WGU BIOCHEMISTRY OA EXAM 2025/2026 QUESTIONS
WITH ANSWERS RATED A+
✔✔How would lipid production in a cell change in order to maintain fluidity of its cell
membrane as it adapts to lower temperatures? - ✔✔Produce lipids with shorter fatty
acid chains
✔✔Function of cholesterol - ✔✔Maintains membrane fluidity
✔✔Lipid (fat) soluble vitamins - ✔✔A, D, E, K
✔✔What stimulates beta-oxidation of fatty acids? - ✔✔An increase in NAD+
concentration in the mitochondrial matrix
✔✔What occurs in an otherwise healthy person whose diet has very few carbs and high
levels of fats? - ✔✔Acetone is produced in the blood
✔✔Amino acids - ✔✔-Non-polar (hydrophobic)
-Polar charged
-Polar uncharged
✔✔Which type of mammalian DNA damage repair requires the presence of the
chromosome that is homologous to the damaged chromosome? - ✔✔Recombination
✔✔Xeroxerma Pigmentosum (XP) - ✔✔A recessive genetic disease that occurs when
one or more of the genes that perform nucleotide excision repair are nonfunctional
✔✔Why do XP patients have a much higher incidence of skin cancer than the general
population? - ✔✔The mutation of all other genes is higher due to failure to repair.
✔✔Assuming 100% reaction efficiency, how many DNA copies are created after the
completion of 4 complete PCR cycles? - ✔✔16
✔✔What is the function of DNA polymerase in the process of PCR? - ✔✔It recognizes
the primers and uses the available dNTPs to replicate the template DNA sequence.
✔✔What difference in the regions of the SIRT1 & SIRT2 genes in people addicted to
cocaine increases their expression? - ✔✔The nucleosomes become more widely
spaced.
✔✔What occurs during the process of alternative splicing of RNA? - ✔✔Alternate
combinations of Exons within the same gene are linked together.
, ✔✔Polypeptides - ✔✔-functional proteins
-made of folded up polymers
✔✔Elements - ✔✔Substance that cannot be broken down into another substance by
chemical reaction.
✔✔Ionic bond - ✔✔Actions share + & - charge
✔✔Covalent bond - ✔✔When atoms share electrons
✔✔Hydrogen bond - ✔✔Forms when portion of a polar molecule that is partially positive
interacts with portion of a polar molecule that is partially negative
✔✔Van der Waals interactions - ✔✔Occur due to random, transient movements of
electrons that at any given instant, give molecules regions of + & - charges.
✔✔Amino acid - ✔✔-has amino group (-NH2)
-& a carbonyl group (-COOH)
-cx. Based on side chains
✔✔Elevated levels of AST & ALT - ✔✔-indicates liver damage
(When damaged, their protein contents can spill into blood stream)
✔✔Which level of protein structure is disrupted through the hydrolysis of peptide
bonds? - ✔✔Primary
✔✔Sickle cell disease - ✔✔Caused by mutation in the Hgb-beta gene. (Causes cells to
become rigid, sticky, misshapen.)
✔✔Which force is most influential in determining the secondary structure of a protein? -
✔✔Hydrogen bonding
✔✔Hydrophobic effect - ✔✔Tendency of non polar substances to aggregate in an
aqueous solution & exclude water molecules.
✔✔Hydrophobic interaction - ✔✔Mutation of gene for protein that leads to substitution
of no polar amino acid with charged amino acid
✔✔Dopamine - ✔✔-neurotransmitter
-variety of functions (including motor control)
Parkinson's = decreases dopamine. Sinemet helps by increasing dopamine levels.
✔✔Lactose breaks down into : - ✔✔Glucose and galactose
WITH ANSWERS RATED A+
✔✔How would lipid production in a cell change in order to maintain fluidity of its cell
membrane as it adapts to lower temperatures? - ✔✔Produce lipids with shorter fatty
acid chains
✔✔Function of cholesterol - ✔✔Maintains membrane fluidity
✔✔Lipid (fat) soluble vitamins - ✔✔A, D, E, K
✔✔What stimulates beta-oxidation of fatty acids? - ✔✔An increase in NAD+
concentration in the mitochondrial matrix
✔✔What occurs in an otherwise healthy person whose diet has very few carbs and high
levels of fats? - ✔✔Acetone is produced in the blood
✔✔Amino acids - ✔✔-Non-polar (hydrophobic)
-Polar charged
-Polar uncharged
✔✔Which type of mammalian DNA damage repair requires the presence of the
chromosome that is homologous to the damaged chromosome? - ✔✔Recombination
✔✔Xeroxerma Pigmentosum (XP) - ✔✔A recessive genetic disease that occurs when
one or more of the genes that perform nucleotide excision repair are nonfunctional
✔✔Why do XP patients have a much higher incidence of skin cancer than the general
population? - ✔✔The mutation of all other genes is higher due to failure to repair.
✔✔Assuming 100% reaction efficiency, how many DNA copies are created after the
completion of 4 complete PCR cycles? - ✔✔16
✔✔What is the function of DNA polymerase in the process of PCR? - ✔✔It recognizes
the primers and uses the available dNTPs to replicate the template DNA sequence.
✔✔What difference in the regions of the SIRT1 & SIRT2 genes in people addicted to
cocaine increases their expression? - ✔✔The nucleosomes become more widely
spaced.
✔✔What occurs during the process of alternative splicing of RNA? - ✔✔Alternate
combinations of Exons within the same gene are linked together.
, ✔✔Polypeptides - ✔✔-functional proteins
-made of folded up polymers
✔✔Elements - ✔✔Substance that cannot be broken down into another substance by
chemical reaction.
✔✔Ionic bond - ✔✔Actions share + & - charge
✔✔Covalent bond - ✔✔When atoms share electrons
✔✔Hydrogen bond - ✔✔Forms when portion of a polar molecule that is partially positive
interacts with portion of a polar molecule that is partially negative
✔✔Van der Waals interactions - ✔✔Occur due to random, transient movements of
electrons that at any given instant, give molecules regions of + & - charges.
✔✔Amino acid - ✔✔-has amino group (-NH2)
-& a carbonyl group (-COOH)
-cx. Based on side chains
✔✔Elevated levels of AST & ALT - ✔✔-indicates liver damage
(When damaged, their protein contents can spill into blood stream)
✔✔Which level of protein structure is disrupted through the hydrolysis of peptide
bonds? - ✔✔Primary
✔✔Sickle cell disease - ✔✔Caused by mutation in the Hgb-beta gene. (Causes cells to
become rigid, sticky, misshapen.)
✔✔Which force is most influential in determining the secondary structure of a protein? -
✔✔Hydrogen bonding
✔✔Hydrophobic effect - ✔✔Tendency of non polar substances to aggregate in an
aqueous solution & exclude water molecules.
✔✔Hydrophobic interaction - ✔✔Mutation of gene for protein that leads to substitution
of no polar amino acid with charged amino acid
✔✔Dopamine - ✔✔-neurotransmitter
-variety of functions (including motor control)
Parkinson's = decreases dopamine. Sinemet helps by increasing dopamine levels.
✔✔Lactose breaks down into : - ✔✔Glucose and galactose
