First year review

Question 1

What are 10 basic cell principles?

Answer 1

1. cells are highly organized and complex
2. plasma membranes cover cells and filter what nutrients and waste can pass through
3. cells acquire and use energy
4. cells carry out chemical reactions from the same molecular building blocks
5. cells respond to stimuli
6. cells evolve
7. cells store hereditary information in the linear nucleotide sequences of DNA
8. replicate their hereditary information by templated polymerization
9. transcribe portions of their hereditary info into the intermediary RNA
10. translate RNA into protein the same way and use these proteins as catalysts

Question 2

What are 4 structural similarities between prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells?

Answer 2

1. plasma membranes have similar structure
2. genetic information is coded in DNA using the same genetic code
3. cytoskeletal filaments that are built by proteins similar to actin and tubulin are similar
4. similar ribosomes

Question 3

What are 4 functional similarities between prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells?

Answer 3

1. similar mechanisms for transcription and translation
2. shared metabolic pathways (ex. glycolysis)
3. similar mechanisms of conserving ATP (location differs - plasma membrane in P. vs. inner mitochondrial membrane in E)
4. similar mechanism of photosynthesis in cyanobacteria