Bio 213 - Spring 2011 Topics and Learning Objectives 1/2

Bio 213: Spring Midterm Study Guide

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Remember that a study guide is just a guide - and not a complete list. Be sure to study from the assigned readings
and lecture notes in order to earn the best possible grade on the midterm.

The midterm will be ~50% multiple choice and ~50% free response. Please bring a Scantron 882-E to the exam.
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Introduction, Biodiversity and Water

What is the Scientific Method? How do theories and hypotheses relate?
Name several common biological theories that are often thought of as fact.
How did stromatalites contribute to the evolution of life on earth?
How did engineering applications such as chlorination, and filtration affect public health?
How are living things organized? [Phylogenetic and Linnaean classification]
What did Lavoisier show about the differences between nutrient concentration in abiotic and biotic organisms?
What are two reasons that most life is Carbon-based?
Describe the difference between a trace and required elements.
Describe the differences between Hydrogen bonds, Covalent bond, Ionic/Electrostatic bonds, Van der Walls forces
and hydrophobic interactions. Order them in strongest to weakest forces.
What are the major properties of water that are essential for life? What type of bonding is required for these
properties?

Cells and Homeostasis

Describe the differences between Prokaryotic and Eukaryotic cells; Plant and Animal cells.
How are cells set up as “open dynamic systems”? How does the surface to volume ratio constrain cell size?
What are the main purposes of the Cell Membrane, Cell Wall and Glycocalyx?
What are the main differences between Archaea, Bacteria and Eukaryotic cell structure?
What is the difference between Passive and Active transport across the plasma membrane?
Cells Walls can withstand how much pressure?
What are the main structural differences between Gram positive and Gram negative bacterial cells?
What compound do bacterial cell walls contain that is absent in Eukaryotic and Archaeal organisms?
Why do we need to take LPS into account in Engineering practice?
Describe Endosymbiosis.
How does Myxococcus xanthus look like an early evolution of multicellular life?
Metabolism is a combination of what 2 types of reactions?

Biomolecules
Describe the four main biomolecules. Which of these forms polymers?

“Sugars”
What is the difference between a mono-, di-, oligo- and poly-saccharide?
What types of bonds hold sugars together? How are they named?
What is the difference between: Constitutional vs. Stereo- Isomers ; Stereo-Isomer vs. Eniantiomer.
How do stereoisomers relate to Bioremediation?
Enzymes can differentiate between stereoisomer based on their _________.
What is there often only one bioactive form of a stereoisomer?
What is the difference between glycogen and cellulose? [bond name and description here please]. Why can’t
humans digest cellulose?
What is the general structure of LPS/Endotoxin? What are the functions of the two main sections of LPS?
Peptidoglycan is a special complex polysaccharide - Where is it found? What two types of bonds are found in
Peptidoglycan? Which of these is NOT found in regular polysaccharides?

“Lipids”
How does Entropy drive the formation of lipid bilayers? What is Self-Assembly in this context?
Describe how hydrophobic packing and hydrophobic interactions assist with bilayer formation.
What are the two main functions of lipids?
What is meant by the “Amphipathic character of fatty acids”? How do they interact in this aqueous world of ours?
Differentiate between simple and complex lipids (primary functions, shape, structure and components) ; saturated
vs. unsaturated lipids (bonding patterns, packing, stability and melting point)
Why do Archaea have “monolayers” instead of “bilayers” in their cell membrane?
Why and when do bacteria change the ratio of Saturated:Unsaturated lipids in their membranes?
What is the main function of Cholesterol in the membrane of Eukaryotic cells? Hopanoids in Bacterial cells?
Bio 213 - Spring 2011 Topics and Learning Objectives 2/2

“Nucleic Acids”
What is the Genetic Code? What is a Gene? What is meant by the term “genome”?
Describe why DNA and RNA are termed the “informational macromolecule”.
What are the functions that Nucleic Acids have in the cell?
Why is DNA directionality called 5’->3’?
What are the bonds that hold DNA structure together? Since these are low-energy interactions, why does DNA stay
together?
What is meant by the term nucleotide? What macromolecules make up a nucleotide?
What are the four bases? How do they associate together?
What are Chagraff’s rules?
What is the main difference between the B and A forms of DNA?
What are two differences between RNA and DNA?
How is DNA replicated? Why is there both continuous and discontinuous copying?
What are plasmids? What types of genes do plasmids carry? How do plasmids effect an organisms phenotype?
How do plasmids relate to genetically modified microorganisms?
What is Selective Pressure? Selective advantage? How do these two concepts relate to plasmids?
What are the differences between conjugation, transformation and transduction?
What is the difference between how genes are organized in Bacteria and Eukarya? (Operons vs individual genes)
What is a polycistronic mRNA? How is this type of RNA different from RNA made in Eukaryotic cells?

“Proteins”
What types of bonds hold amino acids together?
What the phrase “Sequence dictates structure” means in terms of proteins.
What is the difference between primary, secondary, tertiary and quaternary protein structure?
What are general differences between amino acids in terms of their function in proteins?
Protein Folding is affected by which environmental variables?
What is a Prion? How does it reflect the concept ‘sequence dictates structure’?
What is denaturation?
Why are enzymes so specific?
What is a substrate? Explain substrate recognition by enzymes.
How to enzymes accelerate reactions in cells?
Enzymes lower the activation energy of chemical reactions in the cell by stabilizing the _______ ________.