BIOL215 Learning Objectives UPDATED
ACTUAL Exam Questions and CORRECT
Answers
Identify characteristics of living things that distinguish them from non-living things. -
CORRECT ANSWER - -Organization
-Evolution of populations
-DNA
-Reproduction
-Growth/development
-Response to environment
-Metabolism
-Homeostasis
-1+ cells
Give a brief overview of the historical events that contributed to modern cell biology. Recall the
associated names and dates involved in the events discussed in class. - CORRECT
ANSWER - -1595: Zacharias Jansen invents first microscope
-1665: cell discovered by Robert Hooke ("Micrographia")
-1674: single-celled organisms discovered by Leeuwenhoek
-1830s: advances in optics -
compound microscope
-1831: nucleus ("kernel") discovered by Robert Brown
-1838: Cell Theory - Schleiden & Schwann (basic unit, distinct entity & building block, free-cell
formation (WRONG))
-1855: Virchow - cells arise only from preexisting cells ("omnis cellula e cellula")
Summarize the currently accepted cell theory. - CORRECT ANSWER - 1) Cell = unit of
structure, physiology & organization in living things
,2) Dual existence as distinct entity & building block of organisms
3) *All cells arise from only pre-existing cells* (Virchow, 1855)
Historical perception of "Tree of Life" - CORRECT ANSWER - 350 BC: Scala naturae
(God's organization)
1700s: 2 kingdoms - plant/animal (Linneaus)
1960s: 5 kingdoms - monera (prokaryotes), protista, plantae, fungi, animalia
Describe the 3 domains of life - CORRECT ANSWER - -Bacteria = prokaryotes
-Archaea = prokaryotes, many extremophiles
-Eukarya = Eukaryotes (protists, plants, fungi, animals)
-Last Universal Common Ancestor: ~3.5 BYA
Who is credited with redrawing the tree of life into 3 domains? - CORRECT ANSWER -
Carle Woese & George Fox (1970s)
Describe the evidence used to reclassify organisms into the 3 domains. - CORRECT
ANSWER - -Redrawing of phylogenetic relationships based on analysis of rRNA
sequences
-rRNA: in all cells, sequences change slowly, in vitro replication of conserved regions
What information did we learn from the analysis of the rRNA gene sequences pioneered by
Woese and Fox? - CORRECT ANSWER - -2 groups of prokaryotes: bacteria & archaea
-Eukaryotes & archaea more closely related than bacteria
-Protists should not be classified in a separate kingdom
What is a protist? Why is it no longer correct to classify all protists together into one
phylogenetic group? - CORRECT ANSWER - -Many diverse lineages of various
eukaryotic organisms
-Unicellular (dinoflagellates) or multicellular (some algae)
,-Some protists are not closely related
Describe the fundamental differences between eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells. - CORRECT
ANSWER - -Prokaryotic = no nucleus, smaller & less complex
-Eukaryotic = nucleus, larger, membrane-bound organelles
Describe the structural features shared by all cells. - CORRECT ANSWER - 1) lipid-based
plasma membrane
2) metabolic machinery
3) DNA = hereditary info
4) ribosomes = protein-synthesizing machinery
giga - CORRECT ANSWER - 10^9
pico - CORRECT ANSWER - 10^-12
femto - CORRECT ANSWER - 10^-15
Most useful unit for expressing size of cells & larger organelles - CORRECT ANSWER -
Micrometer
Units to express size of molecules & smaller subcellular structures - CORRECT
ANSWER - Nanometer or Angstrom (Å)
1 Angstrom = ? nm or ? m - CORRECT ANSWER - 0.1 nm
10^-10 m
Unit to express size of proteins - CORRECT ANSWER - Dalton (Da) (same as AMU)
, Explain why cell size is limited. - CORRECT ANSWER - 1) resource availability
(nutrients, space)
2) surface area to volume ratio
Surface area & volume calculations - CORRECT ANSWER - SA: H x W x # sides x #
cells
Vol: H x W x L x # cells
Why SA:V matters - CORRECT ANSWER - -More SA = more efficient transport in/out of
cell through plasma membrane
-Affects localized conc of molecules & diffusion rate
-Affects rate of chemical reactions
Explain the strategies cells/organisms can use to overcome the limitations imposed by surface
area:volume constraints. - CORRECT ANSWER - -Cell division
-Enter G0 phase when max size is reached
-Membrane folding (& organelle membrane folding for eukaryotes)
-Long, thin cells - greater SA:V than round cells, but less volume
-Active transport: specialized carrier proteins &
microtubules of cytoskeleton (not relying on simple diffusion)
-Multicellularity: cooperation of cells
After watching the "Inner Life of a Cell" animation, describe in general the events that take
place. - CORRECT ANSWER - *Leukocyte extravasation:* rolling, activation, adhesion,
trans-endothelial migration
-Leukocytes roll on endothelial cells
-Motor proteins link vesicles & microtubules to travel to & from PM
-Orientation of organelles partially dictated by microtubules
-Golgi glycosylates proteins & transports them to PM
*Inflammation:*
ACTUAL Exam Questions and CORRECT
Answers
Identify characteristics of living things that distinguish them from non-living things. -
CORRECT ANSWER - -Organization
-Evolution of populations
-DNA
-Reproduction
-Growth/development
-Response to environment
-Metabolism
-Homeostasis
-1+ cells
Give a brief overview of the historical events that contributed to modern cell biology. Recall the
associated names and dates involved in the events discussed in class. - CORRECT
ANSWER - -1595: Zacharias Jansen invents first microscope
-1665: cell discovered by Robert Hooke ("Micrographia")
-1674: single-celled organisms discovered by Leeuwenhoek
-1830s: advances in optics -
compound microscope
-1831: nucleus ("kernel") discovered by Robert Brown
-1838: Cell Theory - Schleiden & Schwann (basic unit, distinct entity & building block, free-cell
formation (WRONG))
-1855: Virchow - cells arise only from preexisting cells ("omnis cellula e cellula")
Summarize the currently accepted cell theory. - CORRECT ANSWER - 1) Cell = unit of
structure, physiology & organization in living things
,2) Dual existence as distinct entity & building block of organisms
3) *All cells arise from only pre-existing cells* (Virchow, 1855)
Historical perception of "Tree of Life" - CORRECT ANSWER - 350 BC: Scala naturae
(God's organization)
1700s: 2 kingdoms - plant/animal (Linneaus)
1960s: 5 kingdoms - monera (prokaryotes), protista, plantae, fungi, animalia
Describe the 3 domains of life - CORRECT ANSWER - -Bacteria = prokaryotes
-Archaea = prokaryotes, many extremophiles
-Eukarya = Eukaryotes (protists, plants, fungi, animals)
-Last Universal Common Ancestor: ~3.5 BYA
Who is credited with redrawing the tree of life into 3 domains? - CORRECT ANSWER -
Carle Woese & George Fox (1970s)
Describe the evidence used to reclassify organisms into the 3 domains. - CORRECT
ANSWER - -Redrawing of phylogenetic relationships based on analysis of rRNA
sequences
-rRNA: in all cells, sequences change slowly, in vitro replication of conserved regions
What information did we learn from the analysis of the rRNA gene sequences pioneered by
Woese and Fox? - CORRECT ANSWER - -2 groups of prokaryotes: bacteria & archaea
-Eukaryotes & archaea more closely related than bacteria
-Protists should not be classified in a separate kingdom
What is a protist? Why is it no longer correct to classify all protists together into one
phylogenetic group? - CORRECT ANSWER - -Many diverse lineages of various
eukaryotic organisms
-Unicellular (dinoflagellates) or multicellular (some algae)
,-Some protists are not closely related
Describe the fundamental differences between eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells. - CORRECT
ANSWER - -Prokaryotic = no nucleus, smaller & less complex
-Eukaryotic = nucleus, larger, membrane-bound organelles
Describe the structural features shared by all cells. - CORRECT ANSWER - 1) lipid-based
plasma membrane
2) metabolic machinery
3) DNA = hereditary info
4) ribosomes = protein-synthesizing machinery
giga - CORRECT ANSWER - 10^9
pico - CORRECT ANSWER - 10^-12
femto - CORRECT ANSWER - 10^-15
Most useful unit for expressing size of cells & larger organelles - CORRECT ANSWER -
Micrometer
Units to express size of molecules & smaller subcellular structures - CORRECT
ANSWER - Nanometer or Angstrom (Å)
1 Angstrom = ? nm or ? m - CORRECT ANSWER - 0.1 nm
10^-10 m
Unit to express size of proteins - CORRECT ANSWER - Dalton (Da) (same as AMU)
, Explain why cell size is limited. - CORRECT ANSWER - 1) resource availability
(nutrients, space)
2) surface area to volume ratio
Surface area & volume calculations - CORRECT ANSWER - SA: H x W x # sides x #
cells
Vol: H x W x L x # cells
Why SA:V matters - CORRECT ANSWER - -More SA = more efficient transport in/out of
cell through plasma membrane
-Affects localized conc of molecules & diffusion rate
-Affects rate of chemical reactions
Explain the strategies cells/organisms can use to overcome the limitations imposed by surface
area:volume constraints. - CORRECT ANSWER - -Cell division
-Enter G0 phase when max size is reached
-Membrane folding (& organelle membrane folding for eukaryotes)
-Long, thin cells - greater SA:V than round cells, but less volume
-Active transport: specialized carrier proteins &
microtubules of cytoskeleton (not relying on simple diffusion)
-Multicellularity: cooperation of cells
After watching the "Inner Life of a Cell" animation, describe in general the events that take
place. - CORRECT ANSWER - *Leukocyte extravasation:* rolling, activation, adhesion,
trans-endothelial migration
-Leukocytes roll on endothelial cells
-Motor proteins link vesicles & microtubules to travel to & from PM
-Orientation of organelles partially dictated by microtubules
-Golgi glycosylates proteins & transports them to PM
*Inflammation:*
