Question 1

Which of the following best describes the difference between a dehydration reaction and hydrolysis in the context of biological polymers?

Accepted Answer

Dehydration reactions build polymers by removing water, while hydrolysis breaks polymers into monomers by adding water.

Question 2

A biochemist is analyzing a carbohydrate with the molecular formula $C_{6}H_{12}O_{6}$. Which type of carbohydrate is this most likely to be?

Accepted Answer

A monosaccharide

Question 3

Which of the following statements about starch and cellulose is correct?

Accepted Answer

Starch is largely helical due to its alpha ($\alpha$) configuration, while cellulose is straight and unbranched due to its beta ($\beta$) configuration.

Question 4

Which of the following is a correct description of a glycosidic linkage?

Accepted Answer

A covalent bond formed between two monosaccharides by a dehydration reaction.

Question 5

A student is studying the storage polysaccharides in plants and animals. Which of the following pairs correctly matches the organism with its primary storage polysaccharide?

Accepted Answer

Plants: starch; Animals: glycogen

Question 6

Which of the following best explains why cellulose is a major structural component in plant cell walls?

Accepted Answer

Cellulose molecules are straight and unbranched, and their hydroxyl groups can hydrogen bond with parallel molecules, providing rigidity.

Question 7

Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of monosaccharides?

Accepted Answer

They are polymers composed of many sugar building blocks.

Question 8

During the synthesis of maltose, which chemical process occurs between two glucose molecules?

Accepted Answer

A dehydration reaction forms a glycosidic linkage.

Question 9

Which of the following statements about glycogen is true?

Accepted Answer

Glycogen is a storage polysaccharide in animals, stored mainly in liver and muscle cells.

Question 10

A researcher observes that a certain polysaccharide is helical and composed of alpha ($\alpha$) glucose monomers. Which polysaccharide is most likely being described?

Accepted Answer

Starch

Question 11

Which of the following best explains why humans cannot digest cellulose?

Accepted Answer

Humans lack the enzymes to break beta ($\beta$) glycosidic linkages in cellulose.

Question 12

Which of the following is a correct statement about the diversity of biological polymers?

Accepted Answer

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

Question 13

Which of the following is the correct formula for glucose, the most common monosaccharide?

Accepted Answer

$C_{6}H_{12}O_{6}$

Question 14

Which of the following best describes the role of enzymes in the synthesis and breakdown of polymers?

Accepted Answer

Enzymes are specialized macromolecules that speed up chemical reactions such as those that make or break down polymers.

Question 15

Which of the following is true about the formation of a disaccharide?

Accepted Answer

It is formed by a dehydration reaction that joins two monosaccharides.

Question 16

Which of the following is a major difference between amylose and amylopectin, two forms of starch?

Accepted Answer

Amylose is unbranched, while amylopectin is branched.

Question 17

Which of the following statements about polysaccharides is correct?

Accepted Answer

The architecture and function of a polysaccharide are determined by its sugar monomers and the positions of its glycosidic linkages.

Question 18

Which of the following is a correct statement about the structure of glucose in aqueous solutions?

Accepted Answer

Glucose often forms rings in aqueous solutions.

Question 19

A scientist is studying the breakdown of glycogen in muscle cells. Which process is responsible for releasing glucose from glycogen?

Accepted Answer

Hydrolysis

The Structure and Function of Large Biological Molecules: Polymers and Carbohydrates

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