SAT II Biology M : SAT Subject Test in Biology
Study concepts, example questions & explanations for SAT II Biology M
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Example Questions
Example Question #1 : Macromolecules
In which of the following molecular forms do animals store energy?
Lipids only
Lipids and glycogen
Peptidoglycan only
Glycogen and peptidoglycan
Glycogen only
Lipids and glycogen
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.
Example Question #2 : Macromolecules
Plants often have a waxy covering on the outside of their leaves to prevent water loss. This waxy covering probably contains mostly which organic compound?
A carbohydrate
A protein
A nucleic acid
A lipid
A lipid
Major lipid groups include fats, steroids, and waxes. Because the question references a "waxy covering," we know that the plant covering must be composed of lipids.
Example Question #3 : Macromolecules
Which organic compound serves as stored energy for living things?
Lipids
Nucleic acids
Carbohydrates
Proteins
Lipids
Lipids make up the bulk of fat in animal tissues and thus stores energy.
Example Question #1 : Molecular Biology
Phospholipids are an essential component of the phospholipid bilayer necessary to the cell.
Which of the following correctly represents a phospholipid subunit with the corresponding polarity?
Phosphate head: nonpolar
Fatty acid tail: polar
Phosphate tail: polar
Fatty acid tail: nonpolar
Fatty acid head: nonpolar
Fatty acid tail: nonpolar
A phospholipid generally consists of a phosphate head (polar) and a fatty acid tail (non-polar).
Example Question #1 : Lipids
The phospholipid bilayer is critically important to the separation of the internal and external environment of the cell.
What drives the formation of the phospholipid bilayer?
The external environment pushes non-polar hydrophobic fatty acid tails to form the inner layer and the polar hydrophilic head groups to form the outer layer.
The external environment pushes non-polar hydrophobic fatty acid tails to form the inner layer and the polar hydrophobic head groups to form the outer layer.
The external environment pushes non-polar hydrophilic fatty acid tails to form the inner layer and the polar hydrophilic head groups to form the outer layer.
None of these
The external environment pushes non-polar hydrophilic fatty acid tails to form the inner layer and the polar hydrophobic head groups to form the outer layer.
The external environment pushes non-polar hydrophobic fatty acid tails to form the inner layer and the polar hydrophilic head groups to form the outer layer.
The external hydrophilic environment attracts polar hydrophilic phosphate head groups to the exterior, while allowing non-polar hydrophobic fatty acids to remain shielded in the interior of what becomes the phospholipid bilayer.
Example Question #12 : Molecular Biology
Lipids are made up of hydrocarbons linked to each other.
A hydrocarbon involves an atom of carbon with how many hydrogen atoms bonded to it?
Four
Five
One
Two
Three
Two
A hydrocarbon is made up of a carbon and two hydrogen atoms attached to it.
Example Question #1 : Lipids
Which of the following macromolecules are composed of long chains of amino acids?
Fats
Nucleic acids
Lipids
Carbohydrates
Proteins
Proteins
By process of elimination, lipids and fats cannot be the correct answer-they are synonymous (lipids are also known as fats). Carbohydrates, eg sugars and starches are composed only of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. Nucleic acids contribute to DNA and RNA structure and function. The correct answer is proteins, made of long chains of amino acids-amino acids are sometimes called the "building blocks" of proteins.
Example Question #1 : Nucleic Acids
Nucleic acids carry the information of what your cells will do. An example of a nucleic acid would be which of the following?
RNA
Cellulose
Asparagine
Carbon
RNA
Examples of nucleic acids include DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) and RNA (ribonucleic acid). Because DNA is not an answer choice, we know that the correct answer in this problem must be RNA. Cellulose is a carbohydrate, asparagine is an amino acid, and carbon is an element.
Example Question #13 : Molecular Biology
Which of the following is not involved in DNA synthesis?
Guanine
Adenine
Thymine
Cytosine
Uracil
Uracil
Uracil is a base utilized in RNA synthesis, whereas adenine, cytosine, guanine, and thymine are utilized in DNA synthesis.
Example Question #12 : Molecular Biology
What type of mutation will code for an amino acid but not the correct or desired amino acid?
Silent mutation
Missense mutation
Deletion mutation
Insertion mutation
Nonsense mutation
Missense mutation
By definition, a missense mutation will still code for an amino acid, but not the desired amino acid. Silent mutations will have a different base pair, but due to the redundancy of genetic code, it will still code for the desired mutation. Nonsense mutations code for an amino acid that leads to a stop codon, which terminates the translation of mRNA into protein. Insertions and deletions result in a shifted reading frame and typically are detrimental.
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