1. Which of the following statements is NOT correct regarding phospholipids?

A phospholipid…

a. will rapidly flip from one leaflet to the other leaflet of the lipid bilayer.
b. is the most abundant lipid in the cell membrane.
c. has a hydrophilic head group and hydrophobic hydrocarbon tails.
d. will randomly move laterally within a leaflet of the lipid bilayer.

2. Which of the following would produce the MOST fluid lipid bilayer?

a. phospholipids with fully saturated tails of 20 carbon atoms.

b. large amounts of cholesterol.
c. phospholipids with fully saturated tails of 18 carbon atoms.
d. phospholipids with tails of 18 carbon atoms and two double bonds.

3. A researcher has identified an enzyme in the membrane that moves phospholipids, only in one
direction, from the cytosolic leaflet to the non-cytosolic leaflet. This enzyme…

a. is a flippase.
b. is a scramblase.
c. has the combined activity of a scramblase and flippase.
d. is not a scramblase or flippase.

4. What type of protein is non-covalently bound to a cell membrane protein or lipid?

a. Peripheral membrane protein.

b. Integral membrane protein.
c. Lipid-linked GPI-anchor protein.
d. Transmembrane protein.

5. Fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP) is used to study the movement of a membrane
protein. Which of the following would this technique be the LEAST helpful for? Studying a
membrane protein that …

a. is predicted to have a high coefficient of diffusion.

b. is known to be anchored in one place in the membrane.
c. very little is known about.
d. has a moderate coefficient of diffusion.

6. For a transmembrane CHANNEL protein, which of the following properties BEST describes the
membrane spanning region? This region has…

a. multiple α-helices entirely composed of hydrophobic amino acid sides chains.

b. a single α-helix with hydrophobic amino acid sides chains.
c. multiple amphipathic α-helices with hydrophilic amino acid sides chains facing the inside.
d. has amphipathic α-helices inserted in a one leaflet of the cell membrane.

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7. The cell membrane is a selectively permeable barrier that mostly restricts the diffusion of which of
the following molecules across the lipid bilayer?

a. H2O
b. ions
c. small non-polar molecules
d. CO2

8. The movement of a solute against its electrochemical gradient is called what?

a. active transport.
b. facilitated diffusion.
c. osmosis.
d. passive transport.

9. For gradient-driven pumps, where does the energy for transport come from?

a. transport of both molecules against their electrochemical gradients.

b. transport of one molecule down its electrochemical gradient.
c. ATP hydrolysis.
d. transport of one molecule against its electrochemical gradient.

10. In an animal cell, the Na+-K+ pump is responsible for establishing the Na+ electrochemical gradient
across the plasma membrane. Which of the following transporters depend on this Na+
electrochemical gradient for their function?

a. Na+-glucose symporter.
b. Na+ uniporter.
c. Na+-H+ exchanger.
d. Both a and c.

11. Why are tight junctions critical for the transport of glucose across the gut epithelial cells? Tight
junctions…

a. prevent a fast rate of glucose diffusion out of the gut epithelial cells.
b. restrict the GLUT uniporter to the basolateral membrane of the gut epithelial cells.
c. restrict the Na+-glucose symporter to the basolateral membrane of the gut epithelial cells.
d. All of the above.

12. For a typical mammalian cell, there is a high concentration of K+ inside the cell and a high
concentration of Na+ outside of the cell. What is the MAIN reason why the resting cell has a slightly
more negative charge on the inside of the plasma membrane?

a. There is an inward movement of Cl- ions to generate a high Cl- concentration inside the cell.
b. There is a higher concentration of H+ outside the cell.
c. There is an outward movement of K+ ions through the K+ leak channel.
d. All of the above.

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13. The Golgi membrane has a Ca2+ transport protein that plays an important role in maintaining a much
lower Ca2+ concentration in the cytosol by transporting Ca2+ into the Golgi lumen. Which of the
following transport proteins are most likely to be responsible for this transport activity?

a. A channel protein to transport Ca2+ into the Golgi lumen.

b. A P-type pump to transport Ca2+ into the Golgi lumen.
c. An antiporter to transport both Ca2+ and H+ into the Golgi lumen.
d. An ATP-driven uniporter to transport Ca2+ into the Golgi lumen.

14. Which of the following statements regarding protein sorting is correct?

a. A sorting signal is added after translation for proteins destined for the nucleus.
b. Proteins for the peroxisomes and chloroplasts are fully folded during import into these organelles.
c. The sorting signal used will depend on where the protein is being sent in the cell.
d. Proteins that are translocated into the ER during synthesis are sent to their final destination
unfolded.

15. A scientist has observed that Protein X can be located in either the cytosol or the nucleus of a cell.
Which of the following is the BEST explanation for these results? Protein X …

a. needs an intracellular signal for nuclear import.

b. has a mutated nuclear localization signal.
c. only has a nuclear export signal.
d. cannot bind the nuclear import receptor.

16. Investigators have engineered a gene that encodes a protein bearing a N-terminal ER signal
sequence followed by a nuclear localization signal. What would be the MOST likely fate of this
protein?

a. Because of its conflicting signals, the protein will be sent to a lysosome for destruction.
b. The protein will be recognized by a nuclear import receptor and escorted into the nucleus.
c. Because of its conflicting signals, the protein will remain in the cytosol.
d. The protein will be recognized by SRP and enter the ER.

17. Which of the following are components in the endomembrane system?

a. Nucleus, Endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi apparatus, plasma membrane.

b. Golgi apparatus, cytoplasm, transport vesicles.
c. Endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi apparatus, lysosome, endosome.
d. Nucleus, peroxisomes, mitochondria, chloroplasts.

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18. For the transmembrane protein being carried in the transport vesicle
shown in this diagram, how will it be oriented at the plasma membrane?
The BLACK end (B) will be:

a. in the cytosol.
b. in the extracellular space.
c. randomly oriented on either side.
d. cleaved and secreted into the extracellular space.

19. If an N-terminal ER signal sequence is added to the transmembrane protein

shown in this diagram, how many transmembrane domains would there be,
and where will the NH2 end be located?

a. 3 transmembrane domains, NH2 end is in cytosol

b. 3 transmembrane domains, NH2 end is in ER lumen
c. 2 transmembrane domains, NH2 end is in cytosol
d. 2 transmembrane domains, NH2 end is in ER lumen

20. In constitutive secretion, which of the following statements is correct?

a. An extracellular signal is needed for vesicle fusion to the plasma membrane.

b. Vesicles from the ER are directly delivered to the plasma membrane.
c. There is a continual delivery of vesicles from the trans Golgi network to the plasma
membrane.
d. Lysosomes fuse with the plasma membrane to release digested material.

21. Which of the following properties are found in both microtubules and actin filaments?

Both microtubules and actin filaments…

a. do not display polarity.

b. display more rapid growth at one end.
c. are flexible.
d. all of the above.

22. What is the main function of intermediate filaments?

a. They enable cells to crawl.

b. They enable muscle cells to contract.
c. They provide tracks for guiding intracellular transport.
d. They enable cells to withstand the mechanical stress that occurs when cells are stretched.

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23. In the animal cell centrosome, which structures serve as nucleation sites for the formation of
microtubules?

a. tubulin protofilaments.
b. γ-tubulin rings.
c. centrioles.
d. αβ-tubulin dimers.

24. In animal cells, constitutive secretion to the plasma membrane relies on motor proteins carrying
vesicles along microtubules. Which motor protein and direction of movement is MOST likely
responsible for this?

a. tubulin moving to the minus end.

b. myosin I moving to the plus end.
c. dynein moving to the minus end.
d. kinesin moving to the plus end.

25. When an actin filament undergoes treadmilling, the length of the actin filament is…

a. rapidly increasing.
b. rapidly shrinking.
c. unchanged with a balanced addition/loss of actin monomers.
d. unchanged as there is no addition of actin monomers.

26. A researcher is studying the process of cell crawling and uses the following two drugs in their study:
latrunculin which prevents actin polymerization and phalloidin which stabilizes actin filaments. What
do you predict to be the outcome of these drug treatment?

a. both latrunculin and phalloidin will have no effect on cell crawling.

b. latrunculin will cause slower cell crawling while phalloidin will cause faster cell crawling.
c. latrunculin will stop the cell from moving forward while phalloidin will stop contraction of the rear.
d. both latrunculin and phalloidin will block cell crawling.

27. Nucleotide hydrolysis occurs in both microtubules (GTP) and actin filaments (ATP). What is impact of
nucleotide hydrolysis on these filaments? When the bound nucleotide is hydrolysed by the filament
subunit, this…

a. strengthens the non-covalent interactions between the individual subunits in the filament.
b. increases the rate of addition of subunits to one end of the filament.
c. promotes the loss of subunits from one end of the filament.
d. forms a cap at the end of the filament.

28. Which junction is MOST likely to be present in a typical human connective tissue cell?

a. Tight junction.
b. Gap junction.
c. Hemidesmosome.
d. Adherens junction.

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29. Which protein is LEAST likely to interact with intracellular adaptor proteins?

a. Connexin.
b. Desmoglein.
c. Cadherin.
d. Integrin.

30. Glucose cannot travel from the gut lumen to the extracellular fluid by going between the cells of the
intestinal epithelium because of…

a. high cytosolic calcium and closed gap junctions.

b. closures or occlusions due to restricted plasmodesmata.
c. heterogeneous expression of cadherins.
d. occludin and claudin proteins.

31. Proteins and regulatory RNAs can often pass through…

a. tight junctions.
b. plasmodesmata.
c. gap junctions.
d. microvilli.

32. The extracellular matrix of human connective tissue is UNLIKELY to contain…

a. elastin.
b. collagen.
c. hyaluronan.
d. pectin.

33. Which of the following statements is correct?

a. All proteoglycans are glycoproteins.

b. All glycoproteins are proteoglycans.
c. All glycosaminoglycans are proteoglycans.
d. All glycosaminoglycans are glycoproteins.

34. A renewable energy company is using cellulose to make biofuels. They would like your advice on
how to obtain high amounts of cellulose. Which of the following should you suggest?

a. Obtain plant cells with high amounts of cellulose synthase complex.

b. Obtain extracellular matrix with high tensile strength.
c. Obtain plant cells that have multiple copies of a gene coding for the cellulose protein.
d. Obtain plant cells that make hyaluronan at the cell surface and export additional components by
exocytosis.

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35. When part of the liver is surgically removed, what typically happens as part of the healing process?

a. There will be more liver cells in S phase but fewer in M phase.

b. Almost all of the liver cells will enter G0.
c. There will be more liver cells replicating DNA in M phase.
d. There will be more liver cells in G1, S, G2, and M phase.

36. A student culturing eukaryotic cells has mistakenly contaminated the cells with an unknown
chemical. When these cells are observed in prophase, the mitotic spindle does not form. Everything
else appears to be normal. Which of the following most likely describes the chemical?

a. The chemical inhibits the function of lamin phosphatases.

b. The chemical inhibits the function of γ-tubulin.
c. The chemical activates the function of lamin kinases.
d. The chemical activates the function of γ-tubulin.

37. Cancer cells replicate and divide out of control, forming tumors and destroying the body. Which of
the following would stop cancer cell division?

a. A chemical that causes the cell to bypass the G2/M checkpoint.

b. A chemical that increases the speed of the actin and myosin contractile ring.
c. A chemical that inhibits separase.
d. A chemical that cleaves cohesion.

38. Which of the following best describes the cell plate in plant cells?

a. A bipolar microtubule structure attached to chromosomes.

b. A temporary membrane compartment formed by vesicle fusion.
c. A bipolar microtubule structure with an actin-myosin contractile ring at the center.
d. The apical area of the plant cell consisting of the Golgi apparatus and vacuoles.

39. Chromosomes become much less compact during…

a. prophase.
b. anaphase.
c. telophase.
d. prometaphase.

40. Where and when can microtubule treadmilling be observed?

a. At kinetochore microtubules during metaphase.

b. At the centrosome MTOC during prophase.
c. At any microtubule during Anaphase B.
d. Microtubules are always dynamic and never at a constant length.

THE END
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