SAT Subject Test in Biology

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SAT Subject Test in Biology › SAT Subject Test in Biology

Questions 1 - 10
1

The cell walls of bacteria, plants, and fungi are of varying composition. Fungi cells are composed of __________.

chitin

cellulose

peptidoglycan

glycogen

carboxypeptidase

Explanation

Fungal cells have cell walls composed of chitin, a polysaccharide similar in structure to cellulose.

2

In which of the following molecular forms do animals store energy?

Lipids and glycogen

Lipids only

Glycogen only

Glycogen and peptidoglycan

Peptidoglycan only

Explanation

Both lipids (fat) and glycogen (made up of glucose molecules) store energy in animals. Lipids are used for long-term energy storage while glycogen, found in the liver and muscles, is used for short-term energy storage. Peptidoglycan is the molecule that makes up the bacterial cell walls.

3

Polysaccharides are considered sugar moieties that include 3 or more monomeric saccharides together.

Which of the following is/are polysaccharide(s)?

I. Glycogen
II. Starch
III. Cellulose

I, II, and III

I only

I and II

I and III

II and III

Explanation

Glycogen, starch, and cellulose are all polysaccharides composed of many glucose monomers linked together.

4

Which of the following types of transport require ATP?

The Na+/K+ pump releasing 3 sodium ions outside of the cell and 2 potassium ions into the cell

Glucose moving into the cell, down its concentration gradient, through a channel

Water moving from an area of low solute concentration to an area of high solute concentration

Water moving down its concentration gradient through an aquaporin

Sodium ions moving from an area of high concentration to an area of low concentration through a voltage-gated sodium channel

Explanation

The Na+/K+ pump is active transport and therefore requires ATP. Since the pump is moving ions against its concentration gradient, it requires ATP to change the conformation of the pump to release the ions. All of the other forms of transport are either diffusion (moving down its concentration gradient) or facilitated diffusion (moving down its concentration gradient with the help of a channel or carrier).

Good tip: Pumps are used for active transport while carrier proteins or channels are used for facilitated diffusion which is a type of passive transport.

5

Disulfide bonds can add stability to the structure of a protein. The formation of disulfide bonds occurs in the formation of what level of protein structure?

Tertiary

Primary

Secondary

Quaternary

During translation

Explanation

The correct answer is "tertiary." Translation is a process performed by ribosomes to link amino acids together in a chain, and the order of the amino acids is based on a code from mRNA. The order of the amino acids in the chain is the primary structure. The secondary structure is the folding in that chain, mainly based on hydrogen bonds between parts of the chain and the surrounding water molecules. The tertiary structure is the actual three-dimensional structure of the protein. Disulfide bonds are covalent bonds between cysteine residues and are stronger than hydrogen bonds and give a stable, three-dimensional structure to what was originally just a chain of amino acids.

6

Which of the following organisms undergo photosynthesis?

I. Blue-green algae

II. Cyanobacteria

III. Ferns

I, II, and III

III only

I and III only

II and III only

I and II only

Explanation

While the photosynthetic process differs slightly among these organisms, cyanobacteria, algae, and ferns (along with all other plants) all undergo photosynthesis-the process of using sunlight to synthesize food from carbon dioxide and water.

7

Disulfide bonds can add stability to the structure of a protein. The formation of disulfide bonds occurs in the formation of what level of protein structure?

Tertiary

Primary

Secondary

Quaternary

During translation

Explanation

The correct answer is "tertiary." Translation is a process performed by ribosomes to link amino acids together in a chain, and the order of the amino acids is based on a code from mRNA. The order of the amino acids in the chain is the primary structure. The secondary structure is the folding in that chain, mainly based on hydrogen bonds between parts of the chain and the surrounding water molecules. The tertiary structure is the actual three-dimensional structure of the protein. Disulfide bonds are covalent bonds between cysteine residues and are stronger than hydrogen bonds and give a stable, three-dimensional structure to what was originally just a chain of amino acids.

8

Which is an example of a biological catalyst that is not a protein?

Ribozymes

Spliceosomes

Transferases

Hydrolases

Lyases

Explanation

This question ultimately hinges on knowing the difference between ribozymes and spliceosomes because transferase, hydrolase, and lyase should all be recognized as proteins that function as enzymes. Transferase catalyzes reactions that facilitate the transfer of functional groups. Hydrolase works to catalyze hydrolysis reactions. Lyase works to catalyze reactions that break down double bonds. Spliceosomes are a unit of proteins and RNA that work to catalyze reactions that splice out introns in RNA to form mature mRNA ready for translation. Ribozymes are important because they also splice RNA into mRNA, but they do not have a protein component to them. The discovery of Ribozymes was a breakthrough in that it was the first evidence that not all enzymes are proteins.

9

In RNA, three nucleotide bases together determine the amino acid that is added to the growing polypeptide chain during translation. This three base grouping is known as a(n) __________.

codon

gene

operator

promoter

polypeptide

Explanation

The three base grouping in RNA that determines the amino acid created in translation is known as a codon. Gene refers to the region on DNA that codes for a given trait. Operators and promoters are also located on DNA, and act as regulatory elements.

10

Which is an example of a biological catalyst that is not a protein?

Ribozymes

Spliceosomes

Transferases

Hydrolases

Lyases

Explanation

This question ultimately hinges on knowing the difference between ribozymes and spliceosomes because transferase, hydrolase, and lyase should all be recognized as proteins that function as enzymes. Transferase catalyzes reactions that facilitate the transfer of functional groups. Hydrolase works to catalyze hydrolysis reactions. Lyase works to catalyze reactions that break down double bonds. Spliceosomes are a unit of proteins and RNA that work to catalyze reactions that splice out introns in RNA to form mature mRNA ready for translation. Ribozymes are important because they also splice RNA into mRNA, but they do not have a protein component to them. The discovery of Ribozymes was a breakthrough in that it was the first evidence that not all enzymes are proteins.

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