BIOD 171 FINAL EXAM STUDY
Questions and Answers
(2025 / 2026)
(Verified Answers)
Microbiology is the study of what? - ANSWER Microbiology is the study of microbes
(microorganisms and viruses) and their biological processes.
What is the smallest biological unit of life - ANSWER cell
What is a macromolecule? - ANSWER A macromolecule is classified as a complex molecule
that is composed from smaller subunits.
What are the four main types of macromolecules? - ANSWER Proteins, nucleic acids, lipids
and carbohydrates
What various functions do proteins have in a cell - ANSWER Proteins may facilitate the
movement of materials in or out of a cell. Some can act as enzymes that catalyze, or speed up,
biochemical processes. Others play a structural role while other proteins, such as filaments,
enable movement.
What are the two major types of nucleic acids and their roles? - ANSWER There are two
major types of nucleic acids: DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) and RNA (ribonucleic acid). Nucleic
acids are chemical molecules that carry genetic information within the cell. DNA contains a vast
amount of hereditary information and is responsible for the inheritable characteristics of living
organisms. RNA is responsible for deciphering the hereditary information in DNA and using it to
synthesize proteins.
What is the plasma membrane, and what is it made up of? - ANSWER The plasma membrane
serves the cell as a surrounding barrier that separates the inside of the cell from the outside
surrounding environment. The plasma membrane also restricts the movement of materials
(water, nutrients, etc) either in or out of the cell, thus allowing a cells to absorb and keep what is
needed (influx) while also preventing the escape (out flux) of essential nutrients. The plasma
membrane is composed of lipids (hydrophobic hydrocarbons)