Which of the following properties of water explains its solvent abilities for certain substances?

Genes are used in the process of DNA sequencing to determine the order of nucleotides in a DNA molecule.

Choice B.

Blood types is not the correct answer because blood types are determined by the presence or absence of specific antigens on the surface of red blood cells and are not directly related to DNA sequencing.

Choice C.

Hormones is not the correct answer because hormones are chemical messengers produced by glands in the body and are not directly involved in DNA sequencing.

Choice D.

Genes is the correct answer because genes are used in the process of DNA sequencing to determine the order of nucleotides in a DNA molecule.

Amino acids have a unique structure consisting of an amino group (-NH3⁺) and a carboxyl group (-COO⁻) attached to a central carbon (called the α-carbon). At physiological pH (around 7.4), these functional groups often exist in their ionized forms:

• The amino group (-NH3⁺) is positively charged, acting as a proton acceptor (a base).
• The carboxyl group (-COO⁻) is negatively charged, acting as a proton donor (an acid).

This results in a zwitterion — a molecule with both a positive and a negative charge. Because amino acids can accept or donate protons depending on the pH of their environment, they have buffering capacity. This means they can resist changes in pH by stabilizing the concentration of hydrogen ions (H⁺).

Why Other Options Are Incorrect:

• A. Monosaccharides: These are simple sugars without ionizable functional groups, so they cannot act as buffers.
• B. Ribonucleotides and D. Deoxyribonucleotides: While nucleotides have phosphate groups that can donate protons, they lack the dual positive and negative functional groups necessary for the strong buffering effect seen in amino acids.

Therefore, amino acids are the correct choice because their zwitterionic nature provides them with excellent buffering capacity.

Calcium ions play a crucial role in initiating muscle contraction.

When a muscle cell is stimulated to contract by an action potential, calcium channels open in the sarcoplasmic membrane and release calcium into the sarcoplasm.

Some of this calcium attaches to troponin, which causes it to change shape.

This shape change exposes binding sites for myosin on the actin filaments.

Myosin’s binding to actin causes crossbridge formation, and contraction of the muscle begins.

The other ions mentioned in the question do not have this specific role in muscle contraction.

Potassium ions are important for maintaining the resting membrane potential of cells, but they do not bind to the troponin complex.

Phosphorus ions are important for energy metabolism, but they do not bind to the troponin complex.

Sodium ions are important for generating action potentials, but they do not bind to the troponin complex.

The hypothalamus is a region of the brain that synthesizes antidiuretic hormone (ADH), also known as vasopressin.

ADH is then transported to the posterior pituitary gland via neurohypophysial capillaries, where it is stored until it is ready to be secreted into the circulation.

Choice A.

Pineal gland is not correct because it is a small endocrine gland located in the brain that secretes the hormone melatonin, which regulates sleep-wake cycles, but it does not synthesize ADH.

Choice B.

Thymus is not correct because it is a gland located in the chest that produces hormones involved in immune system development, but it does not synthesize ADH.

Choice D.

Pancreas is not correct because it is a gland located behind the stomach that secretes hormones such as insulin and glucagon, which regulate blood sugar levels, but it does not synthesize ADH.

A tsunami is a catastrophic ocean wave that is usually caused by a submarine earthquake.

It can also be caused by an underwater or coastal landslide, the eruption of a volcano, or the impact of a meteor or comet in a body of water.

Choice A is not correct because sunspot activity does not cause tsunamis.

Choice B is not correct because lightning strikes do not cause tsunamis.

Choice D is not correct because flooding does not cause tsunamis.

Sodium bicarbonate neutralizes the acidity of chyme.

The pancreas secretes large amounts of sodium bicarbonate, which protects the duodenum by neutralizing the acid that comes from the stomach.

This compound helps neutralize stomach acid generated during the digestive process.

Choice A is incorrect because sodium bicarbonate is not a protease that digests carbohydrates.

Proteases are enzymes that break down proteins, while sodium bicarbonate is a chemical compound that helps neutralize stomach acid.

Choice B is incorrect because sodium bicarbonate does not stimulate the pyloric sphincter.

The pyloric sphincter is a ring of smooth muscle that separates the stomach from the duodenum and regulates the passage of partially digested food (chyme) into the small intestine.

Choice C is incorrect because sodium bicarbonate does not inhibit peristalsis.

Peristalsis is a series of wave-like muscle contractions that move food through the digestive tract.

Heavier objects fall faster than lighter objects.

The data in the table shows that as the number of filters (and therefore the mass) increases, the terminal velocity also increases.

This means that the heavier objects (with more filters) are falling faster than the lighter objects (with fewer filters).

Choice A is not supported by the data in the table as much as it is true.

Terminal velocity is indeed when the force of gravity is equal to air resistance, but this definition does not provide any information about the relationship between mass and terminal velocity.

Choice B is also not supported by the data in the table.

The data does not provide any information about the time it takes for an object to reach terminal velocity.

Choice D is not supported by the data in the table.

The data shows that as the number of filters increases, the terminal velocity also increases.

This means that the greater the number of filters, the greater (not smaller) the terminal velocity.

The best reason for the prolonged preservation of the body is that it was frozen in the cold temperature of the Alps shortly after he died and remained frozen until it was found.

Freezing can preserve a body by slowing down or stopping the decomposition process.

Choice A is not correct because the food that the person ate would not have contained toxins that killed the bacteria that would have otherwise destroyed the body.

Choice B is not correct because the arrow wound would not have caused blood to flow out of the body in a way that would have cleared enzymes that break down tissue from the body.

Choice D is not correct because ultraviolet rays at high altitude would not have caused all of the body’s molecules to be preserved.

Osmosis is the movement of water molecules across a selectively permeable membrane from an area of higher water concentration to an area of lower water concentration.

In a hypertonic solution, the concentration of solutes outside the cell is higher than inside the cell, so water flows out of the cell through aquaporins embedded in the plasma membrane to balance the concentration gradient.

Choice A.

Facilitated diffusion is not correct because it is a type of passive transport that involves the movement of molecules across a membrane through specific transport proteins, but it does not specifically refer to the movement of water molecules.

Choice B.

Active transport is not correct because it is a type of transport that involves the movement of molecules against their concentration gradient and requires energy in the form of ATP, but osmosis is a passive process that does not require energy.

Choice D.

Diffusion is not correct because it refers to the movement of molecules from an area of higher concentration to an area of lower concentration, but it does not specifically refer to the movement of water molecules.

Reverse transcriptase, an enzyme encoded by the virus.

Reverse transcriptase is a virus-specific enzyme that transcribes an RNA template to DNA1.

This allows the AIDS virus, which contains RNA, to insert viral DNA into the DNA of a host cell after the AIDS virus enters the cell.

Choice A, The phospholipids found on the envelope of the virus, is not the correct answer because phospholipids are a major component of cell membranes and do not play a direct role in inserting viral DNA into the DNA of a host cell.

Choice C, Receptor proteins located on the surface of the virus, is not the correct answer because receptor proteins located on the surface of the virus play a role in attachment and fusion of HIV virons to host cells, but do not play a direct role in inserting viral DNA into the DNA of a host cell.

Choice D, The protein that makes up the capsid of the virus, is not the correct answer because capsid is the outer protein shell of a virus and does not play a direct role in inserting viral DNA into the DNA of a host cell.