Complete Test Bank Molecular Biology of the Cell 6th
Edition Alberts Questions & Answers with rationales
(Chapter 1-24)
Chemical reactions carried out by living systems depend on the ability of some
organisms to capture and use atoms from nonliving sources in the environment. The
specific subset of these reactions that break down nutrients in food can be described
as _________________.
(a) metabolic
(b) catabolic
(c) anabolic
(d) biosynthetic - ANSWER (b) catabolic
When there is an excess of nutrients available in the human body, insulin is released
to stimulate the synthesis of glycogen from glucose. This is a specific example of
a(n) _______________ process, a general process in which larger molecules are
made from smaller molecules.
(a) metabolic
(b) catabolic
(c) anabolic
(d) biosynthetic - ANSWER (c) anabolic
The second law of thermodynamics states that the disorder in any systems is always
increasing. In simple terms, you can think about dropping NaCl crystals into a glass
of water. The solvation and diffusion of ions is favored because there is an increase
in ________________.
(a) pH
(b) entropy
(c) ions
(d) stored energy - ANSWER (b) entropy
The energy used by the cell to generate specific biological molecules and highly
ordered structures is stored in the form of ___________________.
(a) Brownian motion
(b) heat
(c) light waves
(d) chemical bonds - ANSWER (d) chemical bonds
True or false: The second law of thermodynamics states that the total amount of
energy in the universe does not change. - ANSWER False. The second law states
that compounds of any system move toward greater disorder
, True or false: The ultimate source of energy for living systems is chlorophyll. -
ANSWER False. The ultimate source of energy is sunlight.
True or false: CO2 gas is fixed in a series of reactions that are light-dependent. -
ANSWER False. The fixation of carbon from CO2 occurs independently of light.
True or false: H2 is the most stable form and abundant form of hydrogen in the
environment. - ANSWER False. The most stable form of hydrogen is H2O.
In the first stage of photosynthesis, light energy is converted into what other form of
energy?
(a) electrical
(b) chemical
(c) potential
(d) kinetic - ANSWER (a) electrical or (d) kinetic
Light+________+__________ yields __________+ heat+sugars - ANSWER
H2O+CO2, O2
During respiration, energy is retrieved from the high-energy bonds found in certain
organic molecules. Which of the following, in addition to energy, are the ultimate
products of respiration?
(a) CO2, H2O
(b) CH3, H2O
(c) CH2OH, O2
(d) CO2, O2 - ANSWER (a) CO2, H2O
Your body extracts energy from the food you ingest by catalyzing reactions that
essentially "burn" the food molecules in a stepwise fashion. What is another way to
describe this process?
(a) reduction
(b) oxidation
(c) dehydration
(d) solvation - ANSWER (b) oxidation
Oxidation is a favorable process in an aerobic environment, which is the reason cells
are able to derive energy from the oxidation of macromolecules. Once carbon has
been oxidized to __________, its most stable form, it can only cycle back into the
organic portion of the carbon cycle through ____________________.
(a) CO2, photosynthesis
(b) CH3, combustion
(c) CO2, respiration
(d) CO, reduction - ANSWER (a) CO2, photosynthesis
What does more reduced mean? - ANSWER having more electrons
Oxidation is the process by which oxygen atoms are added to a target molecule.
Generally, the atom that is oxidized will experience which of the following with
respect to the electrons in its outer shell?
(a) a net gain
Edition Alberts Questions & Answers with rationales
(Chapter 1-24)
Chemical reactions carried out by living systems depend on the ability of some
organisms to capture and use atoms from nonliving sources in the environment. The
specific subset of these reactions that break down nutrients in food can be described
as _________________.
(a) metabolic
(b) catabolic
(c) anabolic
(d) biosynthetic - ANSWER (b) catabolic
When there is an excess of nutrients available in the human body, insulin is released
to stimulate the synthesis of glycogen from glucose. This is a specific example of
a(n) _______________ process, a general process in which larger molecules are
made from smaller molecules.
(a) metabolic
(b) catabolic
(c) anabolic
(d) biosynthetic - ANSWER (c) anabolic
The second law of thermodynamics states that the disorder in any systems is always
increasing. In simple terms, you can think about dropping NaCl crystals into a glass
of water. The solvation and diffusion of ions is favored because there is an increase
in ________________.
(a) pH
(b) entropy
(c) ions
(d) stored energy - ANSWER (b) entropy
The energy used by the cell to generate specific biological molecules and highly
ordered structures is stored in the form of ___________________.
(a) Brownian motion
(b) heat
(c) light waves
(d) chemical bonds - ANSWER (d) chemical bonds
True or false: The second law of thermodynamics states that the total amount of
energy in the universe does not change. - ANSWER False. The second law states
that compounds of any system move toward greater disorder
, True or false: The ultimate source of energy for living systems is chlorophyll. -
ANSWER False. The ultimate source of energy is sunlight.
True or false: CO2 gas is fixed in a series of reactions that are light-dependent. -
ANSWER False. The fixation of carbon from CO2 occurs independently of light.
True or false: H2 is the most stable form and abundant form of hydrogen in the
environment. - ANSWER False. The most stable form of hydrogen is H2O.
In the first stage of photosynthesis, light energy is converted into what other form of
energy?
(a) electrical
(b) chemical
(c) potential
(d) kinetic - ANSWER (a) electrical or (d) kinetic
Light+________+__________ yields __________+ heat+sugars - ANSWER
H2O+CO2, O2
During respiration, energy is retrieved from the high-energy bonds found in certain
organic molecules. Which of the following, in addition to energy, are the ultimate
products of respiration?
(a) CO2, H2O
(b) CH3, H2O
(c) CH2OH, O2
(d) CO2, O2 - ANSWER (a) CO2, H2O
Your body extracts energy from the food you ingest by catalyzing reactions that
essentially "burn" the food molecules in a stepwise fashion. What is another way to
describe this process?
(a) reduction
(b) oxidation
(c) dehydration
(d) solvation - ANSWER (b) oxidation
Oxidation is a favorable process in an aerobic environment, which is the reason cells
are able to derive energy from the oxidation of macromolecules. Once carbon has
been oxidized to __________, its most stable form, it can only cycle back into the
organic portion of the carbon cycle through ____________________.
(a) CO2, photosynthesis
(b) CH3, combustion
(c) CO2, respiration
(d) CO, reduction - ANSWER (a) CO2, photosynthesis
What does more reduced mean? - ANSWER having more electrons
Oxidation is the process by which oxygen atoms are added to a target molecule.
Generally, the atom that is oxidized will experience which of the following with
respect to the electrons in its outer shell?
(a) a net gain
