Biochemistry : Biochemistry

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for Biochemistry

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Example Questions

Example Question #46 : Nucleic Acid Structures And Functions

Which of the following statements about restriction enzymes is true?

Possible Answers:

None of these answers is true

Restriction enzymes can only cut bacterial DNA

Reverse transcriptase is a DNA polymerase which creates new strands from 3’ to 5’

Restriction enzymes are endonucleases which recognize a restriction site and cut DNA within or around this site

Restriction enzymes act at RNA mutation sites, to create a covalent bond which links two adjacent exons after an intron sequence is excised

Correct answer:

Restriction enzymes are endonucleases which recognize a restriction site and cut DNA within or around this site

Explanation:

Reverse transcriptase synthesizes DNA in the 5' to 3' direction, using RNA as a template (hence it is the reverse of transcription). Restriction enzymes act only on DNA, not RNA, and they can cut bacterial as well as viral DNA—indeed, they can provide protection against viruses—and are found in archaea. Restriction enzymes can recognize specific sequences of nucleotides at restriction sites and cut DNA at these sites. Restriction enzymes do not create covalent bonds between adjacent exons after intron excision, rather this is done by tRNA splicing ligase. 

Example Question #1 : Regulating Nucleic Acid Degradation

What is the role of xanthine oxidase?

I. The enzyme xanthine oxidase converts hypoxanthine to xanthine and, also, xanthine to uric acid.

II. Xanthine oxidase is involved in purine (nucleotides like adenine, guanine) degradation.

III. In diseases where there is a high production of purines, the enzyme's products (uric acid) can cause gout.

IV. Gout medication is designed to target xanthine oxidase.

Possible Answers:

I, II, III, and IV

I and IV

I and II

I, II, and III

II, III, and IV

Correct answer:

I, II, III, and IV

Explanation:

Xanthine oxidase is an enzyme important in purine catabolism. Nucleotides from DNA degradation are metabolized to uric acid by xanthine oxidase.In diseases with high levels of nucleotide production, uric acid levels are also high and produce symptoms of gout (uric acid is deposited abnormally in tissues). Gout is treated with inhibitors of xanthine oxidase such as allopurinol, reducing the levels of uric acid and the symptoms of gout.

Example Question #1 : Lipid Structures And Functions

Which of the following statements about oleic acid is false?

Possible Answers:

Its IUPAC name is (9Z)-Octadec-9-enoic acid

It is a fatty acid with an omega-9 unsaturation

There are 16 carbon atoms in its longest chain

Its condensed molecular formula is 

None of the other answers is false

Correct answer:

There are 16 carbon atoms in its longest chain

Explanation:

Oleic acid (which composes much of olive oil) has a double bond between its 9th and 10th atoms. Hence it has an omega-9 unsaturation. It has 18 carbon atoms, not 16, which gives it a condensed molecular formula:. Because it is a cis-isomer, the IUPAC name contains a Z, and becuse it is an unsaturated carboxylic acid, it ends in -enoic acid.

Example Question #148 : Macromolecule Structures And Functions

Which of the following factors contribute to increasing the melting point of a fatty acid?

Possible Answers:

Increased number of double bonds

Decrease fatty acid chain length

Introducing cis-double bonds

Increased fatty acid chain length

Adding methylene groups

Correct answer:

Increased fatty acid chain length

Explanation:

Double bonds cause unsaturation, thus decreases the melting point. Cis-double bonds as well as methylation also introduce kinks within the chain, decreasing the melting point. Increasing the fatty acid chain length creates saturation, thus causes the melting point to increase. Therefore, decreasing fatty acid chain length has the adverse effect.

Example Question #151 : Macromolecule Structures And Functions

How many hydrogens are bound to a carbon atom in the middle of a saturated fatty acid chain?

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

In a saturated fatty acid, all of the covalent carbon to carbon bonds are single bonds. So a carbon atom in the middle of the chain will have two covalent bonds to other carbon atoms, and can therefore bond to two hydrogen atoms. 

Example Question #1 : Fatty Acids

Select the most accurate description of alpha-linolenic acid.

Possible Answers:

Can be synthesized de novo in the body

Is an eighteen-carbon chain omega-6 fatty acid

Is a precursor for arachidonic acid (AA)

Is a twenty-carbon chain omega-3 fatty acid

Is a precursor for eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA)

Correct answer:

Is a precursor for eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA)

Explanation:

Alpha-linolenic acid is an essential fatty acid that must be consumed in the diet (cannot be synthesized by the body). It is an eighteen-carbon omega-3 fatty acid that is used to synthesize eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), two important long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids. Alpha-linoleic acid is the precursor to arachodonic acid (AA).

Example Question #2 : Lipid Structures And Functions

Which of the following is not an omega-3 fatty acid?

Possible Answers:

Dihomo-gamma-linolenic acid (DGLA)

docosapentaenoic acid (DPA)

Alpha-linolenic acid (ALA)

Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA)

Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)

Correct answer:

Dihomo-gamma-linolenic acid (DGLA)

Explanation:

Dihomo-gamma-linolenic acid (DGLA) is a twenty-carbon omega-6 fatty acid that is a desaturation product of linoleic acid. The rest of the answer choices are indeed omega-3 fatty acids.

Example Question #4 : Fatty Acids

Omega-6 fatty acids are primarily found in __________.

Possible Answers:

krill

chia seeds

poultry

flax seeds

salmon

Correct answer:

poultry

Explanation:

Omega-6 fatty acids are primarily found in vegetable oils (ex. soybean oil or corn oil), chicken, and eggs. Note that poultry feed is very heavy on corn products and thus increases the omega-6 fatty acid proportion of almost all farm raised animals. Fish, chia seeds, and flax seeds are high in omega-3 fatty acids.

Example Question #1 : Fatty Acids

Omega-3 fatty acids __________.

Possible Answers:

are found in most vegetable oils

have a double bond at the 6th carbon

can be used to synthesize anti-inflammatory (or less-inflammatory) eicosanoids

are considered pro-inflammatory

are a substrate for the synthesis of series 2 prostaglandins

Correct answer:

can be used to synthesize anti-inflammatory (or less-inflammatory) eicosanoids

Explanation:

Omega-3 fatty acids can be utilized as a substrate for the synthesis of series 3 prostaglandins (a subclass of eicosanoids), and are generally considered "anti-inflammatory" for this reason. Furthermore, omega-3 fatty acids are so named for having a double bond at the 3rd carbon from the omega end. They are generally found in fish and flax and chia seeds, while omega-6 fatty acids are in poultry and vegetable oils.

Example Question #154 : Macromolecule Structures And Functions

If arachidonic acid is used as a substrate for eicosanoid synthesis, what type of eicosanoid can be produced?

Possible Answers:

Thromboxane A2 (TXA2)

Thromboxane A3 (TXA3)

Prostaglandin I3 (PGI3)

Thromboxane A1 (TXA1)

Correct answer:

Thromboxane A2 (TXA2)

Explanation:

Arachidonic acid (AA) is used as a substrate for series 2 eicosanoid synthesis, including thromboxane A2 (TXA2). Series 3 eicosanoids are synthesized from alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), and series 1 are synthesized from dihomo-gamma-linolenic acid (DGLA).

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