Exam 2 Flashcards
The cell membrane A. is a watery gel in which structures are suspended B. contains the powerhouse of the cell. C. is the central government of the cell. D. protects the cell and acts as a filter. E. carries the cell’s hereditary information.
D. protects the cell and acts as a filter.
- Structurally, the plasma membrane A. contains some imbedded proteins. B. is composed of a bilayer of lipids. C. contains some carbohydrate molecules. D. contains some small holes, or pores. E. all of the above
E. all of the above
- Which one of the following statements correctly describes membrane structure? A. Most membrane constituents are fixed in a specific location in the membrane. B. The hydrophobic region of the membrane is located along the exposed outer surface. C. Membranes consist of a ‘sandwich’ of lipids on the outside and protein on the inside. D. Phospholipids are arranged with the fatty acids facing toward the center.
D. Phospholipids are arranged with the fatty acids facing toward the center.
- Which of the following best describes the lipid aggregates known as vesicles? A. They contain a hollow non-aqueous interior cavity. B. They are spherical structures with their hydrophobic regions aggregated in the interior cavity. C. They form because the cross-sectional area of the head group is greater than that of the acyl side chain(s). D. They are derived from a bilayer sheet.
D. They are derived from a bilayer sheet.
- Which of these functions might be expected for a membrane protein? A. serving as membrane receptors. B. transport of substances across the membrane. C. providing structure and support to the membrane. D. All of the above are functions of membrane proteins.
D. All of the above are functions of membrane proteins.
- Integral proteins associate with the membrane through A. covalent attachment to lipids. B. covalent attachment to lipid anchors such as palmitoyl groups. C. hydrophobic interactions with lipids. D. interactions with carbohydrates attached to lipids.
C. hydrophobic interactions with lipids.
- The most common way in which integral membrane proteins span the membrane is in A. α-helical segments. B. β-sheet structures. C. single strands with no secondary structure. D. alternate α-helical segments and β-sheet structures.
A. α-helical segments.
- The shortest helix segment in a protein that will span a membrane bilayer has about _____ amino acid residues. A. 5 B. 20 C. 50 D. 100
B. 20
- If a membrane protein in an intact erythrocyte reacts with a membrane-impermeable reagent, what can you conclude about the membrane protein? A. It is an integral membrane protein. B. It is a peripheral membrane protein. C. At least one domain of the protein is located on the outer face of the membrane. D. It is not a plasma membrane protein.
C. At least one domain of the protein is located on the outer face of the membrane.
- Peripheral membrane proteins A. can be extracted by chelating agents. B. completely span the membrane. C. are firmly associated with the membrane. D. can only be removed with detergents.
A. can be extracted by chelating agents.
- Which of the following is true about motion of membrane lipids? A. They can move most rapidly when in the gel phase. B. Lateral diffusion is catalyzed by flippase proteins. C. To increase the fluidity of membranes at low temperatures, cells synthesize more saturated fatty acids and fewer unsaturated fatty acids. D. Transbilayer diffusion involves the transfer of lipids from one face of the bilayer to another.
D. Transbilayer diffusion involves the transfer of lipids from one face of the bilayer to another.
- Considering membranes with phospholipids with these different average length fatty acids, which one would be expected to display the highest fluidity? A. 8 B. 10 C. 12 D. 14
A. 8
- Longer fatty acids make membranes less fluid because: A. the long chains tend to get interwined and tangled. B. this allows greater hydrogen-bonding between the methyl groups. C. longer fatty acids bind rather tenaciously to membrane proteins. D. there are more van der Waals interactions between the chains.
D. there are more van der Waals interactions between the chains.
- Considering membranes with phospholipids with fatty acids with these different average number of double bonds, which one would be expected to display the highest fluidity? A. 0 B. 1 C. 2 D. 3
D. 3
- More double-bonds in fatty acids make membranes more fluid because: A. fatty acids with lots of double bonds strongly repel each other. B. the fatty acids cannot not pack together as tightly. C. double bonds prevent cholesterol from entering the membrane. D. the phospholipids tend to flip-flop across the membrane more quickly.
B. the fatty acids cannot not pack together as tightly.
- When a bacterium such as E. coli is shifted from a warmer growth temperature to a cooler growth temperature, it compensates by: A. increasing its metabolic rate to generate more heat. B. putting longer-chain fatty acids into its membranes. C. putting more unsaturated fatty acids into its membranes. D. shifting from aerobic to anaerobic metabolism. E. synthesizing thicker membranes to insulate the cell.
C. putting more unsaturated fatty acids into its membranes.
- Cell membranes allow certain molecules to pass, while blocking others. This property is called A. impermeable. B. freely permeable. C. selectively permeable. D. actively permeable. E. none of the above
C. selectively permeable.
- By what mechanism would a nonpolar (hydrophobic) molecule move across a membrane if it is moving down its concentration gradient? A. facilitated diffusion B. cotransport C. simple diffusion D. active transport
C. simple diffusion
- By what mechanism would a polar (hydrophilic) molecule move across a membrane if it is moving down its concentration gradient? A. facilitated diffusion B. cotransport C. simple diffusion D. active transport
A. facilitated diffusion
- Facilitated diffusion differs from simple diffusion in that facilitated diffusion A. expends no ATP. B. moves molecules from an area of higher concentration to lower concentration. C. is dependent on carrier molecules. D. never eliminates the concentration gradient. E. is independent of carrier molecules.
C. is dependent on carrier molecules.
- Transporters can be divided into the categories of carriers and channels. Which of the following is true about the difference between carriers and channels? A. Carriers transport molecules across membranes faster than do channels. B. Carriers have greater stereospecificity for their substrates than do channels. C. Only carriers lower the free energy needed for transmembrane diffusion. D. Channels are more saturable than carriers.
B. Carriers have greater stereospecificity for their substrates than do channels.
- Which of the following statements is true about active transport? A. The transported species always moves against its electrochemical gradient. B. It is needed only for the transport of polar molecules. C. It is exergonic. D. It must be linked to ATP hydrolysis.
A. The transported species always moves against its electrochemical gradient.
- One difference between symport (SYNPORT) and antiport is that A. only antiport requires energy. B. only symport is reversible. C. only in antiport do two substrates move in opposite directions to each other. D. only symport is a cotransport system.
C. only in antiport do two substrates move in opposite directions to each other.
- Pumping of Na+ and K+ against concentration by Na+ K+ -ATPase is a typical example of A. Primary active transport B. Symport C. Antiport D. Passive transport
A. Primary active transport


