Biochemistry WGU Practice Exam With 350+ Questions &
Correct Answers
What is the function of nucleic acids? - ANSWER-To encode heritable information
and pass it on from generation to generation
What three things make up nucleotides? - ANSWER-Phosphate, pentose sugar,
and pyrimidine or purine base
What are the four bases in DNA? - ANSWER-Adenine, guanine, cytosine, and
thymine
What are the four bases in RNA? - ANSWER-Adenine, guanine, cytosine, and
uracil
How many strands does RNA have? DNA? - ANSWER-RNA is a single strand,
DNA is double
Which base pairs with Adenine? - ANSWER-Thymine
Which base pairs with Guanine? - ANSWER-Cytosine
Where is DNA located? - ANSWER-In the Nucleus
What encases the DNA? - ANSWER-Chromosomes
How many chromosomes do humans have? - ANSWER-46. 23 pairs
,Gene - ANSWER-Small segment of DNA that contains all the pairs of
chromosomes
When was the double helix discovered? - ANSWER-1953
Who began the Human Genome project? - ANSWER-Francis S Collins
Hereditary information is stored in ______ - ANSWER-DNA
The individual building blocks of DNA are called - ANSWER-Nucleotides
A DNA molecule consists of two nucleotide strands twisted into a - ANSWER-
double helix
The ___________ of the DNA stands pair in a consistent fashion. - ANSWER-
Bases
What is the RNA transcription for the DNA strand 5- GCT ATG CAT CGT - 3 -
ANSWER-5 - ACG AUG CAU AGC - 3
Which template DNA sequence would the short transcript 5- AUC CGU ACG -3
be derived from? - ANSWER-5- CGT ACG GAT -3
What is the complementary sequence for the following DNA sequence? 5- GCC
ATC TCG AAT -3 - ANSWER-5- ATT CGA GAT GGC -3
,Assuming 100% reaction efficiency, how many DNA copies are created after the
completion of four complete PCR cycles? - ANSWER-16
What is the function of DNA polymerase in the process of PCR? - ANSWER-It
recognizes the primers and uses the available dNTPs to replicate the template DNA
sequence
What type of mutation occurs when cytosine is completely mutated to guanin in
the DNA sequence? - ANSWER-Nonsense
When using heat to denature a protein, which force is the first to be disrupted as
temperature increases? - ANSWER-Hydrophobic interactions
Which term describes the order of amino acids in a peptide chain? - ANSWER-
Primary structure
A commonly used technique for protein denaturation is adding an acid or a base to
dramatically change the pH.
Which force is most impacted by this change in pH? - ANSWER-hydrophobic
interactions
In which situation could a body function be disrupted by altering protein structure?
- ANSWER-A mutation in aconitase blocks an essential step in aerobic metabolism
How can an alteration in protein structure lead to a disease state? - ANSWER-A
mutation replaces an isoleucine with an aspartic acid in a transcription factor
protein, which blocks the normal folding of the protein and its function in the
expression of certain genes.
, Which structural level shows the greatest difference when comparing denatured
proteins with the normal version of the protein? - ANSWER-Tertiary
Frying an egg changes the egg white from a clear liquid to an opaque solid.
Which molecular change in the albumin protein causes this change in appearance?
- ANSWER-Hydrophobic interactions form between denatured egg white proteins.
What is the driving mechanism of plaque formation in prion diseases? -
ANSWER-Propagation of misfolding from one protein to another
Which feature of a protein made of a single polypeptide chain is most directly
responsible for its function? - ANSWER-Three-dimensional structure
How does the Bohr effect describe the relationship between carbon dioxide levels,
blood pH and the amount of oxygen bound to hemoglobin? - ANSWER-An
increase in carbon dioxide production leads to a decrease in blood pH, causing
hemoglobin to release oxygen more readily.
Which statement describes the binding of oxygen gas to a heme group? -
ANSWER-The binding of oxygen gas to heme changes the structure of the heme
group.
Which characteristic of myoglobin makes it an effective oxygen storage molecule?
- ANSWER-It has a high affinity for oxygen.
Correct Answers
What is the function of nucleic acids? - ANSWER-To encode heritable information
and pass it on from generation to generation
What three things make up nucleotides? - ANSWER-Phosphate, pentose sugar,
and pyrimidine or purine base
What are the four bases in DNA? - ANSWER-Adenine, guanine, cytosine, and
thymine
What are the four bases in RNA? - ANSWER-Adenine, guanine, cytosine, and
uracil
How many strands does RNA have? DNA? - ANSWER-RNA is a single strand,
DNA is double
Which base pairs with Adenine? - ANSWER-Thymine
Which base pairs with Guanine? - ANSWER-Cytosine
Where is DNA located? - ANSWER-In the Nucleus
What encases the DNA? - ANSWER-Chromosomes
How many chromosomes do humans have? - ANSWER-46. 23 pairs
,Gene - ANSWER-Small segment of DNA that contains all the pairs of
chromosomes
When was the double helix discovered? - ANSWER-1953
Who began the Human Genome project? - ANSWER-Francis S Collins
Hereditary information is stored in ______ - ANSWER-DNA
The individual building blocks of DNA are called - ANSWER-Nucleotides
A DNA molecule consists of two nucleotide strands twisted into a - ANSWER-
double helix
The ___________ of the DNA stands pair in a consistent fashion. - ANSWER-
Bases
What is the RNA transcription for the DNA strand 5- GCT ATG CAT CGT - 3 -
ANSWER-5 - ACG AUG CAU AGC - 3
Which template DNA sequence would the short transcript 5- AUC CGU ACG -3
be derived from? - ANSWER-5- CGT ACG GAT -3
What is the complementary sequence for the following DNA sequence? 5- GCC
ATC TCG AAT -3 - ANSWER-5- ATT CGA GAT GGC -3
,Assuming 100% reaction efficiency, how many DNA copies are created after the
completion of four complete PCR cycles? - ANSWER-16
What is the function of DNA polymerase in the process of PCR? - ANSWER-It
recognizes the primers and uses the available dNTPs to replicate the template DNA
sequence
What type of mutation occurs when cytosine is completely mutated to guanin in
the DNA sequence? - ANSWER-Nonsense
When using heat to denature a protein, which force is the first to be disrupted as
temperature increases? - ANSWER-Hydrophobic interactions
Which term describes the order of amino acids in a peptide chain? - ANSWER-
Primary structure
A commonly used technique for protein denaturation is adding an acid or a base to
dramatically change the pH.
Which force is most impacted by this change in pH? - ANSWER-hydrophobic
interactions
In which situation could a body function be disrupted by altering protein structure?
- ANSWER-A mutation in aconitase blocks an essential step in aerobic metabolism
How can an alteration in protein structure lead to a disease state? - ANSWER-A
mutation replaces an isoleucine with an aspartic acid in a transcription factor
protein, which blocks the normal folding of the protein and its function in the
expression of certain genes.
, Which structural level shows the greatest difference when comparing denatured
proteins with the normal version of the protein? - ANSWER-Tertiary
Frying an egg changes the egg white from a clear liquid to an opaque solid.
Which molecular change in the albumin protein causes this change in appearance?
- ANSWER-Hydrophobic interactions form between denatured egg white proteins.
What is the driving mechanism of plaque formation in prion diseases? -
ANSWER-Propagation of misfolding from one protein to another
Which feature of a protein made of a single polypeptide chain is most directly
responsible for its function? - ANSWER-Three-dimensional structure
How does the Bohr effect describe the relationship between carbon dioxide levels,
blood pH and the amount of oxygen bound to hemoglobin? - ANSWER-An
increase in carbon dioxide production leads to a decrease in blood pH, causing
hemoglobin to release oxygen more readily.
Which statement describes the binding of oxygen gas to a heme group? -
ANSWER-The binding of oxygen gas to heme changes the structure of the heme
group.
Which characteristic of myoglobin makes it an effective oxygen storage molecule?
- ANSWER-It has a high affinity for oxygen.
