Chapter 4: The Working Units of Life
TEST FILE QUESTIONS
Multiple Choice
1. The surface area-to-volume ratio of an object can be decreased by
a. cutting it into smaller pieces.
b. flattening it.
c. stretching it.
d. making it spherical.
e. All of the above
Textbook Reference: 4.1 What Features of Cells Make Them the Fundamental Unit
of Life? p. 69
2. What must cells do in order to survive?
a. Obtain and process energy
b. Convert genetic information into proteins
c. Keep certain biochemical reactions separate from one another
d. Both a and b
e. All of the above
Textbook Reference: 4.1 What Features of Cells Make Them the Fundamental Unit
of Life? p. 70
3. How does the surface area-to-volume ratio of a 1-mm cube compare to the surface
area-to-volume ratio of a 3-mm cube?
a. The 3 mm cube has a higher ratio.
b. The ratio increases as the cube becomes larger.
c. Increasing the volume increases the ratio.
d. The ratio decreases as the cube becomes larger.
e. The ratio does not change.
Textbook Reference: 4.1 What Features of Cells Make Them the Fundamental Unit
of Life? p. 70
4. What is the major distinction between a prokaryotic and a eukaryotic cell?
a. A prokaryotic cell does not have a nucleus, whereas a eukaryotic cell does.
b. A prokaryotic cell does not have DNA, whereas a eukaryotic cell does.
c. A prokaryotic cell is smaller than a eukaryotic cell.
d. Prokaryotic cells have not prospered, whereas eukaryotic cells are evolutionary
“successes.”
e. A prokaryotic cell cannot obtain energy from its environment.
Textbook Reference: 4.1 What Features of Cells Make Them the Fundamental Unit
of Life? p. 72
5. Which of the following is not a characteristic of a prokaryotic cell?
a. A plasma membrane
,b. A nuclear envelope
c. A nucleoid
d. Ribosomes
e. Enzymes
Textbook Reference: 4.2 What Are the Characteristics of Prokaryotic Cells? p. 72
6. Members of the domains Bacteria and Archaea
a. have nuclei.
b. have chloroplasts.
c. are multicellular.
d. are prokaryotes.
e. have flagella.
Textbook Reference: 4.2 What Are the Characteristics of Prokaryotic Cells? p. 72
7. Which of the following is (are) found in prokaryotic cells?
a. Mitochondria
b. Chloroplasts
c. Nuclear membrane
d. Ribosomes
e. Endoplasmic reticulum
Textbook Reference: 4.2 What Are the Characteristics of Prokaryotic Cells? p. 72
8. A prokaryotic cell does not have a _______ or _______.
a. nucleus; organelles
b. nucleus; DNA
c. nucleus; ribosomes
d. nucleus; membranes
e. cell wall; membranes
Textbook Reference: 4.2 What Are the Characteristics of Prokaryotic Cells? p. 72
9. You would not expect to find RNA in which of the following structures?
a. Nucleus
b. Mitochondrion
c. Vacuole
d. Ribosome
e. Prokaryotic cell
Textbook Reference: 4.2 What Are the Characteristics of Prokaryotic Cells? p. 72
10. The DNA of prokaryotic cells is found in the
a. plasma membrane.
b. nucleus.
c. ribosome.
d. nucleoid region.
e. mitochondria.
Textbook Reference: 4.2 What Are the Characteristics of Prokaryotic Cells? p. 72
, 11. Ribosomes are not visible under a light microscope, but they can be seen with an
electron microscope because
a. electron beams have more energy than light beams.
b. electron microscopes focus light with magnets.
c. electron microscopes have more resolving power than light microscopes.
d. electrons have such high energy that they pass through biological samples.
e. living cells can be observed under the electron microscope.
Textbook Reference: 4.2 What Are the Characteristics of Prokaryotic Cells? p. 72
12. A general function of all cellular membranes is to
a. regulate which materials can cross the membrane.
b. support the cell and determine its shape.
c. produce energy for the cell.
d. produce proteins for the cell.
e. move the cell.
Textbook Reference: 4.2 What Are the Characteristics of Prokaryotic Cells? p. 72
13. The cytosol
a. is a static region of the cell.
b. contains DNA.
c. is composed largely of water.
d. supports the cell and determines its shape.
e. chemically modifies proteins and other molecules.
Textbook Reference: 4.2 What Are the Characteristics of Prokaryotic Cells? p. 72
14. A specialized structure found in some prokaryotes is the
a. cell wall.
b. ribosome.
c. cytosol.
d. mitochondrion.
e. chloroplast.
Textbook Reference: 4.2 What Are the Characteristics of Prokaryotic Cells? p. 73
15. Specialized cellular appendages of prokaryotes that
help bacteria adhere to one another when they exchange
genetic material are called
a. the Golgi apparatus.
b. cilia.
c. flagella.
d. pili.
e. b, c, and d
Textbook Reference: 4.2 What Are the Characteristics of Prokaryotic Cells? p. 73
TEST FILE QUESTIONS
Multiple Choice
1. The surface area-to-volume ratio of an object can be decreased by
a. cutting it into smaller pieces.
b. flattening it.
c. stretching it.
d. making it spherical.
e. All of the above
Textbook Reference: 4.1 What Features of Cells Make Them the Fundamental Unit
of Life? p. 69
2. What must cells do in order to survive?
a. Obtain and process energy
b. Convert genetic information into proteins
c. Keep certain biochemical reactions separate from one another
d. Both a and b
e. All of the above
Textbook Reference: 4.1 What Features of Cells Make Them the Fundamental Unit
of Life? p. 70
3. How does the surface area-to-volume ratio of a 1-mm cube compare to the surface
area-to-volume ratio of a 3-mm cube?
a. The 3 mm cube has a higher ratio.
b. The ratio increases as the cube becomes larger.
c. Increasing the volume increases the ratio.
d. The ratio decreases as the cube becomes larger.
e. The ratio does not change.
Textbook Reference: 4.1 What Features of Cells Make Them the Fundamental Unit
of Life? p. 70
4. What is the major distinction between a prokaryotic and a eukaryotic cell?
a. A prokaryotic cell does not have a nucleus, whereas a eukaryotic cell does.
b. A prokaryotic cell does not have DNA, whereas a eukaryotic cell does.
c. A prokaryotic cell is smaller than a eukaryotic cell.
d. Prokaryotic cells have not prospered, whereas eukaryotic cells are evolutionary
“successes.”
e. A prokaryotic cell cannot obtain energy from its environment.
Textbook Reference: 4.1 What Features of Cells Make Them the Fundamental Unit
of Life? p. 72
5. Which of the following is not a characteristic of a prokaryotic cell?
a. A plasma membrane
,b. A nuclear envelope
c. A nucleoid
d. Ribosomes
e. Enzymes
Textbook Reference: 4.2 What Are the Characteristics of Prokaryotic Cells? p. 72
6. Members of the domains Bacteria and Archaea
a. have nuclei.
b. have chloroplasts.
c. are multicellular.
d. are prokaryotes.
e. have flagella.
Textbook Reference: 4.2 What Are the Characteristics of Prokaryotic Cells? p. 72
7. Which of the following is (are) found in prokaryotic cells?
a. Mitochondria
b. Chloroplasts
c. Nuclear membrane
d. Ribosomes
e. Endoplasmic reticulum
Textbook Reference: 4.2 What Are the Characteristics of Prokaryotic Cells? p. 72
8. A prokaryotic cell does not have a _______ or _______.
a. nucleus; organelles
b. nucleus; DNA
c. nucleus; ribosomes
d. nucleus; membranes
e. cell wall; membranes
Textbook Reference: 4.2 What Are the Characteristics of Prokaryotic Cells? p. 72
9. You would not expect to find RNA in which of the following structures?
a. Nucleus
b. Mitochondrion
c. Vacuole
d. Ribosome
e. Prokaryotic cell
Textbook Reference: 4.2 What Are the Characteristics of Prokaryotic Cells? p. 72
10. The DNA of prokaryotic cells is found in the
a. plasma membrane.
b. nucleus.
c. ribosome.
d. nucleoid region.
e. mitochondria.
Textbook Reference: 4.2 What Are the Characteristics of Prokaryotic Cells? p. 72
, 11. Ribosomes are not visible under a light microscope, but they can be seen with an
electron microscope because
a. electron beams have more energy than light beams.
b. electron microscopes focus light with magnets.
c. electron microscopes have more resolving power than light microscopes.
d. electrons have such high energy that they pass through biological samples.
e. living cells can be observed under the electron microscope.
Textbook Reference: 4.2 What Are the Characteristics of Prokaryotic Cells? p. 72
12. A general function of all cellular membranes is to
a. regulate which materials can cross the membrane.
b. support the cell and determine its shape.
c. produce energy for the cell.
d. produce proteins for the cell.
e. move the cell.
Textbook Reference: 4.2 What Are the Characteristics of Prokaryotic Cells? p. 72
13. The cytosol
a. is a static region of the cell.
b. contains DNA.
c. is composed largely of water.
d. supports the cell and determines its shape.
e. chemically modifies proteins and other molecules.
Textbook Reference: 4.2 What Are the Characteristics of Prokaryotic Cells? p. 72
14. A specialized structure found in some prokaryotes is the
a. cell wall.
b. ribosome.
c. cytosol.
d. mitochondrion.
e. chloroplast.
Textbook Reference: 4.2 What Are the Characteristics of Prokaryotic Cells? p. 73
15. Specialized cellular appendages of prokaryotes that
help bacteria adhere to one another when they exchange
genetic material are called
a. the Golgi apparatus.
b. cilia.
c. flagella.
d. pili.
e. b, c, and d
Textbook Reference: 4.2 What Are the Characteristics of Prokaryotic Cells? p. 73
