CHEM221

BIOCHEMISTRY

PRACTICE QUESTIONS

Chapter 11

2) Peripheral membrane proteins:

A) are generally noncovalently bound to membrane lipids

B) are usually denatured when released from membranes
C) can be released from membranes only by treatment with detergents
D) may have functional units on both sides of the membrane
E) penetrate deeply into the lipid bilayer

3) An integral membrane protein can be extracted with:

A) a buffer
B) a chelating agent that removes divalent cations
C) a solution containing detergent
D) a solution of high ionic strength
E) hot water

4) Which of these statements is generally true of integral membrane proteins?

A) The secondary structure in the transmembrane region consists solely of a-helices

or b-sheets.
B) The domains that protrude on the cytoplasmic face of the plasma membrane
nearly always have covalently attached oligosaccharides.
C) They are unusually susceptible to degradation by trypsin.
D) They can be removed from the membrane with high salt or mild denaturing
agents.
E) They undergo constant rotational motion that moves a given domain from the
outer face of a membrane to the inner face and then back to the outer.

5) Which of these is a general feature of the lipid bilayer in all biological membranes?

A) Individual lipid molecules are free to diffuse laterally in the surface of the bilayer.
B) Individual lipid molecules in one face (monolayer) of the bilayer readily diffuse
(flip-flop) to the other monolayer.
C) Polar, but uncharged, compounds readily diffuse across the bilayer.
D) The bilayer is stabilized by covalent bonds between neighboring phospholipid
molecules.
E) The polar head groups face inward toward the inside of the bilayer.
6) The fluidity of the lipid side chains in the interior of a bilayer is generally increased
by:

A) a decrease in temperature.
B) an increase in fatty acyl chain length.
C) an increase in the number of double bonds in fatty acids.
D) the binding of water to the fatty acyl side chains.

7) 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.

8) Which of these statements about FACILITATED DIFFUSION across a membrane is

true?

A) A specific membrane protein lowers the activation energy for movement of the
solute through the membrane.
B) It can increase the size of a transmembrane concentration gradient of the
diffusing solute.
C) It is impeded by the solubility of the transported solute in the nonpolar interior of
the lipid bilayer.
D) It is responsible for the transport of gases such as O2, N2, and CH4 across
biological membranes.
E) The rate is not saturable by the transported substrate.

9) Facilitated diffusion through a biological membrane is:

A) driven by a difference of solute concentration

B) driven by ATP
C) endergonic
D) generally irreversible
E) not specific with respect to the substrate

10) Glucose transport into erythrocytes is an example of:

 A) active transport
B) antiport
C) electrogenic uniport
D) facilitated diffusion
E) symport

11) The type of membrane transport that uses ion gradients as the energy source is:

A) facilitated diffusion
B) passive transport
C) primary active transport
D) secondary active transport
E) simple diffusion

12) In one catalytic cycle, the Na+/K+ ATPase transporter transports:

A) 2 Na+ out, 3 K+ in, and converts 1 ATP to ADP + Pi

B) 3 Na+ out, 2 K+ in, and converts 1 ATP to ADP + Pi
C) 3 Na+ in, 2 K+ out, and converts 1 ATP to ADP + Pi
D) 1 Na+ out, 1 K+ in, and converts 1 ATP to ADP + Pi
E) 2 Na+ out, 3 K+ in, and converts 1 ADP + Pi to ATP

13) Which one of the following processes could result in the net movement of a
substance into a cell, if the substance is more concentrated in the cell than in the
surroundings?
A) active transport
B) diffusion
C) osmosis
D) facilitated diffusion
E) None of the choices are correct
14) What is the immediate source of energy for active transport?
A) carbohydrates
B) lipids
C) ATP
D) A and B
15) Which of the following terms is used to describe a membrane protein capable of
moving substances from a low to a high concentration?
A) transporter
B) pump
C) diffuser
D) oxidizer
E) reducer

16) When physicians perform an organ transplant, they choose a donor whose tissues
match those of the recipient as closely as possible. Which of the following cell
components are being matched?
A) plasma membrane phospholipids
B) cell-surface carbohydrates
C) plasma membrane proteins
D) cytoskeletal elements

17) Diffusion is the movement of molecules from

A) An area of low concentration to an area of high concentration
B) An area of high concentration to an area of low concentration
C) An area of equilibrium to an area of high concentration
D) All of the above

18) Active transport and passive transport differ in that active transport requires
A) Water
B) Carrier proteins
C) Energy
D) Concentrated solutes

19) The sodium pump

a) Exchanges extracellular Na+ for intracellular K+
b) Is important for maintaining a constant cell volume
c) Can only be inhibited by metabolic poisons
d) Is an ion channel

20) What important property is conferred on membranes by transport systems?

A) asymmetry
B) selective permeability
C) bilayer
D) amphipathic nature
E) None of the answers is correct.

21) What is the most common process by which lipids and proteins move in the
membrane bilayer?
A) kinesin-mediated movement
B) flip-flopping
C) translocation
D) lateral diffusion
E) asymmetric longitudinal flipping

22) What membrane components contain carbohydrates?

A) lipid-linked proteins
B) cholesterol
C) integral membrane proteins in contact with the cytoplasm
D) glycolipids

23) Membranes are primarily comprised of

A) lipids
B) proteins
C) carbohydrates
D) All of the answers are correct
E) A and B

24) How many molecules thick are membranes?

A) one
B) two
C) infinite
D) varying thickness, depending on structure
E) None of the answers is correct.
25) Which of the following membranes would be the most fluid?
A) a bilayer made of lipids with polyunsaturated 18 carbon-fatty acids
B) a bilayer made of lipids with saturated 18 carbon-fatty acids
C) a bilayer made of lipids with saturated 16 carbon-fatty acids
D) a bilayer made of lipids with polyunsaturated 16 carbon-fatty acids
E) All of the above are equivalent in fluidity.

26) Which of the following is NOT correct concerning the structure given?

O
H H O CH2 O C(CH2)14CH3
CH3(CH2)7C C(CH2)7C O CH O
+
CH2 OPOCH2CH2N(CH3)3
O-

A) It is a component of biological membranes.

B) It is amphipathic.
C) It is a sphingolipid.
D) It is a phosphoglyceride.
E) It is phosphatidyl choline.

27) Carbohydrate residues attached to the membrane lipids are almost always
A) positioned on the intracellular side of the membrane.
B) positioned on the inside center of the bilayer.
C) positioned on the extracellular side of the membrane.
D) positioned equally on both sides of the membrane.
E) also covalently attached to membrane proteins.

28) The degree of membrane fluidity in bacteria depends mainly on the percentage of
A) lipids that contain sphingosine.
B) glycolipids.
C) free fatty acids.
D) unsaturated fatty acids.
E) None of the answers is correct.
29) A substance can only be accumulated against its electrochemical gradient by:
a) facilitated diffusion
b) Passage through ion channels
c) Diffusion through a uniport
d) Active transport

30) The low incidence of protein or lipid flip-flop in a membrane preserves

A) membrane fluidity.
B) membrane melting temperatures.
C) membrane asymmetry.
D) membrane fluidity and membrane melting temperatures.
E) All of the answers are correct.

31) Which of the following helps regulate membrane fluidity in animals?

A) proteins
B) cholesterol
C) ATP
D) magnesium ions
E) None of the answers is correct.

32) Which of the following statements about the lipid constituents of membranes is
correct?

a) Lateral movement of membrane lipids is catalysed by special proteins.

b) The inner and outer halves of the lipid bilayer are identical.
c) Lateral movement of membrane lipids occurs rapidly within the plane of the
bilayer.
d) Transverse movement of membrane lipids within the bilayer is unrestricted.

33) Which of the following statements about membrane fluidity is correct?

a) Membrane fluidity is increased when there is a high proportion of trans

unsaturated fatty acids in the glycerophosphate molecules that make up the
bilayer.
b) Membrane fluidity is decreased when there is a high proportion of cis unsaturated
fatty acids in the glycerophosphate molecules that make up the bilayer.
 c) Membrane fluidity is increased when there is a high proportion of cis unsaturated
fatty acids in the glycerophosphate molecules that make up the bilayer.
d) Membrane fluidity is increased when there is a high proportion of saturated fatty
acids in the glycerophosphate molecules that make up the bilayer.

34) Which of the following statements about membrane proteins is not correct?

a) Integral membrane proteins have ends rich in hydrophilic amino acids.

b) Integral membrane proteins are anchored to the lipid bilayer by ionic bonds.
c) Transmembrane porins have hydrophilic amino acids that point inwards in the
beta-barrels.
d) Integral membrane proteins have transmembrane domains rich in hydrophobic
amino acids.

35) Which of the following statements about the functions of cell membranes is not
correct?

a) Cell membranes maintain the shape of cells.

b) Cell membranes retain the contents of cells.
c) Cell membranes are impermeable to most molecules.
d) Cell membranes are permeable to most inorganic ions.

36) Which of the following statements about the mechanism of the Na+/K+ pump is
correct?

a) The Na+/K+ ATPase uses energy to pump Na+ outside the cell and K+ inside.
b) The Na+/K+ ATPase uses energy to pump Na+ inside the cell and K+ outside.
c) The Na+/K+ ATPase uses energy to bind both Na+ and K+ in turn.
d) The phosphorylation of the Na+/K+ ATPase does not change its conformation.

37) Which is an important function of cholesterol in cell membranes?

a) It increases the fluidity of the membrane at 370 C.

b) It acts as a fluidity barrier in bacterial membranes.
c) It stabilizes the structure of mammalian membranes.
d) It allows polar substances to pass through the membrane.
38) Which of the following statements about the transport of substances through a cell
membrane is correct?

a) Small polar molecules can diffuse through a cell membrane along a concentration
gradient.
b) Small polar molecules require specific transport systems for passage across a
membrane.
c) Small polar molecules cannot be transported through a cell membrane against a
concentration gradient.
d) Small inorganic ions can diffuse through a cell membrane along a concentration
gradient.

39) The sodium-potassium pump passes

A) more Na+ out than K+ in
B) K+ out and Na+ in on a one-for-one basis
C) Na+ out and K+ in on a one-for-one basis
D) K+ and Na+ in the same direction

40) A cell is recognized by other tissue members as "self" by its surface

A) phosphate groups
B) glycoproteins
C) ketoglutaric acids
D) glycocarbohydrates

41) Fluidity of phospholipid bilayer is increased by

A) double bonds between carbon atoms in the fatty acid tails
B) steroid lipids at certain temperatures
C) poor alignment of the fatty acids tails
D) cholesterol at certain temperatures
E) all of the above
42) Gases such as oxygen and carbon dioxide cross the plasma membrane by:
a) secondary active transport
b) passive diffusion through the lipid bilayer
c) specific gas transport proteins
d) primary active transport
43) In each cycle the sodium-potassium pumps transfer
A) two potassium ions in and two sodium ions out
B) one sodium ion out and one potassium ion in
C) three sodium ions out and two potassium ions in
D) one potassium ion out and two sodium ions in
E) three sodium ions in and two potassium ions out

44) Equilibrium is reached in an aqueous solution when

A) random motion stops
B) water molecules and dissolved molecules are moving at the same rate
C) the dissolved molecules or ions are equally distributed throughout the solution
D) molecular motion stops
E) there are the same number of water molecules as dissolved molecules

45) Substances transported by facilitated diffusion

A) move passively through specific channels from an area of greater concentration to
one of lower concentration
B) are limited to solvents
C) must have movements coupled to those of other substances
D) may flow to a region of higher concentration by the expenditure of energy
E) are restricted to only one direction through the membrane

46) ATP is required in the transport of

A) water molecules
B) all molecules across a membrane
C) molecules to areas of lower concentrations
D) molecules to areas of higher concentrations
E) molecules through a protein channel

47) What force(s) stabilize(s) the lipid bilayers?

a) van der Waals interactions
b) electrostatic and hydrogen bonding between the polar heads and surrounding
water
c) covalent bonds between the lipids and membrane proteins
d) van der Waals interactions and electrostatic and hydrogen bonding between the
polar heads and surrounding water
 e) electrostatic and hydrogen bonding between the polar heads and surrounding
water and covalent bonds between the lipids and membrane proteins

48) How are lipid bilayers formed? What is/are the driving forces?

49) Why do most phospholipids preferentially form sheets instead of micelles?

50) What are liposomes? What are some of the current commercial applications?

51) True or false: The net movement of uncharged, polar molecules across a
semipermeable membrane from a low concentration to a high concentration occurs by
facilitated diffusion.

52) The temperature at which a phospholipid membrane transitions from a rigid to a fluid
state is referred to as _______________.

53) In animals, ________________ is the key regulator of membrane fluidity.

 CHEM221

BIOCHEMISTRY

PRACTICE QUESTIONS – ANSWER KEY

Chapter 11

2) A 11) D 21) D 31) B 41) E

22) D 32) C 42) B
3) C 12) B 23) E 33) C 43) C
4) A 13) A 24) B 34) B 44) C
14) C 25) D 35) A 45) A
5) A 15) B 26) C 37) C 46) D
6) C 16) B 38) B
27) C 47) D
17) B 28) D
7) C 18) C 39) A
29) D
19) B 30) C 40) B
8) A
20) B
9) A

10) D

48) Bimolecular sheets of lipids form spontaneously by self-assembly. Hydrophobic

interactions are the primary driving force. Van der Waals attractive forces between the
hydrocarbon tails favor the close packing of the tails. The polar heads are attracted to
each other by electrostatic and hydrogen-bonding attractions.

49) The two tails of phospholipids sterically hinder the formation of micelles.

50) Liposomes are spherical structures of lipid bilayers, similar to miniature organelles.
They are extremely useful as models of cell systems. They can be used to contain or
transport molecules such as drugs for therapy, DNA for gene therapy, and are commonly
used in cosmetics such as skin creams.

51) False

52) Tm, or melting temperature

53) cholesterol