Question 1

Which four elements make up approximately 96.3% of the human body by mass?

Accepted Answer

Carbon, Oxygen, Hydrogen, Nitrogen

Question 2

Why is carbon able to form an endless variety of organic molecules?

Accepted Answer

Because carbon can form four covalent bonds with other atoms, allowing for diverse structures

Question 3

Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of organic compounds?

Accepted Answer

They always contain nitrogen

Question 4

Which type of isomer is illustrated by molecules that are mirror images but not superimposable?

Accepted Answer

Enantiomers

Question 5

Which chemical group is hydrophobic and often found in organic molecules that do not interact with water?

Accepted Answer

Methyl group

Question 6

Which functional group can act as a base by accepting a hydrogen ion?

Accepted Answer

Amino group

Question 7

What is the general chemical formula for monosaccharides?

Accepted Answer

$$\mathrm{C}_n\mathrm{H}_{2n}\mathrm{O}_n$$

Question 8

Which type of reaction joins two monosaccharides together to form a disaccharide?

Accepted Answer

Dehydration synthesis

Question 9

Why are animals unable to digest cellulose without help from microbes?

Accepted Answer

Animals lack the enzyme to break the beta 1-4 glycosidic bonds in cellulose

Question 10

Which of the following is a storage carbohydrate in plants?

Accepted Answer

Starch

Question 11

How many carbon atoms are present in a sucrose molecule (formed from glucose and fructose)?

Accepted Answer

12

Question 12

Which of the following is a characteristic of saturated fatty acids?

Accepted Answer

Solids at room temperature

Question 13

Which of the following is part of a phospholipid?

Accepted Answer

All of the above (fatty acids, glycerol, phosphate group)

Question 14

The sex hormones, testosterone and estradiol, are classified as which type of organic macromolecule?

Accepted Answer

Lipids

Question 15

What structural feature makes the 20 common amino acids different from one another?

Accepted Answer

Different side chains (R groups) attached to the α carbon

Question 16

Which level of protein structure is characterized by α helices and β pleated sheets?

Accepted Answer

Secondary structure

Question 17

What is denaturation of a protein?

Accepted Answer

Loss of protein shape due to disruption of chemical interactions

Question 18

Which of the following molecules lacks amino acids?

Accepted Answer

Cholesterol

Question 19

Which type of nucleic acid contains the base uracil?

Accepted Answer

RNA

Question 20

What type of bond holds the two strands of DNA together?

Accepted Answer

Hydrogen bonds

Organic Macromolecules: Structure, Function, and Biological Importance

Study Guide - Practice Questions