Biological Molecules - Multiple Choice Questions

A carbohydrate test procedure was carried out on the urine of an infant who was nourished with
a synthetic milk formula. A sugar was found to be in the urine. This compound was tested
positive for Benedicts test but was tested negative when tested with Clinistix test (a test used by
diabetics). Acid hydrolysis of the urine sample did not increase the amount of reducing sugar
measured.
Which of the following compound is most likely to be present in this infants urine?
A
B
C
D

Each polypeptide chain of haemoglobin contains a number of regions in the form of an alpha
helix. Which feature of the haemoglobin molecule is responsible for this?
A
B
C
D

Primary, secondary and tertiary

Secondary, tertiary and quaternary
Tertiary and quaternary
Quaternary only

How many different polypeptides, each consisting of r amino acids, can be made if the
number of different amino acids available is n?
A
B
C
D

Disulphide bonds between the four polypeptide chains at the quaternary structure.
Hydrogen bonds between R groups of the amino acids in the secondary structure.
Hydrogen bonds within the polypeptides chain in the secondary structure.
Hydrophobic interactions within the polypeptide chain in the tertiary structure.

At which levels of protein structure do hydrophobic interactions occur?

A
B
C
D

Glucose
Fructose
Maltose
Sucrose

nr
rn
nr
n

Which of the following is an example of polymerisation?

A
B
C
D

Bonds created between amino acids in the formation of a peptide chain.

Formation of a covalent bond between two monomers that provide an -OH group each.
Fatty acids joined to a glycerol molecule.
A process involving addition of water molecules.

A student uses centrifugation to separate the various subcellular structures of human

epithelial cells by size and density. Which of the following molecule(s) would you expect to
find in the pellet containing the cell membrane?

A
B
C
D

II

III

IV

II only
III only
II and IV only
I, III and IV only

Which of the following statement(s) describe(s) unsaturated fats?

I
II
III
IV

A
B
C
D

They have a higher melting point than saturated fats.

Each molecule is an ester formed by a fatty acid with an alcohol other than
glycerol.
Each molecule has straight-chain fatty acids of the stearic series.
Each molecule has some carbon atoms which do not have covalent bonds
linked with H atoms.
I and IV only
II and III only
IV only
II, III and IV only

The figure shows two biological molecules.

Molecule X

Molecule Y

Which of the following statement(s) about the molecules X and Y is/are true?
I
II
III

A
B
C
D

Only molecule Y is a phospholipid because it does not contain a glycerol

backbone.
Both molecules X and Y are amphipathic as they both have polar and nonpolar components.
When molecules X and Y are treated with phospholipases, the same products
are produced.
I only
II only
I and III only
II and III only

The R group of the amino acid serine is CH2 OH. The R group of the amino acid alanine
is CH3. Where would you expect to find these amino acids in a fibrous protein?
A
B
C
D

10

Serine would be in the interior, alanine would be on the exterior of the fibrous protein.
Alanine would be in the interior, serine would be on the exterior of the fibrous protein.
Both serine and alanine would be in the interior of the fibrous protein.
Both serine and alanine would be on the exterior of the fibrous protein.

Diagrams 1, 2 and 3 show the structural formulae of three polysaccharides.

What are the names of these polysaccharides?

1
2
A
amylose
cellulose
B
amylose
glycogen
C
cellulose
glycogen
D
glycogen
amylose

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3
glycogen
cellulose
amylose
cellulose

The diagram below shows the structure of an inhibitor of lysozyme.

Which substance is most likely to be a normal substrate for lysozyme?

A
B
C
D

lipid
polynucleotide
polypeptide
polysaccharide
4

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Which statement about triglycerides is correct?

A
B
C
D

13

They are made up of three fatty acids combined with glycogen.

They are more saturated with hydrogen compared with phospholipids.
They form a bilayer in the membranes of cells.
They have a lower ratio of oxygen to carbon compared with carbohydrates.

The key below can be used to separate the following carbohydrates:

amylopectin, cellulose, maltose, ribulose, sucrose
I

(a) readily soluble in water

(b) insoluble in water

Go to II
Go to IV

II

(a) is a reducing sugar

(b) is a non-reducing sugar

Go to III
V

III

IV

(a) phosphorylated form is the carbon dioxide acceptor in

photosynthesis
(b) product of starch digestion by amylase
(a) linked by (14) glycosidic bonds and (16)
glycosidic bonds
(b) linked by (14) glycosidic bonds

What are V, W, X, Y and Z?

A
B
C
D

14

V
sucrose
maltose
cellulose
sucrose

W
maltose
ribulose
ribulose
ribulose

X
sucrose
sucrose
maltose
maltose

Y
amylopectin
cellulose
sucrose
amylopectin

Z
ribulose
amylopectin
amylopectin
cellulose

The diagram shows two molecules of a biological substance.

Which type of bond is formed when these molecules react to form a larger molecule?
A Phosphodiester
B Glycosidic

C
D

Peptide
Hydrogen

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A solution of a protein was completely hydrolyzed using a protease. The resulting amino
acids were separated using paper chromatography. The resulting chromatogram is shown in
the figure below. (Rf = distance moved by spot distance moved by solvent)

solvent front
xx

amino acid
lysine
glycine
alanine
valine
leucine

Rf value
0.14
0.26
0.38
0.58
0.73

origin

I
II
III

The identity of the amino acid marked X on the chromatogram is alanine.

The identity of the amino acid marked X on the chromatogram is valine.
Although the protein contains 5 different amino acids, all 5 did not appear on the
chromatogram as some spots were too close together to distinguish between
them.

Which of the above statement(s) is/are correct?

A
B
C
D

16

I only
II only
II and III only
I and III only

The diagram below shows two molecules.

What is formed when a large number of these molecules are condensed?

A
B
C
D

Amylose
Cellulose
Phospholipid
Protein

17

Which feature is true of cellulose and accounts for its strength?

A
B
C
D

18

It is a fibrous molecule which is insoluble in water.

It is made up of long, branched and coiled chains of glucose units with 1,4 links.
It contains both -1,4 and -1,6 links between glucose units.
It has OH groups that form hydrogen bonds with adjacent cellulose molecules.

Which of the following is/ are true of triglycerides and phospholipids?

i. Both contain fatty acid tails
ii. Only phospholipids are amphipathic
iii. Phospholipids are formed from fatty acids and phosphoric acid while triglycerides are
formed from fatty acids and glycerol.
iv. Both fatty acids and glycerol are soluble in organic solvents
v. Phospholipids have a higher carbon content than triglycerides for storage purposes
A
B
C
D

19

i, ii, and iii

i, ii and iv
ii, iii and iv
ii, iii and v

Fig. 1 below shows the structure of 4 monomers.

Figure 1
Which of the following combination of polymer, monomer and bond formed between
monomers is correct?

A
B
C
D

starch
X, -1,4 glycosidic
bond
U, -1,4 glycosidic
bond
Z, peptide bond
X, ionic bonds

cellulose
U, -1,4 glycosidic
bond
X, -1,4 glycosidic
bond
X, hydrogen bond
Y, peptide bond

polypeptide
Z, ester linkage

polynucleotide
Y, disulphide linkage

Y, peptide bond

Z, phosphoester
linkage
U, hydrogen bond
Z, -1,6 glycosidic
bond

Z, ionic bond
U, hydrogen bond

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The figure below shows part of the molecular structure of a polysaccharide.

Key: - - - hydrogen bonds

Which of the following statements are true?
1.
2.
3.

The structure contains -glucose.

The polysaccharide, which is an important food source for animals, can be digested by
humans.
The polysaccharide may associate in groups to form microfibrils, which are arranged in larger
bundles to form macrofibrils.
A
B
C
D

21

1 and 2 only
2 and 3 only
1 and 3 only
All of the above

Raffinose is a trisaccharide which can be degraded by enzymes. The results of two different
enzymatic incubations are shown as follows:
Enzyme used
Sucrase
Galactosidase

Products
Melibiose and fructose
Galactose and sucrose

Which of the following statements are consistent with the results shown above?
I
II
III
IV

Raffinose is composed of three different monosaccharides.

Melibiose is a dissaccharide.
Acid hydrolysis of raffinose would yield glucose.
The products of raffinose digestion by sucrase and galatosidase respectively will yield a
brick red precipitate when heated with Benedict reagent.

A
B
C
D

I and III only

II and IV only
I, II and III only
All of the above

Structured questions
1

Pepsin is a protease that is active in the stomach. The human pepsin molecule is displayed in
Fig. 1. The molecule has a deep cleft and contains a pair of aspartic acids at position 32 and
215 on either side of the cleft, which break peptide bonds in proteins.

Figure 1

(a)

State how peptide bonds in the protein are broken. [1]

Hydrolysis

(b)

Explain what determines the precise positions of Asp 32 and Asp 215 in the pepsin structure. [3]

[Total: 4]
9

Fig. 2.1 shows the molecular structures of -glucose and glycine.

-glucose

Glycine
Fig 2.1

Table 2.1 shows the buffering capacities of -glucose and glycine in weak acidic and basic
solutions.
Biological
molecule
In weak acid
In weak base

gluco
se
-

Glycin
e
+
+

Table 2.1
(a)

Explain how glycine can function as a buffer while -glucose cannot. [3]

(b)

Glucose has the ability to form large macromolecules.

(i)

In the space below, draw and label how -glucose molecules are joined to form the chains
found in glycogen. [2]

10

(ii)

Name the reaction that forms the bonds in (b)(i). [1]

Hydrolysis

(c)

An experiment was done to compare glycogen and triglycerides. Both biological molecules
were burned in excess oxygen to raise the temperature of 100 cm3 of water initially at 25 C.
Fig. 2.2 shows the results of the experiment.

Fig. 2.2
(i)

Suggest how burning the biological molecules leads to a rise in water temperature. [1]
Hydrolysis

(ii)

With reference to Fig. 2.2, explain the differences in energy content between glycogen
and triglycerides. [3]

11

(d)

The structure of agarose, another commonly occurring polysaccharide, is shown in Fig. 2.3
below. Agarose is a polymer of two isomers of galactose (D-galactose and L-galactopyranose)
forming the repeating unit in brackets.

Fig. 2.3
(i)

State two structural differences between cellulose and agarose. [2]

(ii)

Agarose serves an important role in maintaining the cell walls of algae. Suggest what this role
is and explain how the structure of agarose allows it to perform its function. [3]
Role:
Explanation:

[Total: 15]

12

Collagen is the main structural protein in the human body. It strengthens the tendons and
supports the skin and internal organs. Bones and teeth are made by adding mineral crystals to
collagen.

(a)

Explain why collagen is described as a fibrous protein. [2]

(b)

Describe the main features of collagen that contribute to its tensile strength. [3]

[Total: 5]

Stachyose is a storage oligosaccharide found in beans, peas and other legumes. Stachyose
can only be metabolized by anaerobic microorganisms in the large intestine. It is responsible
for the production of carbon dioxide, hydrogen sulfide and other gases that collectively make
up what is known as flatulence. The structure of stachyose is shown in Fig. 4.1.

Figure 4.1
(a)

Define the term glycosidic bond. [1]

13

(b)

Several commercial products are available to assist in the digestion of oligosaccharides like
stachyose. Suggest how such products prevent the production of flatulence. [1]

(c)

When small amounts of paper containing cellulose are ingested by children, there is usually no
gas production. Suggest one reason and a possible consequence of such an event. [2]

An enzyme known as -galactosidase cleaves -1,6-glycosidic bonds to sequentially release

terminal galactose residues. The breakdown of stachyose by -galactosidase is a two-step
process. In the first step of this process, stachyose is hydrolysed to galactose and raffinose.
(d)

With reference to Fig. 4.1, draw the products of the first step in this hydrolysis. [2]

Fig. 4.2 illustrates the activity of -galactosidase on the substrate stachyose over a period of time.

Fig. 4.2
14

(e)

With reference to Fig. 4.2, explain why the level of raffinose remains relatively constant. [2]

(f)

Suggest why the rate at which stachyose is broken down decreases as the concentration of
galactose increases. [2]

[Total: 10]

Lactose is a sugar which is found in milk. It can spoil milk products such as ice cream by
producing an unpleasant sandy texture. Lactase is an enzyme which is used in making ice
cream. It breaks down lactose to glucose and galactose.
Mature human lactase consists of a single 160 kDa polypeptide chain that localizes to the
brush border membrane of intestinal epithelial cells. Two amino acids present in the active
site, Glu-1271 and Glu-1747, are vital for the catalytic action of lactase.
When ice cream is made, lactase is added to milk and left for about a day at 5 C. The
reaction is very slow.
(a)

Explain how the two amino acids at positions 1271 and 1747 in the amino acid sequence are
brought close to form the active site. [3]

15

(b)

Use your knowledge of enzymes to explain why the rate of this reaction is very slow at 5C. [2]

(c)

Adult cats are unable to digest lactose. Lactase is used to reduce the amount of lactose in milk
for cats. The milk is heated to sterilise it. It is then cooled and the lactase added before
packaging. Explain why lactase is added after cooling the milk rather than before heating it. [2]

(d)

Table 5.1 shows the diet of the large white butterfly and the enzymes it produces at different
stages of its life cycle.
Table 5.1

(i)

Stage in life
cycle

Diet

Larva

Leaves

Adult

Nectar

Enzymes secreted by
salivary glands
mid-gut
Amylase
Maltase
Amylase
Proteases
Lipases
None
Sucrases

The larva and adult of the large white butterfly occupy different ecological niches. With
reference to the table, explain how the diets and enzymes secreted are related to the
demands of these stages of the life cycle of the large white butterfly. [2]

16

(ii) Leaves contain little glucose, yet large amounts of glucose can be found in the mid-gut of the
larva of the large white butterfly. Explain why. [2]

[Total: 11]

Collagen, a quaternary protein, is used as a solid substratum for cells to adhere to in order to
proliferate.

(a)

Explain the term quaternary protein. [1]

(b)

(c)

Describe how the structure of collagen allows it to function as a structural support for cells. [3]

Lysozyme is an enzyme found in many places within the human body. It consists of a single
polypeptide folded into a complex shape. Explain how a globular protein, such as lysozyme,
differs from a fibrous protein, such as collagen. [2]

17

Essay

1.

Distinguish between the structures of collagen and cellulose. [7]

2.

Explain how the molecular structure of triglycerides is related to their functions. [6]

3.

Suggest why plant cells mainly store carbohydrates and animal cells mainly store lipids. [4]

4.

Suggest reasons why it is more advantageous for animals to store lipids instead of
carbohydrates. [4]

18