HNG 540 Exam 4 #1 Questions with correct answers
What are the fundamental units of life: properties of life? - ✔✔1. Made up of a
core set of organic and
inorganic molecules/macromolecules
2. Separated from their environment by at
least 1 membrane
3. Internal and external milieux linked
• Transport nutrients/waste
• Sense + respond to environment
4. Turn external energy/carbon into more complicated
things + waste via endergonic rxns
• Catabolic pathways provide energy for anabolic pathways
5. Genetic program (DNA) and ability to use it to reproduce
and direct cells (RNA, proteins)
6. Evolve
All cells descend from earlier cells: no spontaneous generation and share
common ancestor
How do cells share common features? - ✔✔• Similar plasma membranes
• Gelatinous Cytosol
• Chromosome(s)
• Genetic Code is (mostly) universal
• Similar mechanisms to turn genes into action
•Transcription/translation
,• Shared metabolic pathways
• Glycolysis
• TCA cycle
• Photosynthesis (similar)
• Similar ways to energy → ATP
• Produce/insert membrane proteins
Eukaryotic vs Prokaryotic - ✔✔-Larger in size
• Contain nucleus
• What's done there?
• Nucleoid in prokaryotes
• Division of labor
• Organelles
• Distinct compartments within cell
• Bound by membranes
• Specialized roles
Is eukaryotic or prokaryotic larger? - ✔✔Eukaryotic cells are larger by 10-100x
What sets the lower limits on cell size? - ✔✔1) Gene Copy Number
2) Metabolic Requirements
3) Surface area to volume ratio (transporting things from throughout cell takes
longer/more energy too
4) Takes longer to adapt to new conditions (bigger you are, the more there is to
change with instructions form single nucleus)
, What is Total surface area? - ✔✔sum of the surface areas (height x weight) of all
box sides x number of boxes
What is total volume? - ✔✔height x width x length x number of boxes
What is surface to volume? (S-to-V) - ✔✔surface area divided by volume
True or false? Surface area increases while total volume increases? - ✔✔FALSE
Surface area increases while total volume remains constant
What does prokaryotes benefit by being smaller? - ✔✔-They have a much higher
surface-to-volume ratio
• Affects how fast things coming from outside of cells get distributed through cell
• Prokaryotes: things coming from outside the cell → evenly spread throughout
the cell rapidly
• Eukaryotes: nutrients don't diffuse as quickly to regions farther from the surface
How does surface to volume ratio differences affect transport and metabolism? -
✔✔•Eukaryotes need a lot of extra structure and transport machinery
• Things prokaryotes don't need/have
What do cells rely on? - ✔✔-Cells rely on the integration of
structures and organelles in order
to function
What are the fundamental units of life: properties of life? - ✔✔1. Made up of a
core set of organic and
inorganic molecules/macromolecules
2. Separated from their environment by at
least 1 membrane
3. Internal and external milieux linked
• Transport nutrients/waste
• Sense + respond to environment
4. Turn external energy/carbon into more complicated
things + waste via endergonic rxns
• Catabolic pathways provide energy for anabolic pathways
5. Genetic program (DNA) and ability to use it to reproduce
and direct cells (RNA, proteins)
6. Evolve
All cells descend from earlier cells: no spontaneous generation and share
common ancestor
How do cells share common features? - ✔✔• Similar plasma membranes
• Gelatinous Cytosol
• Chromosome(s)
• Genetic Code is (mostly) universal
• Similar mechanisms to turn genes into action
•Transcription/translation
,• Shared metabolic pathways
• Glycolysis
• TCA cycle
• Photosynthesis (similar)
• Similar ways to energy → ATP
• Produce/insert membrane proteins
Eukaryotic vs Prokaryotic - ✔✔-Larger in size
• Contain nucleus
• What's done there?
• Nucleoid in prokaryotes
• Division of labor
• Organelles
• Distinct compartments within cell
• Bound by membranes
• Specialized roles
Is eukaryotic or prokaryotic larger? - ✔✔Eukaryotic cells are larger by 10-100x
What sets the lower limits on cell size? - ✔✔1) Gene Copy Number
2) Metabolic Requirements
3) Surface area to volume ratio (transporting things from throughout cell takes
longer/more energy too
4) Takes longer to adapt to new conditions (bigger you are, the more there is to
change with instructions form single nucleus)
, What is Total surface area? - ✔✔sum of the surface areas (height x weight) of all
box sides x number of boxes
What is total volume? - ✔✔height x width x length x number of boxes
What is surface to volume? (S-to-V) - ✔✔surface area divided by volume
True or false? Surface area increases while total volume increases? - ✔✔FALSE
Surface area increases while total volume remains constant
What does prokaryotes benefit by being smaller? - ✔✔-They have a much higher
surface-to-volume ratio
• Affects how fast things coming from outside of cells get distributed through cell
• Prokaryotes: things coming from outside the cell → evenly spread throughout
the cell rapidly
• Eukaryotes: nutrients don't diffuse as quickly to regions farther from the surface
How does surface to volume ratio differences affect transport and metabolism? -
✔✔•Eukaryotes need a lot of extra structure and transport machinery
• Things prokaryotes don't need/have
What do cells rely on? - ✔✔-Cells rely on the integration of
structures and organelles in order
to function
