XL3 – Introduction to Physiology Lectures 1.1 and 1.

2 (Cells)
UCLA Extension

1) True / False Questions

a) T / F Pancreatic beta cells contain 23 chromosomes

b) T / F Insulin is a lipid hormone produced in beta cells of the pancreas.
c) T / F Healthy individuals typically contain many oncogenes.
d) T / F Meiosis results in identical daughter cells.
e) T / F Most proteins can move around unrestricted in the lipid bilayer.
f) T / F When vesicles containing proteins bud off the rough ER, they first fuse onto the
trans region of the Golgi apparatus.

g) T / F Insulin translation: the mRNA/ribosome complex binds to a pore of a rough ER

whereupon translation of the insulin peptide and its lipophilic leader sequence is
completed inside the lumen of the rough ER.

h) T / F A codon is a triplet of three amino acids, the fundamental unit of proteins.

i) T / F There would be two hydrogen bonds between uracil and adenine if RNA were
double-stranded.

2) Word choice (choose the best answer):

a) The nucleolus is the site of ribosome assembly

b) Ribosomes are the sites for protein synthesis.
c) Cytokinesis is called cytoplasmic division.
d) Meiosis produces a haploid chromosome complement produces four daughter cells.
e) Metaphase and prophase each contain 92 chromatids.
f) Metastasis is the rapid spread of cells originating from a group of cells characterized by
abnormal growth and division, clinically referred to as cancer.
g) Constitutively active means induced transcription operating outside normal homeostatic
regulation or external signaling.
h) Organelles are cellular substructures in a gel-like fluid called cytoplasm.
i) Cell adhesion molecules protrude from the membrane surface, forming loops or
appendages that interact with connective tissue fibers.
j) There are three hydrogen bonds between guanine and cytosine and two hydrogen bonds
between thymine and adenine.

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XL3 – Introduction to Physiology Lectures 1.1 and 1.2 (Cells)
UCLA Extension

3) What is/are the physiological role(s) of insulin, which cell secretes it, and what induces its
secretion?

• Important for glucose homeostasis and cellular uptake of glucose

• Produced / released by beta cells in pancreas
• Hyperglycemia

4) What are the functions of the lipid bilayer and membrane-bound proteins?

Cell membrane
• Basic structure of cell membrane (hydrophilic and hydrophobic regions)
• Selective barrier
• Establishes electrochemical gradients between inside and outside of cell
• Protects contents of cell
• Enables cells to change shape

Membrane-bound proteins
• Regulate gene expression
• Cell-to-cell signaling
• Transport of molecules and ions in/out of cell

5) What are the two classes (non-mutated form) of genes and what are their respective normal
physiological roles? What are the names of the mutated forms of such genes? In lecture, we
discussed how a mutation in one class of said genes resulted in cancer – explain that
mechanism.

• Proto-oncogenes (induce cell growth and division)

• Tumor suppressor genes (suppress cell growth and division)
• oncogenes (mutated form of proto-oncogenes that no longer are receptive to regulatory
mechanisms such as apoptosis

An example of a mechanism of cancer:

• DNA mutation amino acid(s) with different chemical properties  misfolded protein
 membrane-bound receptor protein malfunctions:
o No longer binds to signaling molecules

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XL3 – Introduction to Physiology Lectures 1.1 and 1.2 (Cells)
UCLA Extension

o Becomes constitutively active (i.e., “always on”)

o Gene expression (transcription) ensues outside normal homeostatic control
o Result: uncontrolled cell growth and division

6) What are the two endoplasmic reticulums and what are their respective functions?

• Rough ER has ribosomes; translates proteins destined for cellular export

• Smooth ER synthesizes lipids and lacks ribosomes

7) If a coding region of DNA is AACTTACG , then the corresponding mRNA transcript would
be UUGAAUGC.

8) Name the type of bond(s) that occur during translation and where any such bond occurs.

• Covalent:
o Amino acid attachment to tRNA
o peptide bonds between amino acids (primary structure of proteins)
• Hydrogen bonds:
o between codon and anticodon

9) List all the functions / roles of carbohydrates

• Provide energy (glucose glycogen in liver and skeletal muscle)

• Supply carbon atoms for synthesis of cellular components
• Assist with protein export

10) What important activities occur in the cytosol?

• glycolysis (more on this in later lectures)

• ribosomal protein synthesis
• storage of fat and glycogen
• protein network (cytoskeleton) which gives the cell shape and support.

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XL3 – Introduction to Physiology Lectures 1.1 and 1.2 (Cells)
UCLA Extension

11) Why are microvilli effective strategies for small epithelial cells to overcome surface-area to
volume constraints?

Microvilli are multiple finger-like projections that increase surface area despite a smaller
cell volume. Greater surface area means a greater quantity of solutes can pass into the cell.
The small cell volume means that it will take less time for solutes to pass through the cell into
the bloodstream.

12) What would happen if a mutation caused the sodium-potassium pumps of human cells to stop
working and no other compensatory pump was available?

Sodium-potassium pumps enable cells to move ions against their chemical gradient. This
allows sodium ions to be concentrated outside the cell and potassium to be concentrated
inside the cell. This chemical gradient can be harnessed to do work (e.g. transport other
molecules) or generate action potentials (e.g., conduct nerve impulses). Without the sodium-
potassium pump, Na+ and K+ would be in equal concentrations inside and outside the cell
and thus there would be no chemical gradient (driving force) to accomplish said functions.
This would be a lethal mutation.

13) List all the steps of insulin production and export from the cells as discussed in lecture. A
sketch might save time or make your explanation clearer.

Cell Type
• Gland = pancreas; cell type = beta cells

Cytoplasm
• mRNA binds to ribosome, forms complex
• Translation of hydrophobic leader (signal) sequence (25 a.a)
• Complex + leader sequence migrates to rough ER

Rough ER
• Leader sequence directs complex to pore at rough ER
• Translation of insulin peptides commences
• Synthesized insulin chain passes through pore into lumen of rough ER
• Inside lumen, enzyme removes leader sequence leaving behind insulin
• Insulin packaged into vesicles; buds off rough ER

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XL3 – Introduction to Physiology Lectures 1.1 and 1.2 (Cells)
UCLA Extension

Golgi apparatus
• Vesicles fuse onto cys side of Golgi
• Carbohydrate residues attached to insulin
• Modified insulin packaged into vesicles; buds off trans side of Golgi into cytoplasm

Exocytosis
• Golgi vesicles migrate thru cytoplasm to cell membrane
• Vesicles fuse with the beta cell’s basal membrane releasing insulin into bloodstream

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