Biology Multiple Choice Questions on “Biomolecules – Polysaccharides – 1”.
1. Which of these is a macromolecule?
a) Vitamins
b) Minerals
c) Lipids
d) Polysaccharides
Answer: d
Clarification: Vitamins, minerals and lipids are micro-molecules. This means that they have a molecular weight of less than 800 Da. Polysaccharides are macromolecules as they have a molecular weight greater than 10,000 Da.
2. Which of these is present in the acid insoluble pool of homogenized, strained tissue?
a) Ions
b) Minerals
c) Polysaccharides
d) Vitamins
Answer: c
Clarification: After living tissue is homogenized and strained, it separates into an acid soluble pool and an acid insoluble pool. The acid insoluble pool contains macromolecules such as polysaccharides.
3. Polysaccharide chains are made of ______
a) disaccharides
b) glucose
c) sugars
d) fructose
Answer: c
Clarification: Polysaccharide chains are made of repeating units of different sugars. Hence, polysaccharides are an example of heteropolymers, in which the polymer chain is made of different monomers.
4. Which of these is not a monosaccharide?
a) Sucrose
b) Glucose
c) Fructose
d) Galactose
Answer: a
Clarification: A monosaccharide or simple sugar is the basic unit of carbohydrates. Glucose, fructose and galactose are monosaccharides. Sucrose is a disaccharide which is made of a glucose monomer and a fructose monomer.
5. Cellulose is a _____
a) heteropolymer
b) homopolymer
c) dimer
d) monomer
Answer: b
Clarification: Cellulose is a homopolymer. This means that it is made of repeating units of the same monomer, which is glucose in the case of cellulose. Cellulose is the most abundant organic polymer on Earth.
6. Cellulose is a polymer of _____
a) galactose and fructose
b) glucose and fructose
c) glucose
d) glucose and galactose
Answer: c
Clarification: Cellulose is a homopolymer. This means that its chain consists of repeating units of a single type of monomer. Repeating units of glucose joined by glycosidic bonds form the polymer cellulose.
7. Which of these is a storehouse of energy in plant tissues?
a) Starch
b) Cellulose
c) Glucose
d) Fructose
Answer: a
Clarification: Plant tissues produce glucose by the process of photosynthesis. This glucose is converted to starch which is then stored in the plant tissue. It imparts energy to the plant through the process of respiration.
8. Which of these is a storehouse of energy in animal tissues?
a) Glucose
b) Cellulose
c) Starch
d) Glycogen
Answer: d
Clarification: Glucose is the source of energy for animal tissues. It is stored in the body in polymeric form in a polysaccharide called glycogen. Glycogen can be broken down into glucose for consumption by tissues when required by the body.
9. Inulin is a polymer of ______
a) glucose and fructose
b) glucose
c) fructose
d) glucose, fructose and galactose
Answer: c
Clarification: Inulin is a homopolymer. This means that the polymeric chain is formed from repeating units of the monomer fructose. The fructose units are joined to each other by glycosidic bonds to form inulin.
10. Fructose does not form homopolymers. True or false?
a) True
b) False
Answer: b
Clarification: Fructose is a monomer and is also known as fruit sugar. It can form homopolymers of repeating units of fructose joined by glycosidic bonds. The homopolymer thus formed is known as inulin.
11. Which part of glycogen is the reducing end?
a) Second monomer from the left
b) Second monomer from the right
c) Left end
d) Right end
Answer: d
Clarification: Glycogen is a polysaccharide composed of glucose monomers that has a branched structure. The right end of polysaccharide chains is the reducing end while the left end is the non-reducing end.
12. Which part of cellulose is the non-reducing end?
a) Second monomer from the left
b) Second monomer from the right
c) Left end
d) Right end
Answer: c
Clarification: Cellulose is a polysaccharide composed of glucose monomers that has a linear structure. The right end of polysaccharide chains is the reducing end while the left end is the non-reducing end.
13. The building blocks ok polysaccharides are _____
a) glucose units
b) disaccharides
c) monosaccharides
d) carbon molecules
Answer: c
Clarification: Polysaccharides are polymers of monosaccharides. Some monosaccharides are glucose, fructose and galactose. They are linked through glycosidic bonds to form chains of various polysaccharides.
14. Which of these is not true about cellulose?
a) It is the second most abundant organic polymer
b) It has linear chains
c) It is made of glucose subunits
d) It is a homopolymer
Answer: a
Clarification: Cellulose is a homopolymer of repeating glucose units joined to each other by glycosidic bonds. Cellulose chains are linear in structure. Cellulose is the most abundant organic polymer on Earth.
15. Which of these statements is not true regarding polysaccharides?
a) Cellulose has a linear structure
b) Inulin is a heteropolymer
c) Glycogen has a branched structure
d) Polysaccharide chains have a non-reducing left end
Answer: b
Clarification: Cellulose, inulin and glycogen are polysaccharides. Cellulose has a linear structure while glycogen has a branched structure. All polysaccharide chains have a non-reducing left end. Inulin is a homopolymer of fructose.