WEEK 1-2

Introduction to Cell and Molecular Biology

PRE-COMPETENCY CHECKLIST

Choose the best answer and justify your chosen answer. Write your answer on the given
space below each question.

1. Which statement(s) about living cells is/ are FALSE?

a. They cannot be seen by the naked eye.
b. Amoeba and bacteria do not have cells.
c. Animals and plants are composed of cells.

Answer and Justification: b. Amoeba and bacteria do not have cells. This statement is
false because both bacteria and amoebas are single-celled organisms though they
belong to very different kingdoms of life. Bacteria belong to the Bacteria kingdom
while amoebas belong to the Protista kingdom.

2. Plant cells and Animal cells are the same.

a. False
b. True
c. Cannot be determined

Answer and Justification: a. False. animal cells have a centrosome and lysosomes,
whereas plant cells do not. Plant cells have a cell wall, chloroplasts and other
specialized plastids, and a large central vacuole, whereas animal cells do not.

3. Elements of the same group manifest the same chemical properties

a. False
b. True
c. Cannot be determined

Answer and Justification: b. True. This statement is true, elements in the same group
have similar chemical properties because they have the same number of electrons in
their outer shell.
4-5. Why do cells have different shapes and appearances?

Answer and Justification: Cells greatly vary in their shape and sizes because of their
varied and distinct function. Their shape and size are all related to the type of activity
or function they are involved in. Each cell type has its own role to play in helping our
bodies to work properly, and their shapes help them carry out these roles effectively.
DISCUSSION BOARD

We will now try to interact with each other in a two-way process at a least possible way!
I will post a question/s and try to answer it on your own.

1. Water makes up the majority of your body. Each molecule of water (H2O) contains two
hydrogen atoms for every one oxygen atom. Why then, does your body contain far more
oxygen than hydrogen by weight?

Because we always inhale and require oxygen, our bodies contain significantly
more oxygen. The majority of the oxygen present is in the form of water. Oxygen is
contained in every major organic component in the body, including proteins,
carbohydrates, lipids, and nucleic acids, and it is essential for metabolism and respiration.
Despite the fact that there are far more hydrogen atoms in the body than oxygen atoms,
each oxygen atom is 16 times heavier than a hydrogen atom.

2. Starch and fiber are constructed of exactly the same building blocks. So why is it that
starch is high in calories but fiber is not?

Because fiber is not digested, it does not provide us with calories, whereas starch
does. Starches provide far more calories than fibrous carbs. Both starch and fiber are
lengthy chains of glucose molecules, but the links between the glucose units in fiber are
indigestible. As a result, fiber passes undigested through the small intestine, whereas
starch is broken down into glucose and absorbed. Fiber-rich foods may also contain other
types of carbohydrates such as starch or sugar. While the fiber in these foods does not
provide calories, the sugars and carbs they contain do.