RIO BIO 156 FINAL PAPER 2025/2026 QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS GRADED A+
✔✔Describe lipids - ✔✔can be divided into fats, phospholipids, steroids, and waxes.
part of it is hydrophobic.
make up part of cell membranes and provide energy.
✔✔Describe proteins - ✔✔made up of amino acids.
✔✔Describe the molecular structure and importance of RNA. - ✔✔An RNA molecule is
a chain of four kinds of nucleotide monomers, one of which is ATP. RNA molecules
carry out protein synthesis
✔✔Describe the molecular structure and importance of DNA. - ✔✔A DNA molecule
consists of two chains of nucleotides twisted into a double helix.
Each cell starts life with DNA inherited from a parent cell.
✔✔Identify a peptide bond and explain how it is formed. - ✔✔covalent bond that links
amino acids in a protein
During protein synthesis, a peptide bond forms between the carboxyl group of the first
amino acid and the amine group of the second
✔✔Define the primary, secondary (two forms), tertiary, and quaternary structure of a
protein. - ✔✔1. primary structure is order of the amino acids
2. secondary structure has alpha helix and the beta pleated sheet.
tertiary structure interactions between the r- groups of amino acids.
3. quaternary structure is the interaction between multiple polypeptide chains.
4. making up membrane structure, antibodies, enzymes, neurotoxins, and hair and nail
structure. also used as an energy source.
✔✔List the major components of a nucleotide - ✔✔monomers of nucleic acids. contains
sugar, nitrogen base, and one ore more phosphate groups.
✔✔Cite the key features of the Cell Theory. - ✔✔1. Every living organism consists of
one or more cells.
2. The cell is the structural and functional unit of all organisms. A cell is the smallest unit
of life, individually alive even as part of a multicelled organism.
3. All living cells arise by division of preexisting cells.
4. Cells contain hereditary material, which they pass to their offspring when they divide.
✔✔Compare and contrast the structure and function of mitochondria and chloroplasts. -
✔✔mitochondria: Makes ATP by glucose breakdown
chloroplast: Makes sugars (in plants, some protists)
, ✔✔List several surface structures of cells and explain how they help cells survive. -
✔✔Cell Wall: Protects, structurally supports cell
Plasma membrane: selectively permeable and controls exchanges between the cell and
its environment.
✔✔Describe the major kinds of microscopes and explain their main use. - ✔✔Light
microscope uses light to pass through the image onto magnifying lenses.
Scanning electron microscope scans the outside of cell surfaces.
Transmission electron microscope can magnify the internal cellular structures.
✔✔Describe how the relationship between the surface area of a cell and its volume
changes as the cell increases in size. - ✔✔A cell's surface area increases with the
square of its diameter, while its volume increases with the cube. This surface- to-volume
ratio limits cell size and influences cell shape.
✔✔Explain two reasons why smaller cells are biologically more efficient than larger
cells. - ✔✔The rate of exchange across a plasma membrane depends on its surface
area: The bigger it is, the more substances can cross it during a given interval.
✔✔Describe the eukaryotic nucleus - ✔✔Keeps DNA separated from cytoplasm; makes
ribosome subunits; controls access to DNA
✔✔Identify the unique features of a prokaryotic cell - ✔✔cytoplasm with ribosome
dna
plasma membrane
cell wall
capsule
pilus
bacterial flagellum
✔✔Vesicles - ✔✔membrane-enclosed sacs that often form by budding from other
components of the endomembrane system. Many transport substances among
organelles of the ER, and to and from the plasma membrane. Other vesicles store or
break down substances.
✔✔Rough ER - ✔✔Ribosomes attached to
the rough ER use RNA in
the cytoplasm to make polypeptides. The newly synthesized polypeptide chains enter
rough ER, where they take on tertiary structure and assemble with other polypeptide
chains.
✔✔Smooth ER - ✔✔Proteins migrate through the interior of the rough ER, and end up
in the smooth ER. Some stay in smooth ER, as enzymes that assemble lipids and break
down carbohydrates, wastes, and toxins. Other proteins
are packaged in vesicles for transport to Golgi bodies.
ANSWERS GRADED A+
✔✔Describe lipids - ✔✔can be divided into fats, phospholipids, steroids, and waxes.
part of it is hydrophobic.
make up part of cell membranes and provide energy.
✔✔Describe proteins - ✔✔made up of amino acids.
✔✔Describe the molecular structure and importance of RNA. - ✔✔An RNA molecule is
a chain of four kinds of nucleotide monomers, one of which is ATP. RNA molecules
carry out protein synthesis
✔✔Describe the molecular structure and importance of DNA. - ✔✔A DNA molecule
consists of two chains of nucleotides twisted into a double helix.
Each cell starts life with DNA inherited from a parent cell.
✔✔Identify a peptide bond and explain how it is formed. - ✔✔covalent bond that links
amino acids in a protein
During protein synthesis, a peptide bond forms between the carboxyl group of the first
amino acid and the amine group of the second
✔✔Define the primary, secondary (two forms), tertiary, and quaternary structure of a
protein. - ✔✔1. primary structure is order of the amino acids
2. secondary structure has alpha helix and the beta pleated sheet.
tertiary structure interactions between the r- groups of amino acids.
3. quaternary structure is the interaction between multiple polypeptide chains.
4. making up membrane structure, antibodies, enzymes, neurotoxins, and hair and nail
structure. also used as an energy source.
✔✔List the major components of a nucleotide - ✔✔monomers of nucleic acids. contains
sugar, nitrogen base, and one ore more phosphate groups.
✔✔Cite the key features of the Cell Theory. - ✔✔1. Every living organism consists of
one or more cells.
2. The cell is the structural and functional unit of all organisms. A cell is the smallest unit
of life, individually alive even as part of a multicelled organism.
3. All living cells arise by division of preexisting cells.
4. Cells contain hereditary material, which they pass to their offspring when they divide.
✔✔Compare and contrast the structure and function of mitochondria and chloroplasts. -
✔✔mitochondria: Makes ATP by glucose breakdown
chloroplast: Makes sugars (in plants, some protists)
, ✔✔List several surface structures of cells and explain how they help cells survive. -
✔✔Cell Wall: Protects, structurally supports cell
Plasma membrane: selectively permeable and controls exchanges between the cell and
its environment.
✔✔Describe the major kinds of microscopes and explain their main use. - ✔✔Light
microscope uses light to pass through the image onto magnifying lenses.
Scanning electron microscope scans the outside of cell surfaces.
Transmission electron microscope can magnify the internal cellular structures.
✔✔Describe how the relationship between the surface area of a cell and its volume
changes as the cell increases in size. - ✔✔A cell's surface area increases with the
square of its diameter, while its volume increases with the cube. This surface- to-volume
ratio limits cell size and influences cell shape.
✔✔Explain two reasons why smaller cells are biologically more efficient than larger
cells. - ✔✔The rate of exchange across a plasma membrane depends on its surface
area: The bigger it is, the more substances can cross it during a given interval.
✔✔Describe the eukaryotic nucleus - ✔✔Keeps DNA separated from cytoplasm; makes
ribosome subunits; controls access to DNA
✔✔Identify the unique features of a prokaryotic cell - ✔✔cytoplasm with ribosome
dna
plasma membrane
cell wall
capsule
pilus
bacterial flagellum
✔✔Vesicles - ✔✔membrane-enclosed sacs that often form by budding from other
components of the endomembrane system. Many transport substances among
organelles of the ER, and to and from the plasma membrane. Other vesicles store or
break down substances.
✔✔Rough ER - ✔✔Ribosomes attached to
the rough ER use RNA in
the cytoplasm to make polypeptides. The newly synthesized polypeptide chains enter
rough ER, where they take on tertiary structure and assemble with other polypeptide
chains.
✔✔Smooth ER - ✔✔Proteins migrate through the interior of the rough ER, and end up
in the smooth ER. Some stay in smooth ER, as enzymes that assemble lipids and break
down carbohydrates, wastes, and toxins. Other proteins
are packaged in vesicles for transport to Golgi bodies.
