Biochemistry : Macromolecule Fundamentals

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for Biochemistry

varsity tutors app store varsity tutors android store

Example Questions

Example Question #8 : Nucleic Acids: Dna And Rna

Which of the following shows a correct base pair that can occur in DNA?

Possible Answers:

Adenine-Uracil

Guanine-Thymine

Adenine-Guanine

Adenine-Thymine

Cytosine-Thymine

Correct answer:

Adenine-Thymine

Explanation:

Nucleic acids such as DNA and RNA contain a series of nucleotides, each of which contains a sugar, a nitrogenous base, and a phosphate group. The sugar and phosphate group form the backbone of the linear chain, while the nitrogenous bases are able to protrude out. When hydridizing with other nucleic acid strands, only certain nitrogenous bases can pair with others. This base pairing is due to hydrogen bonds that form between the two nitrogenous bases, and the number of hydrogen bonds differs depending on what bases are involved.

For both DNA and RNA strands, guanine and cytosine will pair with one another via three hydrogen bonds.

In RNA, the nucleotide thymine is absent, but in its place is the nucleotide uracil. Uracil is able to base pair with adenine via two hydrogen bonds, but this only happens in RNA, not DNA!

In DNA, thymine is present rather than uracil. The thymine found in DNA is also able to base pair with adenine via two hydrogen bonds. Thus, out of all the answer choices, this is the only correct one that can occur within DNA.

Example Question #1 : Nucleic Acids: Dna And Rna

Which of the following are true regarding nucleic acids?

I. All types of nucleic acids contain a pentose sugar

II. Increased degradation of DNA and RNA produces uric acid

III. A monomer of a nucleic acid is called a nucleoside

Possible Answers:

I only

III only

II and III

I and II

Correct answer:

I and II

Explanation:

Nucleic acids are made up of nucleotides that contain a pentose sugar, a phosphate group, and a nitrogenous base. There are two types of nucleic acids; DNA and RNA. The difference between these two nucleic acids is their pentose sugar. DNA has deoxyribose whereas RNA has ribose sugar residues. Note that both are types of pentose sugar; therefore, all types of nucleic acids have pentose sugars.

Nitrogenous bases found in nucleic acids are classified as either purines or pyrimidines. Free purines in the blood are broken down to uric acid in the liver. Recall that purines (guanine and adenine) are found in both RNA and DNA; therefore, breakdown of either type of nucleic acid will lead to release of purines and, subsequently, formation of uric acid in the liver.

As mentioned, nucleic acids are made up of monomers called nucleotides. Nucleosides, on the other hand, only have a pentose sugar and nitrogenous base (they lack the phosphate group); therefore, they are not the monomers of nucleic acids.

Example Question #10 : Nucleic Acids: Dna And Rna

A researcher is analyzing a molecule. He identifies it as a monomer of nucleic acids but can’t determine the type. Upon further analysis he observes that the molecule contains a phosphate group and guanine. What can the researcher conclude from the given information?

Possible Answers:

The molecule makes up DNA because it has a phosphate group

The type of nucleic acid monomer cannot be determined from the given information

The molecule cannot be a monomer of nucleic acid because it has a phosphate group

The molecule makes up RNA because it has a phosphate group

Correct answer:

The type of nucleic acid monomer cannot be determined from the given information

Explanation:

To answer this question we need to recall that the monomer of nucleic acids is a nucleotide. Nucleotides are made up of three molecules: pentose sugar, phosphate group and nitrogenous base. The question tells us that the monomer has a phosphate group and a guanine (nitrogenous base); however, we are not given any information regarding the pentose sugar. Recall that the two types of nucleic acids (DNA and RNA) are distinguished from each other by the pentose sugar. DNA has deoxyribose whereas RNA has ribose. Since we do not know the type of pentose sugar, we cannot determine the monomer’s identity.

Example Question #11 : Nucleic Acids: Dna And Rna

What is the difference between the nucleoside of DNA and RNA?

Possible Answers:

DNA nucleoside has a pentose sugar whereas RNA nucleoside has a hexose sugar

DNA nucleoside might have uracil whereas RNA nucleoside cannot

DNA nucleoside doesn’t have a phosphate group whereas RNA nucleoside does

None of these are true

Correct answer:

None of these are true

Explanation:

The difference between nucleotides and nucleosides is that nucleotides contain a phosphate group whereas nucleosides do not. This means that a nucleoside is made up of just a pentose sugar and a nitrogenous base. The DNA and RNA differ from each other based on their pentose sugars (DNA has deoxyribose and RNA has ribose). Another difference between RNA and DNA is that uracil nitrogenous base is only found in RNA whereas thymine nitrogenous base is only found in DNA.

Example Question #12 : Nucleic Acids: Dna And Rna

Transfer RNAs are synthesized by __________.

Possible Answers:

Primase

RNA polymerase III

DNA polymerase I

RNA polymerase II

RNA polymerase I

Correct answer:

RNA polymerase III

Explanation:

tRNA is synthesized by RNA polymerase III, mRNA is synthesized by RNA polymerase II, and rRNA is synthesized by RNA polymerase I. DNA polymerase I is involved in DNA synthesis, and specifically, has a 5' to 3' exonuclease functionality, which removes RNA primers laid down by primase and replaces them with DNA nucleotides. 

Example Question #13 : Nucleic Acids: Dna And Rna

What type of bond connects two orthophosphates together?

Possible Answers:

A triple bond

Anhydride bond

Glycosidic linkage

Amide bond

A double bond

Correct answer:

Anhydride bond

Explanation:

Two orthophosphates are connected via anhydride linkage to form the high energy pyrophosphate.  This is the "" bond. Glycosidic linkage describes a bond between two or more sugar molecules, not between orthophosphates. This anhydride linkage is made up of single bonds, and not double or triple bonds. An amide bond is the specific chemical name for a peptide bond.

Example Question #14 : Nucleic Acids: Dna And Rna

How would the  of a strand of DNA with a greater percentage of GC base pairs than of AT base pairs compare to a similar strand of DNA with a greater percentage of AT base pairs than of GC base pairs.

Possible Answers:

It depends on the presence of DNA polymerase

Not enough information to accurately compare the  of the two DNA strands.

A higher 

A lower 

The same 

Correct answer:

A higher 

Explanation:

The  (melting temperature) of DNA is defined as the temperature at which half of the DNA strands would become denatured. It is known that GC base pairs are kept together via hydrogen bonding at three different locations, compared to hydrogen bonding at just two locations in AT base pairs. Because of this additional interaction, a DNA strand with a higher component of GC base pairs will have a higher  than one with a higher component of AT base pairs.

Example Question #14 : Nucleic Acids: Dna And Rna

What is the correct order of DNA organization from smallest to largest component in a eukaryote?

Possible Answers:

Chromatin, nucleosomes, histones, supercoils, coils

Coils, supercoils, histones, nucleosomes, chromatin

Coils, supercoils, chromatin, histones, nucleosomes

Coils, supercoils, nucleosomes, histones, chromatin

Histones, nucleosomes, coils, supercoils, chromatin

Correct answer:

Coils, supercoils, histones, nucleosomes, chromatin

Explanation:

Eukaryotes have so much DNA that it needs to be compacted to make it less bulky and more protected. The lowest level of organization is known as a coil. Predictably, multiple coils together form a super-coil. Next, the DNA is wrapped around proteins known as histones. 8 histones together form a nucleosome. Finally, fully packed and organized DNA is known as chromatin.

Example Question #15 : Nucleic Acids: Dna And Rna

What term best describes dark, dense regions of DNA that contain repeating segments?

Possible Answers:

Heterochromatin

Kinetochores

Euchromatin

Centromeres

Chromatids

Correct answer:

Heterochromatin

Explanation:

Heterochromatin is dark, dense, tightly packed, and rich in repeating segments. It is often in cells that are inactive or less active. As such, heterochromatin is sometimes referred to as "non-coding DNA". Euchromatin, on the other hand, is less tightly packed, and more readily coded. Centromeres are the part of the chromosome that attach to kinetochores during cellular division. Finally, The ends of chromosomes are known as telomeres. Of note, centromeres and telomeres are actually both composed of heterochromatin.

Example Question #16 : Nucleic Acids: Dna And Rna

Which of the following is not a pyrimidine?

Possible Answers:

Thymine

Guanine

All of these are pyrimidines

Cytosine

Uracil

Correct answer:

Guanine

Explanation:

Guanine is a purine, not a pyrimidine. The purines are guanine and adenine, while the pyrimidines are cytosine, thymine, and uracil. Uracil is present only in RNA, and thymine only in DNA. The rest of the bases are present in both DNA and RNA.

Learning Tools by Varsity Tutors