MMSC490 FINAL EXAM PAPER 2026
COMPLETE QUESTIONS AND SOLUTIONS
◍ E. coli is a useful model system for molecular biology studies
because:
a. it has a small genome.
b. it reproduces rapidly.
c. mutants can easily be isolated from culture dishes. Answer:all of the
above
◍ Arabidopsis thaliana is a model organism for studying the molecular
biology of:
a. plants.
b. fungi.
c. fruit flies.
d. vertebrates. Answer:a. plants
◍ The diffraction limited resolving power of a standard light microscope
is
approximately:
a. 0.2 mm.
,b. 0.2 µm.
c. 0.2 nm.
d. 2 Å. Answer:b. 0.2 µm
◍ A common use of green fluorescent protein (GFP) is to:
a. label antibodies.
b. visualize proteins in living cells.
c. photobleach other fluorescent proteins.
d. label DNA sequences. Answer:b. visualize proteins in living cells
◍ Electron microscopes have a resolution advantage over light
microscopes
because:
a. electron microscopes allow the viewer to examine living cells.
b. electron microscope lens have a larger numerical aperture.
c. electron microscopes are easier to use.
d. the wavelength of electrons is shorter than that of light Answer:d. the
wavelength of electrons is shorter than that of light
◍ In a classic experiment that demonstrated the semiconservative nature
of DNA replication, cells were grown first in 14N-containing media and
later in 15N-containing media, and DNA was separated by:
a. electrophoresis.
,b. differential centrifugation.
c. velocity density-gradient centrifugation.
d. equilibrium centrifugation. Answer:d. equilibrium centrifugation
◍ The most abundant molecules in cells are:
a. proteins.
b. carbohydrates.
c. lipids.
d. water. Answer:d. water.
◍ A few sugars joined together are called a(n):
a. glycoside.
b. oligosaccharide.
c. polysaccharide.
d. starch. Answer:b. oligosaccharide
◍ Steroid hormones are derivatives of:
a. cholesterol.
b. phospholipids.
c. amino acids.
d. sugars. Answer:a. cholesterol
, ◍ Complementary base pairs form _______ bonds to direct replication
of DNA.
a. hydrogen
b. phosphodiester
c. glycosidic
d. covalent Answer:a. hydrogen
◍ Polymerization of nucleotides to form nucleic acids involves the
formation of
_______ bonds.
a. peptide
b. phosphodiester
c. glycosidic
d. hydrogen Answer:b. phosphodiester
◍ Serine, threonine, asparagine, and glutamine are all _______ amino
acids.
a. basic
b. acidic
c. polar
d. nonpolar Answer:c. polar
COMPLETE QUESTIONS AND SOLUTIONS
◍ E. coli is a useful model system for molecular biology studies
because:
a. it has a small genome.
b. it reproduces rapidly.
c. mutants can easily be isolated from culture dishes. Answer:all of the
above
◍ Arabidopsis thaliana is a model organism for studying the molecular
biology of:
a. plants.
b. fungi.
c. fruit flies.
d. vertebrates. Answer:a. plants
◍ The diffraction limited resolving power of a standard light microscope
is
approximately:
a. 0.2 mm.
,b. 0.2 µm.
c. 0.2 nm.
d. 2 Å. Answer:b. 0.2 µm
◍ A common use of green fluorescent protein (GFP) is to:
a. label antibodies.
b. visualize proteins in living cells.
c. photobleach other fluorescent proteins.
d. label DNA sequences. Answer:b. visualize proteins in living cells
◍ Electron microscopes have a resolution advantage over light
microscopes
because:
a. electron microscopes allow the viewer to examine living cells.
b. electron microscope lens have a larger numerical aperture.
c. electron microscopes are easier to use.
d. the wavelength of electrons is shorter than that of light Answer:d. the
wavelength of electrons is shorter than that of light
◍ In a classic experiment that demonstrated the semiconservative nature
of DNA replication, cells were grown first in 14N-containing media and
later in 15N-containing media, and DNA was separated by:
a. electrophoresis.
,b. differential centrifugation.
c. velocity density-gradient centrifugation.
d. equilibrium centrifugation. Answer:d. equilibrium centrifugation
◍ The most abundant molecules in cells are:
a. proteins.
b. carbohydrates.
c. lipids.
d. water. Answer:d. water.
◍ A few sugars joined together are called a(n):
a. glycoside.
b. oligosaccharide.
c. polysaccharide.
d. starch. Answer:b. oligosaccharide
◍ Steroid hormones are derivatives of:
a. cholesterol.
b. phospholipids.
c. amino acids.
d. sugars. Answer:a. cholesterol
, ◍ Complementary base pairs form _______ bonds to direct replication
of DNA.
a. hydrogen
b. phosphodiester
c. glycosidic
d. covalent Answer:a. hydrogen
◍ Polymerization of nucleotides to form nucleic acids involves the
formation of
_______ bonds.
a. peptide
b. phosphodiester
c. glycosidic
d. hydrogen Answer:b. phosphodiester
◍ Serine, threonine, asparagine, and glutamine are all _______ amino
acids.
a. basic
b. acidic
c. polar
d. nonpolar Answer:c. polar
