BIO 103 EVALUATION 2026 EXAM QUESTIONS
AND ANSWERS SURE A+
✔✔Genetic material - ✔✔The DNA that carries hereditary information.
✔✔Gene - ✔✔A segment of DNA that contains instructions for making a functional
product, often a protein.
✔✔Genome - ✔✔All of an organism's genetic information.
✔✔Chromosome - ✔✔A long DNA molecule with many genes.
✔✔Central dogma - ✔✔The flow of genetic information from DNA to RNA to protein.
✔✔DNA to RNA to protein - ✔✔DNA is transcribed into RNA, and RNA is translated into
protein.
✔✔Universal genetic code - ✔✔The same basic genetic code is used by almost all
living organisms, supporting common ancestry.
✔✔GFP example - ✔✔Jellyfish DNA can make a bunny glow because organisms share
the same genetic code for reading DNA instructions.
✔✔Top four elements in life - ✔✔Carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen.
,✔✔Atom - ✔✔The basic unit of matter made of protons, neutrons, and electrons.
✔✔Proton - ✔✔A positively charged particle in the atom's nucleus.
✔✔Neutron - ✔✔A neutral particle in the atom's nucleus.
✔✔Electron - ✔✔A negatively charged particle outside the nucleus.
✔✔Molecule - ✔✔Two or more atoms held together by chemical bonds.
✔✔Chemical bond - ✔✔An attraction that holds atoms together.
✔✔Covalent bond - ✔✔A bond where atoms share electrons.
✔✔Nonpolar covalent bond - ✔✔A covalent bond where electrons are shared equally.
✔✔Polar covalent bond - ✔✔A covalent bond where electrons are shared unequally.
✔✔Ion - ✔✔A charged atom or molecule.
✔✔Ionic bond - ✔✔Attraction between oppositely charged ions.
✔✔Hydrogen bond - ✔✔A weak attraction between a slightly positive hydrogen and a
slightly negative atom nearby.
✔✔Water polarity - ✔✔Water is polar because oxygen pulls electrons more strongly
than hydrogen.
✔✔Why water is important in cells - ✔✔Water dissolves many substances, supports
chemical reactions, and helps maintain stable conditions.
✔✔Macromolecule - ✔✔A large biological molecule made from smaller subunits.
✔✔Four major biomacromolecules - ✔✔Proteins, nucleic acids, carbohydrates, and
lipids.
✔✔Monomer - ✔✔A small building block molecule.
✔✔Polymer - ✔✔A large molecule made of repeating monomers.
✔✔Protein - ✔✔A polymer made of amino acids; proteins perform many cell functions.
✔✔Amino acid - ✔✔The monomer of a protein.
, ✔✔Polypeptide - ✔✔Another name for a protein chain made of amino acids.
✔✔Protein function - ✔✔Determined by the protein's shape and amino acid sequence.
✔✔Protein primary structure - ✔✔The amino acid sequence of a protein.
✔✔Protein secondary structure - ✔✔Local folding patterns, such as helices or sheets.
✔✔Protein tertiary structure - ✔✔The overall 3D shape of one polypeptide.
✔✔Protein quaternary structure - ✔✔The arrangement of multiple polypeptide chains.
✔✔Active form of a protein - ✔✔The folded 3D form that can carry out its function.
✔✔Denaturation - ✔✔The loss of protein shape, causing loss of function.
✔✔Causes of denaturation - ✔✔Heat, pH changes, salt changes, or chemicals that
disrupt protein structure.
✔✔Enzyme - ✔✔A biological catalyst, usually a protein, that speeds up chemical
reactions.
✔✔Active site - ✔✔The region of an enzyme where the substrate binds.
✔✔Substrate - ✔✔The molecule an enzyme acts on.
✔✔Why enzyme shape matters - ✔✔The enzyme's shape determines which substrate it
can bind and what reaction it can catalyze.
✔✔Activation energy - ✔✔The energy barrier that must be overcome for a reaction to
occur.
✔✔Effect of enzymes on activation energy - ✔✔Enzymes lower activation energy so
reactions can happen fast enough in cells.
✔✔Catalyst - ✔✔A substance that speeds up a reaction without being used up.
✔✔Nucleic acid - ✔✔A polymer that stores or transfers genetic information.
✔✔Nucleotide - ✔✔The monomer of DNA and RNA.
✔✔DNA nucleotides - ✔✔A, T, C, and G.
AND ANSWERS SURE A+
✔✔Genetic material - ✔✔The DNA that carries hereditary information.
✔✔Gene - ✔✔A segment of DNA that contains instructions for making a functional
product, often a protein.
✔✔Genome - ✔✔All of an organism's genetic information.
✔✔Chromosome - ✔✔A long DNA molecule with many genes.
✔✔Central dogma - ✔✔The flow of genetic information from DNA to RNA to protein.
✔✔DNA to RNA to protein - ✔✔DNA is transcribed into RNA, and RNA is translated into
protein.
✔✔Universal genetic code - ✔✔The same basic genetic code is used by almost all
living organisms, supporting common ancestry.
✔✔GFP example - ✔✔Jellyfish DNA can make a bunny glow because organisms share
the same genetic code for reading DNA instructions.
✔✔Top four elements in life - ✔✔Carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen.
,✔✔Atom - ✔✔The basic unit of matter made of protons, neutrons, and electrons.
✔✔Proton - ✔✔A positively charged particle in the atom's nucleus.
✔✔Neutron - ✔✔A neutral particle in the atom's nucleus.
✔✔Electron - ✔✔A negatively charged particle outside the nucleus.
✔✔Molecule - ✔✔Two or more atoms held together by chemical bonds.
✔✔Chemical bond - ✔✔An attraction that holds atoms together.
✔✔Covalent bond - ✔✔A bond where atoms share electrons.
✔✔Nonpolar covalent bond - ✔✔A covalent bond where electrons are shared equally.
✔✔Polar covalent bond - ✔✔A covalent bond where electrons are shared unequally.
✔✔Ion - ✔✔A charged atom or molecule.
✔✔Ionic bond - ✔✔Attraction between oppositely charged ions.
✔✔Hydrogen bond - ✔✔A weak attraction between a slightly positive hydrogen and a
slightly negative atom nearby.
✔✔Water polarity - ✔✔Water is polar because oxygen pulls electrons more strongly
than hydrogen.
✔✔Why water is important in cells - ✔✔Water dissolves many substances, supports
chemical reactions, and helps maintain stable conditions.
✔✔Macromolecule - ✔✔A large biological molecule made from smaller subunits.
✔✔Four major biomacromolecules - ✔✔Proteins, nucleic acids, carbohydrates, and
lipids.
✔✔Monomer - ✔✔A small building block molecule.
✔✔Polymer - ✔✔A large molecule made of repeating monomers.
✔✔Protein - ✔✔A polymer made of amino acids; proteins perform many cell functions.
✔✔Amino acid - ✔✔The monomer of a protein.
, ✔✔Polypeptide - ✔✔Another name for a protein chain made of amino acids.
✔✔Protein function - ✔✔Determined by the protein's shape and amino acid sequence.
✔✔Protein primary structure - ✔✔The amino acid sequence of a protein.
✔✔Protein secondary structure - ✔✔Local folding patterns, such as helices or sheets.
✔✔Protein tertiary structure - ✔✔The overall 3D shape of one polypeptide.
✔✔Protein quaternary structure - ✔✔The arrangement of multiple polypeptide chains.
✔✔Active form of a protein - ✔✔The folded 3D form that can carry out its function.
✔✔Denaturation - ✔✔The loss of protein shape, causing loss of function.
✔✔Causes of denaturation - ✔✔Heat, pH changes, salt changes, or chemicals that
disrupt protein structure.
✔✔Enzyme - ✔✔A biological catalyst, usually a protein, that speeds up chemical
reactions.
✔✔Active site - ✔✔The region of an enzyme where the substrate binds.
✔✔Substrate - ✔✔The molecule an enzyme acts on.
✔✔Why enzyme shape matters - ✔✔The enzyme's shape determines which substrate it
can bind and what reaction it can catalyze.
✔✔Activation energy - ✔✔The energy barrier that must be overcome for a reaction to
occur.
✔✔Effect of enzymes on activation energy - ✔✔Enzymes lower activation energy so
reactions can happen fast enough in cells.
✔✔Catalyst - ✔✔A substance that speeds up a reaction without being used up.
✔✔Nucleic acid - ✔✔A polymer that stores or transfers genetic information.
✔✔Nucleotide - ✔✔The monomer of DNA and RNA.
✔✔DNA nucleotides - ✔✔A, T, C, and G.
