BIO 171 EXAM QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS CURRENTLY TESTING
QUESTIONS – 100% Exam-Focused – LAST UPDATED 2025
Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of life?
A. Reproduction
B. Sensitivity
C. Energy Utilization
D. General Complexity
General Complexity
What determines the elemental identity of an atom?
A. Number of Protons
B. Number of Neutrons
C. Total Number of Electrons
D. Number of Valence Electrons
Number of Protons
An atom of Carbon-12 contains 6 protons, 6 electrons, and 6 neutrons. If this atom gains an additional electron,
what would it become?
A. It remains a neutral Carbon-12
B. Carbon-13
C. Nitrogen-13
D. Carbon-12 Anion
E. Carbon-12 Cation
D. Carbon-12 Anion
If the Carbon-12 containing 6 protons, 6 electrons, and 6 neutrons mentioned above instead gained an additional
electron AND an additional proton, what would it become?
A. It remains a neutral Carbon-12
B. Carbon-13
C. Nitrogen-13
D. Carbon-12 Anion
E. Carbon-12 Cation
Nitrogen-13
,1. Imagine a chemical mutagen (a substance that causes a mutation or change in DNA) is outside a human
cell. How many membranes, or phospholipid bilayers, must the mutagen travel past in order to exert its effects?
A. 0
B. 1
C. 2
D. 3
E. 4
3
A patient is diagnosed with strep throat, a bacterial infection, and are prescribed a schedule of antibiotics to
clear the infection. After several days of being on the antibiotics, you may expect the patient’s liver cells to have
increased their amount of which organelle?
A. Nuclei
B. Lysosomes
C. Peroxisomes
D. Mitochondria
E. Smooth Endoplasmic Reticulum
Smooth Endoplasmic Reticulum
What would you estimate the [H+] to be within an active lysosome?
A. 108 M
B. 10-2 M
C. 10-7 M
D. 10-9 M
10-2 M
In which cells would you expect to find a mitochondrion?
i. Paramecium (single celled animal)
ii. Oak tree
iii. Cyanobacteria (photosynthetic bacteria)
A. i only
B. ii only
C. iii only
,D. i and ii
E. i, ii, and iii
i, and ii
Where are proteins destined for the plasma membrane synthesized?
A. Golgi body
B. Rough Endoplasmic Reticulum
C. Nucleus
D. Free ribosomes
Rough Endoplasmic Reticulum
A cell has a mutation that diminishes its ability to carry out oxidative phosphorylation. Which organelle is most
likely directly affected?
A. Ribosome
B. Endoplasmic Reticulum
C. Centriole
D. Mitochondria
E. Chloroplast
D. Mitochondria
Which of the following is NOT present INSIDE a mitochondrion?
A. Nuclear pores
B. DNA
C. mRNA
D. Ribosomes
A. Nuclear pores
A double-pass transmembrane protein is being trafficked through the endomembrane system. If the N-terminus
is within the lumen of the ER, which side of the membrane is the C-terminus located while in the
endomembrane system? Which side of the plasma membrane will the C-terminus be when it is installed on the
cell surface?
A. Cytoplasmic ; Extracellular
B. Cytoplasmic ; Cytoplasmic
C. Lumen ; Extracellular
D. Lumen ; Cytoplasmic
, C. Lumen ; Extracellular
Which cell junction’s main function does NOT connect 2 cells together?
A. Desmosomes
B. Hemidesmosomes
C. Gap Junctions
D. Tight Junctions
E. Adherens Junctions
B. Hemidesmosomes
Which component of the cytoskeleton can be used to traffic cellular contents within the cell via motor proteins?
A. Microfilaments
B. Intermediate Filaments
C. Vimentin
D. Microtubules
D. Microtubules
16. Pinocytosis can best be described by:
A. Bulk transport of particulates into the cell
B. Bulk transport of fluid into the cell
C. Bulk transport of particulates out of the cell
D. Bulk transport of fluid out of the cell
E. Bulk transport of a single type of molecule through specific receptor interactions
B. Bulk transport of fluid into the cell
How many of the following processes require an energy expenditure?
i. Phagocytosis
ii. Diffusion
iii. Coupled Transport
iv. Facilitated Diffusion
v. Active Transport
A. 0
B. 1
C. 2
QUESTIONS – 100% Exam-Focused – LAST UPDATED 2025
Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of life?
A. Reproduction
B. Sensitivity
C. Energy Utilization
D. General Complexity
General Complexity
What determines the elemental identity of an atom?
A. Number of Protons
B. Number of Neutrons
C. Total Number of Electrons
D. Number of Valence Electrons
Number of Protons
An atom of Carbon-12 contains 6 protons, 6 electrons, and 6 neutrons. If this atom gains an additional electron,
what would it become?
A. It remains a neutral Carbon-12
B. Carbon-13
C. Nitrogen-13
D. Carbon-12 Anion
E. Carbon-12 Cation
D. Carbon-12 Anion
If the Carbon-12 containing 6 protons, 6 electrons, and 6 neutrons mentioned above instead gained an additional
electron AND an additional proton, what would it become?
A. It remains a neutral Carbon-12
B. Carbon-13
C. Nitrogen-13
D. Carbon-12 Anion
E. Carbon-12 Cation
Nitrogen-13
,1. Imagine a chemical mutagen (a substance that causes a mutation or change in DNA) is outside a human
cell. How many membranes, or phospholipid bilayers, must the mutagen travel past in order to exert its effects?
A. 0
B. 1
C. 2
D. 3
E. 4
3
A patient is diagnosed with strep throat, a bacterial infection, and are prescribed a schedule of antibiotics to
clear the infection. After several days of being on the antibiotics, you may expect the patient’s liver cells to have
increased their amount of which organelle?
A. Nuclei
B. Lysosomes
C. Peroxisomes
D. Mitochondria
E. Smooth Endoplasmic Reticulum
Smooth Endoplasmic Reticulum
What would you estimate the [H+] to be within an active lysosome?
A. 108 M
B. 10-2 M
C. 10-7 M
D. 10-9 M
10-2 M
In which cells would you expect to find a mitochondrion?
i. Paramecium (single celled animal)
ii. Oak tree
iii. Cyanobacteria (photosynthetic bacteria)
A. i only
B. ii only
C. iii only
,D. i and ii
E. i, ii, and iii
i, and ii
Where are proteins destined for the plasma membrane synthesized?
A. Golgi body
B. Rough Endoplasmic Reticulum
C. Nucleus
D. Free ribosomes
Rough Endoplasmic Reticulum
A cell has a mutation that diminishes its ability to carry out oxidative phosphorylation. Which organelle is most
likely directly affected?
A. Ribosome
B. Endoplasmic Reticulum
C. Centriole
D. Mitochondria
E. Chloroplast
D. Mitochondria
Which of the following is NOT present INSIDE a mitochondrion?
A. Nuclear pores
B. DNA
C. mRNA
D. Ribosomes
A. Nuclear pores
A double-pass transmembrane protein is being trafficked through the endomembrane system. If the N-terminus
is within the lumen of the ER, which side of the membrane is the C-terminus located while in the
endomembrane system? Which side of the plasma membrane will the C-terminus be when it is installed on the
cell surface?
A. Cytoplasmic ; Extracellular
B. Cytoplasmic ; Cytoplasmic
C. Lumen ; Extracellular
D. Lumen ; Cytoplasmic
, C. Lumen ; Extracellular
Which cell junction’s main function does NOT connect 2 cells together?
A. Desmosomes
B. Hemidesmosomes
C. Gap Junctions
D. Tight Junctions
E. Adherens Junctions
B. Hemidesmosomes
Which component of the cytoskeleton can be used to traffic cellular contents within the cell via motor proteins?
A. Microfilaments
B. Intermediate Filaments
C. Vimentin
D. Microtubules
D. Microtubules
16. Pinocytosis can best be described by:
A. Bulk transport of particulates into the cell
B. Bulk transport of fluid into the cell
C. Bulk transport of particulates out of the cell
D. Bulk transport of fluid out of the cell
E. Bulk transport of a single type of molecule through specific receptor interactions
B. Bulk transport of fluid into the cell
How many of the following processes require an energy expenditure?
i. Phagocytosis
ii. Diffusion
iii. Coupled Transport
iv. Facilitated Diffusion
v. Active Transport
A. 0
B. 1
C. 2
