All Biochemistry Resources
Example Questions
Example Question #1 : Sphingolipids
Lysosomal storage diseases occur when mutations cause defects in which of the following?
Lysosome formation
Lysosome transformation
Sphingolipid biosynthesis enzymes
Formation of N-acetylgalactosamine derivatives
Sphingolipid degradation enzymes
Sphingolipid degradation enzymes
Lysosomal storage diseases occur when mutations cause defects in sphingolipid degradation enzymes. Simply put, the key word is "degradation," which indicates the presence of a disease. No other answer choice has a key word that indicates the presence of a disease.
Example Question #2 : Sphingolipids
Which of the following is the smallest sphingolipid in terms of molecular mass?
Ganglioside
Ceramide
Cerebroside
Sphingomyelin
Sphingomyelin
All four of these sphingolipids differ only in the functional groups attached to the sphingosine. Ceramide has a fatty acid group; cerebroside has a monosaccharide group; ganglioside has a polysaccharide group; sphingomyelin has a phosphatidylcholine or phosphoethanolamine group. In terms of molecular mass, phosphatyidylcholine or phosphoethanolamine are the smallest as well as the least massive functional group, making sphingomyelin the sphingolipid with the smallest molecular mass.
Example Question #1 : Sphingolipids
Ceramide is a precursor to which of the following?
Sphingosine
Sphingomyelin and glycosphingolipids
Sphingomyelin only
Sphingolipids only
Glycoshingolipids only
Sphingomyelin and glycosphingolipids
Ceramide is formed by sphingosine. Sphingosine is formed by a long chain of sphingolipids. Both sphingomyelin and glycosphingolipids are formed from ceramide.
Example Question #1 : Sphingolipids
Which of the following is amphipathic, polar, and are formed by long-chain sphingolipids?
Glucosamine
Ceramide
Sphingomyelin
Sphingosine
Palmitoyl-CoA
Sphingosine
Glucosamine contributes to the structure of glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI). Ceramide is the precursor to sphingomyelin, sphingosine is hydrolyzed to form ceramide.
Example Question #192 : Biochemistry
The myelin sheaths of neurons typically contain large quantities of __________.
waxes
sphingolipids
triacylglycerols
cholesterol
sphingolipids
Myelin sheaths surround nerve cell axons and are essential for proper nervous system function. They act as an electrically insulating layer and enable better propagation of action potentials. Sphingomyelin is a type of sphingolipid found in the myelin sheaths of animal cell membranes.
All Biochemistry Resources
![Learning Tools by Varsity Tutors](https://vt-vtwa-app-assets.varsitytutors.com/assets/problems/og_image_practice_problems-9cd7cd1b01009043c4576617bc620d0d5f9d58294f59b6d6556fd8365f7440cf.jpg)