CCBC BIO 110 FINAL PRACTICE
EXAMINATION 2026 QUESTIONS
WITH ANSWERS GRADED A+
EXAM
1. As a cell increases in size, which of the following becomes a limiting factor for
efficient nutrient exchange and waste removal?
a) The amount of DNA in the nucleus
b) The number of mitochondria present
c) The surface area-to-volume ratio
d) The fluidity of the phospholipid bilayer
2. A biologist discovers a new organism. It is unicellular, lacks a nucleus, and its
cell wall contains peptidoglycan. This organism belongs to which domain?
a) Eukarya
b) Archaea
c) Animalia
d) Bacteria
3. A protein that will be secreted from a cell is synthesized by ribosomes located
on the surface of which organelle?
a) Smooth Endoplasmic Reticulum
b) Rough Endoplasmic Reticulum
c) Golgi apparatus
d) Free-floating ribosomes in the cytoplasm
4. Which of the following best describes the function of the Golgi apparatus?
a) Site of ATP production
b) Synthesis of lipids and detoxification of drugs
c) Modification, sorting, and packaging of proteins
d) Digestion of worn-out organelles using hydrolytic enzymes
5. If a red blood cell is placed in a hypotonic solution, what will likely occur?
a) The cell will shrink due to water leaving the cell.
b) The cell will swell and may eventually burst.
,c) The cell will remain the same size, as the solutions are equal.
d) Sodium ions will rush into the cell to balance the concentration.
6. Which specific process is responsible for producing the most ATP during aerobic
cellular respiration?
a) Glycolysis
b) The Krebs Cycle
c) Fermentation
d) Oxidative phosphorylation (Electron Transport Chain)
7. During which phase of the cell cycle are chromosomes replicated?
a) Prophase
b) Metaphase
c) S phase of Interphase
d) Cytokinesis
8. A scientist is studying a gene that controls fur color in mice. The DNA sequence
of the gene is TAC CGA TCG. During transcription, what would be the corresponding
mRNA sequence?
a) ATG GCT AGC
b) UAC CGA UCG
c) AUG GCU AGC
d) TAC CGA TCG
9. A mutation occurs in a DNA sequence, changing a single nucleotide. This results
in a codon that codes for a different amino acid. This type of mutation is called a:
a) Silent mutation
b) Missense mutation
c) Nonsense mutation
d) Frameshift mutation
10. In pea plants, the allele for purple flowers (P) is dominant over the allele for
white flowers (p). If two heterozygous (Pp) plants are crossed, what is the
expected phenotypic ratio of their offspring?
a) All purple
b) All white
c) 3 purple : 1 white
d) 1 purple : 2 pink : 1 white
, Answer Key with Rationales
1. Correct Answer: c) The surface area-to-volume ratio
Rationale: As a cell grows, its volume (cytoplasmic content) increases much faster than
its surface area (plasma membrane). The plasma membrane is the cell's interface with
the environment, responsible for taking in nutrients and expelling wastes. If the volume
becomes too large for the surface area to service, the cell will not be able to exchange
materials efficiently enough to support its metabolic needs, thus limiting cell size .
2. Correct Answer: d) Bacteria
Rationale: This question tests the fundamental domains of life. Prokaryotic organisms
lack a membrane-bound nucleus. They are divided into two domains: Bacteria and
Archaea. A key distinguishing feature is that Bacteria have peptidoglycan in their cell
walls, while Archaea do not .
3. Correct Answer: b) Rough Endoplasmic Reticulum
Rationale: The Rough ER (RER) is studded with ribosomes, which are actively
synthesizing proteins. These ribosomes produce proteins that are destined for secretion,
for the plasma membrane, or for certain organelles like lysosomes. The RER modifies
these proteins (e.g., folding, glycosylation) and packages them into vesicles for transport
to the Golgi apparatus .
4. Correct Answer: c) Modification, sorting, and packaging of proteins
Rationale: The Golgi apparatus is the cell's "post office." It receives protein-filled
vesicles from the Rough ER, further modifies the proteins (e.g., by adding or modifying
carbohydrate chains), sorts them based on their final destination, and then packages
them into new vesicles to be shipped to those locations .
5. Correct Answer: b) The cell will swell and may eventually burst.
Rationale: This is a question about osmosis and tonicity. A hypotonic solution has a
lower concentration of solutes (and thus a higher concentration of water) than the
inside of the cell. Water will move down its concentration gradient into the cell. Animal
cells like red blood cells lack a rigid cell wall, so the influx of water causes them to swell
and potentially lyse (burst) .
6. Correct Answer: d) Oxidative phosphorylation (Electron Transport Chain)
, Rationale: While glycolysis and the Krebs cycle produce a small amount of ATP and
electron carriers (NADH, FADH2), the vast majority of ATP is generated during oxidative
phosphorylation. Here, the electron carriers donate electrons to the electron transport
chain, which powers the creation of a proton gradient that drives ATP synthesis .
7. Correct Answer: c) S phase of Interphase
Rationale: The cell cycle consists of Interphase and the Mitotic (M) phase. Interphase is
the longest part of the cycle and is divided into G1 (cell growth), S phase (DNA
synthesis/replication) , and G2 (preparation for division). Chromosomes are duplicated
during the S phase so that identical copies can be passed to daughter cells during
mitosis .
8. Correct Answer: c) AUG GCU AGC
Rationale: This question tests the principle of transcription, where DNA is used as a
template to make mRNA. The rules of base pairing are: Adenine (DNA) pairs with Uracil
(RNA); Thymine (DNA) pairs with Adenine (RNA); Cytosine (DNA) pairs with Guanine
(RNA); and Guanine (DNA) pairs with Cytosine (RNA). Applying this to the DNA
sequence TAC CGA TCG yields the mRNA sequence AUG GCU AGC .
9. Correct Answer: b) Missense mutation
Rationale: A point mutation (single nucleotide change) that results in a different amino
acid being incorporated into the protein is a missense mutation. A silent mutation
changes the nucleotide but not the amino acid. A nonsense mutation changes a codon
for an amino acid into a stop codon. A frameshift mutation is caused by an insertion or
deletion of nucleotides, altering the reading frame .
10. Correct Answer: c) 3 purple : 1 white
Rationale: This is a classic monohybrid cross. Crossing two heterozygous parents (Pp x
Pp) yields the following genotypic ratios: 1 PP : 2 Pp : 1 pp. Since the P allele is
dominant, both PP and Pp individuals will have purple flowers, and only pp individuals
will have white flowers. This results in a phenotypic ratio of 3 purple : 1 white
11. Which of the following is the monomer that makes up proteins?
a) Nucleotide
b) Monosaccharide
EXAMINATION 2026 QUESTIONS
WITH ANSWERS GRADED A+
EXAM
1. As a cell increases in size, which of the following becomes a limiting factor for
efficient nutrient exchange and waste removal?
a) The amount of DNA in the nucleus
b) The number of mitochondria present
c) The surface area-to-volume ratio
d) The fluidity of the phospholipid bilayer
2. A biologist discovers a new organism. It is unicellular, lacks a nucleus, and its
cell wall contains peptidoglycan. This organism belongs to which domain?
a) Eukarya
b) Archaea
c) Animalia
d) Bacteria
3. A protein that will be secreted from a cell is synthesized by ribosomes located
on the surface of which organelle?
a) Smooth Endoplasmic Reticulum
b) Rough Endoplasmic Reticulum
c) Golgi apparatus
d) Free-floating ribosomes in the cytoplasm
4. Which of the following best describes the function of the Golgi apparatus?
a) Site of ATP production
b) Synthesis of lipids and detoxification of drugs
c) Modification, sorting, and packaging of proteins
d) Digestion of worn-out organelles using hydrolytic enzymes
5. If a red blood cell is placed in a hypotonic solution, what will likely occur?
a) The cell will shrink due to water leaving the cell.
b) The cell will swell and may eventually burst.
,c) The cell will remain the same size, as the solutions are equal.
d) Sodium ions will rush into the cell to balance the concentration.
6. Which specific process is responsible for producing the most ATP during aerobic
cellular respiration?
a) Glycolysis
b) The Krebs Cycle
c) Fermentation
d) Oxidative phosphorylation (Electron Transport Chain)
7. During which phase of the cell cycle are chromosomes replicated?
a) Prophase
b) Metaphase
c) S phase of Interphase
d) Cytokinesis
8. A scientist is studying a gene that controls fur color in mice. The DNA sequence
of the gene is TAC CGA TCG. During transcription, what would be the corresponding
mRNA sequence?
a) ATG GCT AGC
b) UAC CGA UCG
c) AUG GCU AGC
d) TAC CGA TCG
9. A mutation occurs in a DNA sequence, changing a single nucleotide. This results
in a codon that codes for a different amino acid. This type of mutation is called a:
a) Silent mutation
b) Missense mutation
c) Nonsense mutation
d) Frameshift mutation
10. In pea plants, the allele for purple flowers (P) is dominant over the allele for
white flowers (p). If two heterozygous (Pp) plants are crossed, what is the
expected phenotypic ratio of their offspring?
a) All purple
b) All white
c) 3 purple : 1 white
d) 1 purple : 2 pink : 1 white
, Answer Key with Rationales
1. Correct Answer: c) The surface area-to-volume ratio
Rationale: As a cell grows, its volume (cytoplasmic content) increases much faster than
its surface area (plasma membrane). The plasma membrane is the cell's interface with
the environment, responsible for taking in nutrients and expelling wastes. If the volume
becomes too large for the surface area to service, the cell will not be able to exchange
materials efficiently enough to support its metabolic needs, thus limiting cell size .
2. Correct Answer: d) Bacteria
Rationale: This question tests the fundamental domains of life. Prokaryotic organisms
lack a membrane-bound nucleus. They are divided into two domains: Bacteria and
Archaea. A key distinguishing feature is that Bacteria have peptidoglycan in their cell
walls, while Archaea do not .
3. Correct Answer: b) Rough Endoplasmic Reticulum
Rationale: The Rough ER (RER) is studded with ribosomes, which are actively
synthesizing proteins. These ribosomes produce proteins that are destined for secretion,
for the plasma membrane, or for certain organelles like lysosomes. The RER modifies
these proteins (e.g., folding, glycosylation) and packages them into vesicles for transport
to the Golgi apparatus .
4. Correct Answer: c) Modification, sorting, and packaging of proteins
Rationale: The Golgi apparatus is the cell's "post office." It receives protein-filled
vesicles from the Rough ER, further modifies the proteins (e.g., by adding or modifying
carbohydrate chains), sorts them based on their final destination, and then packages
them into new vesicles to be shipped to those locations .
5. Correct Answer: b) The cell will swell and may eventually burst.
Rationale: This is a question about osmosis and tonicity. A hypotonic solution has a
lower concentration of solutes (and thus a higher concentration of water) than the
inside of the cell. Water will move down its concentration gradient into the cell. Animal
cells like red blood cells lack a rigid cell wall, so the influx of water causes them to swell
and potentially lyse (burst) .
6. Correct Answer: d) Oxidative phosphorylation (Electron Transport Chain)
, Rationale: While glycolysis and the Krebs cycle produce a small amount of ATP and
electron carriers (NADH, FADH2), the vast majority of ATP is generated during oxidative
phosphorylation. Here, the electron carriers donate electrons to the electron transport
chain, which powers the creation of a proton gradient that drives ATP synthesis .
7. Correct Answer: c) S phase of Interphase
Rationale: The cell cycle consists of Interphase and the Mitotic (M) phase. Interphase is
the longest part of the cycle and is divided into G1 (cell growth), S phase (DNA
synthesis/replication) , and G2 (preparation for division). Chromosomes are duplicated
during the S phase so that identical copies can be passed to daughter cells during
mitosis .
8. Correct Answer: c) AUG GCU AGC
Rationale: This question tests the principle of transcription, where DNA is used as a
template to make mRNA. The rules of base pairing are: Adenine (DNA) pairs with Uracil
(RNA); Thymine (DNA) pairs with Adenine (RNA); Cytosine (DNA) pairs with Guanine
(RNA); and Guanine (DNA) pairs with Cytosine (RNA). Applying this to the DNA
sequence TAC CGA TCG yields the mRNA sequence AUG GCU AGC .
9. Correct Answer: b) Missense mutation
Rationale: A point mutation (single nucleotide change) that results in a different amino
acid being incorporated into the protein is a missense mutation. A silent mutation
changes the nucleotide but not the amino acid. A nonsense mutation changes a codon
for an amino acid into a stop codon. A frameshift mutation is caused by an insertion or
deletion of nucleotides, altering the reading frame .
10. Correct Answer: c) 3 purple : 1 white
Rationale: This is a classic monohybrid cross. Crossing two heterozygous parents (Pp x
Pp) yields the following genotypic ratios: 1 PP : 2 Pp : 1 pp. Since the P allele is
dominant, both PP and Pp individuals will have purple flowers, and only pp individuals
will have white flowers. This results in a phenotypic ratio of 3 purple : 1 white
11. Which of the following is the monomer that makes up proteins?
a) Nucleotide
b) Monosaccharide
