Deck 1: Biochemistry: an Introduction

Question 1

The ultimate source of energy for life on earth is __________.

A) The sun
B) Geothermal heat
C) Carbohydrates
D) Fats
E) Other organisms

Answer 1

A

Question 2

Which of the following is not a common component of biomolecules?

A) Carbon
B) Hydrogen
C) Oxygen
D) Nitrogen
E) Chlorine

Answer 2

E

Question 3

Which of the following is the basic structural unit of living organisms?

A) Nucleus
B) Cell membrane
C) Tissue
D) Cell
E) Cytoskeleton

Answer 3

D

Question 4

Which of the following is not an organelle?

A) Mitochondria
B) Chloroplast
C) Nucleus
D) Plasma membrane
E) Golgi complex

Question 5

Which of the following is not a role played by carbohydrates in living cells?

A) Energy source
B) Structural support
C) Intercellular communication
D) Both A and B are correct
E) All are roles played by carbohydrates in living cells

Question 6

Metabolism is best defined as the _________.

A) Reactions of living cells
B) Reactions that synthesize large molecules in living cells
C) Reactions that degrade molecules in living cells
D) Conversion of food molecules to energy
E) Reactions that synthesize and degrade molecules in living cells

Question 7

The average life span of a species is about ________years

A) One million
B) Ten million
C) Five hundred thousand
D) Five million
E) One hundred thousand

Question 8

Which of the following is not a waste product of living organisms

A) Carbon dioxide
B) Water
C) Urea
D) Ammonia
E) Glycine

Question 9

Biochemistry is defined as

A) The study of life processes
B) The study of the molecular basis of life
C) The study of living organisms
D) The study of organic compounds in living organisms
E) The study of living compounds

Question 10

One of the principal methods that organisms use to obtain energy from chemical bonds is by ___________.

A) Substitution reactions
B) Dehydration reactions
C) Oxidation/reduction reactions
D) Hydration reactions
E) Addition reactions

Question 11

The following is an example of which reaction class?
CH₃Br + HSCH₂CH(NH₂)COOH $\rightarrow$ CH₃SCH₂CH(NH₂)COOH + Br^- + H⁺

A) Substitution
B) Elimination
C) Addition
D) Isomerization
E) Oxidation/Reduction

Question 12

The following is an example of which reaction class
HOOCCH=CHCOOH + H₂O $\rightarrow$ HOOCCH₂CH(OH)COOH

A) Substitution
B) Elimination
C) Addition
D) Isomerization
E) Oxidation/Reduction

Question 13

The following is an example of which reaction class?
CH₃CH₂OH $\rightarrow$ CH₃CHO + H₂O

A) Substitution
B) Elimination
C) Addition
D) Isomerization
E) Oxidation/Reduction

Question 14

Which of the following is not a component of nucleic acid?

A) Nucleotides
B) Glucose
C) Phosphate group
D) Purines
E) Pyrimidines

Question 15

The largest molecules in living organisms are _________.

A) proteins
B) lipids
C) nucleic acids
D) carbohydrates
E) steroids

Question 16

All of the following classes of compounds are lipids except _______.

A) fats
B) sterols
C) fatty acids
D) phosphoglycerides
E) nucleotides

Question 17

Which of the following classes of biomolecules are the most abundant in nature?

A) Lipids
B) Amino acids
C) Carbohydrates
D) Proteins
E) Nucleotides

Question 18

Consider the following molecule. Which arrow is pointing to a peptide bond?

A) A
B) B
C) C
D) D
E) E

Question 19

The following molecule is an example of which single class of compounds?
CH₃CH₂CH(NH₂)COOH

A) Amine
B) Acid
C) Ester
D) Amino acid
E) Alcohol

Question 20

The following molecule is an example of which class of compounds?
CH₃CH₂CH₂COOCH₂CH₃

A) Hydrocarbon
B) Acid
C) Ester
D) Ether
E) Aldehyde

Question 21

The following molecule is an example of which class of compounds?
CH₃CH₂CH₂COOH

A) Hydrocarbon
B) Acid
C) Alcohol
D) Aldehyde
E) Ketone

Question 22

The chemical properties of organic molecules are determined by specific arrangements of atoms called _____________.

A) Structure
B) Bonds
C) Functional groups
D) Radicals
E) Molecules

Question 23

Which of the following classes of compounds make up most of the mass of an organism?

A) Amino acids
B) Proteins
C) Lipids
D) Carbohydrates
E) Water

Question 24

Which of the following is not a basic element of life?

A) Phosphorous
B) Hydrogen
C) Nitrogen
D) Oxygen
E) All of the above are basic elements of life

Question 25

Most biomolecules can be considered to be derivatives of

A) Amino acids
B) Carbohydrates
C) Fats
D) Hydrocarbons
E) Alcohols

Question 26

Which of the following amino acids contain a hydrophobic side chain

A) Leucine
B) Arginine
C) Glutamine
D) Glutamic acid
E) Aspartic acid

Question 27

Which of the following small molecules do not form biopolymers

A) Amino acids
B) Sugars
C) Fatty acids
D) Nucleotides
E) C and D

Question 28

Choose the amino acid that can function as a neurotransmitter

A) Glutamic acid
B) Alanine
C) Tyrosine
D) Lysine
E) Cysteine

Question 29

A constant source of _______ is required for maintenance of a cell's ordered state.

A) Heat
B) Oxygen
C) Energy
D) Stimulus
E) Water

Question 30

Which of the following is not true of life?

A) Life is cellular
B) Life is information based
C) Life is complex and dynamic
D) All living things produce energy using mitochondria
E) Life adapts and evolves

Question 31

Which of the following classes of compounds contain the same functional group as an ester?

A) Amino acids
B) Fatty acids
C) Carbohydrates
D) Proteins
E) Fats

Question 32

Which of the following is not a component of DNA

A) Uracil
B) Adenine
C) Cytosine
D) Guanidine
E) Thymine

Question 33

The sum total of all reactions of an organism is called

A) Life
B) Metabolism
C) Biosynthesis
D) Anabolism
E) Energetics

Question 34

Which of the following is not characteristic of an autopoietic system?

A) Autonomous
B) Self-organizing
C) Self-maintaining
D) Intelligent
E) B and D

Question 35

The assumption that a complete understanding of a living organism can be obtained solely by investigating all of its components is called _________.

A) Systems biology
B) Reductionism
C) Emergence
D) Robustness
E) Feedback control

Question 36

Which of the following is not a core principle of systems biology?

A) Emergence
B) Robustness
C) Redundancy
D) Modularity
E) Limit of resolution

Question 37

The field of study associated with the investigation of gene expression patterns is called:

A) Proteomics
B) Bioinformatics
C) Genomics
D) Functional genomics
E) Synomics

Question 38

Which of the following is not an example of a macromolecule?

A) Nucleic acid
B) Protein
C) Polysaccharide
D) Enzyme
E) Amino acid

Question 39

Which of the following is not considered a class of small biomolecule?

A) Amino acid
B) Sugar
C) Nucleic Acid
D) Fatty acid
E) Nucleotide

Question 40

The functional group present in the following molecule is called:

A) Amine
B) Ketone
C) Amide
D) Ester
E) Acid

Question 41

The majority of Earth's species belong to which of the following classifications?

A) Eukaryotes
B) Prokaryotes
C) Viruses
D) Mammals
E) Archea

Question 42

The conversion of earths atmosphere from anerobic to aerobic was due to the development of _________________ by cyanobacteria.

A) Photosynthesis
B) Metabolism
C) Chemosynthesis
D) Oxidation of iron
E) Fixation of nitrogen as cyanide

Question 43

The largest mass extinction also known as the great dying was called the

A) Cenezoic extinction
B) Permian extinction
C) Mesozoic event
D) Great ice age
E) The great plague

Question 44

The most prominent function of RNA is

A) Energy source
B) Nutrient source
C) Protein synthesis
D) Structural elements
E) B and C

Question 45

An organism's entire set of DNA is called

A) Genome
B) Genetic sequence
C) Polynucleotide sequence
D) Gene
E) Inheritance

Question 46

The major function of carbohydrates is

A) Catalysts and structural elements
B) Energy sources and structural elements
C) Genetic information
D) Protein synthesis
E) Insulation

Question 47

What is meant by the term biomolecule?

Question 48

What is meant by the term metabolism?

Question 49

What is meant by the term hydrophobic?

Question 50

What is meant by the term sugar?

Question 51

Why is DNA sometimes referred to as the double helix?

Question 52

Identify the functional groups in the following molecule.

Question 53

Identify the functional group in the following molecule.

Question 54

Name four classes of small biomolecules. In what larger biomolecules are they found?

Question 55

What are the functions of fatty acids?

Question 56

What are two functions of nucleotides?

Question 57

Compare the features of an airplane autopilot system with a biological system in terms of robustness, control mechanisms and redundancy.

Question 58

How do plants dispose of waste products?

Question 59

To what major class of biomolecules does the following molecule belong?

Question 60

To what major class of biomolecules does the following molecule belong?

Question 61

What are the primary functions of metabolism?

Question 62

Compare and contrast the general features of human-designed complex systems and living systems.

Question 63

Biochemistry and molecular biology are often thought of as very similar fields. In what ways do they differ?

Question 64

Humans synthesize most of the cholesterol required for cell membranes and for the synthesis of vitamin D and steroid hormones. What would you expect to happen if a person's diet is high in cholesterol. Provide a reason for your response.

Question 65

DNA structure must be stable because it acts as an organism's repository of genetic information. However, it is equally important that DNA is not completely stable. Explain.

Question 66

Describe the significance of the phrase "robust yet fragile".

Question 67

Comment on the statement that carbon is not the most abundant element in the body by weight.

Question 68

Why do anabolic processes consume energy and catabolic processes release energy?

Question 69

Comment on the statement that a species whose organisms are composed of exceptionally robust systems will most likely become extinct.

Question 70

When insulin binds to the insulin receptor, information is exchanged. Explain.