All GRE Subject Test: Chemistry Resources
Example Questions
Example Question #1 : Protein Structure
How many water molecules are lost from the condensation of 100 amino acids into a polypeptide?
A peptide bond is formed via the condensation of one amino acid's alpha-carboxy group with the alpha-amino group of another amino acid. Thus, the joining together of two amino acids results in the loss of one water molecule. Likewise, joining three amino acids together results in the loss of two water molecules. Following this pattern, we can conclude that the number of water molecules lost is equal to the number of amino acids joined together, minus 1. Therefore, the joining together of 100 amino acids results in the loss of 99 water molecules.
Example Question #1 : Biochemistry
An enzyme that cleaves disulfide bridges would most disrupt a protein containing which amino acid sequence?
All of the answers would be equally affected
Tyr–Cys–Val–Val–Leu–Thr
Val–Leu–Leu–Cys–Tyr–Thr
Cys–Leu–Val–Tyr–Tyr–Thr
Tyr–Cys–Cys–Thr–Val–Leu
Tyr–Cys–Cys–Thr–Val–Leu
Disulfide bridges are made between two cysteine amino acids. An enzyme that cleaves disulfide bonds would disrupt a protein containing the most cysteine residues; therefore, Tyr–Cys–Cys–Thr–Val–Leu is the correct answer.
Example Question #4 : Structure Of Dna And Rna
Of the following groups of nitrogenous bases, which does not contain a purine?
Thymine, adenine, cytosine
Cytosine, thymine, uracil
Adenine, guanine, thymine
Guanine, uracil, adenine
Cytosine, thymine, guanine
Cytosine, thymine, uracil
We can use the mnemonic "PurAG" to remember that the purines are adenine and guanine. The only choice that does not contain a purine, therefore, is "cytosine, thymine, and uracil." Remember, pyrimidines contain a single ring, while purines have two.
Example Question #23 : Cell Biology
Which of the following molecules is amphipathic?
Phospholipid
Glutamate
Triglyceride
Maltose
Phospholipid
Amphipathic molecules contain both polar and nonpolar regions, making them an extremely diverse class with an array of functions. For example, bile is an amphipathic molecule whose nonpolar region interacts with fats and whose polar region interacts with the aqueous environment of the small intestine.
Most lipids are entirely nonpolar and hydrophobic. Phospholipids, however, are formed from a glycerol molecule bound to two hydrophobic fatty acid tails and a hydrophilic phosphate head. This structure allows phospholipids amphipathic properties. Most notably, phospholipids are able to interact with the aqueous environments in the cell cytosol and extracellular environment, while maintaining the hydrophobic region of the cell membrane that acts as a semipermeable barrier.
Triglycerides are considered nonpolar. Glutamate is an acidic amino acid with highly polar properties. Maltose is a six-carbon sugar (carbohydrate) and is highly polar.
Example Question #3 : Properties Of Lipids
Which of the following will you most likely find in a steroid molecule?
Phosphate group
Nitrogenous base
Pentose sugar
Cyclohexane ring
Cyclohexane ring
Steroids are a type of lipid that are characterized by their four-ring molecular structure. The four rings consist of three six-membered rings and one five-membered ring. Recall that six-membered rings are called cyclohexanes and five-membered rings are called cyclopentanes; therefore, you will most likely find a cyclohexane in a steroid.
Phosphate groups, pentose sugars, and nitrogenous bases are found in nucleotides, which are monomers that make up nucleic acids. Steroids are a type of lipid; therefore, you will most likely not find these substances in a steroid.
Example Question #1671 : Mcat Biological Sciences
Which type of bond is created between carbohydrates and the sidechain amine of select asparagine residues in proteins?
Both are correct
O-glycosidic
N-glycosidic
Neither is correct
N-glycosidic
A glycosidic bond covalently joins a carbohydrate molecule to another molecule. An O-glycosidic bond is a covalent linkage between a carbohydrate and a protein, joining a serine or threonine hydroxyl side chain and a sugar (oxygen in the bond yields "O"). An N-glycosidic linkage involves bonding of a carbohydrate and a protein, joining an asparagine side chain amide and a sugar (nitrogen in the bond yields "N"). Thus, N-glycosidic is the correct answer.
Example Question #1 : Disaccharides, Polysaccharides, And Glycosidic Linkages
Cellulose is a polymer that is composed of what monomer?
Fructose
Glycogen
Galactose
Glycerol
Glucose
Glucose
Cellulose is a polysaccharide (a sugar). Glucose is the monosaccharide used to generate the structure of cellulose via linkages. Cellulose is composed of several hundred glucose molecules bound in this chain. Due to the nature of the beta linkage, humans cannot digest cellulose.
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