NLN-PAX Science Study Guide Exam
And Actual Answers.
Cell - Answer the smallest living unit and the basic unit of function and structure for all living
things.
Nucleus - Answer contains the genetic information, or DNA, and controls the activities of the
cell.
Plasma (cell) membrane - Answer separates the contents of the cell from the surrounding fluid
(interstitial fluid)
Semipermeable membrane - Answer refers to the selective nature of the plasma membrane. It
contains pores and channels that allow only particles of the right size or the right chemical
nature to pass through.
Interstitial fluide - Answer contains substances such as amino acids, sugars, fatty acids,
hormones, neurotransmitters, and salts.
Cytoplasm - Answer is the fluid matrix found between the plasma membrane and the nucleus
that acts as scaffolding for the organelles.
Organelles - Answer (little organs) are specialized units in the cell that per form certain
functions.
Mitochondria - Answer are the locations for cellular respiration, that is, the conversion of food
to energy at the cellular level. The site of energy production and of most of its ATP.
ATP (adenosine triphosphate) - Answer the chemical the cell uses to store and transfer energy
within itself.
Ribosomes - Answer are the sites of protein synthesis in the cell
Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) - Answer Ribosomes are attached. Serves as a means for transport
,Golgi complex - Answer modifies and packages proteins destined for use in the cell or for
export from the cell.
Lysosomes - Answer are sacs that contain strong digestive enzymes. These sacs are responsible
for digesting cell structures that are no longer living or that are malfunctioning, and for
digesting waste.
Cell wall - Answer Only plant cells have them. It is responsible for the protection of the cell, the
maintenance of the shape, and water balance.
Chloroplasts - Answer contain chlorophyll, which is necessary for photosynthesis.
Vacuoles - Answer plant cells also often large ones. Which are compartments in the cytoplasm
that act as places for secretion, excretion, and storage.
Chromatin - Answer DNA is in this loosely structured form when it is not dividing
Chromosomes - Answer DNA is seen in condensed rod-shaped bodies when the cell is dividing
Mitosis - Answer When cells divide, the appropriate amount of genetic material must be
passed on to the new, or so-called daughter, cells. In somatic (non reproductive) cells, the new
cells are identical copies of the parent cells. This is achieved by a doubling of the chromosomes
prior to division. It is useful in the growth and repair of our bodies.
Zygote - Answer the cell created by the union of a sperm and egg contains a full set of
chromosomes, half from each parent.
Meiosis - Answer Another type of division takes place in the production of gametes. It contains
half of the normal number of chromosomes. It consists first of doubling of chromosomes and
then two subsequent divisions. Thus the products are four daughter cells, each with half the
normal number of chromosomes.
Muscle tissue - Answer skeletal, cardiac, and smooth
,Connective tissue - Answer cartilage, blood, fat, bone
Organ - Answer performs a specialized function in the body.
Organ system - Answer made up of a number of organs working together to carry out a major
function.
Organism - Answer the highest level of organization such as the human body
Evolution - Answer is a theory regarding the processes that have produced the biological
diversity we see today.
Natural selection - Answer the process by which the traits that promote or enhance an
organism's ability to survive and reproduce are passed on to following generations.
Adaptation - Answer For natural selection to occur, organisms must have variations, some of
which give the individuals having them an advantage in the struggle for survival. The struggle
for survival occurs because each generation of a species produces more offspring than can
survive. In this struggle, the individuals best suited to their environment survive ("survival of the
fittest") and pass on the traits to their offspring
Fossil record - Answer consists of remnants or traces of organisms from past geologic ages.
Vertebrates - Answer animals with backbones
Biogeography - Answer the geographical distribution of plants and animals
Comparative anatomy - Answer the comparison of organisms' structures
Comparative embryology - Answer the comparison of organisms' embryos
Molecular biology - Answer biology at the molecular level
, Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, Species
Kingdom - Answer animal, plant, monera, protist, and fungi
Monera - Answer Bacteria
Protist - Answer Protozoa, algae, and some molds
Fungi - Answer Molds, muchrooms, yeasts, and the like
Active transport - Answer involves the use of energy in the form of ATP to move substances
across the membrane
Passive transport - Answer does not require energy and makes use of didffusion and filtration
Diffusion - Answer particles move in a random manner, spreading evenly throughout an
available space and moving from regions of high concentration to those of low concentration.
Osmosis - Answer A specific type of diffusion is that of water. Water moves from an area of
high water concentration (or low concentration) to an area of low water concentration (high
particle concentration
Isotonic - Answer When the solute concentration of the water is the same as that inside the
cell. Thus, the amount of water that leaves the cell and the amount that enters it are equal.
Hypertonic - Answer When the solute is more concentrated outside the cell than inside it.
Water leaves the cell due to osmosis; it moves from the high-water/low-particle concentration
to low-water/high-particle concentration. As a result, the cell shrinks.
Hypotonic - Answer If the solute concentration outside the cell is lower than that inside the
cell. Water flows into the cell (again high-water/low-particle concentration to low-water/high-
particle concentration). If the flow continues long enough, the cell bursts.
Filtration - Answer the movement of water and solutes through the membrane by fluid, or
And Actual Answers.
Cell - Answer the smallest living unit and the basic unit of function and structure for all living
things.
Nucleus - Answer contains the genetic information, or DNA, and controls the activities of the
cell.
Plasma (cell) membrane - Answer separates the contents of the cell from the surrounding fluid
(interstitial fluid)
Semipermeable membrane - Answer refers to the selective nature of the plasma membrane. It
contains pores and channels that allow only particles of the right size or the right chemical
nature to pass through.
Interstitial fluide - Answer contains substances such as amino acids, sugars, fatty acids,
hormones, neurotransmitters, and salts.
Cytoplasm - Answer is the fluid matrix found between the plasma membrane and the nucleus
that acts as scaffolding for the organelles.
Organelles - Answer (little organs) are specialized units in the cell that per form certain
functions.
Mitochondria - Answer are the locations for cellular respiration, that is, the conversion of food
to energy at the cellular level. The site of energy production and of most of its ATP.
ATP (adenosine triphosphate) - Answer the chemical the cell uses to store and transfer energy
within itself.
Ribosomes - Answer are the sites of protein synthesis in the cell
Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) - Answer Ribosomes are attached. Serves as a means for transport
,Golgi complex - Answer modifies and packages proteins destined for use in the cell or for
export from the cell.
Lysosomes - Answer are sacs that contain strong digestive enzymes. These sacs are responsible
for digesting cell structures that are no longer living or that are malfunctioning, and for
digesting waste.
Cell wall - Answer Only plant cells have them. It is responsible for the protection of the cell, the
maintenance of the shape, and water balance.
Chloroplasts - Answer contain chlorophyll, which is necessary for photosynthesis.
Vacuoles - Answer plant cells also often large ones. Which are compartments in the cytoplasm
that act as places for secretion, excretion, and storage.
Chromatin - Answer DNA is in this loosely structured form when it is not dividing
Chromosomes - Answer DNA is seen in condensed rod-shaped bodies when the cell is dividing
Mitosis - Answer When cells divide, the appropriate amount of genetic material must be
passed on to the new, or so-called daughter, cells. In somatic (non reproductive) cells, the new
cells are identical copies of the parent cells. This is achieved by a doubling of the chromosomes
prior to division. It is useful in the growth and repair of our bodies.
Zygote - Answer the cell created by the union of a sperm and egg contains a full set of
chromosomes, half from each parent.
Meiosis - Answer Another type of division takes place in the production of gametes. It contains
half of the normal number of chromosomes. It consists first of doubling of chromosomes and
then two subsequent divisions. Thus the products are four daughter cells, each with half the
normal number of chromosomes.
Muscle tissue - Answer skeletal, cardiac, and smooth
,Connective tissue - Answer cartilage, blood, fat, bone
Organ - Answer performs a specialized function in the body.
Organ system - Answer made up of a number of organs working together to carry out a major
function.
Organism - Answer the highest level of organization such as the human body
Evolution - Answer is a theory regarding the processes that have produced the biological
diversity we see today.
Natural selection - Answer the process by which the traits that promote or enhance an
organism's ability to survive and reproduce are passed on to following generations.
Adaptation - Answer For natural selection to occur, organisms must have variations, some of
which give the individuals having them an advantage in the struggle for survival. The struggle
for survival occurs because each generation of a species produces more offspring than can
survive. In this struggle, the individuals best suited to their environment survive ("survival of the
fittest") and pass on the traits to their offspring
Fossil record - Answer consists of remnants or traces of organisms from past geologic ages.
Vertebrates - Answer animals with backbones
Biogeography - Answer the geographical distribution of plants and animals
Comparative anatomy - Answer the comparison of organisms' structures
Comparative embryology - Answer the comparison of organisms' embryos
Molecular biology - Answer biology at the molecular level
, Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, Species
Kingdom - Answer animal, plant, monera, protist, and fungi
Monera - Answer Bacteria
Protist - Answer Protozoa, algae, and some molds
Fungi - Answer Molds, muchrooms, yeasts, and the like
Active transport - Answer involves the use of energy in the form of ATP to move substances
across the membrane
Passive transport - Answer does not require energy and makes use of didffusion and filtration
Diffusion - Answer particles move in a random manner, spreading evenly throughout an
available space and moving from regions of high concentration to those of low concentration.
Osmosis - Answer A specific type of diffusion is that of water. Water moves from an area of
high water concentration (or low concentration) to an area of low water concentration (high
particle concentration
Isotonic - Answer When the solute concentration of the water is the same as that inside the
cell. Thus, the amount of water that leaves the cell and the amount that enters it are equal.
Hypertonic - Answer When the solute is more concentrated outside the cell than inside it.
Water leaves the cell due to osmosis; it moves from the high-water/low-particle concentration
to low-water/high-particle concentration. As a result, the cell shrinks.
Hypotonic - Answer If the solute concentration outside the cell is lower than that inside the
cell. Water flows into the cell (again high-water/low-particle concentration to low-water/high-
particle concentration). If the flow continues long enough, the cell bursts.
Filtration - Answer the movement of water and solutes through the membrane by fluid, or
