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Chapter 1 The Foundations of Biochemistry
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Cellular foundations
Pages: 3-4 Difficulty: 1 Ans: C
In a bacterial cell, the DNA is in the:
A) cell envelope.
B) cell membrane.
C) nucleoid.
D) nucleus.
E) ribosomes.
2. Cellular foundations
Page: 4 Difficulty: 1 Ans: E
A major change occurring in the evolution of eukaryotes from prokaryotes was the development of:
A) DNA.
B) photosynthetic capability.
capability.
C) plasma membranes.
D) ribosomes.
E) the nucleus.
3. Cellular foundations
Page: 4 Difficulty: 1 Ans: B
In eukaryotes, the nucleus is enclosed by a double membrane called the:
A) cell membrane.
B) nuclear envelope. @thebookshelff
C) nucleolus.
D) nucleoplasm.
E) nucleosome.
4. Cellular foundations
Page: 4 Difficulty: 1 Ans: C
The dimensions of living cells are limited, on the lower end by the minimum number of biomolecules
necessary for function, and on the upper end by the rate of diffusion of solutes such as oxygen.
Except for highly elongated cells, they usually have lengths and diameters in the range of:
A) 0.1 µm to 10 µm.
B) 0.3 µm to 30 µm.
C) 0.3 µm to 100 µm.
D) 1 µm to 100 µm.
E) 1 µm to 300 µm.
,2 Chapter 1 The Foundations of Biochemistry Chapter 1 The Foundations of Biochemistry 3
5. Cellular foundations 10. Chemical foundations
Page: 5 Difficulty: 2 Ans: B Page: 14 Difficulty: 1 Ans: B
The bacterium E. coli requires simple organic molecules for growth and energy—it is therefore a: What functional groups are present on this molecule?
A) chemoautotroph.
B) chemoheterotroph.
C) lithotroph.
D) photoautotroph.
E) photoheterotroph.
6. Cellular foundations A) ether and aldehyde
Page: 10 Difficulty: 2 Ans: B B) hydroxyl and aldehyde
Which one of the following has the cellular components arranged in order of increasing size? C) hydroxyl and carboxylic acid
D) hydroxyl and ester
A) Amino acid < protein < mitochondrion < ribosome E) hydroxyl and ketone
B) Amino acid < protein < ribosome < mitochondrion
C) Amino acid < ribosome < protein < mitochondrion 11. Chemical foundations
D) Protein < amino acid < mitochondrion < ribosome Page: 16 Difficulty: 1 Ans: D
E) Protein < ribosome < mitochondrion < amino acid The macromolecules that serve in the storage and transmission of genetic information are:
7. Cellular foundations A) carbohydrates.
Page: 11 Difficulty: 2 Ans: A B) lipids.
The three-dimensional structure of macromolecules is formed and maintained primarily through C) membranes.
noncovalent interactions. Which one of the following is not considered a noncovalent interaction? D) nucleic acids.
E) proteins.
A) carbon-carbon bonds
B) hydrogen bonds 12. Chemical foundations
C) hydrophobic interactions Page: 17 Difficulty: 1 Ans: D
D) ionic interactions Stereoisomers that are nonsuperimposable mirror images of each other are known as:
E) van der Waals interactions
A) anomers.
8. Chemical foundations B) cis-trans isomers.
Page: 12 Difficulty: 2 Ans: E C) diastereoisomers.
Which one of the following is not among the four most abundant elements in living organisms? D) enantiomers.
E) geometric isomers.
A) Carbon
B) Hydrogen 13. Chemical foundations
C) Nitrogen Page: 20 Difficulty: 3 Ans: E
D) Oxygen The enzyme fumarase catalyzes the reversible hydration of fumaric acid to l-malate, but it will not
E) Phosphorus catalyze the hydration of maleic acid, the cis isomer of fumaric acid. This is an example of:
9. Chemical foundations A) biological activity.
Page: 13 Difficulty: 1 Ans: B B) chiral activity.
The four covalent bonds in methane (CH 4) are arranged around carbon to give which one of the C) racemization.
following geometries? D) stereoisomerization.
E) stereospecificity.
A) linear
B) tetrahedral
C) trigonal bipyramidal
D) trigonal planar
E) trigonal pyramidal
,4 Chapter 1 The Foundations of Biochemistry Chapter 1 The Foundations of Biochemistry 5
14. Physical foundations 19. Physical foundations
Pages: 21-22 Difficulty: 2 Ans: A Page: 27 Difficulty: 1 Ans: B
Humans maintain a nearly constant level of hemoglobin by continually synthesizing and degrading it. Energy requiring metabolic pathways that yield complex molecules from simpler precursors are:
This is an example of a(n):
A) amphibolic.
A) dynamic steady state. B) anabolic.
B) equilibrium state. C) autotrophic.
C) exergonic change. D) catabolic.
D) free-energy change. E) heterotrophic.
E) waste of energy.
20. Genetic foundations
15. Physical foundations Page: 29 Difficulty: 1 Ans: A
Page: 23 Difficulty: 1 Ans: C Hereditary information (with the exception of some viruses) is preserved in:
If heat energy is absorbed by the system during a chemical reaction, the reaction is said to be:
A) deoxyribonucleic acid.
A) at equilibrium. B) membrane structures.
B) endergonic. C) nuclei.
C) endothermic. D) polysaccharides.
D) exergonic. E) ribonucleic acid.
E) exothermic.
21. Genetic foundations
16. Physical foundations Page: 29 Difficulty: 2 Ans: C
Page: 23 Difficulty: 2 Ans: D When a region of DNA must be repaired by removing and replacing some of the nucleotides, what
If the free energy change ∆G for a reaction is -46.11 kJ/mol, the reaction is: ensures that the new nucleotides are in the correct sequence?
A) at equilibrium. A) DNA cannot be repaired and this explains why mutations occur.
B) endergonic. B) Specific enzymes bind the correct nucleotides.
C) endothermic. C) The new nucleotides basepair accurately with those on the complementary strand.
D) exergonic. D) The repair enzyme recognizes the removed nucleotide and brings in an identical one to replace it.
E) exothermic. E) The three-dimensional structure determines the order of nucleotides.
17. Physical foundations 22. Genetic foundations
Page: 23 Difficulty: 2 Ans: C Page: 30 Difficulty: 2 Ans: E
The major carrier of chemical energy in all cells is: The three-dimensional structure of a protein is determined primarily by:
A) acetyl triphosphate. A) electrostatic guidance from nucleic acid structure.
B) adenosine monophosphate. B) how many amino acids are in the protein.
C) adenosine triphosphate. C) hydrophobic interaction with lipids that provide a folding framework.
D) cytosine tetraphosphate. D) modification during interactions with ribosomes.
E) uridine diphosphate. E) the sequence of amino acids in the protein.
18. Physical foundations 23. Evolutionary foundations
Page: 26 Difficulty: 2 Ans: A Page: 32 Difficulty: 2 Ans: D
Enzymes are biological catalysts that enhance the rate of a reaction by: According to Oparin's theory for the origin of life, the prebiotic atmosphere:
A) decreasing the activation energy. A) already contained some primitive RNA molecules.
B) decreasing the amount of free energy released. B) basically was very similar to the atmosphere of today.
C) increasing the activation energy. C) contained many amino acids.
D) increasing the amount of free energy released. D) had an abundance of methane, ammonia, and water.
E) increasing the energy of the transition state. E) was rich in oxygen.
, 6 Chapter 1 The Foundations of Biochemistry Chapter 1 The Foundations of Biochemistry 7
Short Answer Questions 29. Chemical foundations
Page: 14 Difficulty: 1
24. Cellular foundations Draw the structures of the following functional groups in their un-ionized forms:
Pages: 1-2 Difficulty: 1 (a) hydroxyl, (b) carboxyl, (c) amino, (d) phosphoryl.
What six characteristics distinguish living organisms from inanimate objects?
Ans:
Ans: Living organisms (1) are chemically complex and highly organized; (2) extract, transform, and
use energy from their environment; (3) have the capacity to precisely self-replicate and self-assemble;
(4) exploit a chemical interplay with their environment; (5) possess programmatically defined
functions; and (6) evolve to new forms over many generations.
25. Cellular foundations
Page: 3 Difficulty: 1 30. Chemical foundations
All cells are surrounded by a plasma membrane composed of lipid and protein molecules. What is Pages: 15-16 Difficulty: 2
the function of the plasma membrane? What is the underlying, organizing biochemical principle that results in the chemical similarity of
virtually all living things? Given this biochemical similarity, how is the structural and functional
Ans: The plasma membrane acts as a barrier to the free passage of inorganic ions and most other diversity of living things possible?
charged or polar compounds into or out of the cell. It contains proteins that can transport specific
ions or molecules. Other membrane proteins act as receptors that transmit signals from the outside to Ans: Living things are composed primarily of macromolecules, polymers of simple compounds of
the inside of the cell. just a few different types. The properties of these polymers are determined by their sequence of
monomers and these can be combined in many different ways. Diversity is thus achieved through the
26. Cellular foundations nearly limitless variety of sequences that can exist when amino acids are linked to form proteins,
Page: 6 Difficulty: 1 nucleotides are linked to form nucleic acids, and monosaccharides are linked to form polysaccharides.
E. coli is known as a gram-negative bacterial species. (a) How is this determined? (b) How do gram- Branching in the latter can contribute additional heterogeneity. Each type of organism constructs a
negative bacteria differ structurally from gram-positive bacteria? unique set of macromolecules from these monomeric units, resulting in the structural and functional
diversity among species.
Ans: (a) Gram-negative bacteria have little affinity for the dye gentian violet used in Gram's stain, but
gram-positive bacteria retain Gram's stain. (b) Gram-negative bacteria have an outer membrane and a 31. Chemical foundations
peptidoglycan layer; gram-positive bacteria lack an outer membrane and the peptidoglycan layer is Page: 16 Difficulty: 2
much thicker. Name two functions of (a) proteins, (b) nucleic acids, (c) polysaccharides, (d) lipids.
27. Cellular foundations Ans: Many answers are possible including: (a) proteins function as enzymes, structural elements,
Page: 7 Difficulty: 1 signal carriers, transporters; (b) nucleic acids store and transmit genetic information and act as both
Most cells of higher plants have a cell wall outside the plasma membrane. What is the function of the structural and catalytic elements; (c) polysaccharides serve as energy-yielding fuel stores and cellular
cell wall? and extracellular structural and recognition elements, (d) lipids function as membrane components,
fuel stores, and cellular signals.
Ans: The cell wall provides a rigid, protective shell for the cell. It is porous, allowing water and
small molecules to pass readily, but it is rigid enough to resist the swelling of the cell caused by the 32. Chemical Foundations
accumulation of water. (See Fig. 1-7, p. 7.) Pages: 17-18 Difficulty: 2
Why is an asymmetric carbon atom called a chiral center?
28. Cellular foundations
Page: 11 Difficulty: 2 Ans: An asymmetric carbon has four different substituents attached, and cannot be superimposed on
(a) List the types of noncovalent interactions that are important in providing stability to the three- its mirror image—as a right hand cannot fit into a left glove. Thus a molecule with one chiral carbon
dimensional structures of macromolecules. (b) Why is it important that these interactions be will have two stereoisomers, which may be distinguishable from one another in a biological system.
noncovalent, rather than covalent, bonds?
Ans: (a) Noncovalent interactions include hydrogen bonds, ionic interactions between charged
groups, van der Waals interactions, and hydrophobic interactions. (b) Because noncovalent
interactions are weak, they can form, break, and re-form more rapidly and with less energy input than
can covalent bonds. This is important to maintain the flexibility needed in macromolecules.
Chapter 1 The Foundations of Biochemistry
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Cellular foundations
Pages: 3-4 Difficulty: 1 Ans: C
In a bacterial cell, the DNA is in the:
A) cell envelope.
B) cell membrane.
C) nucleoid.
D) nucleus.
E) ribosomes.
2. Cellular foundations
Page: 4 Difficulty: 1 Ans: E
A major change occurring in the evolution of eukaryotes from prokaryotes was the development of:
A) DNA.
B) photosynthetic capability.
capability.
C) plasma membranes.
D) ribosomes.
E) the nucleus.
3. Cellular foundations
Page: 4 Difficulty: 1 Ans: B
In eukaryotes, the nucleus is enclosed by a double membrane called the:
A) cell membrane.
B) nuclear envelope. @thebookshelff
C) nucleolus.
D) nucleoplasm.
E) nucleosome.
4. Cellular foundations
Page: 4 Difficulty: 1 Ans: C
The dimensions of living cells are limited, on the lower end by the minimum number of biomolecules
necessary for function, and on the upper end by the rate of diffusion of solutes such as oxygen.
Except for highly elongated cells, they usually have lengths and diameters in the range of:
A) 0.1 µm to 10 µm.
B) 0.3 µm to 30 µm.
C) 0.3 µm to 100 µm.
D) 1 µm to 100 µm.
E) 1 µm to 300 µm.
,2 Chapter 1 The Foundations of Biochemistry Chapter 1 The Foundations of Biochemistry 3
5. Cellular foundations 10. Chemical foundations
Page: 5 Difficulty: 2 Ans: B Page: 14 Difficulty: 1 Ans: B
The bacterium E. coli requires simple organic molecules for growth and energy—it is therefore a: What functional groups are present on this molecule?
A) chemoautotroph.
B) chemoheterotroph.
C) lithotroph.
D) photoautotroph.
E) photoheterotroph.
6. Cellular foundations A) ether and aldehyde
Page: 10 Difficulty: 2 Ans: B B) hydroxyl and aldehyde
Which one of the following has the cellular components arranged in order of increasing size? C) hydroxyl and carboxylic acid
D) hydroxyl and ester
A) Amino acid < protein < mitochondrion < ribosome E) hydroxyl and ketone
B) Amino acid < protein < ribosome < mitochondrion
C) Amino acid < ribosome < protein < mitochondrion 11. Chemical foundations
D) Protein < amino acid < mitochondrion < ribosome Page: 16 Difficulty: 1 Ans: D
E) Protein < ribosome < mitochondrion < amino acid The macromolecules that serve in the storage and transmission of genetic information are:
7. Cellular foundations A) carbohydrates.
Page: 11 Difficulty: 2 Ans: A B) lipids.
The three-dimensional structure of macromolecules is formed and maintained primarily through C) membranes.
noncovalent interactions. Which one of the following is not considered a noncovalent interaction? D) nucleic acids.
E) proteins.
A) carbon-carbon bonds
B) hydrogen bonds 12. Chemical foundations
C) hydrophobic interactions Page: 17 Difficulty: 1 Ans: D
D) ionic interactions Stereoisomers that are nonsuperimposable mirror images of each other are known as:
E) van der Waals interactions
A) anomers.
8. Chemical foundations B) cis-trans isomers.
Page: 12 Difficulty: 2 Ans: E C) diastereoisomers.
Which one of the following is not among the four most abundant elements in living organisms? D) enantiomers.
E) geometric isomers.
A) Carbon
B) Hydrogen 13. Chemical foundations
C) Nitrogen Page: 20 Difficulty: 3 Ans: E
D) Oxygen The enzyme fumarase catalyzes the reversible hydration of fumaric acid to l-malate, but it will not
E) Phosphorus catalyze the hydration of maleic acid, the cis isomer of fumaric acid. This is an example of:
9. Chemical foundations A) biological activity.
Page: 13 Difficulty: 1 Ans: B B) chiral activity.
The four covalent bonds in methane (CH 4) are arranged around carbon to give which one of the C) racemization.
following geometries? D) stereoisomerization.
E) stereospecificity.
A) linear
B) tetrahedral
C) trigonal bipyramidal
D) trigonal planar
E) trigonal pyramidal
,4 Chapter 1 The Foundations of Biochemistry Chapter 1 The Foundations of Biochemistry 5
14. Physical foundations 19. Physical foundations
Pages: 21-22 Difficulty: 2 Ans: A Page: 27 Difficulty: 1 Ans: B
Humans maintain a nearly constant level of hemoglobin by continually synthesizing and degrading it. Energy requiring metabolic pathways that yield complex molecules from simpler precursors are:
This is an example of a(n):
A) amphibolic.
A) dynamic steady state. B) anabolic.
B) equilibrium state. C) autotrophic.
C) exergonic change. D) catabolic.
D) free-energy change. E) heterotrophic.
E) waste of energy.
20. Genetic foundations
15. Physical foundations Page: 29 Difficulty: 1 Ans: A
Page: 23 Difficulty: 1 Ans: C Hereditary information (with the exception of some viruses) is preserved in:
If heat energy is absorbed by the system during a chemical reaction, the reaction is said to be:
A) deoxyribonucleic acid.
A) at equilibrium. B) membrane structures.
B) endergonic. C) nuclei.
C) endothermic. D) polysaccharides.
D) exergonic. E) ribonucleic acid.
E) exothermic.
21. Genetic foundations
16. Physical foundations Page: 29 Difficulty: 2 Ans: C
Page: 23 Difficulty: 2 Ans: D When a region of DNA must be repaired by removing and replacing some of the nucleotides, what
If the free energy change ∆G for a reaction is -46.11 kJ/mol, the reaction is: ensures that the new nucleotides are in the correct sequence?
A) at equilibrium. A) DNA cannot be repaired and this explains why mutations occur.
B) endergonic. B) Specific enzymes bind the correct nucleotides.
C) endothermic. C) The new nucleotides basepair accurately with those on the complementary strand.
D) exergonic. D) The repair enzyme recognizes the removed nucleotide and brings in an identical one to replace it.
E) exothermic. E) The three-dimensional structure determines the order of nucleotides.
17. Physical foundations 22. Genetic foundations
Page: 23 Difficulty: 2 Ans: C Page: 30 Difficulty: 2 Ans: E
The major carrier of chemical energy in all cells is: The three-dimensional structure of a protein is determined primarily by:
A) acetyl triphosphate. A) electrostatic guidance from nucleic acid structure.
B) adenosine monophosphate. B) how many amino acids are in the protein.
C) adenosine triphosphate. C) hydrophobic interaction with lipids that provide a folding framework.
D) cytosine tetraphosphate. D) modification during interactions with ribosomes.
E) uridine diphosphate. E) the sequence of amino acids in the protein.
18. Physical foundations 23. Evolutionary foundations
Page: 26 Difficulty: 2 Ans: A Page: 32 Difficulty: 2 Ans: D
Enzymes are biological catalysts that enhance the rate of a reaction by: According to Oparin's theory for the origin of life, the prebiotic atmosphere:
A) decreasing the activation energy. A) already contained some primitive RNA molecules.
B) decreasing the amount of free energy released. B) basically was very similar to the atmosphere of today.
C) increasing the activation energy. C) contained many amino acids.
D) increasing the amount of free energy released. D) had an abundance of methane, ammonia, and water.
E) increasing the energy of the transition state. E) was rich in oxygen.
, 6 Chapter 1 The Foundations of Biochemistry Chapter 1 The Foundations of Biochemistry 7
Short Answer Questions 29. Chemical foundations
Page: 14 Difficulty: 1
24. Cellular foundations Draw the structures of the following functional groups in their un-ionized forms:
Pages: 1-2 Difficulty: 1 (a) hydroxyl, (b) carboxyl, (c) amino, (d) phosphoryl.
What six characteristics distinguish living organisms from inanimate objects?
Ans:
Ans: Living organisms (1) are chemically complex and highly organized; (2) extract, transform, and
use energy from their environment; (3) have the capacity to precisely self-replicate and self-assemble;
(4) exploit a chemical interplay with their environment; (5) possess programmatically defined
functions; and (6) evolve to new forms over many generations.
25. Cellular foundations
Page: 3 Difficulty: 1 30. Chemical foundations
All cells are surrounded by a plasma membrane composed of lipid and protein molecules. What is Pages: 15-16 Difficulty: 2
the function of the plasma membrane? What is the underlying, organizing biochemical principle that results in the chemical similarity of
virtually all living things? Given this biochemical similarity, how is the structural and functional
Ans: The plasma membrane acts as a barrier to the free passage of inorganic ions and most other diversity of living things possible?
charged or polar compounds into or out of the cell. It contains proteins that can transport specific
ions or molecules. Other membrane proteins act as receptors that transmit signals from the outside to Ans: Living things are composed primarily of macromolecules, polymers of simple compounds of
the inside of the cell. just a few different types. The properties of these polymers are determined by their sequence of
monomers and these can be combined in many different ways. Diversity is thus achieved through the
26. Cellular foundations nearly limitless variety of sequences that can exist when amino acids are linked to form proteins,
Page: 6 Difficulty: 1 nucleotides are linked to form nucleic acids, and monosaccharides are linked to form polysaccharides.
E. coli is known as a gram-negative bacterial species. (a) How is this determined? (b) How do gram- Branching in the latter can contribute additional heterogeneity. Each type of organism constructs a
negative bacteria differ structurally from gram-positive bacteria? unique set of macromolecules from these monomeric units, resulting in the structural and functional
diversity among species.
Ans: (a) Gram-negative bacteria have little affinity for the dye gentian violet used in Gram's stain, but
gram-positive bacteria retain Gram's stain. (b) Gram-negative bacteria have an outer membrane and a 31. Chemical foundations
peptidoglycan layer; gram-positive bacteria lack an outer membrane and the peptidoglycan layer is Page: 16 Difficulty: 2
much thicker. Name two functions of (a) proteins, (b) nucleic acids, (c) polysaccharides, (d) lipids.
27. Cellular foundations Ans: Many answers are possible including: (a) proteins function as enzymes, structural elements,
Page: 7 Difficulty: 1 signal carriers, transporters; (b) nucleic acids store and transmit genetic information and act as both
Most cells of higher plants have a cell wall outside the plasma membrane. What is the function of the structural and catalytic elements; (c) polysaccharides serve as energy-yielding fuel stores and cellular
cell wall? and extracellular structural and recognition elements, (d) lipids function as membrane components,
fuel stores, and cellular signals.
Ans: The cell wall provides a rigid, protective shell for the cell. It is porous, allowing water and
small molecules to pass readily, but it is rigid enough to resist the swelling of the cell caused by the 32. Chemical Foundations
accumulation of water. (See Fig. 1-7, p. 7.) Pages: 17-18 Difficulty: 2
Why is an asymmetric carbon atom called a chiral center?
28. Cellular foundations
Page: 11 Difficulty: 2 Ans: An asymmetric carbon has four different substituents attached, and cannot be superimposed on
(a) List the types of noncovalent interactions that are important in providing stability to the three- its mirror image—as a right hand cannot fit into a left glove. Thus a molecule with one chiral carbon
dimensional structures of macromolecules. (b) Why is it important that these interactions be will have two stereoisomers, which may be distinguishable from one another in a biological system.
noncovalent, rather than covalent, bonds?
Ans: (a) Noncovalent interactions include hydrogen bonds, ionic interactions between charged
groups, van der Waals interactions, and hydrophobic interactions. (b) Because noncovalent
interactions are weak, they can form, break, and re-form more rapidly and with less energy input than
can covalent bonds. This is important to maintain the flexibility needed in macromolecules.
