Biological and Biochemical Foundations of Living Systems

Question 1

Why are humans able to sweat freely in hot temperatures, even though the skin is composed of dead skin cells with oil/keratin?

Answer 1

Sweat glands have special channels through the skin

Question 2

In eukaryotic cells, the process of incorporating uridine nucleotides into nucleic acid polymers occurs where?

Answer 2

Nucleus

Question 3

In eukaryotic cells, transcription occurs where?

Answer 3

Nucleus

Question 4

An X-ray of the bones of the leg of a growing child will show:

Answer 4

Cartilaginous areas in the long bones

Question 5

What is one of the most abundant proteins in eukaroytic cells?

Answer 5

Histones

Question 6

Histones (function):

Answer 6

form highly compacted 30-nm chromatin fibers

Question 7

Gall bladder (function):

Answer 7

stores bile produced by the liver.

Question 8

Following removal of the gall bladder, restriction of what is needed:

Answer 8

triglycerides (hydrophobic fats)

Question 9

Which hormone is associated with triggering ovulation?

Answer 9

Luteinizing hormone

Question 10

Why do ectopic pregnancies occur?

Answer 10

Failure of the fertilized egg to be transported from the oviducts to the uterus.

Question 11

What are the roles of the proteins actin and myosin during muscular contraction?

Answer 11

Bridges between actin and myosin form, break, and re-form, leading to a shortening of muscle sarcomeres.

Question 12

Which muscles contain striated muscle fibers?

Answer 12

skeletal and cardiac

Question 13

Which organ in the digestive system participates in regulation of glucose levels by breaking down glycogen?

Answer 13

Liver

Question 14

What class of substances would travel through the bloodstream, linking the brain with the digestive tract?

Answer 14

hormones

Question 15

Disruption of mitochondria is likely to decrease what?

Answer 15

ATP production

Question 16

Mitochondria has what kind of
DNA?

Answer 16

Circular, like bacteria

Question 17

How is ATP synthesis driven?

Answer 17

by the flow of hydrogen ions (H+) down a concentration gradient

Question 18

Which tissues arise from the mesoderm during embryonic development?

Answer 18

Circulatory, bone, and dermal

Question 19

Nervous tissues arise developmentally from?

Answer 19

the ectoderm

Question 20

The sequence of events in the human menstrual cycle involves close interaction among which organs?

Answer 20

hypothalamus, pituitary gland, and ovary

Question 21

Aldosterone stimulates the reabsorption of what by the kidneys?

Answer 21

Na+

Question 22

Aldosterone deficiency would result in what?

Answer 22

Decreased blood volume and decreased pressure

Question 23

Separate species are characterized by:

Answer 23

inability to interbreed and produce fertile offspring

Question 24

What would be the result of complete removal of the parathyroid glands?

Answer 24

Several neural and muscular problems due to deficiency of calcium in the plasma

Question 25

Why would calcitonin levels increase?

Answer 25

When the level of calcium in the plasma is high

Question 26

Low levels of calcium in the plasma will increase:

Answer 26

Osteoclast activity and Vitamin C

Question 27

Why do calcium supplements often include Vitamin D?

Answer 27

The activated form of Vitamin D stimulates the absorption of calcium into the blood

Question 28

Most bacterial cells and human cells are alike in:

Answer 28

the ability to produce ATP via ATP synthase

Question 29

Regeneration following illness/damage in the liver is accomplished through;

Answer 29

mitosis

Question 30

An increase in albumin will cause:

Answer 30

an influx of tissue fluid to the bloodstream

Question 31

Which structure that when damaged would most likely lead to cancer or result in a mutation?

Answer 31

Chromosome

Question 32

Accumulation of DDT (insectide that crosses biological membranes readily) will result in:

Answer 32

detoxification of poisons and production of bile (functions of the liver) and absorption of fats in the small intestine

Question 33

Sensations are detected by which neurons?

Answer 33

Sensory neurons that are depolarized

Question 34

Increased vasoconstriction (narrowing of a vessel) causes body to:

Answer 34

maintain blood pressure during a hemorrhage

Question 35

Vasodilation increases:

Answer 35

blood flow to both the muscle during exercise and the skin during blushing

Question 36

The two primary factors that normally determine the level of blood pressure are:

Answer 36

cardiac output and the resistance to blood flow

Question 37

Inbreeding can reduce the fitness of a population in the short term because it causes an increase in the:

Answer 37

incidence of expression of deleterious recessive traits

Question 38

Inbreeding decreases:

Answer 38

genetic diversity

Question 39

Functions of mammalian skin:

Answer 39

touch sensation. protection from disease and internal injury

Question 40

In mammals, which of the following events occurs during mitosis but does NOT occur during meiosis I?

Answer 40

splitting of centromeres

Question 41

Which of the following clearly marks fungi as eukaryotes?

Answer 41

They contain mitochondria

Question 42

Control of heart rate, muscle coordination, and appetite is maintained by:

Answer 42

the brain stem, cerebellum, and hypothalamus, respectively

Question 43

Protein myoglobin in urine causes:

Answer 43

damaged muscle and kidney

Question 44

Myoglobin is:

Answer 44

substance that holds oxygen in the muscles and organs

Question 45

Hypoxia is:

Answer 45

insufficient oxygen to the body cells

Question 46

The sympathetic autonomic nervous system is the:

Answer 46

fight of flight response

Question 47

The sodium pump is most active in:

Answer 47

Loop of Henle

Question 48

Leukocytes are related to:

Answer 48

inflammation

Question 49

The most effective method for producing an increase in the total amount of water lost through the skin during a certain period would be:

Answer 49

raising the environmental temperature

Question 50

The lipases catalyze the hydrolysis of fats and other carboxylic acid esters. The lipases illustrate the fact that:

Answer 50

some enzymes interact with several different substrate molecules that have similar chemical linkages.

Question 51

Which of the following recombinant processes depends on the F factor plasmid?

Answer 51

conjugation

Question 52

Inflation of the lungs in mammals is accomplished by:

Answer 52

negative pressure pumping action

Question 53

Antisense drugs prevent

Answer 53

RNA translation