomes made?

A) endoplasmic reticulum B) Golgi apparatus C) lysosome D) nucleolus Answer: D

Assume that a plant is suffering from drought and is beginning to wilt. Which cell component is most likely being affected, and what type of molecule is being lost from this structure?

A) endoplasmic reticulum; protein B) Golgi apparatus; water C) lysosome; enzymes D) vacuole; water Answer: D

Phagocytic white blood cells digest many of the invasive bacteria that enter the human body. How could a bacterial cell enter a white blood cell in order to be digested?

A) facilitated diffusion B) active transport C) exocytosis D) endocytosis Answer: D

If a drop of red food coloring is added to a glass of water, how will the red-colored molecules move?

A) from an area of high concentration of red-colored molecules to an area of low concentration B) from an area of low concentration of red-colored molecules to an area of high concentration C) from an area of high concentration of water molecules to an area of low concentration D) toward an area of low concentration of water molecules Answer: A

Which feature is present in all known living things?

A) genes made from proteins B) growth from inorganic materials C) absorption of sunlight for energy D) metabolic reactions Answer: D

Which food is made up of many branching chains of sugar monomers?

A) honey B) milk C) nuts D) beans Answer: D

What term describes the interior of a phospholipid bilayer?

A) hydrophobic B) hydrophilic C) proteinaceous D) hydrogenated Answer: A

Where do the reactions of cellular respiration occur?

A) in the nucleolus of the nucleus B) in the ribosomes of the rough endoplasmic reticulum C) in the matrix of the mitochondria D) in the hydrophobic core of the plasma membrane Answer: C

What are nutrients that the human body requires in large quantities?

A) micronutrients B) macronutrients C) vitamins D) minerals Answer: B

If vitamins help molecules reduce the activation energy for necessary chemical reactions, what is their role within the cell?

A) minerals B) leptin C) coenzymes D) enzymatic inhibitors Answer: C

What are the monomer "building blocks" that make up proteins?

A) monosaccharides B) glycerol molecules C) amino acids D) fatty acids Answer: C

Which problem could be caused by a decrease in the body's normal water level?

A) muscle cramps B) decreased heart rate C) low body temperature D) increased sweating Answer: A

What is diffusion?

A) one type of active transport B) the movement of water across a cell membrane C) the movement of molecules from an area of high concentration to an area of low concentration D) the movement of molecules across a membrane, assisted by proteins embedded in the membrane Answer: C

Which process does not involve molecules moving across cell membranes?

A) osmosis B) facilitated diffusion C) active transport D) hydrogenation Answer: D

How are large substances moved during exocytosis?

A) out of the cell B) into the cell C) between organelles D) through protein channels in the plasma membrane Answer: A

Which food is rich in complex carbohydrates?

A) pasta B) table sugar C) margarine D) cheese Answer: A

Which term best describes the water in a sugarwater solution?

A) product B) reactant C) solute D) solvent Answer: D

The antibiotic streptomycin prevents protein synthesis in prokaryotes. Which cell component would be affected by this antibiotic?

A) ribosome B) cell membrane C) Golgi apparatus D) cell wall Answer: A

Why are monosaccharides used by body cells?

A) to build membranes B) to produce enzymes C) for energy production D) to store energy Answer: C

In commercial food manufacturing, what is the purpose of hydrogenation?

A) to make an unsaturated fat more saturated B) to reduce the amount of "empty calories" in a carbohydrate C) to convert fatty acids into amino acids D) to convert vitamins into minerals Answer: A

What is a function of antioxidants?

A) to prevent muscle cramps and weakness B) to improve skin tone and fight acne C) to decrease damage done to cells by free radicals D) to allow the cell to maintain water balance Answer: C

During diffusion, how do the solute molecules move?

A) up a concentration gradient of solute molecules B) down a concentration gradient of solvent molecules C) down a concentration gradient of solute molecules D) unpredictably with regards to a concentration gradient of solvent molecules Answer: C

Which vitamin could build up to dangerous levels within the body?

A) vitamin B12 B) vitamin C C) vitamin D D) folic acid Answer: C

Which of the following is a micronutrient?

A) water B) carbohydrate C) protein D) vitamin C Answer: D

In general, when would the net movement of small, uncharged atoms and molecules through the plasma membrane end?

A) when the concentration of a solute is equal on both sides of the membrane B) when all of those atoms or molecules are on the same side of the membrane C) when the cell grows so large that it can't hold any more material D) when the cell shrinks to the point that it can't function properly Answer: A

Which chemical condition describes the electrons in a water molecule being shared unequally between the hydrogen and oxygen atoms? A) hydrophobic B) ionic C) noncovalent D) polar Answer: D

Answer: D

What is the high energy molecule that is made from converted food energy in the mitochondria and is used to power cellular reactions?

Answer: adenosine triphosphate

Inside a eukaryotic cell, what is the watery matrix where the organelles are found?

Answer: cytosol

If sports drinks have a higher solute concentration than blood, what condition may result when you drink them?

Answer: dehydration

Which type of amino acids cannot be synthesized by the body?

Answer: essential

What type of fatty acids include omega-3 and omega-6?

Answer: essential fatty acids

Which process fuses vesicles with the plasma membrane to move substances out of a cell?

Answer: exocytosis

In what molecular form does the human body store excess carbohydrates in muscles and the liver?

Answer: glycogen

Which organelle in a scavenging white blood cell would break down bacteria that had entered the body?

Answer: lysosome

What is the compartment in a eukaryotic cell where DNA is stored as chromatin?

Answer: nucleus

What is the type of diffusion in which water moves down a concentration gradient?

Answer: osmosis

What cell structure defines the outer boundary of all cells, separating the cell's contents from its environment? (two words)

Answer: plasma membrane

What is a fat with many unsaturated carbons called?

Answer: polyunsaturated

What two-word term describes food that has been stripped of most of its nutrients?

Answer: processed food

What are the "work-bench" structures where cell proteins are assembled?

Answer: ribosomes

What characteristic of a plasma membrane allows certain molecules to pass through while preventing the passage of other molecules?

Answer: semipermeable

In what molecular form do plants store their excess carbohydrates?

Answer: starch

What membrane-bound structures fuse with plasma membranes during exocytosis or endocytosis?

Answer: vesicles