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Q22 - Mapping >12,000 Human Proteins Across Cell Organelles

Theoretical A Real exam question - full text reproduced under IBO's CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license
Endomembrane System & Protein Trafficking

The location of proteins in a cell affects their function by determining which molecules they interact with. A collaboration of scientists in Sweden and Cambridge used microscopy to map the location of >12 000 human proteins in numerous cell types. In the diagram below, solid bars around the circumference represent all the different types of protein within each organelle, and lines are drawn between the same type of protein in different organelles.

Figure for Q22: Mapping >12,000 Human Proteins Across Cell Organelles

Using the information and data, determine which of the statements are true or which are false.

A. Most proteins are found only in a single organelle.
B. Most mitochondrial proteins are found only in the mitochondria.
C. Most proteins that are found in multiple organelles are spread homogeneously through the cell.
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Question reproduced from IBO 2017, Theoretical Exam A, licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 - attributed to the International Biology Olympiad. Open the full exam PDF · Official answer key & worked solutions