Question 1

Which of the following statements best explains why cellulose cannot be digested by most animals, including humans, even though it is a polymer of glucose?

Accepted Answer

Cellulose contains glucose monomers joined by $$\beta-1$$,4 glycosidic linkages, which cannot be hydrolyzed by enzymes present in most animals.

Question 2

A patient is diagnosed with a genetic disorder that prevents the formation of peptide bonds. Which biological macromolecule will be most directly affected in its synthesis?

Accepted Answer

Proteins

Question 3

Which of the following best describes the process of hydrolysis in the breakdown of polymers?

Accepted Answer

Hydrolysis adds a water molecule to break a covalent bond between monomers.

Question 4

Which of the following is a correct match between a macromolecule and its monomer?

Accepted Answer

Nucleic acids – Nucleotide

Question 5

A triglyceride is formed by joining three fatty acids to a glycerol molecule. What type of reaction and bond are involved in this process?

Accepted Answer

Dehydration reaction and ester linkage

Question 6

Which of the following best explains why phospholipids form bilayers in aqueous environments?

Accepted Answer

Phospholipids have hydrophilic heads and hydrophobic tails, causing them to arrange with tails inward and heads outward in water.

Question 7

A mutation causes a single amino acid substitution in the primary structure of a protein. Which levels of protein structure could potentially be affected?

Accepted Answer

Primary, secondary, tertiary, and quaternary structure

Question 8

Which of the following is a function of proteins that is NOT typically performed by carbohydrates or lipids?

Accepted Answer

Catalyzing biochemical reactions as enzymes

Question 9

Which of the following best describes the difference between starch and glycogen?

Accepted Answer

Starch is a storage polysaccharide in plants, while glycogen is a storage polysaccharide in animals.

Question 10

A scientist is studying a molecule with the following characteristics: it contains a nitrogenous base, a pentose sugar, and a phosphate group. What type of molecule is this?

Accepted Answer

Nucleotide

Question 11

Which of the following best explains the antiparallel nature of DNA strands?

Accepted Answer

The two DNA strands run in opposite $$5' \rightarrow 3'$$ directions.

Question 12

Which of the following is a correct description of a dehydration reaction?

Accepted Answer

A reaction in which two monomers are covalently bonded with the loss of a water molecule.

Question 13

Which of the following is true regarding the structure of steroids?

Accepted Answer

Steroids are characterized by a carbon skeleton consisting of four fused rings.

Question 14

A patient is found to have a deficiency in enzymes that catalyze hydrolysis reactions. Which of the following symptoms would you most likely expect?

Accepted Answer

Difficulty breaking down dietary macromolecules into monomers for absorption

Question 15

Which of the following best describes the role of chaperone proteins in cells?

Accepted Answer

They assist in the proper folding of other proteins to ensure correct three-dimensional structure.

Question 16

Which of the following is a correct statement about the flow of genetic information in a cell?

Accepted Answer

DNA $$\rightarrow$$ RNA $$\rightarrow$$ Protein

Question 17

Which of the following best explains why unsaturated fatty acids are usually liquid at room temperature?

Accepted Answer

The presence of one or more double bonds causes kinks in the fatty acid chains, preventing tight packing.

Question 18

Which of the following is NOT a function of nucleic acids?

Accepted Answer

Catalyzing chemical reactions as enzymes

Question 19

A researcher isolates a molecule that is insoluble in water, contains mostly hydrocarbon regions, and is not a polymer. Which class of biological molecule does this most likely belong to?

Accepted Answer

Lipid

Question 20

Which of the following best describes the difference between an alpha ($$\alpha) $$and beta ($$\beta) $$glycosidic linkage in polysaccharides?

Accepted Answer

Alpha ($$\alpha) $$linkages are found in starch and are digestible by humans, while beta ($$\beta) $$linkages are found in cellulose and are not digestible by humans.

The Structure and Function of Large Biological Molecules

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