Question 1

Which of the following best describes the relationship between monomers and polymers in biological macromolecules?

Accepted Answer

Polymers are large molecules made by joining together many monomers through covalent bonds.

Question 2

Which type of reaction is responsible for linking monomers together to form polymers, and what is a byproduct of this reaction?

Accepted Answer

Dehydration (condensation) reaction; water ($H_2O$) is released as a byproduct.

Question 3

A patient is diagnosed with a genetic disorder that prevents the breakdown of glycogen in the liver. Which type of reaction is most likely impaired in this patient?

Accepted Answer

Hydrolysis reaction, which normally breaks down glycogen into glucose monomers.

Question 4

Which of the following is a correct chemical formula for a hexose monosaccharide?

Accepted Answer

$C_6H_{12}O_6$

Question 5

Which structural feature distinguishes cellulose from starch, and what is the biological consequence of this difference?

Accepted Answer

Cellulose has $\beta$-1,4 glycosidic linkages, making it indigestible to most animals, while starch has $\alpha$-1,4 linkages and is digestible.

Question 6

Which of the following best explains why saturated fats are solid at room temperature while unsaturated fats are liquid?

Accepted Answer

Saturated fats have no double bonds in their fatty acid chains, allowing them to pack closely together.

Question 7

A scientist is studying the structure of a phospholipid. Which of the following best describes its structure and function in biological membranes?

Accepted Answer

Phospholipids have a hydrophilic head and two hydrophobic tails, forming bilayers that make up cell membranes.

Question 8

Which of the following polysaccharides is used for energy storage in animals, and what is its main structural feature?

Accepted Answer

Glycogen; it is highly branched with $\alpha$-1,4 and $\alpha$-1,6 glycosidic bonds.

Question 9

Which of the following statements about chitin is correct?

Accepted Answer

Chitin is a structural polysaccharide found in the exoskeletons of arthropods and the cell walls of fungi.

Question 10

A food scientist is analyzing a sample and finds it contains molecules with the following structure: a glycerol backbone, two fatty acids, and a phosphate group. Which class of biological macromolecule is this sample most likely to contain?

Accepted Answer

Phospholipids

Question 11

Which of the following best describes the role of cholesterol in animal cell membranes?

Accepted Answer

Cholesterol modulates membrane fluidity by fitting between phospholipids in the bilayer.

Question 12

Which of the following is a correct example of a dehydration synthesis reaction?

Accepted Answer

Formation of a disaccharide from two monosaccharides with the release of $H_2O$

Question 13

Which of the following statements about enzymes and macromolecule synthesis is correct?

Accepted Answer

Enzymes catalyze both the dehydration reactions that build polymers and the hydrolysis reactions that break them down.

Question 14

A patient is found to have a deficiency in the enzyme that breaks $\alpha$-1,4 glycosidic bonds. Which dietary component will they have the most difficulty digesting?

Accepted Answer

Starch

Question 15

Which of the following best explains why humans cannot digest cellulose?

Accepted Answer

Humans lack the enzyme to hydrolyze $\beta$-1,4 glycosidic bonds found in cellulose.

Question 16

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

Accepted Answer

Glycogen – energy storage in animals

Question 17

Which of the following statements about lipids is correct?

Accepted Answer

Lipids are hydrophobic molecules that do not form true polymers.

Question 18

A triglyceride is formed by joining which of the following components, and what type of bond is formed?

Accepted Answer

Three fatty acids and one glycerol; ester bonds are formed.

Question 19

Which of the following best describes the amphipathic nature of phospholipids and its biological significance?

Accepted Answer

Phospholipids have both hydrophilic and hydrophobic regions, allowing them to form bilayers that are the basis of cell membranes.

Question 20

Which of the following is a function of steroids in biological systems?

Accepted Answer

Steroids serve as signaling molecules and are components of cell membranes.

Biological Macromolecules and Lipids: Structure, Function, and Types

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