BIO 210 MIDTERM EXAMS QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS SURE A+
✔✔What two functional groups are attached to the alpha carbon of all amino acids -
✔✔Amine and Carboxylic acid (Carboxyl)
✔✔Given an amino acid structure, identify the amine group - ✔✔NH2
✔✔Given an amino acid structure, identify the carboxyl group - ✔✔COOH
✔✔Given an amino acid structure, identify the side chain - ✔✔R group
✔✔Given an amino acid structure, identify the alpha carbon - ✔✔center carbon
✔✔ What 3 functions of RNA mediate the "coordinate cellular activity" function of DNA -
✔✔1. Transfer information from DNA to Protein Synthesis Machinery (ribosome)
2. Transfer amino acids to Protein Synthesis Machinery
3. Form peptide bonds- ribosomal RNA
✔✔Name the 5 biological themes that will be encountered in this course - ✔✔1.
Mechanistic doctrine
2. Cell Theory
3. Central Dogma of Biology
4. Gene theory of inheritance
5. Cellular Evolution
✔✔What is it about the mechanistic doctrine that makes biology the most inter-
disciplinary scientific discipline - ✔✔It draws from all other sciences and cells can be
studied by chemical and physical methods
✔✔What are the three statements of the cell theory - ✔✔1. All organisms are composed
of cells
, 2. All cells come from pre-existing cells
3. Chemical reactions responsible for life take place within cells
✔✔If the latest Mars rover, Curiosity, found a mummified organism and demonstrated it
was composed of cells, would that increase the generality of the cell theory - ✔✔No,
because it would confirm that all organisms are composed of cells
✔✔In Crick's Central Dogma information can flow back and forth between two
macromolecules but only one way between the second and third. Name the information
flow that is uni-directional - ✔✔RNA-> Protein
✔✔Mendel proposed pairs of inherited factors that we now call genes. What is a current
definition of a gene - ✔✔Organismal characteristics determined by discrete segments of
DNA
✔✔How many copies of each gene does a sexually reproducing organism generally
have - ✔✔2
✔✔In this course we will study cells, organelles, macromolecules, monomeric
components of macromolecules, and atoms. Can studying organelles help us
understand better how cells work or how macromolecules work - ✔✔It can help us
better understand how cells work
✔✔What is the chemical definition of an element - ✔✔A substance that can't be broken
down into another substance by chemical reactions
✔✔Which four elements account for 96% of living matter - ✔✔1. Carbon
2. Oxygen
3. Hydrogen
4. Nitrogen
✔✔What is the smallest unit of an element that retains the chemical properties of that
element - ✔✔An atom
✔✔What does an atom lose to become positively charged - ✔✔An electron
✔✔What does an atom gain to become negatively charged - ✔✔An electron
✔✔An atom is composed of a nucleus surrounded by electrons. Which part of the atom
contains almost all the mass - ✔✔The nucleus
✔✔What is a term to describe the outermost electrons of an atom - ✔✔Valence
electrons
ANSWERS SURE A+
✔✔What two functional groups are attached to the alpha carbon of all amino acids -
✔✔Amine and Carboxylic acid (Carboxyl)
✔✔Given an amino acid structure, identify the amine group - ✔✔NH2
✔✔Given an amino acid structure, identify the carboxyl group - ✔✔COOH
✔✔Given an amino acid structure, identify the side chain - ✔✔R group
✔✔Given an amino acid structure, identify the alpha carbon - ✔✔center carbon
✔✔ What 3 functions of RNA mediate the "coordinate cellular activity" function of DNA -
✔✔1. Transfer information from DNA to Protein Synthesis Machinery (ribosome)
2. Transfer amino acids to Protein Synthesis Machinery
3. Form peptide bonds- ribosomal RNA
✔✔Name the 5 biological themes that will be encountered in this course - ✔✔1.
Mechanistic doctrine
2. Cell Theory
3. Central Dogma of Biology
4. Gene theory of inheritance
5. Cellular Evolution
✔✔What is it about the mechanistic doctrine that makes biology the most inter-
disciplinary scientific discipline - ✔✔It draws from all other sciences and cells can be
studied by chemical and physical methods
✔✔What are the three statements of the cell theory - ✔✔1. All organisms are composed
of cells
, 2. All cells come from pre-existing cells
3. Chemical reactions responsible for life take place within cells
✔✔If the latest Mars rover, Curiosity, found a mummified organism and demonstrated it
was composed of cells, would that increase the generality of the cell theory - ✔✔No,
because it would confirm that all organisms are composed of cells
✔✔In Crick's Central Dogma information can flow back and forth between two
macromolecules but only one way between the second and third. Name the information
flow that is uni-directional - ✔✔RNA-> Protein
✔✔Mendel proposed pairs of inherited factors that we now call genes. What is a current
definition of a gene - ✔✔Organismal characteristics determined by discrete segments of
DNA
✔✔How many copies of each gene does a sexually reproducing organism generally
have - ✔✔2
✔✔In this course we will study cells, organelles, macromolecules, monomeric
components of macromolecules, and atoms. Can studying organelles help us
understand better how cells work or how macromolecules work - ✔✔It can help us
better understand how cells work
✔✔What is the chemical definition of an element - ✔✔A substance that can't be broken
down into another substance by chemical reactions
✔✔Which four elements account for 96% of living matter - ✔✔1. Carbon
2. Oxygen
3. Hydrogen
4. Nitrogen
✔✔What is the smallest unit of an element that retains the chemical properties of that
element - ✔✔An atom
✔✔What does an atom lose to become positively charged - ✔✔An electron
✔✔What does an atom gain to become negatively charged - ✔✔An electron
✔✔An atom is composed of a nucleus surrounded by electrons. Which part of the atom
contains almost all the mass - ✔✔The nucleus
✔✔What is a term to describe the outermost electrons of an atom - ✔✔Valence
electrons
