Complete Test Bank Molecular Biology of the Cell 6th
Edition Alberts Questions & Answers with rationales
(Chapter 1-24)
Activation Energy - ANSWER The energy required to start a chemical reaction
Amino acid - ANSWER An organic molecule possessing one carboxyl, one amino,
and oe variable group; the monomers of proteins
Anaphase - ANSWER The stage of mitosis in which sister chromatids are pulled
apart
ATP - ANSWER Adenosine triphosphate, the main source of energy for cells
Calvin Cycle - ANSWER The chemical synthesis of G3P (a precursor to glucose),
using CO2, ATP and NADPH; in the stroma
Cell plate - ANSWER Two membranes formed across the midline of a dividing plant
cell, between which the new cell wall forms during cytokinesis
Cell respiration - ANSWER The series of reactions necessary for the production of
ATP within a cell
Cellulose - ANSWER A structural polysaccharide that composes the cell walls of
plants
Central Vacuole - ANSWER A membrane-enclosed sac taking up most of the interior
of a mature plant cell and containing a variety of substances important in plant
reproduction, growth, and development
Centrifuge - ANSWER A device that rotates at various speeds about a fixed central
point; separates liquids from solids, or liquids of different densities from each other
Centrioles - ANSWER Two structures in the center of animal cells that may help
organize spindle assembly during cell division
Centromere - ANSWER The region of the chromosome where the sister chromatids
are joined; also the point of attachment of the spindle fibers during cell division
Chemiosmosis - ANSWER The ability of certain membranes to use chemical energy
to pump hydrogen ions and then harness the energy stored in the H+ gradient to
drive cellular work, such as ATP synthesis
Chitin - ANSWER A structural polysaccharide found in the cell walls of fungi and the
exoskeletons of arthropods
, Chloroplast - ANSWER An organelle found only in plants and some protists that
serves as the site of photosynthesis
Chromatography - ANSWER Separation of a mixture based on the components'
affinities for a medium that they pass through
Chromosomal Inversion - ANSWER A mutation in which a part of a chromosome is
reversed end-to-end
Cilia - ANSWER Hair-like structures that sway back and forth to facilitate cellular
movement or move liquid over the cell surface
Citric Acid Cycle - ANSWER The chemical breakdown acetyl Co-A to carbon dioxide;
supplies most of the NADH molecules that carry energy to the electron transport
chain; in the mitochondrial matrix
Cleavage - ANSWER The pinching of the plasma membrane following mitosis,
resulting in the separation of the two daughter cells; also, the succession of rapid cell
divisions without growth during early embryonic development
Codon - ANSWER A three-nucleotide sequence of DNA or mRNA that codes for a
particular amino acid or termination signal
Collagen - ANSWER A protein that forms strong fibers, found extensively in
connective tissue and bone; the most abundant protein in the animal kingdom
Contractile vacuole - ANSWER An organelle found in freshwater protists that pumps
excess water out of the cell
Covalent bond - ANSWER A type of strong chemical bond in which two atoms share
one pair of electrons
Cytochrome - ANSWER An iron-containing protein component of electron transport
chains in mitochondria and chloroplasts
Cytokinesis - ANSWER The division of cytoplasm between two daughter cells after
mitosis, resulting in the formation of two distinct cells
Cytoplasm - ANSWER Everything inside a cell between the plasma membrane and
the nucleus
Cytoskeleton - ANSWER A network of filaments that maintains cell shape and
enables intracellular transport, cell movement, and cell division
Cytosol - ANSWER The fluid portion of the cytoplasm
Dehydration synthesis - ANSWER A chemical process that covalently bonds two
molecules coupled with the removal of water
Edition Alberts Questions & Answers with rationales
(Chapter 1-24)
Activation Energy - ANSWER The energy required to start a chemical reaction
Amino acid - ANSWER An organic molecule possessing one carboxyl, one amino,
and oe variable group; the monomers of proteins
Anaphase - ANSWER The stage of mitosis in which sister chromatids are pulled
apart
ATP - ANSWER Adenosine triphosphate, the main source of energy for cells
Calvin Cycle - ANSWER The chemical synthesis of G3P (a precursor to glucose),
using CO2, ATP and NADPH; in the stroma
Cell plate - ANSWER Two membranes formed across the midline of a dividing plant
cell, between which the new cell wall forms during cytokinesis
Cell respiration - ANSWER The series of reactions necessary for the production of
ATP within a cell
Cellulose - ANSWER A structural polysaccharide that composes the cell walls of
plants
Central Vacuole - ANSWER A membrane-enclosed sac taking up most of the interior
of a mature plant cell and containing a variety of substances important in plant
reproduction, growth, and development
Centrifuge - ANSWER A device that rotates at various speeds about a fixed central
point; separates liquids from solids, or liquids of different densities from each other
Centrioles - ANSWER Two structures in the center of animal cells that may help
organize spindle assembly during cell division
Centromere - ANSWER The region of the chromosome where the sister chromatids
are joined; also the point of attachment of the spindle fibers during cell division
Chemiosmosis - ANSWER The ability of certain membranes to use chemical energy
to pump hydrogen ions and then harness the energy stored in the H+ gradient to
drive cellular work, such as ATP synthesis
Chitin - ANSWER A structural polysaccharide found in the cell walls of fungi and the
exoskeletons of arthropods
, Chloroplast - ANSWER An organelle found only in plants and some protists that
serves as the site of photosynthesis
Chromatography - ANSWER Separation of a mixture based on the components'
affinities for a medium that they pass through
Chromosomal Inversion - ANSWER A mutation in which a part of a chromosome is
reversed end-to-end
Cilia - ANSWER Hair-like structures that sway back and forth to facilitate cellular
movement or move liquid over the cell surface
Citric Acid Cycle - ANSWER The chemical breakdown acetyl Co-A to carbon dioxide;
supplies most of the NADH molecules that carry energy to the electron transport
chain; in the mitochondrial matrix
Cleavage - ANSWER The pinching of the plasma membrane following mitosis,
resulting in the separation of the two daughter cells; also, the succession of rapid cell
divisions without growth during early embryonic development
Codon - ANSWER A three-nucleotide sequence of DNA or mRNA that codes for a
particular amino acid or termination signal
Collagen - ANSWER A protein that forms strong fibers, found extensively in
connective tissue and bone; the most abundant protein in the animal kingdom
Contractile vacuole - ANSWER An organelle found in freshwater protists that pumps
excess water out of the cell
Covalent bond - ANSWER A type of strong chemical bond in which two atoms share
one pair of electrons
Cytochrome - ANSWER An iron-containing protein component of electron transport
chains in mitochondria and chloroplasts
Cytokinesis - ANSWER The division of cytoplasm between two daughter cells after
mitosis, resulting in the formation of two distinct cells
Cytoplasm - ANSWER Everything inside a cell between the plasma membrane and
the nucleus
Cytoskeleton - ANSWER A network of filaments that maintains cell shape and
enables intracellular transport, cell movement, and cell division
Cytosol - ANSWER The fluid portion of the cytoplasm
Dehydration synthesis - ANSWER A chemical process that covalently bonds two
molecules coupled with the removal of water
