BIOLOGY 12

UNIT 2 ANSWER KEY

1. What invention was necessary to enable humans to initially study cells? microscope

2. What are the two key principles of the cell theory?

the cell is the "building block" of all organisms (the basic unit of life, all life forms consist of one or more
cells)
all cells come from pre-existing cells (on today's Earth, must of originated/evolved from elsewhere
originally)

3. Prokaryotic cells differ from Eukaryotic cells:

a. What is the major structural difference?

prokaryote cells lack a true nucleus and other membrane-bound organelles that are found in
eukaryotic cells

b. This structural difference leads to a functional difference, what is the major functional difference?
prokaryotic cells are generally considered less efficient as their cellular reactions occur throughout
the cytosol as opposed to eukaryotic cells which are generally considered more efficient as their
reactions occur within particular membrane-bound organelles where the necessary reactants and
enzymes can be co-localized and concentrated to better promote the reactions

4. Please compare and contrast the structures/organelles of animal and plant cells in the Venn diagram
provided below.

ANIMAL ONLY PLANT ONLY

BOTH

nucleus
rough ER
smooth ER
Golgi Apparatus
Vesicles
Smaller Vacuoles Vacuoles Larger Vacuoles
(store nutrients, waste, (stores nutrients, waste,
and water) Mitochondria water, toxins and pigments)
cell membrane
Ribosomes
cytosol/cytoplasm
cytoskeleton
cell membrane

centrioles chloroplasts
lysosomes cell wall

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CELL STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION

1. Please state the main functions of each of the following organelles:

a. nucleus = Controls gene expression and mediates the replication of DNA during the cell cycle..
Control center of the cell.

b. cell membrane = controls what enters and exits cell, defines boundaries of cell from external
environment

c. mitochondria = converts glucose to ATP which can be used as an energy source to directly drive
energy-dependent cellular reactions

d. endoplasmic reticulum = rough ER is studded with ribosomes and makes, processes and transports
proteins destined for particular organelles, the cell membrane and/or secretion, smooth ER
produces lipids such as phospholipids for the cell membrane and steroids for cell signaling as well
as detoxifying substances such as drugs and alcohol

e. ribosomes = "protein factories", have a key role in translation where they catalyze the formation of
peptide bonds between amino acids

f. Golgi bodies = further process, sort and package proteins destined for particular organelles, the
cell membrane and/or secretion

2. Using a pencil, do a line drawing of an animal cell. Indicate and label as many organelles as possible. (5
marks)

3. The nucleolus is an important structure in the cell:

a. Where is it located? appears as a darker region within the nucleus

b. What molecule does it produce? ribosomes
c. What is the function of this molecule? to go to cytosol where it help produce proteins

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4. Vacuoles are important organelles in the cell:

a. Where are they located? within the cytosol

b. What are their functions? storage of nutrients, water and waste
c. How are they different from vesicles? larger, vesicles job is to transport proteins and lipids
within, into and out of the cell

5. Hydrolytic enzymes are very important to cellular function:

a. What organelle are they predominantly found in? lysosomes

b. What are some of the key functions of this organelle? Digestion - fuse with vacuoles containing
food, damaged organelles or pathogens such that the contents can be digested by hydrolysis

6. Compare and contrast the structure and functions of the smooth ER and the rough ER.
= smooth ER is not associated with ribosomes and produces lipids such as phospholipids which
help form cell membranes and steroids which are used as chemical messengers throughout the
body. Smooth ER is also responsible for the detoxification of harmful metabolic byproducts.
= rough ER has ribosomes attached and produces, modifies and transports proteins destined for
particular organelles, the cell membrane and/or secretion

7. Why do cells of the testes, liver and adrenal glands have extensive amounts of smooth ER?
= testes produce the steroid hormone, testosterone
= liver functions to detoxify drugs and alcohol found in the blood
= adrenal gland produces a variety of steroid hormones such as aldosterone and cortisol

8. Thinking of the various organelles and their associated functions, list 5 activities that all animal cells must
perform to stay alive.

Answers may vary but may include the following:

= all cells must be able to store, transmit and apply genetic information to stay alive (via nucleus;
note that red blood cells lack a nucleus and these functions and as such only live for 120 days and
must be formed from a different cell type called the myeloid progenitor cell)
= convert glucose to ATP to provide energy for energy-dependent cellular reactions (via
mitochondria)
= produce proteins (via ribosomes)
= process, package and sort proteins destined for particular organelles, the cell membrane and/or
secretion (via Golgi apparatus)
= transport proteins and lipids within, into and out of the cell (via vesicles)

CELL STRUCTURAL INTERDEPENDENCE

1. Please explain how the following organelles assist each other by working together:

a. ribosomes and Golgi bodies

= ribosomes produce proteins including those destined for particular organelles, the cell
membrane or secretion…the Golgi apparatus then processes, sorts and packages these
proteins so that they can be delivered to their final destinations by vesicles

b. lysosomes and vesicles

= vesicle deliver enzymes such as hydrolases to the lysosome so that it can function
properly
= as well, vesicles bring particles into the cell and then fuse with the lysosome so that
these particles can be digested by hydrolysis
c. nucleolus and ribosomes

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= nucleuolus produces ribosomes which are necessary to produce proteins within the cell
d.
endoplasmic reticulum and ribosomes
= some ribosomes are attached to the ER such that they can "inject" proteins into the ER
as they are being made so that the ER can further process and transport the protein
towards the Golgi apparatus and its final destination of a particular organelle, the cell
membrane and/or secretion
e. cell membrane and cytoskeleton
= the cytoskeleton helps to support the cell membrane and allows the cell to be dynamic
in that the cytoskeleton can be remodeled/reshaped beneath the cell membrane such that
the cell itself is remodeled/reshaped such as is necessary during endocytosis or cell
movement
f. mitochondria and all other organelles
= the mitochondria converts glucose to ATP which is necessary to perform the energy-
dependent cellular reactions that occur in all other organelles
INTRODUCTION
1. Describe the fluid mosaic model.
= states that the cell membrane (aka the plasma membrane) is made up of a semi-
fluid (dynamic and changing) phospholipid bilayer with a variety of proteins floating
within that bilayer
2. What prefix is used to indicate a protein or lipid that has a carbohydrate chain attached?
= glycol as in glycoprotein
glycolipid
3. Please label the following cell membrane diagram with as much detail as possible.

proteins

Proteins

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CELL MEMBRANE FUNCTION

1. Please define the following terms and provide one example where it is involved in transporting a
substance in the human body:

a. diffusion = the movement of particles from areas of higher concentration to areas of lower
concentrations with the concentration gradient, no membrane, carrier or ATP required.

b. osmosis = the movement of water molecules from areas of high water concentration to an area of
low water concentration across a semi-permeable membrane until equilibrium is met. No carrier or
ATP is required.

c. facilitated transport = any form of diffusion that requires the assistance of a carrier or channel
protein, Movement occurs with the concentration gradient so no ATP is required

d. active transport = any form of transport against the concentration gradient that requires energy
(typically supplied in the form of ATP). A membrane and a carrier are required.

2. There are several ways to transport substances across the cell membrane. Please complete the table
below, indicating whether the form of transport requires a membrane, carrier, energy in the form of ATP,
and is with the concentration gradient.

With
Membrane Carrier Energy/ATP
Type of concentration
Required Required Required (
Transport Gradient
( or ) ( or ) or )
( or )

Diffusion N N N Y

Y (with respect to
water moving from
Osmosis areas of higher water
Y N N to areas of lower
water)

Facilitated
Y Y (or channel) N Y
Transport
Active
Y Y Y N (against the
Transport
concentration
gradient)

3. Which mode of transport is used to move the following molecules across the cell membrane? (4 marks)

a. oxygen molecules Diffusion

b. water Osmosis

c. sodium ions___ facilitated or active __

d. glucose facilitated or active _

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4. Why is the cell membrane important to the cell?
= defines the boundaries of the cell from the surrounding environment
= protects the cell - controls what enters and exits the cell

5. What factors influence the rate at which specific molecules diffuse across the cell membrane?

Answer should include any 3 of the following:

= surface area…greater surface are = faster diffusion

= temperature…higher temperature = faster diffusion

= concentration gradient…greater gradient (the greater the difference between the higher and lower
concentration areas) = faster diffusion

= size of diffusing particle…smaller particle = faster diffusion

= diffusion medium…solid=slower, liquid = faster, gas = fastest

6. Why does winter road salt cause damage to plants on the roadside?
= the excess salt mixes with water in the environment and essentially places the plant in a
hypertonic solution that then causes water to exit the plant cell thereby damaging the plant

7. Salting fish was a common practice. How did this practice prevent the fish from rotting?
= the excess salt mixes with water in the environment and essentially places any potential
bacteria that could lead the fish to rot in a hypertonic solution that draws the water from the
bacteria causing it to die

8. Compare and contrast endocytosis, including both phagocytosis and pinocytosis, and exocytosis.
Include an example of the use of each process in the body.

= endocytosis and exocytosis both active transport processes that use ATP and vesicles to
transport substances

= endocytosis specifically refers to the use of vesicles to actively move substances

into the cell and includes phagocytosis or "cell eating" whereby larger particles are brought
into the cell and pinocytosis or "cell drinking" whereby fluids and smaller particles are
brought into the cell; also includes receptor-mediated

= exocytosis specifically refers to the use of vesicles to actively move substances

out of the cell.

= phagocytosis…uptake of bacteria pathogens for destruction within the cell

= pinocytosis…uptake of nutrients by cells in the small intestine
= exocytosis…collagen and plasma membrane lipids

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