BIRLA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY AND SCIENCE (PILANI), HYDERABAD CAMPUS

SECOND SEMESTER 2014-15

TEST-1 (Closed Book), BIO F111; GENERAL BIOLOGY

Date: 20th Feb.15 Total Time: 60 min. Total marks: 60

Answer all questions. Marks will be given ONLY if proper justification is given wherever applicable.
Along with your name and ID no., please write the correct tutorial section no./instructors name in the
answer book. This QP has two printed sides (front-back).

1. Hi, Presenting to you, the new entrant in F 102 General Biology course REBECCA. See the
description below to understand her better and answer the question following it.
I live in the planet oRion. I am made up of a single cell
I respond and Evolve. I am tiny and alone.
But there is no possibility of an increase in my size or population. I just lack these abilities.
I am a control freak, busy coordinating and
rEgulating. All my transactions are handled by my energy
Currency ZTP which I earn from the sun using the abundant
Carbon dioxide and Nitrogen available in Orion. If I come to earth, I will pollute it with huge
amounts of ureA.

However, sadly she failed her identification test for Living and was not permitted to enroll.
Based on your knowledge of characteristics of living things, justify the decision taken. (6M)

2. In an attempt to understand cell as a system the general biology team of instructors thought of
comparing the cell to a factory. The table below gives information about the jobs to be done in a
factory set up. Fill the missing blanks in 1-8 by identifying the organelle for doing a similar job in
the cell or by stating the function of the organelle that matches with the role given in factory (as
applicable). You do not have to re-create the table in the answer book. (8x1 = 8M)

Job in the Factory Cell Organelle Function of the organelle

1 Factory boundary and manned security Plasma membrane
2 gate
Office of the Chief Executive Officer Nucleus
(CEO)
3 Factory floor Cytoplasm
4 Assembly line (where workers do their Endoplasmic
work of production) Reticulum
5 Workers in the assembly line (ER)/Cytoplasm Build the proteins
6 Finishing/packaging department Prepares proteins for use or
export
7 Support beams (walls, ceilings, floors) Cytoskeleton
8 Power plant Transforms one form of
energy and makes it
available.

PTO
 BIRLA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY AND SCIENCE (PILANI), HYDERABAD CAMPUS
SECOND SEMESTER 2014-15
TEST-1 (Closed Book), BIO F111; GENERAL BIOLOGY

3. Targeting and hampering the biomolecule Proteins has been used as a strategy to combat
infections for a long time. From your chapters, give two examples where you have been taught
about the application of this strategy? (4x2 =8M)

4. In an Internet site, I came across this following statement. Disruptions in facilitated diffusion
mechanisms can have an impact on energy generation in human cells
(a) Explain whether the statement is right or wrong and justify your answer with one example. (4M)
(b) Give the mechanism by which the gaseous reactants of aerobic cellular respiration are transported
into the cell? What is the energy expenditure for these transports? (4M)

5. Both polysaccharides of plant origin are useful for both nutrition and normal health. Do you agree
with this statement? Justify your answer for each polysaccharide. (4M)

6. One of the two strands of the DNA molecule contains the sequence AGAGCTAGCATGGCAT.
(a) Write the sequence of the second strand. (b) How many phosphates does the double-stranded
DNA contain? (c) How many hydrogen bonds does the double stranded DNA have? (d) What
changes in the given sequence would you expect if it were a RNA molecule? (6M)

7. Sodium ions are transported across the cell membrane by two different mechanisms. They are
transported without expense of ATP in one case and with the expense of ATP in the second case.
Name the two processes and briefly describe how they work. (3x2=6M)

8. Given below is a chemical reaction in Krebs cycle. (4x2=8M)

Succinate dehydrogenase
Succinate + FAD Fumarate + FADH2 Reaction (i)
FADH2 + 2ADP + 2Pi + 12O2 FAD + 2ATP + H2O Reaction (ii)
(a) Explain in detail how ATP is generated from the conversion of FADH2 to FAD.
(b) How is it different from the process of generation of ATP from conversion of NADH to
NAD+?

9. Electrons and H+ ions used to reduce NADP+ are provided by water. Justify this statement with
specific details in 4-5 sentences. (6M)