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AP Biology Cell Communication — practice questions

Explore 13 free Cell Communication questions in AP Biology Biology. Open each question or exercise to read its content, reference answers and available explanation.

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Cell Communication questions and exercises with answers

Showing questions 1–13 of 13.

Communication that happens between two separate cells, rather than inside a single cell, is described by which term in cell signaling?Read the answer and worked solution →A signaling cell releases a small molecule that binds a specific protein on a target cell and delivers a signal. What is this released molecule called?Read the answer and worked solution →Steroid hormones such as estradiol and testosterone are built on a shared hydrocarbon skeleton. How is that skeleton described?Read the answer and worked solution →In a signaling cascade, events are described relative to a certain point in the pathway. What are the events that occur after that point called?Read the answer and worked solution →Budding yeasts use a secreted signaling molecule to find another haploid yeast cell ready to mate. What is this molecule called?Read the answer and worked solution →Plant cell, animal cell, or both?Read the answer and worked solution →Prokaryote or eukaryote?Read the answer and worked solution →Match each part to its jobRead the answer and worked solution →Which fibre is wider?Read the answer and worked solution →Follow a protein out of the cellRead the answer and worked solution →Why cells stay smallRead the answer and worked solution →True or false: inside the cellRead the answer and worked solution →Which one does not belong?Read the answer and worked solution →

Worked practice questions

Communication that happens between two separate cells, rather than inside a single cell, is described by which term in cell signaling?

  1. Intercellular signaling
  2. Intracellular signaling
  3. Autocrine signaling
  4. Endocrine signaling
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Correct answer: A. Intercellular signaling

1. Communication between two different cells is called intercellular signaling. 2. Communication that happens within a single cell is called intracellular signaling. 3. The prefix inter- means between, which matches signaling that passes from one cell to another, the situation described in the stem. 4. Autocrine and endocrine signaling are specific forms of intercellular signaling defined by target and distance, not the general inter and intra distinction being tested here. _Source: OpenStax Biology (1st ed., CC BY 4.0), Ch 9 "Cell Communication", section 9.1 Signaling Molecules and Cellular Receptors_

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A signaling cell releases a small molecule that binds a specific protein on a target cell and delivers a signal. What is this released molecule called?

  1. A receptor
  2. A ligand
  3. A kinase
  4. A cofactor
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Correct answer: B. A ligand

1. A ligand is defined as a molecule that binds another specific molecule and can deliver a signal in the process. 2. Ligands are released by signaling cells and interact with proteins called receptors on target cells. 3. A receptor is the protein that the ligand binds, not the signal itself, so it does not fit the description. 4. Kinases and phosphatases are enzymes that act later in a signaling pathway, not the initial released signal. _Source: OpenStax Biology (1st ed., CC BY 4.0), Ch 9 "Cell Communication", section 9.1 Signaling Molecules and Cellular Receptors_

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Steroid hormones such as estradiol and testosterone are built on a shared hydrocarbon skeleton. How is that skeleton described?

  1. It has one long carbon chain
  2. It has six repeating carbon rings
  3. It has four fused rings
  4. It has two phosphate-linked chains
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Correct answer: C. It has four fused rings

1. Steroid hormones are an important class of small hydrophobic ligands. 2. Steroids are lipids that have a hydrocarbon skeleton with four fused rings. 3. Different steroids have different functional groups attached to this same carbon skeleton. 4. A single unbranched chain or a phosphate-linked structure does not match the four-fused-ring description given for steroids. _Source: OpenStax Biology (1st ed., CC BY 4.0), Ch 9 "Cell Communication", section Signaling Molecules_

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