BIOL10004 Practice Exam

Section A: Multiple choice

(20 questions, 30 minutes, 30 marks)
Select the CORRECT or MOST APPROPRIATE answer for each question. No marks will be deducted for
incorrect answers. No marks will be awarded if more than one answer is selected.

1. Prokaryotes are cells that:

a) Range from 10-100 µm in diameter
b) Possess a cytoskeleton
c) Double their nuclear contents through binary fission
d) Are typically unicellular

2. Which of the following does not describe a feature of chloroplasts?

a) The photosynthetic pigment is located in the thylakoid
b) They are surrounded by a single membrane which forms a complex internal network of
lamellae/thylakoids
c) A single plant cell can contain several chloroplasts
d) They are responsible for the conversion of light to chemical energy

3. Select the correct statement:

a) Protistan pirates are able to photosynthesise due to secondary endosymbiosis
b) Chlorophyll B is an accessory pigment of brown algae
c) Phycoerythrin is an accessory pigment of green algae
d) Cyanophora contain plastids that have lost their peptidoglycan wall

4. An RNA molecule is destined to be inserted on to the plasma membrane of a cell. If it starts at

the nucleus, in order, which cellular structures could it pass on its way to the surface?
a) Endoplasmic Reticulum, Endosome, Lysosome, Secretory Vesicle
b) Endosome, Endoplasmic Reticulum, Golgi Apparatus, Peroxisome
c) Endoplasmic Reticulum, Golgi Apparatus, Peroxisome, Secretory Vesicle
d) Endoplasmic Reticulum, Golgi Apparatus, Endosome, Secretory Vesicle

5. Which of the following is a feature of plant (but not animal) mitosis and cytokinesis:
a) A preprophase band
b) Cell cleavage
c) Centrioles
d) An actin-myosin contractile ring
6. Which of the following is a true statement about biological membranes:
a) They possess glycoproteins which provide an important enzymatic function
b) Cell membranes are permeable to charged polar molecules
c) Gap junctions in animals facilitate physiological functions such as synchronised heart
contraction
d) An electrochemical gradient is necessary for function of the Na+/K+ ATPase

7. Which of these is not a product of glycolysis

a) Pyruvate
b) FADH2
c) NADH
d) H20

8. ATP synthase utilises protons going from

a) The mitochondrial matrix to the intermembrane space against their electrochemical
gradient
b) The intermembrane space to the mitochondrial matrix down their electrochemical gradient
c) The cytosol to the intermembrane space against their electrochemical gradient
d) The intermembrane space to the cytosol down their electrochemical gradient

9. Which is a true statement about carotenoids?

a) They absorb light in the yellow-red spectrum (appear blue-green)
b) They consist of a central magnesium atom surrounded by a porphyrin ring
c) They protect against photo-oxidation
d) They serve the same function as chlorophyll but in different plants

10. Which statement accurately describes the difference between cyclic and non-cyclic
photophosphorylation?
a) Cyclic phosphorylation is a one-way transport of electrons from H20 to NADPH whereas non-
cyclic phosphorylation transports electrons back to the original donor
b) Cyclic phosphorylation produces both ATP and NADPH whereas non-cyclic phosphorylation
produces only ATP
c) Cyclic phosphorylation is flexible to meet the needs of the chloroplast (non-reliant on other
factors) and is predominant in bacteria, whereas non-cyclic phosphorylation requires water
to occur and is predominant in green plants
d) Cyclic phosphorylation relies on reaction centre P680 whereas non-cyclic phosphorylation
relies on reaction centre P700

11. Which of these accurately describe the plant structure and its function:
a) Guard cells pump K+ ions in to the the cell to maintain cell turgor and control opening of the
stomatal pore
b) Glandular trichomes trap a layer of air against the surface of the plant to provide insulation
c) The cuticle is a waxy layer of film that is produced by the mesophyll to cover and protect the
leaf
 d) The epidermis is a thick layer of cells at the surface of the plant which stops water loss and
regulates gas exchange

12. Which of these is not a way in which plants can prevent self-pollination?
a) Dioecy
b) Apomixis
c) Protandry/Protogyny
d) Genetic control of pollen compatibility

13. Which mechanism does not affect the resting membrane potential level of neurons?
a) Na+/K+ Pump
b) Leaky Na+ Channels
c) Leaky K+ Channels
d) Refractory Period

14. A freshwater osmoregulator

a) Drinks lots of water so it can receive more salt
b) Produces lots of concentrated urine
c) Has special organs which actively retain high levels of salts
d) Have body fluid which is hypotonic to their surrounding water

15. The hummingbird is a:

a) Homeotherm which relies on its feathers for insulation
b) Heterotherm which uses torpor to meet its metabolic demands
c) Homeotherm which relies on peripheral vasoconstriction to conserve heat and maintain
body temperature
d) Heterotherm which undergoes true hibernation to reduce its metabolic rate

16. Which of these is a true statement on the circulatory system?

a) Closed circulatory systems typically use diffusion to transport oxygen down the vessels
b) The role of the Atrioventricular (AV) node is to generate spontaneous contractions in the
atrium that spread to the ventricles
c) Atherosclerosis is a disease of the arteries where they become stiff
d) Vessels are in a constant state of constriction or ‘tone’ at baseline

17. Which of these does not contribute to an increase in rate of ventiliation?

a) An increased heart rate
b) Increased partial pressure of CO2 at the brainstem
c) Increased signalling of the phrenic nerve
d) Decreased partial pressure of O2 as detected by the aortic body

18. Parthenogenesis is the reproductive process where animals:

a) Produce both an egg and sperm, and then self-fertilise
b) Produce either an egg or a sperm and is fertilised by or fertilises the opposite gamete
c) Produce an egg or sperm when young, and produce the opposite gamete later in life
 d) Produce an egg which develops without fertilisation

19. The star orchid has an extremely long floral tube. The Hawkmoth is a pollinator of the star orchid
with an incredibly long proboscis. This is an example of:
a) Obligate Mutualism
b) Mimicry
c) Gene Flow
d) Co-Evolution

20. Which of the following is not important in preventing antibiotic resistance?

a) The formation of ‘refugias’ which delay the evolution of resistant bacteria
b) The use of combination therapies which involve concurrent use of multiple antibiotics
targeted to different features of bacteria
c) Ensuring targeted use of antibiotics
d) Ensuring prescribed antibiotics are being used for the entirety of their course
Section B: Fill-in-the-gaps
(32 questions, 32 minutes, 32 marks)

1. For each letter (A-H), select the appropriate number that fits the description from the answer
box below. Answers (1-8) may be used more than once or not at all.

Comparison of Archaea and Animal Cell Features

Archaea Animal
Membrane Bound Organelles a b
Present?
Peptidoglycan Cell Wall? c d
Nitrogen Fixation? e f
Ribosomes g h

1 In no species
2 70S
3 Circular DNA
4 In some species only
5 60S
6 Nucleus only
7 In all species
8 80S

2. For each question letter (A-G), select the appropriate number that fits the description from the
answer box below. Answers (1-16) may be used more than once or not at all. G and F are
interchangeable.
 1 Acetyl-CoA
2 ADP
3 ATP
4 Creatine
5 Electron Transport Chain
6 FADH
7 FADH2
8 Fermentation
9 Glucogen
10 Glycerol
11 Glycogen
12 Lactic Acid
13 Mitochondrial Matrix
14 NADH
15 Oxygen
16 Pyruvate

3. Fill in the blanks (A-I) with numbers from the answer box. Answers (1-20) may be used more
than once or not at all.

Vascular plants have two conducting systems. (a) transports water from the roots to the leaves
in a mechanism known as (b). (c) can prevent the evaporation of water from the plant by
altering the size of the (d). Plants from particularly tropical climates use (e) to bind CO2 and form
the compound (f) in (g) photosynthesis. Although energetically more expensive, this pathway of
photosynthesis does not suffer from (h). Plants that use this pathway have a distinctive leaf
anatomy known as (i).

1 C3
2 C4
3 CAM
4 Cavitation
5 Guard Cells
6 Krantz
7 Malate
8 Mass Flow Hypothesis
9 O2
10 PEP
11 PEP-carboxylase
12 Phloem
13 Photorespiration
14 RuBisCO
15 Sieve Cells
16 Stomatal Pore
17 Tracheid
18 Translocation
19 Transpiration-Cohesion Theory of Water Movement
20 Xylem
4. Fill in the blanks (A-H) with numbers from the answer box. Answers (1-20) may be used more
than once or not at all.

The (a) cells are supporting cells of the seminiferous tubules whereas (b) are supporting cells of
the ovarian follicle. Cells from both the seminiferous tubules and follicles can produce the
hormone (c) which provides negative feedback to the pituitary to decrease secretion of FSH. In
males, FSH assists with (d), whereas it allows (e) in females. FSH is released by the (f) in response
to stimulation by (g) which is delivered through the (h).

1 Anterior Pituitary
2 Corpus Luteum
3 Estradiol
4 Fertilisation
5 Follicles
6 GnRH
7 Hypophyseal Portal
8 Hypothalamus
9 Inhibin
10 Leydig + Granulosa
11 Long Axonal Neurons
12 Menses
13 Ovulation
14 Posterior Pituitary
15 Sertoli + Leydig
16 Sertoli + Theca
17 Spermatogenesis
18 Testosterone
19 Theca + Granulosa
20 Theca + Leydig
Section C: Extended response

(2 questions, 20 minutes, 20 marks)

Answers

Multiple Choice

1. D

2. B

3. A

4. D

5. A

6. C

7. B

8. B

9. C

10. C

11. A

12. B

13. D

14. C

15. B

16. D

17. D

18. D

19. D

20. A
Fill-in-the-blank

1.

a) 1

b) 7

c) 4

d) 1

e) 7

f) 1

g) 2

h) 8

2.

a) 16

b) 14

c) 3

d) 1

e) 14

f) 7 or 14

g) 7 or 14

3.

a) 20

b) 19

c) 5

d) 16

e) 10

f) 7
g) 2

h) 13

i) 6

4.

a) 16

b) 19

c) 11

d)

e) 10

f) 7

g) 2

h) 13

i) 6