What is the process by which cells respond to external stimuli, such as chemicals, temperature, or touch, called?

Correct Answer: A

Rationale: Signal transduction is the correct answer. It is the process by which cells respond to external stimuli like chemicals, temperature, or touch. When a cell receives a signal from its environment, it triggers a series of molecular events leading to a specific cellular response. This process involves transmitting signals from the cell surface to the interior, triggering various cellular activities. Homeostasis, on the other hand, refers to an organism's ability to maintain internal stability in response to external changes. Adaptation involves an organism adjusting to its environment over time through genetic changes or behavioral modifications, which is distinct from the process of cells responding to immediate external stimuli. Metabolism, although essential for cellular functions, is not specifically about cells responding to external stimuli but rather the biochemical processes involved in energy production, storage, and utilization within cells.

Correct Answer: B

Rationale: Cytokinesis is the process of dividing the cytoplasm of a cell into two daughter cells after the nucleus has divided during mitosis. In the cell cycle, cytokinesis typically occurs at the end of the mitotic phase, following the separation of the duplicated chromosomes into two identical sets in the daughter nuclei. Interphase (option A) is the phase where the cell grows, carries out its normal functions, and prepares for cell division, but cytokinesis does not occur during this phase. Meiosis (option C) is a specialized type of cell division that occurs in sexually reproducing organisms to produce gametes, and cytokinesis occurs at the end of meiosis II, not meiosis I. G2 phase (option D) is the phase of the cell cycle following DNA replication in S phase and preceding mitosis, where the cell prepares for cell division, but cytokinesis occurs during mitosis, not in the G2 phase.

Correct Answer: C

Rationale: When sulfuric acid (H2SO4) reacts with potassium hydroxide (KOH), it forms potassium sulfate (K2SO4) and water (H2O). To balance the equation, 2 KOH molecules are required to react with 1 H2SO4 molecule, resulting in 1 K2SO4 molecule and 2 H2O molecules. Therefore, the balanced chemical equation is H2SO4 + 2KOH → K2SO4 + 2H2O, which corresponds to option C. Choice A is incorrect because it does not account for the correct stoichiometry between the reactants and products. Choice B incorrectly doubles all the molecules in the reaction, leading to an unbalanced equation. Choice D incorrectly balances the equation with 1 KOH molecule instead of the required 2 KOH molecules, making it unbalanced. Thus, option C is the correct balanced chemical equation for the reaction between sulfuric acid and potassium hydroxide.

Correct Answer: B

Rationale: Translation is the correct answer. It is the process of converting the information in mRNA into a sequence of amino acids to form a protein. Transcription (Choice A) is the process of copying a segment of DNA into RNA. Replication (Choice C) is the process of making an identical copy of DNA. Mutation (Choice D) refers to a change in the DNA sequence that can lead to variations in proteins, but it is not the process of converting DNA into a protein.

Correct Answer: B

Rationale: Oxidation is the process where a substance loses electrons. In an oxidation reaction, the substance being oxidized loses electrons, which are gained by another substance. Reduction is the opposite process, where a substance gains electrons. Neutralization is a reaction between an acid and a base to form a salt and water. Precipitation is the formation of a solid from a solution. Therefore, in the context of a chemical reaction involving the loss of electrons, the correct term is oxidation (Choice B).