Starch has $oldsymbol{ ext{alpha}}$ glycosidic linkages, while cellulose has $oldsymbol{eta}$ glycosidic linkages between glucose monomers.

Question 1

Which of the following statements best describes an enantiomer?

Accepted Answer

A molecule that is a non-superimposable mirror image of another molecule due to an asymmetric carbon.

Question 2

Why is it pharmacologically important to distinguish between enantiomers of a drug?

Accepted Answer

Only one enantiomer is usually biologically active, while the other may be inactive or cause adverse effects.

Question 3

Which chemical group is NOT hydrophilic and does NOT increase solubility in water?

Accepted Answer

Methyl group

Question 4

What is the main structural difference between starch and cellulose?

Accepted Answer

Starch has $oldsymbol{	ext{alpha}}$ glycosidic linkages, while cellulose has $oldsymbol{eta}$ glycosidic linkages between glucose monomers.

Question 5

A dehydration reaction is essential in the synthesis of biological polymers. Which equation best represents this process?

Accepted Answer

$	ext{Monomer}_1 + 	ext{Monomer}_2 \rightarrow 	ext{Polymer} + H_2O$

Question 6

Which of the following is NOT a polymer?

Accepted Answer

Lipid

Question 7

If a polymer is 10 monomers long, how many water molecules are required to completely hydrolyze it?

Accepted Answer

$9$

Question 8

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

Accepted Answer

Their fatty acid chains pack closely together due to only single C-C bonds.

Question 9

What is the primary function of phospholipids in biological systems?

Accepted Answer

Forming the structural basis of cell membranes due to their amphipathic nature

Question 10

Which of the following is a correct formula for a triose monosaccharide?

Accepted Answer

$C_3H_6O_3$

Question 11

Which process must occur for the amino acids in fish you eat to be converted into new proteins in your body?

Accepted Answer

Hydrolysis to break down proteins into amino acids, followed by dehydration reactions to assemble new proteins

Question 12

Which of the following best describes the structure of a fat (triglyceride)?

Accepted Answer

Three fatty acids joined to a glycerol molecule by ester linkages

Question 13

What chemical change occurs to ATP when it reacts with water and releases energy?

Accepted Answer

ATP is converted to ADP and an inorganic phosphate ($P_i$)

Question 14

Which of the following is a structural polysaccharide found in the exoskeletons of arthropods and cell walls of fungi?

Accepted Answer

Chitin

Question 15

Which of the following is true about the structure of phospholipids?

Accepted Answer

They have two fatty acid tails and a phosphate group attached to glycerol.

Question 16

Glucose and fructose are both hexoses. What type of isomers are they?

Accepted Answer

Structural isomers

Question 17

Which of the following best explains why human sex hormones are considered lipids?

Accepted Answer

They are steroids, which are lipids with a four-ring carbon skeleton.

Question 18

Which of the following is an emergent property of macromolecules?

Accepted Answer

Unique biological functions arising from the arrangement of monomers

Question 19

Which of the following best describes the amphipathic nature of phospholipids?

Accepted Answer

They have both hydrophobic tails and hydrophilic heads, allowing them to form bilayers in water.

Carbon Atoms and Large Biological Molecules: Structure, Function, and Diversity

Study Guide - Practice Questions