BiologyMidtermShortAnswer Flashcards
Explain the characteristics of life common to all organisms.
- growth and development
- ability to reproduce
- response to enviroment
- have genetic material to evolve
- homestasis
- convert energy between forms
- organization
Compare and contrast the cellular structures and degrees of complexity of prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms.
Eukaryotic cells are complex cells made up of membrane-bound organelles. Eukaryotic cells have nuclei, or organelles that contain the DNA of the cell. Eukaryotic cells undergo mitosis and meiosis to divide. Conversely, prokaryotic cells are much simpler and lack membrane-bound organelles. Prokaryotic cells have no nuclei, only a nucleoid. Prokaryotes undergo binary fission to divide.
Explain cell processes in terms of chemical reactions and energy changes.
Cell respiration changes chemical potential energy stored in molecules such as glucose into more usable chemical potential energy stored in ATP, while releasing CO2 and H20. Energy is also released as heat.
Photosythesis changes light energy, H2O, and CO2 into chemical potential energy stored in molecules like glucose, while releasing O2.
Identify the initial reactants, final products, and general purposes of photosynthesis and cellular respiration.
Photosynthesis reactants: CO2 and H2O
Photosynthesis products: energy (from sunlight), carbohydrates, and O2
Photosynthesis purpose: use sunlight to gain energy
Cell respiration reactants: carbohydrates (such as glucose) and O2
Cell respiration products: energy (as ATP and CO2
Cell respiration products: to release and make available the energy in food
Explain the important role of ATP in cell metabolism.
ATP is the energy carrier in most reactions in the cell. ATP also provides activation energy.
Describe the relationship between photosynthesis and cellular respiration in photosynthetic organisms.
Photosythesis stores energy in molecules such as glucose. This energy can be released through cellular respiration for usein the cell.
Explain the importance of enzymes as catalysts in cell reactions.
Enzymes are not used directly in the reactions they catalyze, but they allow the reaction to occur fast enough to sustain complex organisms. Enzymes function by lowering the activation energy of the reaction.
Identify how factors such as pH and temperature may affect enzyme function.
Extremely high or extremly low pH or temperature cause enzymes to denature and not function properly.
Relate the structure of organelles to their function (energy capture and release, transport, waste removal, protein synthesis, etc).
Chloroplasts have numerous thylakoids that allow more light reactions to occur at once. Mitochondria have cristae or folds in their inner membranes to creat e more surface area for the electron transport system proteins. Transport vesicles are simple blobs that can carry materials throughout the cell. Cells release waste when a transport vesicle fuses with the cell membrane and releases its contents to the outside. Ribosomes are protein complexes that are specialized in producing other proteins.
Explain the role of water in cell metabolism.
The Electron Transport System produces water using the remaining energy in the electrons from NADH and FAD2.
Explain how the cell membrane functions as a regulatory structure and protective barrier for the cell.
The cell membrane is constructed mainly of a phospholipid bilayer that only allows small, nonpolar, neutral molecules to pass through. Other molecules can only pass with the help of transport proteins or active transport mechanisms. These methods of transport can be regulated by the cell, allowing it to control the solutes of the cytoplasm.
Describe transport mechanisms across the plasma membrane.
Small, nonpolar, nuetral molecules can pass through the cell membrane with help. Other molecules can pass through using facilitated diffusion with the help of transport proteins such as aquaporins that allow water into and out of the cell. Some transport proteins require energy to transport substances, making them forms of active transport. Cells can transport larger molecules through endocytosis, in which part of cell membrane engulfs the molecule and brings it into the cell, or through exocytosis, in which a transport vesicle fuses with the membrane and releases its contents out of the cell.
Identify the advantages of multi-cellularity in organisms.
In multicellular organisms, cells can specialize to preform different functions. Cells can work together to aquire energy> Multicellular organisms are larger and thus have less predators. Additionally, the internal cells of multicellular organisms exist in a more controlled enviroment.
Analyze the importance of carbon to the structure of biological macromolecules.
All biological macromolecules use carbon for their basic structure becuase it easily bonds with other atoms and can form carbon backbones.
Compare and contrast the functions and structures of proteins, lipids, carbohydrates, and nucleic acids.
Carbohydrates are used as short term energy for cells, while lipids store long term energy. Proteins are used to catylze reactions in enzymatic form and create molecules the cell needs, while nucleics acids are form DNA and RNA, which store the genetic code that creates the proteins and directs how the cell functions.
