CHEM 210 BIOCHEMISTRY MODULE 6 ACTUAL EXAM 2026/2027 |
PORTAGE LEARNING QUESTIONS & VERIFIED ANSWERS | 100%
PASS GUARANTEE - A+ GRADED
CHEM 210 BIOCHEMISTRY — MODULE 6
Nucleic Acids: DNA, RNA, Nucleotides & Nucleic-Acid Polymers
Updated: 2026/2027
Institution: Portage Learning / Partner Institution
Resource Type: Comprehensive Practice Exam & Detailed Answer Guide
Table of Contents
Section Questions
Introduction 1–25
Core Concepts 26–100
Applied Scenarios 101–145
Critical Thinking 146–175
Review Questions 176–200
INTRODUCTION
Questions 1–25
Question 1
Which two types of nucleic acid are primarily responsible for storing and expressing
genetic information?
A. Proteins and lipids
B. DNA and RNA
C. Glycogen and starch
D. ATP and glucose
Correct answer: B. DNA and RNA
,Rationale: DNA and RNA are nucleic acids. DNA serves as the principal long-term repository
of hereditary information, while RNA participates in information transfer, protein synthesis,
regulation, and other cellular processes.
Question 2
What is the basic monomeric unit of a nucleic acid polymer?
A. Amino acid
B. Fatty acid
C. Nucleotide
D. Monosaccharide
Correct answer: C. Nucleotide
Rationale: Nucleic acids are polymers composed of nucleotide residues. Each nucleotide
contains a nitrogenous base, a pentose sugar, and one or more phosphate groups.
Question 3
Which three components make up a typical nucleotide?
A. Glycerol, fatty acid, phosphate
B. Sugar, nitrogenous base, phosphate
C. Sugar, amino acid, phosphate
D. Base, glycerol, amino acid
Correct answer: B. Sugar, nitrogenous base, phosphate
Rationale: A nucleotide consists of a pentose sugar, nitrogen-containing base, and phosphate
group. The combination of sugar and base alone is called a nucleoside.
Question 4
A nucleoside differs from a nucleotide because a nucleoside lacks which component?
A. Nitrogenous base
B. Pentose sugar
C. Phosphate group
D. Carbon atoms
Correct answer: C. Phosphate group
,Rationale: A nucleoside consists of a nitrogenous base linked to a pentose sugar. Addition of one
or more phosphate groups produces a nucleotide.
Question 5
Which pentose sugar is found in DNA?
A. Ribose
B. Deoxyribose
C. Fructose
D. Glucose
Correct answer: B. Deoxyribose
Rationale: DNA contains 2-deoxyribose. The absence of the 2′ hydroxyl group distinguishes
deoxyribose from ribose and contributes to important chemical differences between DNA and
RNA.
Question 6
Which pentose sugar is characteristic of RNA?
A. Ribose
B. Deoxyribose
C. Galactose
D. Mannose
Correct answer: A. Ribose
Rationale: RNA contains ribose. Ribose has a hydroxyl group at the 2′ carbon, whereas DNA
contains deoxyribose, which has hydrogen at that position instead.
Question 7
Which nitrogenous bases are classified as purines?
A. Cytosine and thymine
B. Adenine and guanine
C. Uracil and cytosine
D. Thymine and uracil
Correct answer: B. Adenine and guanine
, Rationale: Adenine and guanine are purines. They contain two fused nitrogen-containing rings.
Cytosine, thymine, and uracil are pyrimidines and contain one primary ring.
Question 8
Which bases are pyrimidines?
A. Adenine and guanine
B. Adenine and cytosine
C. Cytosine, thymine, and uracil
D. Guanine, thymine, and uracil
Correct answer: C. Cytosine, thymine, and uracil
Rationale: Pyrimidines contain a single six-membered nitrogen-containing ring. Cytosine occurs
in both DNA and RNA; thymine is characteristic of DNA, while uracil is characteristic of RNA.
Question 9
Which base is normally found in RNA instead of thymine?
A. Adenine
B. Guanine
C. Cytosine
D. Uracil
Correct answer: D. Uracil
Rationale: RNA normally uses uracil as a pyrimidine base. DNA generally uses thymine instead.
Question 10
Which base is characteristic of DNA but generally not RNA?
A. Uracil
B. Thymine
C. Cytosine
D. Guanine
Correct answer: B. Thymine
Rationale: DNA contains adenine, guanine, cytosine, and thymine. RNA generally contains
adenine, guanine, cytosine, and uracil.
PORTAGE LEARNING QUESTIONS & VERIFIED ANSWERS | 100%
PASS GUARANTEE - A+ GRADED
CHEM 210 BIOCHEMISTRY — MODULE 6
Nucleic Acids: DNA, RNA, Nucleotides & Nucleic-Acid Polymers
Updated: 2026/2027
Institution: Portage Learning / Partner Institution
Resource Type: Comprehensive Practice Exam & Detailed Answer Guide
Table of Contents
Section Questions
Introduction 1–25
Core Concepts 26–100
Applied Scenarios 101–145
Critical Thinking 146–175
Review Questions 176–200
INTRODUCTION
Questions 1–25
Question 1
Which two types of nucleic acid are primarily responsible for storing and expressing
genetic information?
A. Proteins and lipids
B. DNA and RNA
C. Glycogen and starch
D. ATP and glucose
Correct answer: B. DNA and RNA
,Rationale: DNA and RNA are nucleic acids. DNA serves as the principal long-term repository
of hereditary information, while RNA participates in information transfer, protein synthesis,
regulation, and other cellular processes.
Question 2
What is the basic monomeric unit of a nucleic acid polymer?
A. Amino acid
B. Fatty acid
C. Nucleotide
D. Monosaccharide
Correct answer: C. Nucleotide
Rationale: Nucleic acids are polymers composed of nucleotide residues. Each nucleotide
contains a nitrogenous base, a pentose sugar, and one or more phosphate groups.
Question 3
Which three components make up a typical nucleotide?
A. Glycerol, fatty acid, phosphate
B. Sugar, nitrogenous base, phosphate
C. Sugar, amino acid, phosphate
D. Base, glycerol, amino acid
Correct answer: B. Sugar, nitrogenous base, phosphate
Rationale: A nucleotide consists of a pentose sugar, nitrogen-containing base, and phosphate
group. The combination of sugar and base alone is called a nucleoside.
Question 4
A nucleoside differs from a nucleotide because a nucleoside lacks which component?
A. Nitrogenous base
B. Pentose sugar
C. Phosphate group
D. Carbon atoms
Correct answer: C. Phosphate group
,Rationale: A nucleoside consists of a nitrogenous base linked to a pentose sugar. Addition of one
or more phosphate groups produces a nucleotide.
Question 5
Which pentose sugar is found in DNA?
A. Ribose
B. Deoxyribose
C. Fructose
D. Glucose
Correct answer: B. Deoxyribose
Rationale: DNA contains 2-deoxyribose. The absence of the 2′ hydroxyl group distinguishes
deoxyribose from ribose and contributes to important chemical differences between DNA and
RNA.
Question 6
Which pentose sugar is characteristic of RNA?
A. Ribose
B. Deoxyribose
C. Galactose
D. Mannose
Correct answer: A. Ribose
Rationale: RNA contains ribose. Ribose has a hydroxyl group at the 2′ carbon, whereas DNA
contains deoxyribose, which has hydrogen at that position instead.
Question 7
Which nitrogenous bases are classified as purines?
A. Cytosine and thymine
B. Adenine and guanine
C. Uracil and cytosine
D. Thymine and uracil
Correct answer: B. Adenine and guanine
, Rationale: Adenine and guanine are purines. They contain two fused nitrogen-containing rings.
Cytosine, thymine, and uracil are pyrimidines and contain one primary ring.
Question 8
Which bases are pyrimidines?
A. Adenine and guanine
B. Adenine and cytosine
C. Cytosine, thymine, and uracil
D. Guanine, thymine, and uracil
Correct answer: C. Cytosine, thymine, and uracil
Rationale: Pyrimidines contain a single six-membered nitrogen-containing ring. Cytosine occurs
in both DNA and RNA; thymine is characteristic of DNA, while uracil is characteristic of RNA.
Question 9
Which base is normally found in RNA instead of thymine?
A. Adenine
B. Guanine
C. Cytosine
D. Uracil
Correct answer: D. Uracil
Rationale: RNA normally uses uracil as a pyrimidine base. DNA generally uses thymine instead.
Question 10
Which base is characteristic of DNA but generally not RNA?
A. Uracil
B. Thymine
C. Cytosine
D. Guanine
Correct answer: B. Thymine
Rationale: DNA contains adenine, guanine, cytosine, and thymine. RNA generally contains
adenine, guanine, cytosine, and uracil.
