Biology 336Human Physiology

Problem Set 1:
Introduction and Cell Communication
This problem set is composed of 22 short answer and multiple-choice questions covering material from the
introductory physiology lecture and the cell signaling section.
Please try answering all of the questions before attending tutorial/SI sessions (to be announced on Blackboard).
The TAs will review any questions youre having trouble with and answer questions on these and other topics.
**Please, DO NOT ask the TAs for an answer key. They have been instructed to not passively hand out the
answers. The answer keys WILL NOT be posted on Blackboard nor will they be emailed to you. **
Once you have attempted the problem set, you can also ask questions in office hours. GOOD LUCK!

Part #1:

Organization of the body and homeostasis

1)

A) Name the types of fluid above and their relative proportions:

A_______________________________
B_______________________________
C_______________________________
B) Which of the above constitutes extracellular fluid? How does extracellular fluid act as a buffer
zone?

2)
Identify one organ system within the body and organize the system from top to bottom,
beginning with an organ system and ending with cell types. Draw your own flow diagram in the space
provided below.

Organ System

Organ

Tissue

Cell types

3)

A) Draw a diagram (or describe in text) the components of a physiological reflex arc. B) Define
negative feedback and (C) explain the role of negative feedback in maintaining homeostasis in
your reflex arc. D) Why is positive feedback not used to maintain homeostasis?

4)
In response to a bacterial infection,
the bodys immune response involves raising
the bodys thermostat to generate a fever.
In the initial stages of a fever, an individual
shivers (involving involuntary contraction of
muscles around the vital organs) to produce
more body heat. Shivering ends once the
body temperature reaches 38.3 degrees
Celcius (101 degrees Farenheit).
The termination of shivering at a body
temperature of 38.3C is an example of:
A) positive feedback
B) negative feedback
C) a malfunction of the control system
D) a negative impact

5)

If the amount of sodium in the blood decreases, what would a homeostatic reflex arc be expected
to do?
A)
Decrease the amount of sodium in the blood.
B)
Increase the amount of sodium in the blood.
C)
Leave the amount of sodium in the blood unchanged.
D)
Change the set point for sodium.
E)
Inhibit the ingestion of more sodium.

6)

Which of the following situations best represents a homeostatic mechanism?

A)
A person who becomes very nervous begins to sweat profusely.
B)
After going outside on a hot day, the core body temperature increases.
C)
Increasing the size of fast food restaurant portions causes body weight to increase.
D)
After eating a large batch of salty popcorn, levels of salt in the urine increase.
E)
As age increases, the amount of Calcium in the bones tends to decrease.

7)

Describing a physiological variable as homeostatic, means the variable:

A)
Has varied from the normal value, and will remain constant at the new value.
B)
Never varies from an exact set point value.
C)
is in a state of dynamic constancy that is regulated to remain near a stable set point value.
D)
is in an equilibrium state that requires no energy input to stay at the normal value.
E)
has no normal range, but will just change to match the outside environmental conditions.

Part #2:
8)

Cell signaling

Decide whether the following statement is TRUE or FALSE. IF FALSE, correct the statement.

Second messengers are small molecules formed in or released into the cytoplasm in response to an
extracellular signal that helps to relay and reduce the signal to the interior of the cell. Examples include
cAMP and Ca2+.
A) True
9)

B) False

There is a tremendous variety of signal transduction pathways with a wide range of functions.
However, all these pathways have some things in common. Discuss some of these common
features:

10)

Which of the following statements concerning the peptide hormonal signals is/are TRUE?
Peptide hormones can:
A)
directly enter into target cells.
B)
act on target cells from a distance.
C)
act through second messengers.
D)
bind to and activate specific enzymes inside target cells.

11)

Which of the following is NOT a common intracellular second messenger?

A)
inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP3)
B)
diacylglycerol (DAG)
C)
adenosine triphosphate (ATP)
D)
cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP)
E)
calcium (Ca2+)

12)

Which of the following statements about second messengers is CORRECT? Second messengers:
A)
are substances that interact with first messengers.
B)
are substances that bind to first messengers in the cell membrane.
C)
are hormones secreted by cells in response to stimulation by another hormone.
D)
mediate the intracellular responses to many different hormones and neurotransmitters.
E)
are not formed in the brain.

13)

Which of the following statements best describes an example of signal amplification when a
hormone or neurotransmitter activates a receptor?
A)
When the extracellular concentration of a chemical messenger reaches a very high level, it
overwhelms transporter molecules and the messenger floods into the cell.
B)
Some cellular receptors have such low affinity for chemical ligands that a million or more
ligand molecules are required to activate the receptors.
C)
A single first messenger molecule activates multiple second messenger molecules, each of
which activate thousands of enzymes.
D)
None of these statements describe an example of signal amplification.

14)

Amplification during a second messenger cascade is beneficial because amplification:

A)
Converts monomeric signaling molecules into polymers.
B)
Results in the production of more first messenger molecules.
C)
Allows a cell to respond to multiple hormones.
D)
Allows small amounts of hormones to produce large responses in target cells.

15)

Which of the following is NOT typically a step in signal transduction pathways that use cAMP?
A)
A ligand binds to a transmembrane receptor.
B)
The -subunit of a trimeric G-protein dissociates from the - and -subunits.
C)
The activated, GTP-bound G-protein -subunit phosphorylates Protein kinase A.
D)
Adenylyl cyclase catalyzes the formation of cAMP from ATP.
E)
Activated Protein kinase A phosphorylates target proteins in the cell.

16)

The endogenous ability of a G-protein to hydrolyze nucleotides serves to:

A)
hydrolyze GTP to GDP returning the G-protein to an inactive state.
B)
hydrolyze GDP to GTP returning the G-protein to an inactive state.
C)
hydrolyze GTP to GDP activating the G-protein.
D)
synthesize cGMP as a second messenger.
E)
hydrolyze GDP to GTP activating the G-protein.

17)

A toxin produced by the bacterium Bordetella pertussis causes the disease Pertussis, commonly
called whooping cough. Pertussis toxin prevents trimeric G proteins from interacting with G
protein-coupled receptors in cells of the respiratory tract. On a cellular level, which of the
following would be helpful in reducing the harmful effects of pertussis toxin?
A)
Inhibiting the activity of adenylyl cyclase in the cell.
B)
Increasing the amount of cAMP in the cell.
C)
Adding ligand for the G-protein coupled receptor in this pathway.
D)
Decreasing the activity of Protein kinase A (PKA) in the cell.
E)
Activating Mitogen Activated Protein (MAP) Kinase in the cell.

18)

A 59-year old man is brought to the emergency department with complaints of chest pain for the
past hour. When asked about his current medications, he says he is taking a drug for his blood
pressure, but cannot remember the name of this drug. He recalls that his physician told him the
drug helps to open his blood vessels.
Which of the following statements best explains the cellular mechanism of action of his
medication?
A)
Inhibits the production of nitric oxide in endothelial cells.
B)
Activates the enzyme, adenylyl cyclase in smooth muscle cells.
C)
Activates the enzyme cGMP phosphodiesterase in smooth muscle cells.
D)
Inhibits Acetylcholine receptors in endothelial cells.
E)
Stimulation of guanylyl cyclase activity in smooth muscle cells.

19)

Which of the following statements is CORRECT about the chemical, caffeine? Caffeine:
A)
primarily inhibits phospholipase C.
B)
primarily activates phosphodiesterase.
C)
caffeine primarily inhibits adenylyl cyclase.
D)
caffeine primarily activates adenylyl cyclase.
E)
primarily inhibits phosphodiesterase.

20)

A mutation in the gene encoding the enzyme Mitogen Activated Protein Kinase Kinase (MAPKK)
produces a constitutively activated form of MAPKK. That is, the mutation produces a MAPKK
enzyme that is always active, leading to uncontrolled cell division and tumor formation. On a
cellular level, which one of the following would be helpful in reducing the harmful effect of the
MAPKK gene mutation?
A)
Increasing the activity of Mitogen Activated Protein Kinase (MAPK) in the cell.
B)
Inhibiting the activity of Mitogen Activated Protein Kinase (MAPK) in the cell.
C)
Adding ligand for the Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR).
D)
Inhibiting activity of the monomeric G-protein, RAS.
E)
Inhibiting the activity of Mitogen Activated Protein Kinase Kinase Kinase (MAPKKK).

21)

Consider the following two distinct mutations that affect the activity and function of G-proteins:
i)
ii)

A mutation that prevents the ability of the -subunit to exchange a nucleotide, though the
ability of the G-protein to hydrolyze the nucleotide is unaffected.
A mutation that prevents the ability of the -subunit to hydrolyze a nucleotide, though
the ability of the G-protein to exchange the nucleotide is unaffected.

A) Do the mutations above result in G-proteins that have similar or different activities?

B) Describe the effect of each mutation upon G-protein activity.

C) Draw a figure to illustrate the effects of the mutations upon G-protein signaling.

22)
Cholera is a disease caused by infection of the intestine by the bacterium Vibrio cholera and is
transmitted by contaminated food or water. The bacterium produces a protein called Cholera toxin that
enters the cells that line the intestine and modifies the subunits of trimeric G-proteins inside these
cells. The modified G-protein subunits are no longer capable of hydrolyzing bound guanosine
triphosphate (GTP) nucleotides. The consequence of modifying the G-protein signaling pathway in
intestinal cells is a prolonged and excessive outflow of Cl- and water into the gut, resulting in severe
diarrhea and dehydration that can lead to death unless urgent measures are taken to restore water and
ion homeostasis.
A) Knowing that intestinal cell Cl- channels (called CFTR, or cystic fibrosis transmembrane
conductance regulators) are directly opened by high concentrations of cyclic adenosine
monophosphate (cAMP), draw a figure illustrating the signal transduction pathway in intestinal cells
disrupted by Cholera toxin.

B) Would adding additional ligand to the G-protein coupled receptors in the intestinal cells be helpful in
reducing the harmful effect of Cholera toxin? Why or why not?

C) Propose three possible courses of action you could take at a cellular level to reduce the harmful
effects of Cholera toxin.