Question 1

Which of the following best describes a dehydration reaction in the synthesis of a polymer?

Accepted Answer

A reaction that forms a covalent bond between monomers by removing a water molecule

Question 2

Which of the following is a correct statement about starch and cellulose?

Accepted Answer

Both are composed of glucose monomers, but starch is branched and cellulose is unbranched

Question 3

A triglyceride is formed by joining which of the following components?

Accepted Answer

Three fatty acids and one glycerol

Question 4

Which of the following best explains why lipids are hydrophobic?

Accepted Answer

They contain long hydrocarbon chains that are nonpolar

Question 5

Which of the following is a function of proteins in living organisms?

Accepted Answer

Catalyzing chemical reactions

Question 6

Which of the following statements about amino acids is correct?

Accepted Answer

Amino acids contain both an amino group and a carboxyl group

Question 7

Which level of protein structure is primarily determined by hydrogen bonds between repeating constituents of the polypeptide backbone?

Accepted Answer

Secondary structure

Question 8

A mutation that replaces a hydrophobic amino acid with a hydrophilic one in the core of a protein is most likely to:

Accepted Answer

Disrupt the protein's tertiary structure

Question 9

Which of the following best describes the difference between a saturated and an unsaturated fatty acid?

Accepted Answer

Saturated fatty acids have no double bonds between carbon atoms, while unsaturated fatty acids have one or more double bonds

Question 10

Which of the following is true about nucleic acids?

Accepted Answer

They are polymers of nucleotides joined by phosphodiester linkages

Question 11

Which of the following is a pyrimidine found in DNA?

Accepted Answer

Thymine

Question 12

Which of the following best describes the antiparallel nature of DNA?

Accepted Answer

The two strands run in opposite 5' to 3' directions

Question 13

Which of the following is a real-world application of genomics?

Accepted Answer

Using DNA sequencing to identify disease-causing genes in humans

Question 14

Which of the following best explains why cellulose is considered 'insoluble fiber' in the human diet?

Accepted Answer

Humans lack the enzymes to digest the β linkages in cellulose

Question 15

Which of the following is a function of cholesterol in animal cell membranes?

Accepted Answer

It acts as a precursor for the synthesis of other steroids

Question 16

Which of the following best describes the role of enzymes in biological systems?

Accepted Answer

They speed up chemical reactions by lowering activation energy

Question 17

Which of the following is true about the structure of a nucleotide?

Accepted Answer

It consists of a nitrogenous base, a pentose sugar, and a phosphate group

Question 18

Which of the following best describes the difference between an aldose and a ketose sugar?

Accepted Answer

An aldose has a carbonyl group at the end of the carbon chain, while a ketose has it in the middle

Question 19

Which of the following is a correct statement about the quaternary structure of proteins?

Accepted Answer

It involves the association of two or more polypeptide chains

Macromolecules and Their Biological Functions: Study Notes

Study Guide - Practice Questions