Macromolecules and Cellular Metabolism

Question 1

Dehydration is a common clinical presentation in veterinary medicine. This is important to correct because what molecule if the most numerous molecule in your patient’s cell?

Answer 1

water

Question 2

Which of the following nucleic acids is more prone to mistakes during replication?

Answer 2

RNA

Question 3

Adenosine triphosphate, the main source of energy used in cells, is which type of compound?

Answer 3

nucleotide

Question 4

Heat stroke can be life-threatening can be a life-threatening condition because heat can denature bodily proteins. Which type of protein structure is not affected by denaturation?

Answer 4

primary structure

Question 5

What kind of hormone is insulin?

Answer 5

protein-based insulin

Question 6

You are working in an emergency clinic when a Great Dane dog presents with gastric dilation and volvulus (a twisted stomach). You run blood tests which reveal an abnormally high lactate level. Which type of pathway is likely to be increased in your patient’s tissues?

Answer 6

Anaerobic respiration

Question 7

What is the most abundant plasma protein?

Answer 7

albumin

Question 8

The Reid Park Zoo in Tucson has received a large donation of hay to be used as a food source for the animals. The giraffes, elephants, and antelopes will be able to eat this grass while the lions and panthers will not. Which polysaccharide is present in hay that cannot be utilized as an energy source by carnivores?

Answer 8

cellulose

Question 9

the main function of triglycerides is

Answer 9

energy storage

Question 10

the downside of triglycerides is that they are hydrophobic and need to be transported in the blood by another molecule. What molecules transport triglycerides in the blood?

Answer 10

lipoproteins

Question 11

what functions do compound lipids perform?

Answer 11

insulation of axons, transport of other lipids, membrane components

Question 12

Fat-soluble vitamins are which type of lipid

Answer 12

derived

Question 13

what is an example of a steroid hormone

Answer 13

testosterone

Question 14

which of the following is an important precursor to steroid hormones?

Answer 14

cholesterol

Question 15

What is the storage form of glucose in animal tissues?

Answer 15

glycogen

Question 16

what is the main role of glycoproteins in cells

Answer 16

signaling

Question 17

which of the following animals would be able to use cellulose as an energy source

Answer 17

horse, cow

Question 18

what roles does oxygen perform in aerobic respiration

Answer 18

it serves as the molecule that accepts the final electron in the electron transport chain, where it is then converted to water

Question 19

the measurement of lactate is a blood test done in veterinary practice. What would a high result suggest?

Answer 19

the cells are using a lot of anerobic metabolism

Question 20

You are an intern at an emergency hospital, working the overnight shift. You are presented with ‘Claude’, a 4-year-old male neutered domestic crossbreed cat. He is presenting because during one of his regular nighttime play sessions with his owners, he collapsed on the floor, panting. This is very unusual for him. He seems to have regained his strength but is still panting. Panting is abnormal for a cat, which leads you to believe he may have disease in his lungs or heart. Chest radiographs are conducted and reveal an increased opacity in his lung fields, suggestive of fluid in the lungs (‘pulmonary edema’). An ultrasound of his heart reveals that it is abnormally enlarged. Claude’s owners have been on a health kick and have also been preparing Claude’s food for him, made from ingredients they buy at the supermarket. You suspect he has heart disease due to a deficiency in a specific nutrient. Which amino acid is essential for cats and might be deficient in Claude’s case?

Answer 20

taurine

Question 21

Imagine you are a formulating a diet that will be fed to a herd of beef cows when they are housed in the barn during winter. You know that you need to provide carbohydrates in their diet. Which of the following polysaccharides, present in fibrous foods like hay, can be utilized by ruminants (like cows) but not carnivores (like cats)?

Answer 21

cellulose

Question 22

Briefly explain how cellulose is able to be digested by cows:

Answer 22

Cows and other hindgut fermenters/ruminants have microbial enzymes in their digestive tract that digest cellulose