Cells Are Often Ground Up with Abrasive to Get to Their

question 25

Multiple Choice

Cells are often ground up with abrasive to get to their internal enzymes/molecules, followed by removal of the abrasives. Here are two situations and two outcomes. What is the correct interpretation of the results?
In situation #1, radioactive amino acids are mixed with ground-up cell material. Radioactive proteins are produced.
In situation #2, radioactive amino acids AND the enzyme RNAse (an enzyme that degrades RNA) are mixed with ground-up cell material. No radioactive proteins are produced.

• A) The mRNA from the cell can be used to make proteins with the radioactive amino acids in the first situation. In the second situation, the mRNA is destroyed by the RNAse before it can be translated into protein containing the radioactive amino acids.
• B) The DNA from the cell can be translated into protein using the radioactive amino acids in the first situation. The RNAse in the second situation degrades the ribosomal RNA (rRNA), preventing ribosomes from forming and making proteins with the radioactive amino acids.
• C) The radioactivity in the amino acids corrupts the tRNA molecules, leading to no protein production in the second scenario.
• D) The radioactivity in the medium causes the DNA of the bacteria to mutate. This causes a malfunction of all the enzymes of that cell.
• E) The results cannot be interpreted-there isn't enough information given in the question.

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