Cell Biology Questions and Answers Part-6

1. Buffers usually contain ________________ with its conjugate ____________
a) weak base, base
b) strong base, acid
c) weak acid, base
d) weak acid, acid

Answer: c
Explanation: Buffers are solutions that resists change in pH. They can be made up of a weak acid and its conjugate base or a weak base and its conjugate acid. An example of a buffer is a solution of acetic acid(weak acid) and sodium acetate(conjugate base).

2. Carbonic acid and bicarbonate ions buffer which of the following?
a) Cytosol
b) Cytoplasm
c) Blood
d) Lymph

Answer: c
Explanation: Carbonic acid and bicarbonate ions buffer the blood and hold its pH at 7.4. Carbonic acid is a weak acid and bicarbonate ions are basic in nature. A change in pH of the blood can lead to abnormalities.

3. Heptoses are __________
a) sugars
b) proteins
c) amino acids
d) monomers

Answer: a
Explanation: Heptoses are carbohydrates that contain 7 atoms of carbon. The sugars of importance in cellular metabolism contain 3 to 7 carbon atoms.

4. Fructose is a _____________
a) aldose sugar
b) ketose sugar
c) monosaccharide
d) polymer

Answer: b
Explanation: Fructose is a ketose sugar because the carbonyl group (C==O) is located in an internal position to form a ketone group. If the carbonyl bond is located at one end of the sugar it is called aldose sugar.

5. The compounds which have same chemical reactivity but structures which are mirror images of each other are known as ____________
a) isoforms
b) allotropes
c) enantiomers
d) isomers

Answer: c
Explanation: Enantiomers or stereoisomers are the compounds having similar chemical reactivity and their structures are mirror images of each other.

6. Which of the following conventions is used to denote the presence of carbonyl group in left/right in the chemical structure of a carbohydrate?
a) Positive/ negative
b) -1/ +1
c) L/ R
d) L/ D

Answer: d
Explanation: When carbonyl group as in ketone or aldehyde is located on the left side the molecule is represented with a prefix ‘L-‘, for example L- glyceraldehyde; if present on the right prefix ‘D-‘ is added.

7. Enzymes in a cell can distinguish between L and D forms of sugar.
a) true
b) false

Answer: a
Explanation: Enzymes present in a living cell can differentiate between the D and L forms of sugar. Therefore, a cell uses only one of the stereoisomers. For example, only D-glucose is used.

8. Which types of bonds are found in sugars?
a) amide
b) acidic
c) glycosidic
d) non-covalent

Answer: c
Explanation: Sugars are joined to one another by covalent glycosidic bonds that play a major role in the formation of large sugar moieties. In these bonds carbon of one sugar molecule bonds with the hydroxyl group of another sugar generating a –C-O-C- linkage.

9. Sucrose and lactose are _____________
a) monosaccharides
b) disaccharides
c) pentoses
d) polyssaccharides

Answer: b
Explanation: Disaccharides provide the readily available stores of energy. Sucrose is found in plant sap and has the function of carrying chemical energy from one part of the plant to another. Lactose is found in milk of mammals and has the role of nourishing the new born with fuel for growth and early development.

10. Enzyme lactase is found in ______________
a) nucleus
b) ribosome
c) plasma membrane
d) golgi complex

Answer: c
Explanation: The enzyme lactase is responsible for hydrolyzing lactose. It is found in the plasma membrane of cells lining the walls of the intestine.