The following sample exam question is one of my favorites. Take a look at what these bacteria are using and what waste products they are producing. This will tell you a lot about the kind of metabolism they are using.
Dick has obtained five water samples from the lake
and sets them up so he can measure the concentration of various chemicals in
them. Dick measures the chemicals at the start of the experiment and again 24
hours later. (arrows indicate increase or decrease; - means no change)
|
Glucose |
CO2 |
SO42- |
H2S |
O2 |
Ethanol |
Sample
1 |
- |
¯ |
↑ |
¯ |
¯ |
- |
Sample
2 |
¯ |
↑ |
- |
- |
- |
↑ |
Sample
3 |
- |
¯ |
- |
- |
↑ |
- |
Sample
4 |
¯ |
↑ |
¯ |
↑ |
-
|
- |
Sample
5 |
¯ |
↑ |
- |
- |
¯ |
- |
Differentiate between metabolism, anabolism, catabolism
What sources of energy can bacteria use?
How does this differ from animals? Plants? Protists?
What is ATP? Write out the
chemical reaction that shows how ATP serves as the cellular energy 'currency'.
Differentiate between oxidation and reduction. Give examples of oxidation
and reduction reactions.
What are NAD, FAD, and NADP? How do they help 'store' energy?
What are the 3 types of WORK a cell does?
What is needed for this?
What is an enzyme? What are
its characteristics?
What factors affect the functioning of enzymes?
What are the stages of catabolism? Diagram the catabolic pathways for
starch, protein, and fats.
Do all macromolecule hydrolysis reactions occur outside the cell?
Explain.
Distinguish: ß-oxidation, glycolysis, deamination, hydrolysis, Krebs
cycle, respiration, fermentation
In what 2 ways (or forms) is energy 'captured' during catabolism?
How is reducing power (NADH, FADH2) converted to ATP?
What are the 3 ways to break down glucose to pyruvate?
Which of these is found only in bacteria?
What are some of the byproducts of protein catabolism?
What happens in the Krebs cycle? What
are the 'end products' of this cycle?
What is the usual purpose for the pentose phosphate pathway?
What type of bacteria do Entner-Doudoroff pathways?
What does the electron transport chain do? What are
cytochromes?
How does a cell generate energy if there is no oxygen around?
What is the role of oxygen in aerobic metabolism?
What are the metabolic end products of aerobic respiration,
anaerobic respiration, and fermentation?
How much energy is gained from these 3 processes (relatively)?
What is fermentation? What
is its purpose? Under what circumstances does a cell carry out fermentation?
What is anaerobic respiration? What
are some examples of electron acceptors used?
Distinguish among photo-, substrate-level, and oxidative
phosphorylation.
How does bacterial metabolism impact the environment?
Give specific examples of fermentation byproducts.
How can these be detected?
Which of the following is the MOST REDUCED? N2, H2O,
NO3, NO2, O2, NH4
Where do lithotrophs get their energy from?
Where do they get their 'building materials' for growth?
Are lithotrophs usually aerobes, facultative anaerobes, or anaerobes?
Explain.
Distinguish photosynthesis in green & purple bacteria, cyanobacteria,
and algae.
What molecules are used to capture light energy?
Give examples.
Which phototrophs produce oxygen?
Distinguish between cyclic and noncyclic
photophosphorylation.
What is the source of electrons for making NADPH in sulfur bacteria?
Non-sulfur bacteria? Cyanobacteria?
How much ATP is needed to make glucose during the Calvin cycle?
What are the 3 stages of the dark reactions? During what stage is the
NADPH used up?
At what time of the day can the light reactions and the dark reactions
occur?
Name 3 ways by which inorganic phosphate is incorporated into organic
compounds.
What is assimilatory reduction of nitrate/sulfate?
By what process is N2 gas incorporated into organic compounds?
What bacteria can do this?
Explain the main steps of biosynthesis. Where do bacteria get their
precursor molecules?
What are translation, replication, and transcription?
Describe the structure of DNA. What is meant by
"complementary"?
What are the 3 chemical components of a nucleotide?
Where does the energy come from to make the DNA polymer?
Name 3 differences between RNA and DNA.
What are the nitrogenous bases used in each?
What bases pair up with each other?
What would the complementary DNA sequence be for: TACACGCATA?
How is DNA packaged within cells? What
is a supercoil?
How do bacteria differ from protozoa in terms of their DNA?
Explain the process of replication in 3 steps. What enzymes are necessary
for this?
Explain the 3 steps by which transcription takes place. What enzymes are
needed?
Explain the 3 steps of translation. What is a ‘codon’?
How do replication, transcription, and translation differ in bacteria and
eukaryotes?
What are 3 kinds of RNA found in cells?
What would the RNA and amino acid sequence be if you transcribed and translated the sequence in Q. 49?