Biology 111: Unit 1 February 2002
The review is due Friday February 15th before 9:30am.
This is a closed-book, closed-note review. Once you have read any question your review period has begun. There is no time limit for taking the review. It was designed to be completed in 2 hours.
Be sure to follow all instructions. The questions are yours to keep. This page must be the first page of your answer packet. Fill out the information at the bottom of this sheet and attach this page to the ones containing your answers. The top of each additional page in the packet should contain only your initials and the page number. All answers must be typed and in complete sentences unless specifically indicated otherwise. Any accompanying graphs or figures may be hand-drawn. You may use a (non-pre-programmed) calculator but all calculations must be included in order to receive full credit. Calculations do not need to be in sentence format.
Brevity is encouraged but be sure to completely answer the question asked. If a word number maximum is indicated be sure to include the word count of your answer (MS Word will determine this for you under the tools menu).
Any questions about the review should be directed to me at kabernd@davidson.edu, x2889 (o), or XXXXXX (h). Any calls to my home must occur before 9:00pm.
Name: ____________________________________
(print)
Signature: _________________________________
My signature indicates that I have completed this review following the Honor Code.
This review was completed in ________hours
I attended ____ Dr. Cho’s (bioarcheology) ___ A. Udall (Environmental Action)
___ Biology ‘Major Decisions’ ___ Darwin’s Birthday party
The questions on this review refer to the scenario provided. Questions A-X (100 points)
As a world-renowned scientist you travel to the jungle and discover two groups of gorillas inhabiting adjacent mountains. One group (the calm gorillas, or CGs) exhibits ‘typical’ gorilla behavior where much of their time is spent eating leaves and berries and grooming other CGs. In the other group, the jumpy gorillas (or JGs) are the same stature but lower body weight and are constantly agitated. You think that the behavioral differences are due to overactive adrenal glands causing a constant stress response.
To test your hypothesis you obtain blood samples from one CG and one JG. One blood samples is taken when the gorilla is sleeping and another is take while the gorilla is watching a movie of a python. (Gorillas are afraid of pythons and can’t tell the difference between movies and real life)
You decide to compare blood glucose levels in order to test your hypothesis. To test your equipment you want to perform blood glucose analysis on samples containing known amounts of glucose. The lab is equipped with chemical stocks, balances, water, graduated cylinders, beakers, and, amazingly, all of the equipment you would need to perform the procedures you learned about in your Molecules, Genes and Cells class back at Davidson College. The chemical stocks include 250mg of glucose (MW 180.16). Your lab technician is very eager but not very clever and so you must provide detailed instructions on how to make the glucose solutions.
After testing your equipment and preparing a standard curve you collect the following data from your gorilla blood samples:
Gorilla |
Conditions when blood was takenSleeping Watching python |
|
CG |
1.2 |
5.0 |
JG |
3.0 |
5.0 |
You are discussing the blood glucose analysis with a colleague. She is interested in your behavioral observations but does not agree with your molecular approach. She strongly suggests that blood glucose levels are not the best way to determine if the adrenal gland is overactive. She provides a very convincing argument.
You excitedly focus your attention on studying the molecule you named in part I.
Another line of research in your lab is studying a newly identified gorilla hormone that you call ‘primatin’. Primatin is sometimes found in very low levels in the blood and appears to be part of the stress response in gorillas. You discover that primatin is a short protein secreted from cells via a mechanism that is amazingly similar to the release of acetylcholine in the neuron.
Bonus: Draw two amino acids bonded to each other. (1pt for generalized structure, 2.5pt if specific amino acids are drawn) Circle and provide the name of the bond that links them. (1pt)
Your lab technician wants to study the enzymatic reaction shown below.
cAMP phosphodiesterase
cAMP
AMP
It is a very cold year and both gorilla groups come down from their mountain into a lush and protected valley. While they share space a male JG and female CG mate. Your technician is perplexed when the female CG becomes pregnant and wants to know how this could happen. After determining that he does know the basics of sexual reproduction, you explain the molecular mechanism for determining suitable reproductive partners.