BIOLOGY 1002B: FINAL EXAM
QUESTIONS AND ACTUAL ANSWERS
2025-2026 UPDATED.
Eukaryotic vs. Prokaryotic - Answer Eukaryotic: membrane-bound organelles, distinct
nucleus with genetic info, chromosomes, mitochondria, ER, golgi complex, reproduce sexually;
Prokaryotic: free floating genetic material, circular DNA, smaller ribosomes, reproduce asexually
What are model systems? - Answer An organism used to study and understand biology that
is a good representation of other groups of organisms and allows us to understand more about
not only that particular organism but also others.
What are examples of model systems? - Answer E. coli, mouse, yeast, Chlamydomonas
Characteristics of Chlamydomonas - Answer Eukaryotes, photosynthetic (chloroplast,
autotroph), nucleus, two flagella, eyespot (linked to movement and flagella)
What are the two types of eukaryotic life cycles? - Answer Haplontic and Diplontic
Describe the haplontic life cycle - Answer Two haploid gametes fuse together to form a
diploid zygote. Immediately after, the gametes go through meiosis. These organisms are mainly
in a haploid state through growth and mitosis.
Describe the diplontic life cycle - Answer Two haploid gametes fuse together to form a
diploid zygote. Through growth and development (mitosis), the zygote grows into the organism
and only undergoes meiosis in preparation for reproduction.
Where does the most growth occur for Chlamy? - Answer G1
In the beginning of G1, the cells have what characteristics? - Answer They are growth
dependent, meaning they are dividing in order to grow in size; big enough to undergo cell
division.
What is the Commitment stage? - Answer The cell does not need to be bigger for cell
division to be triggered. The cell decides it will divide.
What are growth independent events? - Answer Undergo more cell divisions to get larger
beyond the Commitment stage. Often, the cell does get bigger.
,What is the growth rate of Chlamy proportional to in the growth curve? - Answer Slope
What does the growth rate represent? - Answer Doubling time, generation time
What is the growth rate of Chlamy? - Answer 8 hours
Why do experiments tend to be done with cells in exponential phase? - Answer The growth
is at its maximum.
What traits do Chlamy have similar to algae? - Answer Photosynthetic (chloroplasts)
T/F: Chlamy also has traits in common with linneages such as humans and fungus.. - Answer
True
What is the relationship between eukaryotic flagella and cilla? - Answer They are
evolutionary identical (structurally identical)
Why do Chlamy and humans have the flagella but not plants or algae? - Answer There is a
retention of the flagella; however, some lost this structure overtime.
What are some reasons that Chlamy is a good model system? - Answer Can study human
disease (using the similarity of flagella and cilla), haploid, easy to grow and maintain, short
generation time, unicellular, small genome, reflects basic eukaryotic structure, mutate easily,
use light for both energy and information
What are the three stages of the microbial growth curve? - Answer 1. Lag phase (small
growth rate, dely)
2. Exponential phase (max growth rate)
3. Stationary phase (no more cell division)
How long ago did Chlamy diverge from its common ancestory with plants and algae. - Answer
1 billion years ago
What are ciliopathies? - Answer Many different processes are linked to flagella and cilia
functions deriving diseases that arise from dysfunction in motile (most of them) or non-motile
cilia.
How non-motile cilia function in the human body? - Answer Almost every vertebrae cell has
a primary cilium and the cilia act as a way for cells to sense their environment. It uses sensory
,proteins found on the membrane surface and the signal is interrupted and can cause function
changes.
What is an example of how motile cilia can lead to ciliopathies? - Answer In sperm, leading
to infertility
What is a proteome? - Answer The entire set of proteins expressed by a genome
Analysis of Chlamy's proteome in relation to phylogeny - Answer Humans: 10%
(production/function of cilla/flagella)
Arabidopsis: 26% (proteins found in photosynthesis)
Both: 33% (respiration, DNA synthesis, etc.)
Unique: 31%
Why is being haploid beneficial for experiments? - Answer With only one copy of the
genome/gene, it is easier to see the consequence of a mutation. There is no masking in
dominance that could occur in diploid cells.
What is in liquid growth media? - Answer Inorganic salts, macronutrients, trace minerals
(which are metals used as cofactors for proteins; ie. nitrogen, sulfur, phosphate, etc.)
What happens at the stationary phase? - Answer The cells use up nutrients, run out of
glucose
Two functions of light - Answer Ultimate source of energy and information about physical
environment
Characteristics of the electromagnetic spectrum - Answer No mass, energy form of radiation
from the sun, Wave of photons, inverse relationship between the energy of a photon and the
wavelength of light (ie. red light - low energy, longer wavelengths; blue light - high energy,
shorter wavelength)
What are three ways light can interact with matter? - Answer 1. It can be reflected
2. It can be transmitted through
3. It can be absorbed
What happens when light is absorbed? - Answer The energy of the photon is transferred to
an electron within a molecule. This excites the electron, moving it to a higher energy level from
ground state to an excited state
, What are pigments? - Answer Different molecules that have different abilities to absorb
photons of light, absorbing specific wavelengths
Examples of pigments and function - Answer Chlorophyll for photosynthesis, retinal for
vision, indigo to dye jeans, etc.
Molecular Characteristics/Differences of Pigments - Answer All pigments have a conjugated
system where there is delocalization of electrons for the absorption of photons. The differences
in the conjugated system and chemical structure explain why each type of pigment absorbs only
certain photons. The energy of the photon must match the amount of energy needed to move a
delocalized electron from its ground state to a specific excited state.
Why is there only absorption of visible wavelengths? - Answer Light contains an ideal
amount of energy.
Shorter wavelengths (X-rays) are absorbed by the ozone layer high in the atmosphere. It has
higher energy, disrupting weak bonds. It has ionizing radiation which causes electrons to leave
their atoms.
Longer wavelengths (radio) are absorbed by water vapour and carbon dioxide in the
atmosphere. It has lower energy, which does not have enough energy to move an electron from
the ground state to the excited state.
What is chlorophyll and where is it located? - Answer Chloroplasts contain chlorophyll which
is a pigment that uses a light source, converting it to energy in forms of sugars.
What is the function of the eyespot? - Answer It is used to father information about the cell's
environment. It is photosynthetic and enables the movement of the cell to or away from the
light (phototaxis).
What is phototaxis? - Answer Movement in response to light; positive (towards) and
negative (away)
What is the relationship between the eyespot and the human eye? - Answer It is analogous.
What is the response of Chlamy to unilateral light? - Answer Wild-type: negative phototaxis
Mutant (single-gene): loss of phototaxis, cells are no longer phototactic
QUESTIONS AND ACTUAL ANSWERS
2025-2026 UPDATED.
Eukaryotic vs. Prokaryotic - Answer Eukaryotic: membrane-bound organelles, distinct
nucleus with genetic info, chromosomes, mitochondria, ER, golgi complex, reproduce sexually;
Prokaryotic: free floating genetic material, circular DNA, smaller ribosomes, reproduce asexually
What are model systems? - Answer An organism used to study and understand biology that
is a good representation of other groups of organisms and allows us to understand more about
not only that particular organism but also others.
What are examples of model systems? - Answer E. coli, mouse, yeast, Chlamydomonas
Characteristics of Chlamydomonas - Answer Eukaryotes, photosynthetic (chloroplast,
autotroph), nucleus, two flagella, eyespot (linked to movement and flagella)
What are the two types of eukaryotic life cycles? - Answer Haplontic and Diplontic
Describe the haplontic life cycle - Answer Two haploid gametes fuse together to form a
diploid zygote. Immediately after, the gametes go through meiosis. These organisms are mainly
in a haploid state through growth and mitosis.
Describe the diplontic life cycle - Answer Two haploid gametes fuse together to form a
diploid zygote. Through growth and development (mitosis), the zygote grows into the organism
and only undergoes meiosis in preparation for reproduction.
Where does the most growth occur for Chlamy? - Answer G1
In the beginning of G1, the cells have what characteristics? - Answer They are growth
dependent, meaning they are dividing in order to grow in size; big enough to undergo cell
division.
What is the Commitment stage? - Answer The cell does not need to be bigger for cell
division to be triggered. The cell decides it will divide.
What are growth independent events? - Answer Undergo more cell divisions to get larger
beyond the Commitment stage. Often, the cell does get bigger.
,What is the growth rate of Chlamy proportional to in the growth curve? - Answer Slope
What does the growth rate represent? - Answer Doubling time, generation time
What is the growth rate of Chlamy? - Answer 8 hours
Why do experiments tend to be done with cells in exponential phase? - Answer The growth
is at its maximum.
What traits do Chlamy have similar to algae? - Answer Photosynthetic (chloroplasts)
T/F: Chlamy also has traits in common with linneages such as humans and fungus.. - Answer
True
What is the relationship between eukaryotic flagella and cilla? - Answer They are
evolutionary identical (structurally identical)
Why do Chlamy and humans have the flagella but not plants or algae? - Answer There is a
retention of the flagella; however, some lost this structure overtime.
What are some reasons that Chlamy is a good model system? - Answer Can study human
disease (using the similarity of flagella and cilla), haploid, easy to grow and maintain, short
generation time, unicellular, small genome, reflects basic eukaryotic structure, mutate easily,
use light for both energy and information
What are the three stages of the microbial growth curve? - Answer 1. Lag phase (small
growth rate, dely)
2. Exponential phase (max growth rate)
3. Stationary phase (no more cell division)
How long ago did Chlamy diverge from its common ancestory with plants and algae. - Answer
1 billion years ago
What are ciliopathies? - Answer Many different processes are linked to flagella and cilia
functions deriving diseases that arise from dysfunction in motile (most of them) or non-motile
cilia.
How non-motile cilia function in the human body? - Answer Almost every vertebrae cell has
a primary cilium and the cilia act as a way for cells to sense their environment. It uses sensory
,proteins found on the membrane surface and the signal is interrupted and can cause function
changes.
What is an example of how motile cilia can lead to ciliopathies? - Answer In sperm, leading
to infertility
What is a proteome? - Answer The entire set of proteins expressed by a genome
Analysis of Chlamy's proteome in relation to phylogeny - Answer Humans: 10%
(production/function of cilla/flagella)
Arabidopsis: 26% (proteins found in photosynthesis)
Both: 33% (respiration, DNA synthesis, etc.)
Unique: 31%
Why is being haploid beneficial for experiments? - Answer With only one copy of the
genome/gene, it is easier to see the consequence of a mutation. There is no masking in
dominance that could occur in diploid cells.
What is in liquid growth media? - Answer Inorganic salts, macronutrients, trace minerals
(which are metals used as cofactors for proteins; ie. nitrogen, sulfur, phosphate, etc.)
What happens at the stationary phase? - Answer The cells use up nutrients, run out of
glucose
Two functions of light - Answer Ultimate source of energy and information about physical
environment
Characteristics of the electromagnetic spectrum - Answer No mass, energy form of radiation
from the sun, Wave of photons, inverse relationship between the energy of a photon and the
wavelength of light (ie. red light - low energy, longer wavelengths; blue light - high energy,
shorter wavelength)
What are three ways light can interact with matter? - Answer 1. It can be reflected
2. It can be transmitted through
3. It can be absorbed
What happens when light is absorbed? - Answer The energy of the photon is transferred to
an electron within a molecule. This excites the electron, moving it to a higher energy level from
ground state to an excited state
, What are pigments? - Answer Different molecules that have different abilities to absorb
photons of light, absorbing specific wavelengths
Examples of pigments and function - Answer Chlorophyll for photosynthesis, retinal for
vision, indigo to dye jeans, etc.
Molecular Characteristics/Differences of Pigments - Answer All pigments have a conjugated
system where there is delocalization of electrons for the absorption of photons. The differences
in the conjugated system and chemical structure explain why each type of pigment absorbs only
certain photons. The energy of the photon must match the amount of energy needed to move a
delocalized electron from its ground state to a specific excited state.
Why is there only absorption of visible wavelengths? - Answer Light contains an ideal
amount of energy.
Shorter wavelengths (X-rays) are absorbed by the ozone layer high in the atmosphere. It has
higher energy, disrupting weak bonds. It has ionizing radiation which causes electrons to leave
their atoms.
Longer wavelengths (radio) are absorbed by water vapour and carbon dioxide in the
atmosphere. It has lower energy, which does not have enough energy to move an electron from
the ground state to the excited state.
What is chlorophyll and where is it located? - Answer Chloroplasts contain chlorophyll which
is a pigment that uses a light source, converting it to energy in forms of sugars.
What is the function of the eyespot? - Answer It is used to father information about the cell's
environment. It is photosynthetic and enables the movement of the cell to or away from the
light (phototaxis).
What is phototaxis? - Answer Movement in response to light; positive (towards) and
negative (away)
What is the relationship between the eyespot and the human eye? - Answer It is analogous.
What is the response of Chlamy to unilateral light? - Answer Wild-type: negative phototaxis
Mutant (single-gene): loss of phototaxis, cells are no longer phototactic
