Question 1

Which property of carbon allows it to form large and diverse organic molecules essential for life?

Accepted Answer

Its ability to form four covalent bonds with other atoms

Question 2

What is the main difference between butane and isobutane, given that both have the chemical formula $$\mathrm{C_4H_{10}}$$?

Accepted Answer

Butane has an unbranched carbon skeleton, while isobutane is branched

Question 3

Which functional group is responsible for making organic molecules water-soluble and is commonly found in alcohols?

Accepted Answer

Hydroxyl group ($$\mathrm{-OH})$$

Question 4

A molecule contains a carbon atom double-bonded to an oxygen atom at the end of its carbon chain. What is this functional group called?

Accepted Answer

Aldehyde

Question 5

Which of the following statements about the carboxyl group ($$\mathrm{-COOH}) is $$TRUE?

Accepted Answer

It acts as an acid by donating $$\mathrm{H^+}$$ ions to solution

Question 6

Which type of reaction links monomers together to form polymers in biological systems?

Accepted Answer

Dehydration reaction

Question 7

During digestion, the breakdown of starch into glucose monomers involves which chemical process?

Accepted Answer

Hydrolysis

Question 8

Which polysaccharide is used by animals for energy storage and is more highly branched than starch?

Accepted Answer

Glycogen

Question 9

Why are lipids generally hydrophobic?

Accepted Answer

They are composed mainly of non-polar carbon-hydrogen bonds

Question 10

Which structural feature distinguishes unsaturated fatty acids from saturated fatty acids?

Accepted Answer

Unsaturated fatty acids contain one or more double bonds in the hydrocarbon chain

Question 11

Phospholipids are essential components of cell membranes because:

Accepted Answer

They form a bilayer with hydrophilic heads facing water and hydrophobic tails facing inward

Question 12

Steroids differ from other lipids in that they:

Accepted Answer

Have a carbon skeleton consisting of four fused rings

Question 13

Which of the following is a consequence of anabolic steroid abuse?

Accepted Answer

Liver damage and cardiovascular problems

Question 14

Proteins are polymers made from which type of monomer?

Accepted Answer

Amino acids

Question 15

The sequence of amino acids in a protein is ultimately determined by:

Accepted Answer

The sequence of nucleotides in DNA

Question 16

Which of the following best describes the role of enzymes in chemical reactions?

Accepted Answer

They lower the activation energy and speed up the reaction

Question 17

A competitive inhibitor of an enzyme works by:

Accepted Answer

Binding to the active site and blocking substrate entry

Question 18

Feedback inhibition in metabolic pathways occurs when:

Accepted Answer

The final product of a pathway inhibits an enzyme involved earlier in the pathway

Question 19

Which of the following best explains why cellulose cannot be digested by humans?

Accepted Answer

Humans lack the enzymes required to break the bonds in cellulose

Question 20

Which of the following equations correctly represents the dehydration reaction that forms a disaccharide from two glucose molecules?

Accepted Answer

$$\mathrm{C_6H_{12}O_6$} + \mathrm{C_6H_{12}O_6$} \rightarrow \mathrm{C$$_{12}$$H_{22}O$$_{11}} + \mathrm{H_2O}$

Chemical Reactions and Organic Chemistry: Structure and Function of Biological Molecules

Study Guide - Practice Questions