BIO 148 – Exam Study Guide (2026/2027 Syllabus)
Unit 1: Chemistry of Life
1. What are the four major classes of organic macromolecules?
ANSWER ✓ Carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, nucleic acids
2. Which functional group is found in all amino acids?
ANSWER ✓ Amino group (–NH₂) and carboxyl group (–COOH)
3. What type of bond joins monosaccharides to form disaccharides?
ANSWER ✓ Glycosidic bond
4. What is the primary function of ATP in the cell?
ANSWER ✓ Energy transfer / immediate energy currency
5. Which level of protein structure is determined by hydrogen bonding between backbone
atoms?
ANSWER ✓ Secondary structure (α-helices and β-sheets)
6. What property of water allows it to resist temperature changes?
ANSWER ✓ High specific heat
7. What is the difference between saturated and unsaturated fatty acids?
ANSWER ✓ Saturated have no double bonds; unsaturated have one or more double
bonds
8. What type of reaction links monomers into polymers?
ANSWER ✓ Dehydration synthesis (condensation reaction)
9. Which organelle is the site of protein synthesis?
ANSWER ✓ Ribosome
10. What does “hydrophobic” mean?
ANSWER ✓ Water-fearing; nonpolar molecules that do not dissolve in water
Unit 2: Cell Structure & Function
11. Which organelle contains digestive enzymes to break down waste?
ANSWER ✓ Lysosome
12. What is the function of the smooth ER?
ANSWER ✓ Lipid synthesis and detoxification
, 13. Which structure regulates passage of substances into and out of the nucleus?
ANSWER ✓ Nuclear pore complex
14. What is the role of the Golgi apparatus?
ANSWER ✓ Modifies, sorts, and packages proteins
15. Which cytoskeletal element is made of actin and involved in cell movement?
ANSWER ✓ Microfilaments
16. What is the main difference between prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells?
ANSWER ✓ Eukaryotes have a nucleus and membrane-bound organelles; prokaryotes
do not
17. What molecule forms the cell wall of plant cells?
ANSWER ✓ Cellulose
18. Which organelle generates most of the cell’s ATP?
ANSWER ✓ Mitochondrion
19. What is the function of the central vacuole in plants?
ANSWER ✓ Storage, waste management, and maintaining turgor pressure
20. What type of cell lacks a cell wall?
ANSWER ✓ Animal cell
Unit 3: Membrane Structure & Transport
21. What model describes the structure of the plasma membrane?
ANSWER ✓ Fluid mosaic model
22. Which type of transport requires no energy and moves down a concentration gradient?
ANSWER ✓ Passive transport
23. What is osmosis?
ANSWER ✓ Diffusion of water across a selectively permeable membrane
24. What protein helps move ions against their gradient using ATP?
ANSWER ✓ Sodium-potassium pump (ATPase)
25. What term describes a solution with higher solute concentration than the cell?
ANSWER ✓ Hypertonic
26. What happens to an animal cell in a hypotonic solution?
ANSWER ✓ It swells and may burst (lysis)
27. What type of transport uses vesicles to move substances into the cell?
ANSWER ✓ Endocytosis
28. What is facilitated diffusion?
ANSWER ✓ Passive transport via carrier or channel proteins
Unit 1: Chemistry of Life
1. What are the four major classes of organic macromolecules?
ANSWER ✓ Carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, nucleic acids
2. Which functional group is found in all amino acids?
ANSWER ✓ Amino group (–NH₂) and carboxyl group (–COOH)
3. What type of bond joins monosaccharides to form disaccharides?
ANSWER ✓ Glycosidic bond
4. What is the primary function of ATP in the cell?
ANSWER ✓ Energy transfer / immediate energy currency
5. Which level of protein structure is determined by hydrogen bonding between backbone
atoms?
ANSWER ✓ Secondary structure (α-helices and β-sheets)
6. What property of water allows it to resist temperature changes?
ANSWER ✓ High specific heat
7. What is the difference between saturated and unsaturated fatty acids?
ANSWER ✓ Saturated have no double bonds; unsaturated have one or more double
bonds
8. What type of reaction links monomers into polymers?
ANSWER ✓ Dehydration synthesis (condensation reaction)
9. Which organelle is the site of protein synthesis?
ANSWER ✓ Ribosome
10. What does “hydrophobic” mean?
ANSWER ✓ Water-fearing; nonpolar molecules that do not dissolve in water
Unit 2: Cell Structure & Function
11. Which organelle contains digestive enzymes to break down waste?
ANSWER ✓ Lysosome
12. What is the function of the smooth ER?
ANSWER ✓ Lipid synthesis and detoxification
, 13. Which structure regulates passage of substances into and out of the nucleus?
ANSWER ✓ Nuclear pore complex
14. What is the role of the Golgi apparatus?
ANSWER ✓ Modifies, sorts, and packages proteins
15. Which cytoskeletal element is made of actin and involved in cell movement?
ANSWER ✓ Microfilaments
16. What is the main difference between prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells?
ANSWER ✓ Eukaryotes have a nucleus and membrane-bound organelles; prokaryotes
do not
17. What molecule forms the cell wall of plant cells?
ANSWER ✓ Cellulose
18. Which organelle generates most of the cell’s ATP?
ANSWER ✓ Mitochondrion
19. What is the function of the central vacuole in plants?
ANSWER ✓ Storage, waste management, and maintaining turgor pressure
20. What type of cell lacks a cell wall?
ANSWER ✓ Animal cell
Unit 3: Membrane Structure & Transport
21. What model describes the structure of the plasma membrane?
ANSWER ✓ Fluid mosaic model
22. Which type of transport requires no energy and moves down a concentration gradient?
ANSWER ✓ Passive transport
23. What is osmosis?
ANSWER ✓ Diffusion of water across a selectively permeable membrane
24. What protein helps move ions against their gradient using ATP?
ANSWER ✓ Sodium-potassium pump (ATPase)
25. What term describes a solution with higher solute concentration than the cell?
ANSWER ✓ Hypertonic
26. What happens to an animal cell in a hypotonic solution?
ANSWER ✓ It swells and may burst (lysis)
27. What type of transport uses vesicles to move substances into the cell?
ANSWER ✓ Endocytosis
28. What is facilitated diffusion?
ANSWER ✓ Passive transport via carrier or channel proteins
