**When answering short answer questions, look at the way the question is
worded.
For core concept questions, make sure you begin your response with a
paragraph summarizing your understanding of the general core concept. The use that
information to answer the specific question.
* Compare means tell me how things are similar and how they are
different. I am really asking you to “compare and contrast.” I think it is better to
point out similarities, then systematically point out differences.
* For describe, explain, and compare questions,
*THINK about what you want to write, OUTLINE your answer, and then
write your answer.
* If a series of paragraphs are needed, the first paragraph should be an
introduction to your answer. Each graph should begin with a topic sentence,
several sentences which support or elaborate on the topic sentence, and a
transition or concluding sentence.
Unit 1 Objectives:
1. Using at least one physiological example, explain the concept of homeostasis.
2. Explain and provide examples of specificity, competition, and saturation in proteins.
3. Explain the concepts of specificity, competition, and saturation as they relate to
enzymes.
4. Explain the fluid-mosaic model of the cell membrane.
5. Compare osmolarity and tonicity.
6. Compare simple diffusion, facilitated diffusion and active transport.
7. Explain why cells need both channel and carrier proteins.
8. Explain the concepts of specificity, competition, and saturation as they relate to carrier-
mediated transport.
9. Explain how the development of our understanding of cell-to-cell communication
supports our core concept that physiology is a science.
10. Compare the general sequence of events that follow lipophilic and lipophobic binding to
receptors.
11. Compare two forms of long-distance and three forms of local communication.
12. Explain the concepts of specificity, competition, and saturation as they relate to
membrane receptor proteins.
This document has hints and comments for some of the Short Answer questions. Please note
Question 12 should have read “membrane receptor proteins” not cell signaling. I chose a core
concept question, a couple “specificity, competition, and saturation” questions, an explain
question, and a compare question. This should allow you to see the general types of things I am
looking for. You can use this document to check your answers. If you are checking off the
items in the question, you are off to a great start.
Organize your answer, write well, and present it in such a way that your information is easy to
find. Your answers also need to be precise and concise. Some students add so much information
(some of it relevant and some of it not) that it looks like they are throwing everything against the
wall and hoping something sticks. This tells me you haven’t really thought about your response,
and that is a no-no.
Remember whenever you see “homeostasis,” flow-down-gradients,” or “cell-to-cell signaling,”
think about our core concept and the bulleted items. Then, apply that concept to the specific
question.
For the four “competition, saturation, and specificity” questions, while it is not required, it would
be a good idea to have a standard general paragraph or two explaining the concepts which you
can use for all of them. You would just need to add information about the specifics (proteins in
general for question 2, enzymes for question 3, carrier-
mediated transport for question 7, and
membrane receptors for question 12) to have a wonderful answer to those four questions.
Finally, remember this is physiology so think about the function or “how” something occurs.
Short Answer Questions
12. Explain the concepts of specificity, competition, and saturation as they relate to
membrane receptors.
My suggestion is to have a general paragraph to begin each of the “specificity, competition, and
saturation questions.” This paragraph can be as simple as an introductory sentence followed by
a series of sentences where you concisely define the three concepts. You then can 1-2
paragraphs addressing the specific part of the question (how these properties are seen in
membrane receptors.)
Your response needs to show you clearly understand the concept of specificity.
Your response needs to show you clearly understand the concept of competition.
Your response needs to show you clearly understand the concept of saturation.
Your response needs to indicate how membrane receptors show the property of specificity.
Your response needs to indicate how membrane receptors show the property of competition.
Your response needs to indicate how membrane receptors show the property of saturation.
Some key concepts which relate to this question are first messengers, binding sites, and ligands.Short Answer Questions
7. Explain the concepts of specificity, competition, and saturation as they relate to
carrier-mediated transport.
My suggestion is to have a general paragraph to begin each of the “specificity, competition, and
saturation questions.” This paragraph can be as simple as an introductory sentence followed by
a series of sentences where you concisely define the three concepts. You then can 1-2
paragraphs addressing the specific part of the question (how these properties are seen in carrier-
mediated transport.)
Your response needs to show you clearly understand the concept of specificity.
Your response needs to show you clearly understand the concept of competition.
Your response needs to show you clearly understand the concept of saturation.
Your response needs to indicate how carrier transport membrane proteins show the property of
specificity.
Your response needs to indicate how carrier transport membrane proteins show the property of
competition.
Your response needs to indicate how carrier transport membrane proteins show the property of
saturation.
Some key concepts which relate to this question are facilitated diffusion and active transport,
binding sites, and ligands.Short Answer Questions
6. Compare simple diffusion, facilitated diffusion and active transport.
Compare questions require examples of how the concepts are similar and how they are different.
I like to begin by stating a key similarity. I do this by asking myself “How are these two
concepts related?” or “Why are these two concepts talked about at the same time?” I then use
that as the topic sentence for my first paragraph. The next 1-2 paragraphs address the similarities
and differences of the concepts.
You need to demonstrate you understand the concepts of simple diffusion, facilitated diffusion,
and active transport.
You need to state how the three concepts are similar. Which functions, characteristics or
properties do they all share?
You need to state how the three concepts are different. Which function, characteristic or
property is found only in active transport? Which function, property, or characteristic is found in
facilitated diffusion and active transport but not simple diffusion?
Some key concepts associated with these terms are concentration gradient, lipophilic and
lipophobic, membrane channel and membrane carrier proteins, and the cell membrane.Short Answer Questions
5. Compare osmolarity and tonicity.
Compare questions require examples of how the concepts are similar and how they are different.
I like to begin by stating a key similarity. I do this by asking myself “How are these two
concepts related?” or “Why are these two concepts talked about at the same time?” I then use
that as the topic sentence for my first paragraph. The next 1-2 paragraphs address the similarities
and differences of the concepts.
Your response should show you understand the concepts of osmolarity and tonicity. This could
be accomplished with a sentence or two definition for osmolarity and a sentence or two
definition for tonicity. If you add this to the first paragraph, you have a nice introduction to your
answer.
You need to clearly state how osmolarity and tonicity are similar.
You need to clearly state how osmolarity and tonicity are different.
Some key concepts associated with these terms are solutions, penetrating solutes, nonpenetrating
solutes, and osmosis.Short Answer Questions
4. Explain the fluid-mosaic model of the cell membrane.
Explain questions need to show you understand how it works.
Your response should include the major points of the fluid-mosaic theory in paragraph form.
Why are the terms “fluid” and “mosaic” in the name of the theory?
Your answer should include a brief overview of the molecules which make up the cell
membrane.
Your answer should include a brief overview of how the theory allows us to understand how the
cell membrane functions.
Some key concepts associated with this question are phospholipids, integral and peripheral
proteins, and selectively permeable membranes.Short Answer Questions
3. Explain the concepts of specificity, competition, and saturation as they relate to
enzymes.
My suggestion is to have a general paragraph to begin each of the “specificity, competition, and
saturation questions.” This paragraph can be as simple as an introductory sentence followed by
a series of sentences where you concisely define the three concepts. You then can 1-2
paragraphs addressing the specific part of the question (how these properties are seen in
enzymes.)
Your response needs to show you clearly understand the concept of specificity.
Your response needs to show you clearly understand the concept of competition.
Your response needs to show you clearly understand the concept of saturation.
Your response needs to indicate how enzymes show the property of specificity.
Your response needs to indicate how enzymes show the property of competition.
Your response needs to indicate how enzymes show the property of saturation.
Some key concepts which relate to this question are substrates, binding sites, ligands, activation
energy, and reaction rate.Short Answer Questions
2. Explain and provide examples of specificity, competition, and saturation in
proteins.
My suggestion is to have a general paragraph to begin each of the “specificity, competition, and
saturation questions.” This paragraph can be as simple as an introductory sentence followed by
a series of sentences where you concisely define the three concepts. You then can 1-2
paragraphs addressing the specific part of the question (how these properties are seen in
proteins.)
Your response needs to show you clearly understand the concept of specificity.
Your response needs to show you clearly understand the concept of competition.
Your response needs to show you clearly understand the concept of saturation.
Your response needs to indicate which type of proteins show the properties of specificity,
competition, and saturation.
Your response needs to include examples of proteins showing specificity, competition, and
saturation.
Some key concepts related to this question are binding site, ligand, and reaction rate.1. Using at least one physiological example, explain the concept of homeostasis.
You need to begin your response with a paragraph summarizing your understanding of the
general core concept of homeostasis: (1. Organisms maintain a stable internal environment in
the face of a fluctuating external environment. 2. A substantial change to a regulated variable
will result in a physiological response to restore it toward its set point. 3. Homeostatic processes
require a sensor inside the body. 4. Homeostatic processes require a control center (integrator).
5. Homeostatic processes require target organs or tissues (effectors)
The rest of your answer should include the following in 1-2 well-written paragraphs.
You should state the regulated variable in your example.
You should state the sensor in your example.
You should state the control center in your example.
You should state the effector and response in your example.
You should state how the brings the regulated variable back toward the set point in your
example.
Some key concepts associated with this answer are negative feedback, variable set point, and
physiological response.
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