Question 1

Which property of carbon allows it to form a wide variety of organic molecules?

Accepted Answer

Its ability to form four covalent bonds with other atoms

Question 2

What is the main difference between saturated and unsaturated fatty acids?

Accepted Answer

Saturated fatty acids have the maximum number of hydrogen atoms and no double bonds

Question 3

Which of the following best describes a polymer?

Accepted Answer

A molecule consisting of an infinitely long chain of similar building blocks called monomers

Question 4

Why do phospholipids form bilayers in water?

Accepted Answer

Because the hydrophobic tails avoid water while the hydrophilic heads interact with water

Question 5

Which functional group is most likely to make a molecule hydrophilic?

Accepted Answer

Phosphate group ($$\mathrm{PO_4$})$$

Question 6

What is the role of glycogen in animal cells?

Accepted Answer

Storing glucose for energy

Question 7

Which of the following is NOT a function of lipids in biological systems?

Accepted Answer

Catalyzing chemical reactions

Question 8

A molecule with a long hydrocarbon chain and no polar groups is most likely to be:

Accepted Answer

Hydrophobic

Question 9

Which statement about chemical reactions is correct?

Accepted Answer

Chemical reactions involve the making and breaking of chemical bonds

Question 10

Cellulose and chitin are examples of polysaccharides that:

Accepted Answer

Provide structural support in plants and fungi

Question 11

Which of the following best explains why opiates and endorphins have similar effects in the brain?

Accepted Answer

They have similar molecular shapes that allow them to bind the same receptors

Question 12

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

Accepted Answer

Joining two monosaccharides to form a disaccharide and releasing water

Question 13

Which of the following is NOT a polymer?

Accepted Answer

Phospholipid

Question 14

What is the molecular formula for a typical monosaccharide?

Accepted Answer

$$\mathrm{C_nH_{2n}O_n}$$

Question 15

Which chemical group is most likely to participate in chemical reactions in biological molecules?

Accepted Answer

Functional group

Question 16

Which of the following statements about the structure of fats is correct?

Accepted Answer

Fats are constructed from glycerol and three fatty acids

Question 17

Which of the following is a real-world consequence of the hydrophobic nature of lipids?

Accepted Answer

Lipids form barriers that separate cellular compartments

Question 18

Which of the following best describes the role of chemical groups attached to a carbon skeleton?

Accepted Answer

They determine the molecule's unique properties and function

Question 19

Which of the following is true about the diversity of polymers in cells?

Accepted Answer

A huge variety of polymers can be built from a small set of monomers

Question 20

Which intermolecular force is depicted by the blue dotted lines between two molecules containing nitrogen and hydrogen atoms?

Accepted Answer

Hydrogen bond

Carbon and Introduction to Macromolecules: Structure and Function in Biological Systems

Study Guide - Practice Questions