Deck 4: A Tour of the Cell

Question 1

Which of the following statements concerning cells of bacteria and archaea is correct?

A) Archaea contain small membrane-enclosed organelles; bacteria do not.
B) Archaea contain a membrane-bound nucleus; bacteria do not.
C) DNA is present in both archaea and bacteria.
D) DNA is present in the mitochondria of both bacteria and archaea.

Answer 1

C

Question 2

When disrupted cells are spun in a centrifuge at increasingly higher speeds, which of the following correctly lists the order in which cellular components will pellet?

A) ribosomes, nuclei, mitochondria
B) chloroplasts, ribosomes, pieces of membrane
C) nucleus, ribosomes, chloroplasts
D) nucleus, mitochondria, ribosomes

Answer 2

D

Question 3

Which of the following statements correctly describes some aspect of protein secretion from prokaryotic cells?

A) Prokaryotes are unlikely to be able to secrete proteins because they lack an endomembrane system.
B) The mechanism of protein secretion in prokaryotes is probably the same as that in eukaryotes.
C) Proteins that are secreted by prokaryotes are synthesized on ribosomes that are bound to the cytoplasmic surface of the plasma membrane.
D) In prokaryotes, the ribosomes that are used for the synthesis of secreted proteins are located outside of the cell.

Answer 3

C

Question 4

When subcellular components from disrupted cells are separated using centrifugation, the primary factor that determines whether a specific cellular component remains in the liquid solution or ends up in the pellet is

A) the relative size and weight of the component.
B) the relative solubility of the component.
C) how hydrophobic the component is.
D) the carbohydrate composition of the component.

Question 5

What is the primary reason that a modern transmission electron microscope (TEM) can resolve biological images as small as 2 nm, whereas 200 nm is the limit of resolution for a light microscope?

A) Diffraction of light by a light microscope distorts the image.
B) Contrast is enhanced by staining with atoms of heavy metal.
C) Electron beams have much shorter wavelengths than visible light.
D) TEM is used to visualize very thin sections of cells.

Question 6

The volume enclosed by the plasma membrane of plant cells is often much larger than the corresponding volume in animal cells. The most reasonable explanation for this observation is that

A) plant cells are capable of having a much higher surface-to-volume ratio than animal cells.
B) plant cells have a much more highly convoluted (folded) plasma membrane than animal cells.
C) plant cells contain a large vacuole that reduces the volume of the cytoplasm.
D) animal cells are spherical, whereas plant cells are elongated.

Question 7

Large numbers of ribosomes are present in cells that specialize in producing which of the following molecules?

A) lipids
B) glycogen
C) proteins
D) cellulose
E) nucleic acids

Question 8

Prokaryotes are classified as belonging to two different domains. What are the domains?

A) Bacteria and Eukarya
B) Bacteria and Protista
C) Archaea and Protista
D) Bacteria and Archaea

Question 9

The nuclear lamina is a netlike array of filaments on the inner side of the nuclear membrane. If a method were found that could cause the lamina to fall into disarray, what would you expect to be the most likely immediate consequence?

A) the loss of all nuclear function
B) the inability of the nucleus to divide during cell division
C) a change in the shape of the nucleus
D) closure of nuclear pores disrupting transport of materials into and out of the nucleus
E) inability of the nucleus to keep out destructive chemicals

Question 10

What technique would be most appropriate to use to observe the movements of condensed chromosomes during cell division?

A) standard light microscopy
B) super-resolution microscopy
C) transmission electron microscopy
D) scanning electron microscopy

Question 11

When biologists wish to study the internal ultrastructure of cells, they can achieve the finest resolution by using a

A) phase-contrast light microscope.
B) scanning electron microscope.
C) transmission electronic microscope.
D) confocal fluorescence microscope.

Question 12

Which structure is the site of the synthesis of proteins destined for export from the cell?

A) smooth ER
B) lysosomes
C) rough ER
D) Golgi vesicles
E) free cytoplasmic ribosomes

Question 13

One advantage of light microscopy over transmission electron microscopy is that

A) specimen preparation for light microcopy does not produce artifacts.
B) light microscopy provides for higher resolving power than transmission electron microscopy.
C) light microscopy provides for higher magnification than transmission electron microscopy.
D) light microscopy allows one to view dynamic processes in living cells.

Question 14

Extracellular matrix proteins are produced by ribosomes in which part of a eukaryotic cell?

A) lysosomes
B) cytoplasm
C) nuclear envelope
D) Golgi apparatus
E) rough ER

Question 15

A cell with an abundance of free ribosomes is most likely

A) producing primarily proteins for secretion.
B) producing primarily cytoplasmic proteins.
C) producing primarily cell wall or extracellular matrix components.
D) producing primarily an abundance of new membranes.
E) enlarging its vacuole.

Question 16

Biologists commonly use cell fractionation to

A) sort cells based on their size and weight.
B) visualize the 3-D structure of cell membranes.
C) isolate organelles to examine their biological functions.
D) examine the distribution of organelles within the cell.

Question 17

The smallest cell structures that would most likely be visible with a standard (not super-resolution) research-grade light microscope is

A) microtubules.
B) chloroplasts.
C) ribosomes.
D) nuclear pores.

Question 18

The liver is involved in detoxification of many poisons and drugs. Which of the following structures is primarily involved in this process and therefore abundant in liver cells?

A) rough ER
B) smooth ER
C) Golgi apparatus
D) nuclear envelope
E) lysosomes

Question 19

Which of the following will be found in nearly all eukaryotic cells?

A) cell wall
B) mitochondria
C) chloroplast
D) nucleoid
E) capsule

Question 20

Which of the following may be found in eukaryotic cells, but not in bacteria?

A) DNA
B) flagella
C) plasma membrane
D) ribosomes
E) endoplasmic reticulum

Question 21

In an animal cell, DNA may be found

A) only in the nucleus.
B) only in the nucleus and mitochondria.
C) only in the nucleus and rough ER.
D) in the nucleus, mitochondria, and rough ER.

Question 22

What types of proteins are synthesized somewhere other than the rough ER?

A) plasma membrane proteins
B) extracellular matrix proteins
C) secreted proteins
D) mitochondrial proteins

Question 23

What types of proteins are synthesized by the rough ER?

A) ribosomal proteins
B) soluble cytosolic proteins
C) mitochondrial proteins
D) lysosomal proteins

Question 24

Hydrolytic enzymes must be segregated and packaged to prevent general destruction of cellular components. In animal cells, which of the following organelles contains these hydrolytic enzymes?

A) mitochondria
B) lysosomes
C) central vacuoles
D) peroxisomes

Question 25

Which animal cell organelle contains enzymes that transfer hydrogen from various substrates to oxygen?

A) lysosome
B) vacuole
C) mitochondrion
D) Golgi apparatus
E) peroxisome

Question 26

A double membrane encloses which of the following organelles?

A) only nuclei
B) only mitochondria
C) nuclei and chloroplasts
D) nuclei and lysosomes

Question 27

Which of the following produces and modifies polysaccharides that will be secreted?

A) lysosome
B) peroxisome
C) mitochondrion
D) Golgi apparatus

Question 28

Why isn't the mitochondrion classified as part of the endomembrane system?

A) It has a double membrane structure.
B) It is not involved in protein synthesis.
C) It produces a special class of transport vesicles.
D) It is not derived from the endoplasmic reticulum or Golgi.

Question 29

One of the key innovations in the evolution of eukaryotes from a prokaryotic ancestor is the endomembrane system. Which eukaryotic organelles or features might have evolved as a part of, or as an elaboration of, the endomembrane system?

A) plasma membrane
B) chloroplasts
C) mitochondria
D) nuclear envelope

Question 30

Thylakoids, DNA, and ribosomes are all components found in

A) vacuoles.
B) chloroplasts.
C) mitochondria.
D) lysosomes.
E) nucleoli.

Question 31

Tay-Sachs disease is a human genetic abnormality that results in cells accumulating very large, complex, undigested lipids. Which cellular organelle must be defective in this condition?

A) the endoplasmic reticulum
B) the Golgi apparatus
C) the lysosome
D) mitochondrion

Question 32

Which plant cell organelle contains its own DNA and ribosomes?

A) rough ER
B) vacuole
C) mitochondrion
D) Golgi apparatus
E) peroxisome

Question 33

Which type of organelle or structure is primarily involved in the synthesis of oils, phospholipids, and steroids?

A) ribosome
B) lysosome
C) smooth endoplasmic reticulum
D) mitochondrion

Question 34

If plant cells are grown on media containing radioactively labeled thymine for one generation, where will radioactively labeled macromolecules be detected?

A) only in the nucleus
B) only in the nucleus and mitochondria
C) only in the nucleus and chloroplasts
D) in the nucleus, mitochondria, and chloroplasts

Question 35

Which organelle often takes up much of the volume of a plant cell?

A) lysosome
B) vacuole
C) mitochondrion
D) Golgi apparatus
E) peroxisome

Question 36

Which of the following organelles is found exclusively in plant cells?

A) peroxisomes
B) Golgi apparatus
C) plastids
D) nuclei

Question 37

Which of the following statements correctly describes a function of the Golgi apparatus?

A) detoxification of toxins
B) protein modification and sorting
C) synthesis of cytoplasmic proteins
D) assembly of ribosomal subunits

Question 38

Some key innovations in the evolution of eukaryotes from a prokaryotic ancestor are membrane-bound organelles. Which of the following organelles or features is likely to be a common component shared by both eukaryotic cells and their prokaryotic ancestors?

A) ribosomes
B) chloroplasts
C) mitochondria
D) nuclear envelope

Question 39

A cell has the following molecules and structures: enzymes, DNA, ribosomes, plasma membrane, and mitochondria. It could be a cell from

A) a bacterium.
B) an animal, but not a plant.
C) an archaeal or eukaryotic organism.
D) any eukaryotic organism.

Question 40

The membranes of various organelles in the endomembrane display differences in their lipid and protein compositions. These differences are largely established by

A) the transport and exchange of membrane lipids among organelles of the endomembrane system by small membrane vesicles.
B) the function of the Golgi apparatus in modifying, sorting, and directing membrane components to their final destinations.
C) the modification of membrane components once they reach their final destination.
D) the synthesis of different lipids and proteins in each of the organelles of the endomembrane system.

Question 41

Intermediate filaments attach to which of the following structures in the plasma membrane?

A) extracellular matrix
B) gap junctions
C) tight junctions
D) middle lamella
E) desmosomes

Question 42

The chemical reactions involved in respiration in prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells are virtually identical. In eukaryotic cells, ATP is synthesized primarily on the inner membrane of the mitochondria. In light of the endosymbiont theory for the evolutionary origin of mitochondria, where is most ATP synthesis likely to occur in prokaryotic cells?

A) in the cytoplasm
B) on the nucleoid membrane
C) on the endoplasmic reticulum
D) on the plasma membrane

Question 43

Vinblastine, a drug that inhibits microtubule polymerization, is used to treat some forms of cancer. Cancer cells given vinblastine would be unable to

A) form cleavage furrows during cell division.
B) migrate by amoeboid movement.
C) separate chromosomes during cell division.
D) extend pseudopods.
E) maintain the shape of the nucleus.

Question 44

The extracellular matrix is thought to participate in the regulation of animal cell behavior by communicating information from the outside to the inside of the cell via which of the following?

A) gap junctions
B) cellulose fibers
C) integrins
D) plasmodesmata

Question 45

Passive movement of fluids and bacteria from the interior of the small intestine through the space between cells of the intestinal wall can cause serious infection and medical complications. Defects in which of the following would be associated with such a condition?

A) cell walls
B) gap junctions
C) tight junctions
D) middle lamella
E) desmosomes

Question 46

In a liver cell detoxifying alcohol and some other poisons, the enzymes of the peroxisome remove hydrogen from these molecules and

A) combine the hydrogen with water molecules to generate hydrogen peroxide.
B) combine the hydrogen with hydrogen peroxide to generate water.
C) combine the hydrogen with hydrogen peroxide to generate oxygen and water.
D) combine the hydrogen with oxygen molecules to generate hydrogen peroxide.

Question 47

The cell walls of bacteria, fungi, and plant cells and the extracellular matrix of animal cells are all external to the plasma membrane. Which of the following is a characteristic common to all of these extracellular structures?

A) They have pores that regulate the exchange of water and small molecules between cells and their environment.
B) They are composed of complex mixtures of lipids and carbohydrates.
C) They provide a rigid structure that prevents the uptake of excess water into cells.
D) They are constructed of polymers that are synthesized in the cytoplasm and then transported out of the cell for assembly.

Question 48

Which organelles or structures are absent in plant cells?

A) mitochondria
B) microtubules
C) Golgi apparatus
D) centrosomes
E) peroxisomes

Question 49

Cytochalasin D is a drug that prevents actin polymerization. A cell treated with cytochalasin D will still be able to

A) perform amoeboid movement.
B) form cleavage furrows.
C) contract muscle fibers.
D) extend pseudopodia.
E) move vesicles around the cell.

Question 50

The evolution of eukaryotic cells most likely involved

A) endosymbiosis of an oxygen-using bacterium in a larger host cell-the endosymbiont evolved into mitochondria.
B) endosymbiosis of an oxygen-using photosynthetic bacterium in a larger host cell-the endosymbiont evolved into mitochondria.
C) endosymbiosis of an oxygen-using scavenger bacterium in a larger host cell-the endosymbiont evolved into lysosomes.
D) evolution of an endomembrane system and subsequent evolution of mitochondria from a portion of the Golgi.

Question 51

Which of the following statements about the cytoskeleton is true?

A) Transport vesicles move between organelles of the endomembrane system independently from the cytoskeleton.
B) Microfilaments are structurally rigid and resist compression, whereas microtubules resist tension (stretching).
C) Movement of cilia and flagella is the result of motor proteins causing microtubules to move relative to each other.
D) Chemicals that block the assembly of the cytoskeleton would cause little effect on the cell's response to external signals and stimuli.

Question 52

Movement of vesicles within the cell depends on what cellular structures?

A) microtubules and motor proteins
B) actin filaments and microtubules
C) actin filaments and motor proteins
D) centrioles and motor proteins

Question 53

Cells require which of the following to form cilia or flagella?

A) laminin
B) tubulin
C) actin
D) myosin

Question 54

When a potassium ion (K+) moves from the soil into the vacuole of a cell on the surface of a root, it must pass through several cellular structures. Which of the following correctly describes the order in which these structures will be encountered by the ion?

A) plasma membrane → primary cell wall → cytoplasm → vacuole
B) secondary cell wall → plasma membrane → primary cell wall → cytoplasm → vacuole
C) primary cell wall → plasma membrane → cytoplasm → vacuole
D) primary cell wall → plasma membrane → lysosome → cytoplasm → vacuole
E) primary cell wall → plasma membrane → cytoplasm → secondary cell wall → vacuole

Question 55

Which of the following correctly describes the pathway taken by a protein destined for secretion from an animal cell?

A) plasma membrane → transport vesicle → Golgi → transport vesicle → rough ER
B) Golgi → rough ER → transport vesicle → plasma membrane
C) rough ER → transport vesicle → lysosome → transport vesicle → plasma membrane
D) rough ER → transport vesicle → Golgi → transport vesicle → plasma membrane
E) rough ER → transport vesicle → Golgi → transport vesicle → lysosome → plasma membrane

Question 56

Plasmodesmata in plant cells are most similar in function to which of the following structures in animal cells?

A) peroxisomes
B) desmosomes
C) gap junctions
D) extracellular matrix
E) tight junctions

Question 57

A 9 + 2 arrangement of microtubules, consisting of nine doublets of microtubules surrounding a pair of single microtubules, is associated with

A) motile cilia centrioles
B) centrioles only
C) both eukaryotic and bacterial flagella
D) eukaryotic flagella only
E) eukaryotic flagella and motile cilia

Question 58

Centrioles, cilia, flagella, and basal bodies have remarkably similar structural elements and arrangements. Which of the following hypotheses is most plausible in light of such structural similarities?

A) Cilia and flagella are derived from the centrioles.
B) Motor proteins such as dynein must have evolved before any of these four kinds of structures.
C) Centrioles are derived from cilia and/or flagella.
D) Natural selection for cell motility repeatedly selected for microtubular arrays in circular patterns in the evolution of each of these structures.

Question 59

A mutation that disrupts the ability of an animal cell to add polysaccharide modifications to proteins would most likely cause defects in its

A) nuclear lamina
B) nuclear lamina and extracellular matrix.
C) smooth ER and Golgi apparatus.
D) Golgi apparatus and extracellular matrix.

Question 60

Motor proteins provide for molecular transport of materials in cells by interacting with what types of cellular structures?

A) the nuclear envelope
B) membrane proteins
C) the extracellular matrix
D) cytoskeletal structures
E) cellulose fibers in the cell wall

Question 61

Which structure-function pair is mismatched?

A) microtubule; muscle contraction
B) ribosome; protein synthesis
C) Golgi; protein trafficking
D) nucleolus; production of ribosomal subunits

Question 62

Ions can travel directly from the cytoplasm of one animal cell to the cytoplasm of an adjacent cell through

A) plasmodesmata.
B) intermediate filaments.
C) tight junctions.
D) desmosomes.
E) gap junctions.

Question 63

A biologist wants to examine the surfaces of different types of cells in kidney tubules of small mammals. The cells in question can be distinguished by external shape, size, and 3-D characteristics. Which of the following would be the optimum method for her study?

A) transmission electron microscopy
B) cell fractionation
C) light microscopy using stained sections of kidney tissue
D) light microscopy of living unstained material
E) scanning electron microscopy

Question 64

Table 4.1The differences among the three categories of cytoskeletal elements outlined in Table 4.1 suggest that each has a specialized role. Which of the following is a correct match between a cytoskeletal element and its function? (All three elements are involved in the maintenance of cell shape.)

A) microfilaments and intracellular vesicle transport
B) microtubules and cleavage furrow formation
C) microfilaments and flagellar motility
D) intermediate filaments and cytoplasmic streaming
E) microtubules and chromosome movement

Question 65

Signals from the ECM to the cytoskeleton may be transmitted by

A) fibronectin.
B) proteoglycans.
C) integrins.
D) collagen.
E) middle lamella.

Question 66

Which of the following is present in a prokaryotic cell?

A) mitochondrion
B) ribosome
C) nuclear envelope
D) chloroplast

Question 67

Which cell would be best for studying lysosomes?

A) muscle cell
B) nerve cell
C) phagocytic white blood cell
D) bacterial cell

Question 68

Cyanide binds to at least one molecule involved in producing ATP. If a cell is exposed to cyanide, most of the cyanide will be found within the

A) mitochondria.
B) ribosomes.
C) peroxisomes.
D) lysosomes.

Question 69

Which of the following makes it necessary for animal cells, although they have no cell walls, to have intercellular junctions?

A) Cell membranes do not distinguish the types of ions and molecules passing through them.
B) Large molecules, such as proteins and RNA molecules, do not readily get through one, much less two, adjacent cell membranes.
C) Cell-to-cell communication requires physical attachment of one cell to another.
D) Maintenance of tissue integrity and barriers to fluid leakage requires cells to adhere tightly to one another.

Question 70

Comparison of samples from the liver of an alcoholic with samples from the liver of a non-drinker when examined by transmission electron microscopy would likely reveal that

A) the ultrastructure of the two livers is very similar.
B) the liver of the non-drinker has expansive rough ER compared to the alcoholic's liver.
C) the liver of the alcoholic has expansive smooth ER compared to the non-drinker's liver.
D) the liver of the alcoholic has substantially more lysosomes than the non-drinker's liver.

Question 71

A biologist ground up some plant leaf cells and then centrifuged the mixture to fractionate the organelles. Organelles in one of the heavier fractions could produce ATP in the light, whereas organelles in the lighter fraction could produce ATP in the dark. The heavier and lighter fractions are most likely to contain, respectively,

A) mitochondria and chloroplasts.
B) chloroplasts and peroxisomes.
C) peroxisomes and chloroplasts.
D) chloroplasts and mitochondria.
E) mitochondria and peroxisomes.

Question 72

A newspaper ad for a local toy store indicates that a very inexpensive microscope available for a small child is able to magnify specimens nearly as much as the much more costly microscope available in your college lab. What is the primary reason for the price difference?

A) The ad agency is misrepresenting the ability of the toy microscope to magnify.
B) The toy microscope does not have the same fine control for focus of the specimen.
C) The toy microscope has good magnification, but has low resolution and therefore poor-quality images.
D) The college microscope produces greater contrast in the specimens.

Question 73

Which structure is common to plant and animal cells?

A) chloroplast
B) wall made of cellulose
C) mitochondrion
D) centriole

Question 74

What is the most likely pathway taken by a newly synthesized protein that will be secreted by a cell?

A) ER → Golgi → nucleus
B) nucleus → ER → Golgi
C) ER → Golgi → vesicles that fuse with plasma membrane
D) ER → lysosomes → vesicles that fuse with plasma membrane

Question 75

Which structure is not part of the endomembrane system?

A) nuclear envelope
B) chloroplast
C) Golgi apparatus
D) plasma membrane