MUHIMBILI UNIVERSITY OF HEALTH AND ALLIED SCIENCE (MUHAS)

BIOCHEMISTRY CONTINUOUS ASSESMENT EXAMINATION

14 November 2017

SURNAME:__________GIVEN NAME__________ MIDDLE NAME_____________

INSTRUCTIONS:
1. THIS IS A TWO HOUR EXAMINATION
2. CHOOSE AND CIRCLE THE BEST ANSWER OUT OF THE GIVEN
ALTERNATIES.
3. ANSWER ALL QUESTIONS
4. THERE IS NO PENALTY FOR A WRONG CHOICE.

1. Which of the following describes the Henderson-Hasselbalch equation where HA

is the acid?
A. pH = pKa + log [A-]/[HA]
B. pH = pKa - log [A-]/[HA]
C. pH = pK + log [HA]/[A-]
D. pKa = pH + log [A-]/[HA]

2. Concerning buffers, which of the following is true?

A. Strong acid and bases are good buffers
B. Buffers cause dramatic pH changes
C. Buffers may be a mixture of a weak acid and its conjugate base
D. Buffers are Agood@ only if they buffer at or near physiological pH

3. The most important buffering system for maintaining proper blood pH is:
A. The charges on the amino acids
B. The bicarbonate buffer system of CO2, carbonic acid, and bicarbonate
C. Phosphate groups of serum phosphoproteins
D. Phosphoric acid and its conjugate base

3. 10.What is the [OH-] of a solution whose pH=5.43

A. 2.69x 10-9M
B. 3.72x 10-6M
C. 2.69x10-3M
D. 9.57 x10-3M

5. A common practice of competitive short-distance runners is to breathe rapidly

and deeply for about half a minute before running in a 100-meter dash. The
purpose of this hyperventilation is to achieve:
A. Metabolic Acidosis
B. Metabolic Alkalosis
C. Respiratory Acidosis
D. Respiratory Alkalosis

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6.Your patient’ s blood contains 20mM HCO32- and 2mM CO2 (CO2+H2CO3). The pH
of the blood is: Given pKa=6.1)
A. 8.1
B. 7.1
C. 7.4
D. 7.8

7. You have purified an integral membrane protein composed of one polypeptide

chain. You have cleaved the chain into 3 segments named I, II, and III. Segment I
has several oligosaccharide chains attached to it; II is composed of the amino acids
alanine, valine, isoleucine, leucine; and III contains a site for ATP-dependent amino
acid phosphorylation. Which of the geometric figures shown below most likely
represents the orientation of the polypeptide in the
membrane?

A. .
B. .
C. .
D. .

8. Lactose intolerance of the kind that develops with age is caused by a deficiency
of
A. α-amylase.
B. β-galactosidase(lactase).
C. Glucosidase
D. The enzyme that breaks Glucβ1β6Gluc

9. Lactose intolerance of the kind that develops with age is caused by a deficiency
of
A. α-amylase.
B. β-galactosidase(lactase).
C. Glucosidase
D. Hexokinase

10. Glycogen is an edible, highly branched polymer (MW ~1 million or ~5000

glucose units composed of linear segments joined by------------ glycosidic bonds
which branch at about every tenth glucose residue by virtue of a------------ links
A. β-(1,4) ,α(1,6)

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 B.  -(1,6),  -(1,4)

C.  -(1,4),  -(1,6)

D.  -(1,4), β -(1,6)

11.The structure depicted below is

A. Sucrose a disaccharide
B. Lactose a disaccharide
C. A repeating init in cellulose
D. Portion of a hyaluronic acid a type of glycosaminoglycan

12.Is (are) a NOT a disaccharide

A. Sucrose (table sugar)
B. Maltose (Malt sugar)
C. Lactose (milk sugar)
D. A Galactose and Ribose

13.Cellulose is derived from D-glucose units, which condense through glycosidic

bonds that are not cleaved by humans. This makes cellulose an important
component in our diet as a roughage. The bonds referred to here are
A. β(1→4)-glycosidic bonds.
B. α(1→4)-glycosidic bonds.
C. β(1→6)-glycosidic bonds.
D. β(1→3)-glycosidic bonds.

14.Reducing sugars include the following pairs EXCEPT

A. Glucose and fructose
B. Glyceraldehyde and maltose.
C. Maltose, lactose
D. Sucrose and starch

15. The name carbohydrate means a "hydrate of carbon." The general formula of
carbohydrate is
A. Cx(H2O)y
B. Cx(H2Ox)y
C. Cx(H2)yO
D. (C H2)xOy

16. Identify the structure found in N-linked glycoproteins

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 A. .
B. .
C. .
D. .
E. .

17. Complete hydrolysis of a cerebroside would yields

A. sphingosine, a fatty acid, phosphorus, and a nitrogenous base.
B. sphingosine, glycerol, and a hexose. a ceramide and a hexose.
C. sphingosine, a fatty acid, and a hexose.
D. sphingosine, a fatty acid, a hexose and sialic acid.

18.The correct structure for octadecenoic acid is:

A. CH3(CH2)12COOH
B. CH3(CH2)14COOH
C. CH3(CH2)16COOH
D. CH3(CH2)18COOH
E. CH3(CH2)7CH=CH(CH2)7COOH

19. The structural element common to all sphingolipids is

A. Glycerol
B. Ceramide
C. The fatty acid 22:1(9)
D. Phosphorylcholine
E. N-acetylneuraminate (NANA)

20. The compound show below is

A. Sphingosine
B. Ceramide
C. Cerebroside
D. Glycerolipid

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21. Which is a true statement comparing phospholipids and triglycerides (fats and
oils)?

A. Both molecules contain a phosphate group.

B. Triglycerides may be saturated or unsaturated, but all phospholipids are
saturated.
C. Phospholipids are the primary storage form for fats in our bodies.
D. Phospholipid molecules have a distinctly polar 'head' and a distinctly non-
polar'tail,'while triglycerides are predominantly non-polar.

22. This compound is an example of a(n)

A. Cerebrocide
B. Steroid
C. Ganglioside
D. Neutral lipid

23.Which atomic centers in the following carbohydrate molecule are

stereocenters(chiral):

A) A and B
B) B and C A B
C) C and D
D) D and E
C
E
D

24. Newly synthesized proteins are transferred to the ------------------in where

they are further processed and packaged into lysosomes, peroxisomes, or secretory
vesicles
A. Nucleus
B. Rough endoplasmic reticulum
C. Transport vesicles
D. Golgi

25.Is NOT true with respect to mitochondria

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 A. Most proteins operating in mitochondria originate from mtDNA.
B. The major role of mitochondria is to produce ATP
C. Mitochondria has been associated with apoptosis and aging
D. Mitochondria possesses ribosomes

26. What protein structure involves interaction between two portions of the same
chain in the form of H bonds perpendicular to the axis of the molecule?
A. α-helix
B. Supers secondary structure
C. β-pleated sheet
D. Primary structure

27 . Which of the tripeptides below would be least soluble in a hydrophobic solvent

like benzene?
A. N - phenylalanine - cysteine - glycine - C
B. N - leucine - aspartate - glycine - C
C. N - proline - phenylalanine - leucine – C
D. N - arginine - proline - alanine - C
E. N - glutamate - aspartate - lysine - C

28. If there are only different 20 amino acids that are inserted into proteins, how do
amino acids, which are not among the twenty (like hydroxylysine and
hydroxyproline), get into proteins?
A. They are present before synthesis.
B. Amino acids inserted during synthesis are altered later.
C. They are added after synthesis.
D. There is so far no precise explanation for this observation

29. Which one of the following molecules will elute last from size exclusion gel
filtration column? (Assume that all amino acids have the same molecular weight.)
A. A globular protein composed of 188 amino acids
B. A globular protein with 165 amino acids
C. A globular protein consisting of 69 amino acids
D. A fibrous protein of 188 amino acids

30. Which technique combines the effects of isoelectric focusing and SDS-PAGE to
purify proteins?
A. Ion exchange chromatography
B. ELISA
C. Three-dimensional gel electrophoresis
D. Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis

31 . In myoglobin and hemoglobin, oxygen binds directly to

A. The sixth coordinate bond of Fe2+ in the heme.
B. The fifth coordinate bond of Fe3+ in the heme.
C. The proximal histidine.
D. The nitrogen atom of proximal Histidine.

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32.All of the following statements about myoglobin structure are correct EXCEPT:
A. Myoglobin has a high a-helical content.
B. Most of the charged residues are located on the inside of the molecule.
C. The interior part of the molecule contains mainly the non-polar amino acids.
D. Myoglobin contains a single polypeptide chain

33. Which of the following increases hemoglobin's oxygen binding?

A. A decrease in pH
B. An increase in BPG level
C. An increase in CO2 level
D. Binding of oxygen at one or more heme sites

34. You use the affinity column that you have designed to purify protein Q.
Electrophoresis of the purified protein in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate
(SDS) (following reduction of the protein) shows a single band of 60,000 daltons. In
a gel filtration experiment, protein Q elutes between alcohol dehydrogenase (MW =
160,000) and B-amylase (MW=190,000). How many subunits are in intact protein
Q?
A. 1
B. 2
C. 3
D. 4
E. 5

35. The titration of a buffer by NaOH is shown below.

The highest buffering capacity is at pH

A. 4
B. 6
C. 8
D. 12

36. Protein secondary structure can best be described as

A. The sequence of amino acids.
B. Stretches of alpha helix or beta sheet connected by beta turns, coils, and
omega loops.
C. The cross-linking of strands by disulfide bonds.
D. The interaction of subunits to form multimeric proteins.

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37.Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase catalyzes the following reaction: glucose-
6-phosphate + NADP+ -> 6-phosphogluconate + NADPH + H+. This enzyme is
a(n):
A. Oxido-reductase.
B. Transferase.
C. Lyases.
D. Isomerases.

38.Globular proteins usually

A. Have a hydrophobic interior surrounded by a hydrophilic surface.
B. Have only one subunit (are monomeric).
C. Have only alpha helical structures.
D. Cannot be analyzed by gel filtration.

39. Hemoglobin binds oxygen cooperatively whereas myoglobin does not. What is
the best explanation for the difference?
A. Myoglobin contains mostly beta sheets while hemoglobin has none.
B. Heme lies on the surface of myoglobin while hemoglobin binds heme in a
hydrophobic pocket.
C. Myoglobin contains Fe2+ while hemoglobin contains Fe3+.
D. Myoglobin is monomeric while hemoglobin in multimeric.

40. Enzymes usually increase

A. The optimum temperature of a reaction.
B. The rate of the reaction at room temperature.
C. The time that it takes to reach equilibrium.
D. The equilibrium constant of a reaction.

41. Most vitamins

A. Are precursors of coenzymes.
B. Are synthesized by humans when they bare in high demand.
C. Consist of amino acids, fatty acids or sugars.
D. Are covalently linked to proteins without modification.

42. A dietary deficiency of the following cofactor can lead to the Wernicke-
Korsakoff syndrome.
A. Thiamine
B. Niacin
C. Riboflavin
D. Biotin

43.Which protease (secreted by the pancreas) cleaves proteins on the carboxyl side
of aromatic side chains
A. Trypsin
B. Pepsin
C. Chymotrypsin
D. Proelastase

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44. Digestion of a peptide with trypsin results in the formation of two peptides; one
contains 1 glycine and 1 serine, the other contains 1 glycine, 2 alanine, 1 tyrosine
and 1 arginine. Of the peptides listed below, which one(s) could give the above
result ?
A. gly-ala-tyr-ala-arg-gly-ser
B. ser-gly-arg-ala-tyr-ala-gly
C. ala-tyr-ala-gly-arg-ser-gly
D. gly-ser-ala-arg-gly-ala-tyr

45. The amino acid that absorbs light at 280 nm.

A. Lysine
B. Histidine
C. Tryptophan
D. Glutamate
E. Cysteine

46.The amino acid involved in covalent intrastrand cross-linking.

A. Lysine
B. Tryptophan
C. Glutamate
D. Cysteine

47.The amino acid with a pI (isoelectric point) between 9 and 11.

A. Lysine
B. Histidine
C. Tryptophan
D. Glutamate

48. The following vitamin is a component of coenzyme A (CoA)

A. Riboflavin
B. Thiamine
C. Biotin
D. Pantothenic acid

49.The following form of vitamin D is the most active in stimulating Ca++ transport
in the gut.
A. Cholecalciferol
B. 25 hydroxycholecalciferol
C. 1,25 dihydroxycholecalciferol
D. 24,25 dihydroxycholecalciferol

50.Pernicious anemia is caused by

A. A deficiency of vitamin12 in the diet
B. A deficiency of folic acid in the diet
C. An excess production of HCl acid by the parietal cells of the stomach
D. Deficiency of intrinsic factor

51.Methotrexate (amethopterin) , which has been used clinically in the treatment of

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leukemia, inhibits :
A. The conversion of tetrahydrofolic acid to N10-formyltetrahydrofolic acid
B. The conversion of dihydrofolic acid to tetrahydrofolic acid
C. The conversion of pteroic acid and glutamic acid to pteroylglutamic acid
D. The synthesis of methylenetetrahydrofolic acid from serine and
tetrahydrofolic acid

52.Sulfanilamide and its derivates are antibiotics that are structural analogues of
A. PABA
B.N5-Methyl-THF
C. N5,N10-Methylene-THF
D. N5-Formyl-THF,

53.Is/are capable of scavenging free radicals and molecular oxygen.

A. Vita min D
B. Vitamin B12
C. Vitamin C
D. Vitamin K

54. The concept of "induced fit" as a theory of enzyme action implies that
A. The lock-and-key theory adequately explains the mechanism of enzyme
catalysis
B. The active site is flexible; the catalytic group(s) of the enzyme is(are)
brought into proper alignment by the substrate.
C. The conformation of the substrate and enzyme are as rigid as key and lock .
D. Both D- and L-isomers ca be catalysed at the active site of the enzyme

55. Which statement about enzyme catalyzed reactions is NOT true?

A. Enzymes form complexes with their substrates.
B. Enzymes change the Keq for chemical reactions.
C. Enzymes lower the activation energy for chemical reactions.
D. Many enzymes change shape slightly when substrate binds.

56. To overcome an energy barrier between reactants and products, energy must
be provided to get the reaction started. This energy, which is recovered as the
reaction proceeds, is called:
A. Activation energy
B. Initiation energy
C. Kinetic energy
D. Potential energy

57. In the graph reaction rate vs substrate concentration shown below, the reason
that the curve reaches a plateau, and does not increase any further at high
substrate concentration is that:

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 A. A ll substrate has been converted to product
B. The enzyme is denatured
C. The active site is saturated with substrate
D. The reaction has reached equilibrium

58. Which of the following statements about Hb S is correct?

A. It is normal hemoglobin found in adults.
B. It is a form of hemoglobin modified by the addition of a cysteine at the C-
terminus.
C. It is a mutant form of hemoglobin in which a glutamic acid of each beta chain
has been replaced by a valine.
D. Aggregation of molecules of this form of hemoglobin is promoted by high
oxygen concentration.

59. An essential amino acid:

A. Alanine
B. Methionine
C. Glutamic acid
D. Aspartic acid

60. The primary structure of the collagen alpha-chain is best represented by which
ONE of the following? X, Y, and Z represent any amino acid and n=250-400.
A. (X-Gly)n
B. (Pro-Y-Z)n
C. (Lys-Pro-Z)n
D. (X-Y-Gly)n

61. Which of the following statement is TRUE about hemoglobin?

A. Is a tetramer with 4 identical sub-units
B. The heme pocket is located on the surface
C. Fe2+ has 5 co-ordinate bonds
D. Hemoglobin has less affinity for Oxygen than myoglobin

62. What will happen at high elevations (adaptation to high altitude)?

A. 2,3-bisphosphoglycerate concentration increases and hemoglobins affinity for
oxygen decreases
B. 2,3-bisphosphoglycerate concentration decreases and hemoglobins affinity
for oxygen decreases
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 C. 2,3-bisphosphoglycerate concentration decreases and hemoglobins affinity
for oxygen decreases
D. 2,3-bisphosphoglycerate concentration increases and hemoglobins affinity for
oxygen increases

63. ____________________ is the term that describes a theoretical value achieved

when all enzyme substrate binding sites are occupied by the substrate.
A. Km
B. kcat
C. Vmax
D. ES

64. Which of the following classes of enzymes catalyze intra-molecular

rearrangements?
A. Lyases
B. Transferases
C. Oxidoreductases
D. Isomerases

65. The Lineweaver– Burk plot is characterized by one of the following:

A. 1/Vm = x-intercept.
B. 1/Km = y-intercept
C. Vmax/Km = 1/slope
D. 1/Vmax = y-intercept.

66. Refer to the following graph. The solid curve and the dashed curve represent
alternate pathways for the same reaction. One pathway is enzyme catalyzed.

Which letter represents the net energy change of the reaction

A. .
B. .
C. .
D. .
E. .

67. An enzyme catalyzes the reaction X→ Y. The initial rate of the reaction was
measured as a function of the concentration of
Y. The following data were obtained

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 [Y], micromolar V0, nmoles/min

80 30
120 36
400 40
620 50
800 65
940 80
1200 80
The Km was
A. 80
B. 1000
C. 400
D. 7000

68.α-helix has
A. 2.4 amino acid residues per turn
B. 3.6 amino acid residues per turn
C. 6.6 amino acid residues per turn
D. 5.0 amino acid residues per turn
E. 6.3 amino acid residues per turn

69. In hemoglobin, the iron of the heme is bonded to the four nitrogens of
porphyrin and to the proximal ______________ residue of the globin chain.
A. Valine
B. Serine
C. Histidine
D. Cysteine
E. Phenylalanine

70.Arrange these fatty acid in the order of decreasing melting point

i. CH (CH ) COOH
3 2 14
ii. CH (CH ) COOH
3 2 16
iii. CH (CH ) CH=CH(CH ) COOH
3 2 7 2 7
iv. CH (CH ) CH=CHCH CH=CH(CH ) COOH
3 2 4 2 2 7
v. CH CH CH=CHCH CH=CHCH CH=CH(CH ) COOH
3 2 2 2 2 7
A. i,ii,iii,iv,v
B. i,ii,iii,iv,v
C. v,iv,iii,ii,i
D. v,iii,iv,i,ii
E. i,iii,ii,v,iv

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71. Increases in the temperature of an enzyme catalyzed system results in an
increase in the reaction rate. Temperature rise has all BUT one of the following
effects
A. There are more energetic collisions
B. The number of collisions per unit time increase
C. Increase of internal energy of the molecules which may include the
vibrational and rotational energy of the molecules.
D. Decrease in random enzyme substrate collisions

72.The serine-specific agent DIPF (diisopropyl fluorophosphate) that inhibits

acetylcholinesterase is a good example of
A. Irreversible inhibitor
B. Competitive inhibitor
C. Non competitive inhibitor
D. Unccompetitive inhibitor

73. Aspirin acetylates Serine 530 residue in active site of cyclooxygenase-1 (COX-
1) enzyme consequently preventing synthesis of prostaglandins. This is a good
example of
A. Serine blockade inhibition
B. Suicide inhibition
C. Protein inhibition
D. Terminal inhibition

74.Which of the following statements is false with respect to an enzyme's ability to

catalyze a reaction?
A. An enzyme provides a reaction surface and a suitable environment for the
reaction to take place.
B. An enzyme binds reactants such that they are positioned correctly and can
attain their transition-state configurations.
C. An enzyme allows the reaction to go through a less stable transition state
than would normally be the case.
D. An enzyme can weaken bonds in reactants through the binding process

75. Which of the following statements best describes an allosteric binding site?
A. It is a binding site containing amino acids with aliphatic side chains.
B. It is a binding site that can accept a wide variety of differently shaped
molecules.
C. It is a binding site, which is separate from the active site, and affects the
activity of an enzyme when it is occupied by a ligand.
D. It is a description of an active site which has undergone an induced fit.

76. Some enzymes covalently bind a non-protein organic molecule to the active
site. The organic molecule concerned is required if the enzyme is to catalyze a
reaction on a substrate. What is the term used for such a molecule?
A. Prosthetic group
B. Cofactor
C. Co-enzyme

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 D. Allosteric modulator

77. The kinetic effect of purely competitive inhibitor of an enzyme

A. Increases Km without affecting Vmax
B. Decreases Km without affecting Vmax
C. Increases Vmax without affecting Km
D. Decreases Vmax without affecting Km

78. .An enzyme that catalyzes the bisubstrate reaction A + B P + Q was

incubated with an inhibitor for several hours. The kinetics of inhibition were then
determined, as shown below. What is the most reasonable interpretation of the
data?

A. The inhibitor binds reversibly to the A site only.

B. The inhibitor binds reversibly to the B site only.
C. The inhibitor binds reversibly to both the A and B sites.
D. The inhibitor binds irreversibly to the A site only.

79. From the graph below, the Vmax of the enzyme in the absence of an inhibitor is

A. 5.0
B. 2.5
C. 2.0
D. 0.4
E. 0.2
80,the following amino acidpair have propensity of breaking(destabilizing ) α-
helixes
A. Asp,Glu
B. Pro,Gly
C. Cys ,Met
D. Val,Leu

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