All Biochemistry Resources
Example Questions
Example Question #511 : Biochemistry
Which of the following is true regarding the polysaccharides glycogen and cellulose?
Humans can digest glycogen because it has beta glycosidic bonds
Cellulose can be found as either amylose or amylopectin
Only glycogen molecules have branching regions
Both molecules involve a glycosidic bond between the 1-carbon and the 6-carbon
Only glycogen molecules have branching regions
Just like starch, glycogen and cellulose are complex carbohydrates that contain glucose molecules joined via glycosidic bonds. Both carbohydrates contain (1,4) glycosidic bonds. This means that the bond occurs between the 1-carbon of one glucose and the 4-carbon of the other glucose. Glycogen contains -(1,4) glycosidic bonds whereas cellulose contains -(1,4) bonds.
In addition, glycogen molecules contain -(1,6 ) glycosidic bonds. These bonds are typically found in branch points along the main chain of glucose molecules. Cellulose molecules do not have branching and, therefore, do not have -(1,6) glycosidic bonds.
As mentioned, glycogen contains bonds. Humans have enzymes capable of digesting complex carbohydrates with linkages; therefore, only glycogen and starch (which also has linkages) can be digested by humans. Amylin and amylopectin are forms of starch, not cellulose.
Example Question #512 : Biochemistry
A researcher is analyzing a compound. He finds that it has the same structure as glucose, but has an altered configuration at one of the stereogenic centers. What can the researcher conclude about the compound?
I. It is an epimer of glucose
II. It is an aldose
III. It could be fructose
I and II
I only
III only
II only
I and II
The question states that the molecule has the same structure as glucose, except at one stereogenic center. Recall that epimers are structural isomers that differ at one stereogenic center; therefore, glucose and the compound are epimers. The epimers of glucose include galactose and mannose. All three molecules have a molecular formula of .
Recall that aldoses are carbohydrates that have an aldehyde group at one of the carbons. Glucose and all of its epimers have an aldehyde group at the first carbon; therefore, this compound is an aldose.
Fructose is a ketose that has a ketone group in the second carbon. Recall that aldehydes and ketones have carbonyl groups; therefore, they are not considered stereogenic centers (to be a stereogenic center you need to have four distinct functional groups on a carbon). Since fructose differs from glucose at a non-stereogenic center, this molecule cannot be fructose. Note that fructose also has a different molecular formula ().
Example Question #511 : Biochemistry
Which of the following carbohydrates is most likely to be found in an open chain?
A hexose
A pentose
A triose
A heptose
A triose
Only 1% of all sugars that have five or more carbons are found in an open chain, thus any sugar that has five or more carbons will be most likely found in its cyclic form. Of the four choices a triose is the only one that has less that five carbons (it has three) the others have 5 (pentose), 6 (hexose), and 7 (heptose).
Example Question #5 : Monosaccharides And Carbohydrates
If a monosaccharide has a single carbonyl group situated between two carbon atoms, which of the following best describes that monosaccharide's classification?
Ketose
Aldohexose
Ribose
Aldose
Glucose
Ketose
Given no other information about how many carbons are in the chain, any monosaccharide with a carbonyl group on a carbon between two others and not at the terminal carbon of the chain is called a ketose. Aldoses are when the carbonyl group is at the end of the chain. Ribose and aldohexose are incorrect because 1) ribose is too specific, we do not know anything about the structure and ribose indicates a specific monosaccharide, and 2) aldohexose has an aldehyde group, not a ketone group.
Example Question #123 : Fundamental Macromolecules And Concepts
What is a furanose?
A sugar that contains a five-membered ring as part of its cyclical structure
A sugar that contains a six-membered ring as part of its cyclical structure
A six-carbon open-chain sugar
A five-carbon open chain sugar
A sugar that contains a five-membered ring as part of its cyclical structure
A furanose is defined as a cyclical sugar structure with a five-membered ring. By contrast, a pyranose is a cyclical sugar structure with a six-membered ring.
Example Question #122 : Fundamental Macromolecules And Concepts
What two sugars is lactose composed of?
Glucose and galactose
Glucose and fructose
Glucose and sucrose
Glucose and glucose
Galactose and sucrose
Glucose and galactose
Three common simple sugars are: glucose, fructose, and galactose. Combining these simple sugars leads to the formation of more complex sugar molecules. Glucose and fructose make sucrose. Glucose and galactose make lactose. Two glucose molecules make maltose.
Example Question #3 : Monosaccharides And Carbohydrates
What is a pyranose?
A sugar that contains a five-membered ring as part of its cyclic structure
A five-carbon open-chain sugar
A six-carbon open-chain sugar
A sugar that contains a six-membered ring as part of its cyclic structure
A sugar that contains a six-membered ring as part of its cyclic structure
A pyranose is a carbohydrate that includes a ring. It is not an open-chain carbohydrate. Additionally, this term is reserved for six-membered, not five-membered carbohydrate ring structures. A sugar which contains a five-membered ring as part of its cyclic structure is called a furanose.
Example Question #1 : Monosaccharides And Carbohydrates
What type of process is occurring as carbohydrates are broken down to carbon dioxide?
Reduction
Elimination
Oxidation
Substitution
Proteolysis
Oxidation
As carbohydrates are broken down, they are oxidized to carbon dioxide . This process, cellular respiration, begins during glycolysis. Reduction is the opposite of oxidation, and would indicate a loss of oxygen. Elimination refers to the removal of a functional group, which does not occur during this process. In substitution, one functional group is replaced with another, which also does not accurately describe this process. Finally, proteolysis refers to the breakdown of proteins, not carbohydrates.
Example Question #513 : Biochemistry
Most mammals are unable to metabolize which of the following disaccharides?
Cellobiose only
Lactose only
Cellobiose and lactose
Maltose and sucrose
Sucrose only
Cellobiose and lactose
Most mammals are unable to digest beta glycosidic bonds, such as the bonds in cellobiose and lactose. Maltose and sucrose both are connected via alpha glycosidic bonds, and can be digested by mammals.
Note: Most mammals are unable to digest lactose after infancy. It is only through a genetic mutation that many humans now are able to ingest lactose well into adulthood.
Example Question #513 : Biochemistry
What is a lactone?
A cyclic ketone
A cyclic ether
A cyclic alcohol
A cyclic ester
A cyclic ester
This is a fact question. A lactone is a cyclic ester, which is a ring of two or more carbon atoms and one oxygen atom with a ketone at one of the carbons adjacent to the other oxygen. Lactones are usually formed via a reaction of a carboxylic acid with a hydroxyl group or halogen atom present in the same molecule.