Name:_____________________________

Date:______________________ Period:____________________________

Cells and Cell Processes Common Assessment

Review Questions-ANSWER KEY
1. List the eight characteristics of life and give an example of each.

a. DNA – all living things contain hereditary material (DNA/RNA)

b. Cells / Order – living things are highly ordered starting with the basic unit of life
– the cell
c. Homeostasis – living things maintain a stable internal environment through
regulatory activities (i.e. temperature regulation, oxygen concentration, water
regulation, etc….)
d. Energy – living things obtain and use energy
e. Respond – living things respond to stimuli
f. Growth and Develop – living things increase in size and mature over
g. Reproduce – living things are capable of producing more of their own kind
h. Evolve – livings things adapt to their environment

2. What is homeostasis? Give an example of it.

A process by which organisms maintain a relatively stable internal environment.
Examples: regulating of blood sugar levels, body temperature, water concentration,
etc…
3. Water is a “polar” molecule. What does that mean?
Polar molecules have a charge distribution (a positively charged / electropositive
end and a negatively charged / electronegative end) In water the Hydrogen atoms
are slightly positive while the oxygen is slightly negative creating charged regions of
the molecule. This allows it to dissolve and transport materials.

4. Water exhibits both adhesion and cohesion. What’s the difference between
the two?
Cohesion – water molecules are attracted to other water molecules
Adhesion – water molecules are attracted to other polar molecules
5. List and describe two other properties of water, not mentioned above, that allow living
organisms to survive.

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 Surface Tension—water molecules are attracted to other polar molecules, forming a
“net” on the surface of water
Capillary Action—water climbs against gravity due to the polar nature of the water
molecule
Universal Solvent—water dissolves other polar substances, carrying dissolved
substances throughout our body
Specific Heat Capacity—water takes a long time to heat up, but also to cool down,
because of this water is able to cool our body as it evaporates
Density—water is the only substance on Earth that is less dense as a solid that a
liquid, allowing solid ice to float on liquid water
6. Use the chart below to answer the questions.
The pH Scale for Common Substances

a. The table above lists acids and bases. Where do the acids begin on
the chart? Where do the bases begin on the chart?

pH of 0 to 7 = acid; pH of 7 to 14 - base

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 b. How do you determine which of the liquids above are the strongest
base or acid?
The lower the pH the more acidic the substance is – pH of 1 is much more
acidic than pH of 7.
The higher the pH the more basic the substance is – pH of 14 is much more
basic than a pH of 7.
7. Carbon is an element that is part of ___organic___________ compounds.

8. Why are carbon atoms so special when compared to other elements? In

other words, what can carbon compounds do that most other atoms can’t?
Carbon atoms can form 4 covalent bonds, it can form very large / diverse molecules
– long chains, rings, etc…

9. Polymers are made up of monomers. What does this mean and give an
example that illustrates this.
Polymers are very large molecules made up of many smaller molecules (monomers)
that are bonded together.

Proteins are a polymer / macromolecule made up of many amino acids. Amino

acids are the monomers / building blocks of a protein.

10. Define macromolecules and list the four main macromolecules.

Large molecules in living cells – “ giant molecules” also called polymers made up
from many smaller molecules.
Proteins, Carbohydrates, Lipids and Nucleic Acids

11. List the building block (monomer) of each macromolecule listed below. Give at least two
examples of each macromolecule.

a. Carbohydrates – Monosaccharides—glucose, fructose, galactose, sucrose,

starch, glycogen, cellulose

b. Lipids – No monomer—fats, oils, and waxes

c. Proteins – Amino Acids—keratin, actin, myosin, hemoglobin

d. Nucleic Acids – Nucleotides—DNA and RNA

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12. Classify the terms below as either a lipid, protein, or carbohydrate.

a. Amino Acid: Protein

b. Fat: Lipid

c. Enzyme: Protein

d. Sugar: Carbohydrate

13. Describe the functions of each of the macromolecules.

a. Carbohydrate: quick ENERGY, storage of energy, structure

b. Lipid: Long term energy storage, chemical messengers, WATER

BOUNDARIES

c. Protein: STRUCTURE, storage, defense, movement, TRANSPORT,

messengers and ENZYMES

d. Nucleic Acid: Store and transmit genetic information

14. Describe the importance of lipids.

Lipids serve very important roles in living things. They function in energy storage
(fat), structure (phospholipids), protection (wax), and chemical messengers
(steroids).

15. What do proteins do? In other words, why are they so important for living
things?
There a many types of proteins – they are the worker molecules of the cell. Types:
enzymatic, structural, storage, defensive, transport, receptor, hormonal, and
contractile/motor.

16. How are enzymes important in humans?

Enzymes are biological catalysts, they speed up chemical reactions in our bodies.

17. What does it mean when we say that an enzyme is denatured? What can do
this? Draw a graph showing enzyme activity and how it is affected by temperature.
Draw a graph showing enzyme activity and how it is affected by pH.
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 When enzymes are denatured their shapes change. These changes often impact the
active site (where the substrate binds) of the enzyme. This can prevent an enzyme
from binding to the substrate which slows the chemical reaction. Heating, changing
its pH, coming in contact with an alcohol can all potentially denature proteins.

18. Many cells have different shapes and sizes. Why are cells shaped and sized differently?

Because they have different FUNCTIONS!

19. What is the difference between eukaryotic cells and prokaryotic cells? Give
an example of each.
Prokaryotic cells do not have a nucleus or membrane bound organelles – bacteria.

Eukarytoic cells do have a nucleus and membrane bound organelles – animal, plant,
fungus, protist

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20. Use the picture below to answer the following question.

a. The figure above is a prokaryotic cell. What characteristics tell you

that this is a prokaryotic cell and not a eukaryotic cell?
Prokaryotic features: bacterial flagellum, capsule (outside of cell wall), DNA found
in nucleoid region (not a nucleus), and no membrane bound organelles.

21. Describe the function of each of the cell structure listed below.

a. Cell Membrane: regulate what enters and exits the cell

b. Cell Wall: strong protective barrier outside of the cell membrane

in plants, algae, and some bacteria

c. Nucleus: contains the cell’s genetic material (DNA) and controls the cell’s
activities; part of the endomembrane system

d. Nucleolus: small, dense region within most nuclei in which ribosome assembly
begins

e. Mitochondria: releases energy from stored food; creates ATP; “powerhouse”

of the cell

f. Chloroplasts: site of photosynthesis; converts solar energy into chemical

energy

g. Ribosomes: site of protein synthesis; part of the endomembrane system if

attached to the rough ER
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 h. Endoplasmic Reticulum (ER): involved in the manufacture and transport of
proteins (rough ER w/ ribosomes) and lipids (smooth ER w/out ribosomes);
smooth ER is also involved in the breakdown of toxins; part of the
endomembrane system

i. Golgi Body: packages and modifies substances for use within the cell and/or
for export out of the cell; part of the endomembrane system

j. Lysosomes: small vesicles (cell organelle) that contain digestive enzymes;

produced by Golgi body; used to breakdown food and/or waste products

k. Vacuoles: cell organelle that stores materials such as water, salts, proteins,
and carbohydrates; plants have a large central vacuole that provide structural
support

l. Plastids: a double membrane bound organelle involved in the synthesis

(production) and storage of food, and is commonly found within the cells of
photosynthetic organisms, like plants

22. Describe the structure of the cell membrane. Include the words: lipid, phospholipid
bilayer, hydrophilic, hydrophobic, tail, head, protein, carbohydrate, cholesterol
The cell membrane is composed of lipids, more accurately a double layer of
phospholipids and it is called the phospholipid bilayer. In this double layer, the
phospholipids are arranged according to how they interact with water. The heads of
the phospholipids face the outside environment and the inside cytoplasm of the cell
because they are polar, which means they are hydrophilic and like water. The tails
of the phospholipids sandwich themselves in the middle layers toward the inside of
the membrane because they are nonpolar, which means they are hydrophobic and
do not like water. Also embedded in the membrane are transport proteins, which
are seen throughout the membrane. These proteins aid in the transport of materials
and can be carriers or channels. The membrane also has carbohydrate markers
used as identification markers for the cell or protein they are attached to as well as
cholesterol, which helps keep the membrane fluid and moving.

23. What is a concentration gradient? How are concentration gradients important in transport
of materials in and out of the cell?
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 The concentration gradient refers to the gradual change in the concentration of
solutes present in a solution between two regions. In cell transport, the
concentration gradient guides transport, with materials flowing form high
concentration to low concentration until an equilibrium is reached. All materials
will follow this concentration gradient, unless active transport is involved.

24. Label each of the diagrams as Passive Transport or Active Transport.

____Active_____________ Transport

__Passive (Facilitated)_______________ Transport

25. During diffusion molecules want to move from areas of ____high ________
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 concentration to areas of __low__________ concentration.

26. What is the name of the process that moves molecules of water in and out of
the cell?
Osmosis

27. Explain, in terms of osmosis, why a raisin placed in a cup of pure water
overnight will puff up with water.
The concentration of water in the cup is much higher than the concentration of
water in the raisin. Water will move from high concentration (cup) to low
concentration (raisin) through the process of osmosis. As a result, the raisin will
swell / increase in size.

28.

Use the diagram to answer the questions on the next page.

a. Explain what would happen if some of the red blood cells were placed
in beaker A.
Water would move into the cells. The cells would swell and possibly burst.
Water with very little salt is a hypotonic solution for the red blood cells.

b. Explain what would happen if some of the red blood cells were placed
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 in beaker B.
Water would move out of the cells. The cells would shrivel. Very salty water
is a hypertonic solution for the red blood cells.

c. In the human body, blood cells float in a watery liquid called plasma.
Explain what would happen if some of the red blood cells were placed
in beaker C.
Water would move into and out of the cell at the same rate. The cell would
stay the same size. Plasma is an isotonic solution for the red blood cells.

29. What is the difference between passive and active transport?

Passive – high concentration to low; no energy
Active – low concentration to high; energy required

30. What is ATP and what do cells use it to do?

ATP is the energy currency molecule in a cell, which is generated during cellular
respiration. It is a molecule that can store energy and release it when the cell needs
it. However, the cell does not hold big stores of ATP or store it long term because it
is not beneficial energy-wise to do so, it just generates it when needed.

31. The more mitochondria that cells have will increase the amount of
_________ATP_____ that the cells can create.

32. What happens when ATP becomes ADP?

When the 3rd phosphate is removed from ATP energy is released.

ATP → ADP + P + energy

33. What is chlorophyll? Explain why it is an essential part of photosynthesis.

Chlorophyll is the photosynthetic pigment of a plant found in the chloroplast. This
pigment is essential for the conversion of solar energy (sun) into chemical energy
(ATP)

34. The following question has three parts. Answer a and b to help you answer

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question c.

a. Write the chemical equation for photosynthesis and label the reactants and
products.
6CO2 + 6H2O → light(energy)+ chlorophyll → C6H12O6 + 6O2
Reactants Products

b. Write the chemical equation for respiration and label the reactants
and products.
C6H12O6 + 6O2 → 6CO2 + 6H2O + Energy (ATP)
Reactants Products

c. Draw a diagram showing how cellular respiration and photosynthesis

are related. Use the following terms: energy, light, carbon dioxide,
oxygen, water, glucose

Chemical energy = ATP

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