Biology 110 Study Questions from Text for Exam 1

For Exam 1 we will read Chapters 1-6 in Campbell.  Our areas of emphasis will be the fundamentals of biology and basic concepts and structures of chemistry vital to the modern study of biology.

Chapter 1 - Overview.  Light reading with important definitions.

  1. Describe the hierarchy of biological organization (called the "hierarchy of life" in lecture).
  2. Define "emergent properties" and give some examples.
  3. List and describe the major properties of life (compare the text's list to the one we discussed in lecture).
  4. Define :  eukaryotic cell, prokaryotic cell, DNA, feedback mechanisms (positive and negative), biological diversity, science, hypothetico-deductive thinking (and give examples), controlled experiment, technology.
  5. List the levels of the taxonomic scheme (Kingdom, Family, Order, Family, Genus, Species).
  6. Describe the 5 and 6 Kingdoms of Life. What are the "Domains" of life?
  7. Describe natural selection (and Darwin's observations and inferences).

Chapter 2 - Chemical definitions.  The vocabulary of this chapter is very important but will be developed and used in the
                             context of the biologically important molecules.

  1. Define: element, compound, atom (proton, neutron, electron), atomic number, mass number, atomic weight, isotope, radioactive isotope, energy levels (electron shells), valence electrons, chemical bonds, covalent bonds (polar and non-polar), ioinc bonds (anions and cations), hydrogen bonds, van der Waals interactions.

Chapter 3 - Water.  A very important chapter!

  1. Describe the molecular (and bond) structure of liquid water (Fig. 3.1).  Show how this structure contributes to many of the biologically significant properties of water.
  2. What is "temperature"?  Why does water have a high "specific heat"?  Why does water have a high heat of vaporization? Why are these properties important?
  3. Why does ice float?
  4. Define : solution, solute, solvent.  Why is water such a good solvent?
  5. Define:  hydrophyllic, hydrophobic, mole, pH, acid, base, buffer.

    6. (read section in transport chapter, pp 136-->140)

  6. Describe diffusion and osmosis.  Be able to recognize systems in which they might occur.
  7. Describe the water balance mechanisms of cells with walls and of cells without walls (and give specific examples).

Chapter 4 - Carbon chemistry.  Conceptually important chapter.  Details needed will be developed in 
                    discussions of the 'organic' molecules.

  1. Why is carbon so important to Living Systems?
  2. Define: hydrocarbon, isomer, structural isomer, geometric isomer, enantiomer, functional group(hydroxyls (alcohols), carbonyls (aldehydes and ketones), carboxyls (organic acids), aminos, sulfhydrals, phosphates).

Chapter 5 - Organic molecules.  A very important chapter.

  1. Define: monomer, polymer, condensation reactions (=dehydration reactions), hydrolysis.

    2. (Note: for organic chemistry questions reliance on lecture notes for details is expected!)

  2. Describe (and give examples of) monosaccharides and a disaccharides. Describe the formation of a glycosidic linkage between two glucose molecules ("maltose synthesis").
  3. Describe (and give examples of) starches (the "storage polysaccarides") and the various structural polysaccharides. Compare and contrast "alpha" and "beta" glycosidic linkages. What is the biological significance of these two types of linkages?
  4. Compare and contrast the three types of lipids (note structural and functional differences).
  5. How do saturated and unsaturated fats differ in molecular structure, molecular shape and biological activity?
  6. Describe the structure of a phospholipid. Describe the behavior of phospholipids in water. What is the biological significance of this behavior?
  7. Proteins:
    1. abundance in a cell?
    2. functions? (Table 5.1)
    3. importance of "conformation"?
    4. general structure and biosynthesis (Fig. 5.16)
    5. four "levels" of structure (describe and explain).
    6. pp. 74--76 : "What determines protein conformation?" Define and discuss "denaturation".
  8. Nucleic acids:
    1. types?  structures? Define: purine (give examples), pyrimidine (give examples), ribose sugar, deoxyribose sugar, "double helix"
    2. functions? (Fig. 5.26).
    3. describe and explain the biosynthesis of RNA (see lecture notes and Fig 17.3)

Chapter 6 - Metabolism.  Important concepts and definitions.  Metabolic pathways and enzymes.

  1. Define: metabolic pathway, catabolic pathway, anabolic pathway, energy (kinetic and potential), first and second laws of thermodynamics, (give biological examples of each law), free energy, entropy, exergonic reactions, endergonic reactions.
  2. Describe the structure of ATP. What type of organic biomolecule does ATP most closely resemble? (ATP structure is shown in Fig. 6.6a).
  3. Describe how ATP functions in a cell (Fig.6.6 b and Fig. 6.8).
  4. Enzymes:
    1. Define
    2. How do enzymes (and other catalysts) work?  (Fig. 6.10)
    3. Describe the "induced fit" model.
    4. Fig. 6.12. (the catalytic cycle of an enzyme)
    5. Why do temperature and pH affect how an enzyme works?
    6. What is a "cofactor"?
    7. Describe "competitive" and "non-competitive" enzyme inhibition (Fig. 6.14).
    8. Describe "allosteric regulation" of enzyme function.
    9. What is "feedback inhibition"? What is "cooperativity"?