BIOCHEM C785 – BIOCHEM FINAL
EXAM QUESTIONS AND CORRECT
ANSWERS 2026 LATEST PREP GUIDE
VERIFIED A+
◉ What are the minor elements in living organisms?
Answer: P, Na, K, Ca, Mg, S, Cl
◉ What are trace elements in living organisms?
Answer: Fe, Zn, Cu
◉ What are the 4 types of chemical bonds?
Answer: 1. Covalent
2. Ionic
3. Hydrogen Bonds
4. Weak Non-Polar Interactions
- van der Waals
- hydrophobic interactions
◉ What are the 5 unique properties of water?
Answer: 1. Cohesiveness/adhesiveness
2. High heat capacity
3. High heat of vaporization
,4. Expansion upon freezing
5. Versatility as a solvent
◉ What is a Bronsted Acid?
What is an Bronsted Base?
Answer: Acid = proton donor
Base = proton acceptor
◉ How do you calculate pH?
Answer: -log[H3O+]
◉ What is the Henderson-Hasselbalch Equation?
Answer: pH = pKa + log[A-]/[HA]
◉ How do you calculate the buffer range of a solution?
Answer: pKa +/- 1
◉ What is the carbonic acid/bicarbonate buffer system? What are its
benefits?
Answer: CO2 + H2O <-> H2CO3 <-> HCO3- + H+
pKa = 6.1, but CO2 can be removed or retained by respiration which can
shift equilibrium.
◉ Oxidation Levels of Carbon
,Answer: Reduced -> Oxidized
Alkane, Alcohol, Aldehyde, Ketone, Carboxylic Acid, Carbon Dioxide
◉ Catabolism
Answer: releases energy by oxidizing carbon atoms by moving them to a
higher oxidation state
◉ Anabolism
Answer: uses energy to reduce carbon atoms by moving them to a lower
oxidation state
◉ Reduced carbon
Answer: contains energy that the cell can use. because it is fully
reduced, it can be oxidized by using oxygen as the oxidizing agent and
thus release the energy
◉ Oxidized carbon
Answer: has no energy that the cell can capture, only plants can extract
energy and convert it to food source (photosynthesis)
◉ Stereoisomers
Answer: D (R in organic chemistry) and L (S in organic chemistry)
L is the preferred form in nature
, ◉ Non-Polar Amino Acids
Answer: Alanine (Ala)
Valine (Val)
Leucine (Leu)
IsoLuecine (Ile)
Methionine (Met)
Proline (Pro)
Phenylalanine (Phe)
Tryptophan (Trp)
◉ What is the pKa of Cysteine?
Answer: 8.3
◉ What is the pKa of Aspartic Acid?
Answer: 4.1
◉ What is the pKa of Glutamic Acid?
Answer: 4.1
◉ What is the pKa of Tyrosine?
Answer: 10.9
EXAM QUESTIONS AND CORRECT
ANSWERS 2026 LATEST PREP GUIDE
VERIFIED A+
◉ What are the minor elements in living organisms?
Answer: P, Na, K, Ca, Mg, S, Cl
◉ What are trace elements in living organisms?
Answer: Fe, Zn, Cu
◉ What are the 4 types of chemical bonds?
Answer: 1. Covalent
2. Ionic
3. Hydrogen Bonds
4. Weak Non-Polar Interactions
- van der Waals
- hydrophobic interactions
◉ What are the 5 unique properties of water?
Answer: 1. Cohesiveness/adhesiveness
2. High heat capacity
3. High heat of vaporization
,4. Expansion upon freezing
5. Versatility as a solvent
◉ What is a Bronsted Acid?
What is an Bronsted Base?
Answer: Acid = proton donor
Base = proton acceptor
◉ How do you calculate pH?
Answer: -log[H3O+]
◉ What is the Henderson-Hasselbalch Equation?
Answer: pH = pKa + log[A-]/[HA]
◉ How do you calculate the buffer range of a solution?
Answer: pKa +/- 1
◉ What is the carbonic acid/bicarbonate buffer system? What are its
benefits?
Answer: CO2 + H2O <-> H2CO3 <-> HCO3- + H+
pKa = 6.1, but CO2 can be removed or retained by respiration which can
shift equilibrium.
◉ Oxidation Levels of Carbon
,Answer: Reduced -> Oxidized
Alkane, Alcohol, Aldehyde, Ketone, Carboxylic Acid, Carbon Dioxide
◉ Catabolism
Answer: releases energy by oxidizing carbon atoms by moving them to a
higher oxidation state
◉ Anabolism
Answer: uses energy to reduce carbon atoms by moving them to a lower
oxidation state
◉ Reduced carbon
Answer: contains energy that the cell can use. because it is fully
reduced, it can be oxidized by using oxygen as the oxidizing agent and
thus release the energy
◉ Oxidized carbon
Answer: has no energy that the cell can capture, only plants can extract
energy and convert it to food source (photosynthesis)
◉ Stereoisomers
Answer: D (R in organic chemistry) and L (S in organic chemistry)
L is the preferred form in nature
, ◉ Non-Polar Amino Acids
Answer: Alanine (Ala)
Valine (Val)
Leucine (Leu)
IsoLuecine (Ile)
Methionine (Met)
Proline (Pro)
Phenylalanine (Phe)
Tryptophan (Trp)
◉ What is the pKa of Cysteine?
Answer: 8.3
◉ What is the pKa of Aspartic Acid?
Answer: 4.1
◉ What is the pKa of Glutamic Acid?
Answer: 4.1
◉ What is the pKa of Tyrosine?
Answer: 10.9
