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Organelles and compartmentalization practice questions.

36 exam-style questions on Organelles and compartmentalization — topic B2.2 of Form and function in the IB Biology syllabus — with answers and explanations. Samples below; the full set is free with an account.

At a glance

About this topic

Syllabus code
B2.2
Subject
IB Biology
Theme
B · Form and function
Questions
36 with worked answers
Question types
14 multiple-choice questions · 8 fill-in-the-gap questions · 7 flashcards · 5 true/false questions · 2 matching tasks
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Sample questions on Organelles and compartmentalization

Which organelle is the primary site of aerobic respiration and ATP synthesis in eukaryotic cells?

  • Chloroplast
  • Mitochondrion
  • Rough endoplasmic reticulum
  • Golgi apparatus

Answer: Mitochondrion

Mitochondria carry out the Krebs cycle and oxidative phosphorylation, producing most of the cell's ATP.

Ribosomes attached to the rough endoplasmic reticulum are primarily involved in synthesising proteins that are

  • used only in the cytosol
  • secreted or membrane-bound
  • converted directly into lipids
  • used to store genetic information

Answer: secreted or membrane-bound

The rough ER produces proteins destined for secretion, lysosomes or membranes; free ribosomes make proteins used in the cytosol.

Which sequence correctly traces a secreted protein through the endomembrane system?

  • Golgi apparatus → rough ER → secretory vesicle → plasma membrane
  • Rough ER → Golgi apparatus → secretory vesicle → plasma membrane
  • Smooth ER → lysosome → Golgi apparatus → plasma membrane
  • Nucleus → mitochondrion → Golgi apparatus → plasma membrane

Answer: Rough ER → Golgi apparatus → secretory vesicle → plasma membrane

Proteins are made on the rough ER, modified and packaged in the Golgi, then carried in secretory vesicles that fuse with the plasma membrane.

A structure present in a plant cell but absent from a typical animal cell is the

  • mitochondrion
  • nucleus
  • chloroplast
  • ribosome

Answer: chloroplast

Chloroplasts (and a cellulose cell wall and large permanent vacuole) are found in plant cells but not in typical animal cells.

Lysosomes contribute to cell function by

  • synthesising ATP for the cell
  • packaging proteins for secretion
  • holding hydrolytic enzymes
  • assembling ribosomal subunits

Answer: holding hydrolytic enzymes

Lysosomes hold hydrolytic (digestive) enzymes at low pH used to break down engulfed material and recycle organelles.

Which observation supports the endosymbiotic theory for the origin of mitochondria and chloroplasts?

  • They are enclosed by a single membrane like other organelles
  • They possess their own circular DNA and 70S ribosomes
  • They are synthesised entirely by the Golgi apparatus
  • They are found only in prokaryotic cells

Answer: They possess their own circular DNA and 70S ribosomes

Their own circular DNA, 70S (prokaryote-type) ribosomes and double membranes indicate descent from free-living bacteria engulfed by an ancestral cell.

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