AP Bio - Unit 2: Progress Check
Testosterone is a small steroid hormone that is important in cell signaling. Which of the following indicates where testosterone enters a cell and why it is able to cross at that point?
1, because testosterone is nonpolar and can diffuse through the membrane.
The cell membrane is selectively permeable due to its structure. Thus, the internal environment of the cell is distinct from the external environment of the cell. One biologist hypothesizes that small nonpolar molecules readily pass through the membrane. Another biologist alternatively hypothesizes that these types of molecules require channel and transport proteins that are embedded in the membrane in order to move across the membrane. Which of the following data would best refute this alternative hypothesis?
CO2 and N2 movement in and out of cells is unaffected when membrane protein activity is blocked.
Cholesterol is an important component of animal cell membranes. Cholesterol molecules are often delivered to body cells by the blood, which transports the molecules in the form of cholesterol-protein complexes. The complexes must be moved into the body cells before the cholesterol molecules can be incorporated into the phospholipid bilayers of cell membranes. Based on the information presented, which of the following is the most likely explanation for a buildup of cholesterol molecules in the blood of an animal?
The animal's body cells are defective in endocytosis.
Hereditary spherocytosis (HS) is a disorder of red blood cells that causes the cells to be smaller and spherical instead of having the usual flattened, biconcave shape. The average diameter of normal red blood cells is 7.2μm, and the average diameter of red blood cells in a person with HS was found to be 6.7μm. The normal red blood cell has an average surface area of 136μm2 and an average volume of 91μm3. Which of the following provides an accurate calculation of the surface area to volume ratio of an HS red blood cell, as well as a prediction of its effect on the efficient transferring of oxygen compared to a normal red blood cell?
The ratio is 0.890.89, and the cells are less efficient at transferring oxygen.
A scientist is studying the various prokaryotic and eukaryotic species found floating in a sample of water taken from a marine ecosystem. Which cellular component will be found in the widest range of organisms in the sample?
The ribosome, since all organisms need to synthesize proteins.
Researchers propose a model to explain variation in phytoplankton cell sizes in a marine environment. They base their model on the idea that smaller cells absorb nutrients more efficiently. The researchers predict that the mean diameter of phytoplankton cells will change by 50 micrometers for every 5-kilometer increase in distance from the shore because of a gradual decrease in nutrient availability. To test their model, the researchers determine that the phytoplankton cells found closest to shore have a mean diameter of 900 micrometers. Based on the model, what will be the mean diameter of the phytoplankton cells that are found 25 kilometers from shore?
650 micrometers
A study was conducted to understand the factors controlling the rate at which molecules or ions travel across cell membranes. An artificial membrane was created that was composed of a phospholipid bilayer only. The speed at which various substances crossed this membrane was measured. Some substances can pass through an actual cell membrane much faster than they passed through the artificial membrane in this study. Which of the following statements best explains this finding?
Actual cell membranes have a variety of proteins embedded in the membrane that are absent in the artificial membrane.
A magnesium sulfate solution taken orally can cause a net movement of water into the large intestine, which results from water molecules diffusing through aquaporins embedded in the cells of the intestinal lining. By which of the following mechanisms do the water molecules most likely move into the large intestine?
By passive transport from an area of low osmolarity to an area of high osmolarity
Aquaporins are channel proteins that facilitate the transport of water across the cell membrane. One group of researchers hypothesizes that without functional aquaporins, no water will be able to enter the cell. A different group proposes an alternative hypothesis, stating that even with nonfunctional aquaporins, a small amount of water will still cross the cell membrane. An experiment is set up in which plant cells with mutated (nonfunctional) aquaporins and plant cells with normally functioning aquaporins are both placed in distilled water. Which of the following data would support the alternative hypothesis?
Cells with mutated aquaporins exhibit moderate turgor pressure and are hypertonic.
Researchers have proposed a model of chloroplast evolution. According to the model, chloroplasts evolved from a small prokaryotic organism that was engulfed by an ancestral eukaryote. The engulfed prokaryote then formed an endosymbiotic relationship with the eukaryotic host. Which of the following observations best supports the model?
Chloroplasts and some prokaryotes share similar photosynthetic reactions.
Some viral infections can lead to the rupture of the lysosome membrane. Which prediction of the effect of this disruption of cellular compartmentalization is most likely correct?
Hydrolytic enzymes will be released, which will cause cell death.
Plant cell walls are composed of cellulose, while fungal cell walls are composed of chitin. A group of scientists hypothesize that this difference means the cell wall has largely different functions in plant cells and fungal cells. Alternatively, another group of scientists hypothesize that despite their biochemical differences, plant and fungal cell walls serve similar functions. Which of the following observations would best support the alternative hypothesis described above?
In both plant cells and fungal cells, the cell wall surrounds the outside of the cell membrane.
Researchers investigate the transport of a certain protein into cells by endocytosis. In an experiment, the researchers incubate the cells in the presence of the protein and measure the amount of the protein that is absorbed into the cells over a five-minute period. Based on their observations, what should the researchers do to further clarify how the availability of the protein outside the cells affects the rate of endocytosis of the protein?
Incubate the cells in the presence of several different concentrations of the protein.
In an experiment, researchers compared the growth of two different plants, plant X and plant Y. The researchers maintained the plants under nearly identical conditions and observed that plant X grew faster than plant Y. The researchers also observed that the inner mitochondrial membranes of plant X had more folds than did those of plant Y. Which of the following conclusions about increasing the number of folds in the inner mitochondrial membrane is best supported by the results of the experiment?
It increases the surface area available for ATP production, which results in faster cell growth
Euglenids are single-cell eukaryotes that live in aquatic environments. The chloroplasts found inside euglenids are enveloped by three membranes, as represented in Figure 1. The inner membrane of euglenid chloroplasts resembles the thylakoid membrane. Figure 1. Simplified diagram of a euglenid, showing the structure of the chloroplast envelope Which of the following claims about the origin of the euglenid chloroplast is best supported by the three-membrane structure of the envelope?
It originated from the incorporation of a photosynthetic prokaryote into a eukaryotic cell by two endosymbiotic events.
In an experiment, researchers provided a radiolabeled amino acid to living plant cells. After one hour, the researchers determined the amount of the radiolabeled amino acid that was in each of several subcellular compartments. The results of the experiment are represented in the table. RELATIVE AMOUNTS OF RADIOLABELED AMINO ACID NucleusMitochondriaEndoplasmic ReticulumCytosol2.12.71.91 Which of the following conclusions about the radiolabeled amino acid is best supported by the results of the experiment?
It was mostly incorporated into proteins that regulate and manage metabolic reactions.
Which of the following observations best supports the claim that mitochondria evolved from once-free-living prokaryotic cells by the process of endocytosis?
Mitochondria are surrounded by a double membrane.
Which of the following statements best explains the processes of passive and active transport?
Passive transport is the net movement of substances down a concentration gradient that does not require metabolic energy. Active transport is the movement of substances up a concentration gradient that requires energy.
The figure shows a representation of a protein embedded in a cell membrane. The numbers indicate different structural regions of the protein. Based on the figure, which of the following statements best describes the relationship between regions 1 and 2 of the protein?
Region 1 is hydrophilic because it interacts with an aqueous environment, whereas region 2 is hydrophobic because it interacts with the interior of the membrane.
Intravenous (IV) therapy is used for fluid replacement in instances of dehydration in humans and other animals. One type of IV fluid is essentially a saltwater solution. To determine the best concentration for therapy in people, a team of students is researching the effects of solutions of different salt concentrations on red blood cells. The following observations were made from three different red blood cell samples viewed under a microscope.
Repeat the process with other salt concentrations.
Some membrane proteins help maintain the concentrations of ions inside a cell by transporting the ions across the cell's plasma membrane. Other membrane proteins form pores in the plasma membrane through which the ions can diffuse. A model showing the influence of membrane proteins on the movement of sodium (Na+) and potassium (K+) ions across a plasma membrane is presented in Figure 1. Based on the model presented in Figure 1, which of the following changes will most likely result from a depletion of available ATP stores inside the cell?
The Na+concentration inside the cell will increase.
A spherical bacterial cell has a radius of 3μm. The human egg cell has a radius of 100μm. Which statement correctly indicates the cell that is able to more efficiently exchange materials with the external environment and provides a correct explanation?
The bacterial cell, because it has the largest surface-to-volume ratio.
A group of mutations, known as MT-ND1, have been identified in mitochondrial DNA. These mutations are associated with a number of debilitating diseases stemming from the production of nonfunctional proteins in the mitochondria. Which of the following cellular deficiencies would most likely be related to these MT-ND1 mutations?
The cell is unable to complete reactions related to electron transport and ATP production.
A team of biologists develop a new drug, and one team member hypothesizes that the drug is incapable of freely passing across the plasma membrane and requires the help of membrane proteins to enter cells. Alternatively, another biologist on the team hypothesizes that the drug can diffuse passively across the plasma membrane like O2 and CO2 can. Which of the following, if true about the drug, best supports the alternative hypothesis that the new drug will exhibit simple diffusion across plasma membranes?
The drug is a small nonpolar molecule.
Lysosomes digest food particles brought into a cell by endocytosis. After a vesicle containing food particles fuses with a lysosome, H+ ions are transported into the lysosome from the cytosol. This significantly lowers the pH of the lysosome relative to the cytosol and activates the enzymes that digest the particles. Which of the following best predicts what will happen to the lysosomal enzymes if the proteins that transport H+ ions from the cytosol into the lysosome are damaged?
The lysosomal enzymes will not become active, since there will be no active transport of H+ ions.
A certain type of specialized cell contains an unusually large amount of rough endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Which of the following functions is this cell type most likely specialized to perform?
The production and secretion of proteins
Stomata are pores on the surfaces of the leaves and stems of plants that regulate gas exchange between the plants and the atmosphere. Researchers found that the stomata density on the leaves of a species of plant change as the concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere changes. When grown at 350 ppm CO2 the plant has an average density of 300 stomata per mm2, but when grown at 400 ppm CO2 the plant has an average density of 250 stomata per mm2. Which of the following best describes how the ratio of the density of stomata (stomata per mm2) per CO2 concentration (ppm CO2) changes as the CO2 concentration increases?
The ratio decreases from 0.860.86 to 0.630.63, because fewer stomata are needed at higher CO2CO2 concentrations.
Which of the following transport mechanisms will be affected most directly by a temporary shortage of ATP molecules inside the cell?
The transport of glucose molecules against a concentration gradient
Researchers conducted an experiment to investigate the effects of a valinomycin treatment on skeletal muscle cells. Valinomycin is a naturally occurring substance that can be used as a drug. The results of the experiment are presented in the table. Relative Rates of ATP ProductionTime after TreatmentUntreated CellsValinomycin-Treated Cells5 minutes1.00.310 minutes7.72.7 Which of the following claims about the effects of the valinomycin treatment is best supported by the data presented in the table?
The valinomycin treatment caused a decrease in the activity of the mitochondria.
In an experiment, cells were isolated from an aquatic plant and suspended in pond water, a sucrose sugar solution, or distilled water. All of the cells were then viewed under a microscope. Compared with the cell in the pond water, the cell in the sugar solution appeared shriveled, and the cell in the distilled water appeared inflated. The results of the experiment are represented in Figure 1. Which of the following statements best explains the observations represented in Figure 1 ?
There was a net movement of water out of the cell suspended in the sugar solution and a net movement of water into the cell suspended in the distilled water.
Certain bacteria can use both ethyl alcohol and acetate as sources of nutrients. In an experiment where both nutrients are available to a bacterial population, the following results were obtained and graphed.
Use two additional treatments, one containing only ethyl alcohol and one containing only acetate. Include a substance known to block ATPATP use by the plasma membrane. Compare the graphs of these two treatments to the original graph.
Beetroot cells contain a family of dark red pigments called betalains. The selectively permeable nature of the beetroot cells keeps the internal environment of the cell separate from the external environment of the cell. Researchers are interested in determining whether the selective permeability of beetroot cells is due to the cell membrane or if it is due to the cell wall. Exposure to cellulase is known to damage the structure of the cell wall. An experiment is set up in which beetroot cells are placed in an aqueous solution with cellulase and in one without cellulase. Which of the following results best refutes the alternative hypothesis that selective permeability is a consequence of the cell wall?
When beetroot cells are placed in a solution with cellulase, the solution remains clear.
Aldosterone (a steroid hormone) is a small, nonpolar, hydrophobic molecule that enters a target cell by moving across the plasma membrane, down a concentration gradient. Based on the information presented, how does aldosterone most likely enter target cells?
by simple diffusion
Two competing hypotheses exist regarding the cell membrane structure. One hypothesis states that membrane structure is static and membrane components throughout the bilayer are rigidly bound. Alternatively, the other hypothesis states that cell membranes are a fluid mosaic in which membrane components may drift within the bilayer around the surface of the cell. An experiment is set up in which membrane proteins of two different cells are fluorescently labeled with two different colors and then fused as shown in Figure 1.
figure with the mixed ions
Cholesterol is a naturally occurring substance that helps regulate the fluidity of a cell's plasma membrane. A cholesterol molecule can be represented as having a polar head and a nonpolar region, as shown in the figure. Which of the following models shows how cholesterol molecules most likely interact with the phospholipid bilayer of a cell's plasma membrane?
head on top cholesterol on bottom
Gaucher disease is an inherited disorder in which cells of the body are unable to break down a particular type of lipid, resulting in a buildup of the lipid in some tissues and organs. Based on the information provided, Gaucher disease results most directly from a defect in the function of which of the following organelles?
the lysosome
