Question 1

Which statement is NOT a tenet of the cell theory?

Accepted Answer

Cells can arise spontaneously from non-living matter.

Question 2

Why is cell size limited in most organisms?

Accepted Answer

Because metabolic demands require a sufficient surface area for exchange relative to volume.

Question 3

A scientist observes a cell with a nucleus, mitochondria, and chloroplasts. Which type of cell is this most likely to be?

Accepted Answer

A plant cell

Question 4

Which organelle is primarily responsible for the synthesis of proteins that are exported from the cell?

Accepted Answer

Rough endoplasmic reticulum

Question 5

A mutation causes a cell to lack functional lysosomes. Which process would be most directly affected?

Accepted Answer

Digestion of macromolecules and damaged organelles

Question 6

Which equation correctly represents the reaction catalyzed by peroxisomes in the liver?

Accepted Answer

$$RH_2$$ + $$O_2$$ \rightarrow R + H_2O_2$$

Question 7

Which structure is found in animal cells but NOT in plant cells?

Accepted Answer

Centrioles

Question 8

Which cytoskeletal element is primarily responsible for chromosome movement during cell division?

Accepted Answer

Microtubules

Question 9

A patient has a genetic disorder affecting the integrity of their skin cells, causing them to separate easily. Which cell junction is most likely defective?

Accepted Answer

Desmosomes (anchoring junctions)

Question 10

Which of the following best explains why compartmentalization is important in eukaryotic cells?

Accepted Answer

It allows for the simultaneous occurrence of incompatible metabolic processes.

Question 11

Which organelle is the site of photosynthesis?

Accepted Answer

Chloroplast

Question 12

Which of the following is a function of the Golgi apparatus?

Accepted Answer

Modification, sorting, and packaging of proteins

Question 13

Which equation describes the breakdown of hydrogen peroxide by peroxisomes?

Accepted Answer

$$2H_2O_2 \rightarrow 2H_2O + O_2$

Question 14

Which of the following is NOT a function of microfilaments?

Accepted Answer

Chromosome movement during cell division

Question 15

Which structure allows ions and small molecules to pass directly from one animal cell to another?

Accepted Answer

Gap junctions

Question 16

A cell is observed to have a high number of ribosomes attached to its endoplasmic reticulum. What is the most likely function of this cell?

Accepted Answer

Secretion of large amounts of protein

Question 17

Which of the following best describes the evolutionary origin of mitochondria?

Accepted Answer

They originated from engulfed oxygen-using nonphotosynthetic prokaryotes.

Question 18

Which of the following is a major difference between prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells?

Accepted Answer

Eukaryotic cells have a nucleus, while prokaryotic cells do not.

Question 19

A cell with defective tight junctions would most likely have problems with which of the following?

Accepted Answer

Preventing leakage of extracellular fluid between adjacent cells

Question 20

Which of the following best explains why mitochondria and chloroplasts have their own DNA?

Accepted Answer

They originated from free-living prokaryotes that were engulfed by ancestral eukaryotic cells.

A Tour of the Cell: Structure and Function in General Biology

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