CHEM221

BIOCHEMISTRY

PRACTICE QUESTIONS

Chapter 10

1) What is the number of carbons found in the most commonly observed fatty acids?
A) 12 or 14
B) 14 or 16
C) 16 or 18
D) 18 or 20
E) 20 or 22

2) What term describes molecules that have both hydrophilic and hydrophobic moieties?
A) amphoteric
B) amphiprotic
C) amphibian
D) amphipathic
E) None of the answers is correct.

3) In addition to phospholipids and glycolipids, which of the following is a major type of

membrane lipid?
A) cholesterol
B) vitamin E
C) triacylglycerol
D) free fatty acids
E) None of the answers is correct.

4) Which of the following molecules or substances contain, or are derived from, fatty acids?

A) Beeswax
B) Glycolipids
C) Sphingolipids
D) Triacylglycerols
E) All of the above contain or are derived from fatty acids.

5) Triacylglycerols are composed of:

A) a glycerol backbone
B) three fatty acids
C) amide linkages between the fatty acids and the glycerol
D) A and B
E) A, B, and C
6) Biological waxes are all:

A) triesters of glycerol and palmitic acid

B) esters of single fatty acids with long-chain alcohols
C) triesters of glycerol and three long chain saturated fatty acids
D) sphingolipids
E) None of the above

7) Which of the following best describes the cholesterol molecule?

A) Amphipathic
B) Nonpolar, charged
C) Nonpolar, uncharged
D) Polar, charged
E) Polar, uncharged

8) Triacylglycerols are
a) soluble in water
b) insoluble in water
c) soluble in water at elevated temperature
d) partially soluble in water

9) Phospholipid contains
a) hydrophilic heads and hydrophobic tails
b) long water-soluble carbon chains
c) positively charged functional groups
d) both (b) and (c)

10) Micelles of fatty acids in water are organized such that the __________ faces the solvent and
the __________ are directed toward the interior.

11) Lipids with four fused carbon rings and various functional groups attached are known as
a) phospholipids
b) saturated fats
c) steroids
d) fatty acids
e) chitin
12) What is the name of the compound shown below?

a) Cholesterol
b) phosphatidate
c) phosphatidilinositol
d) sphingomyelin

13) Which of the following compounds is a derivative of the backbone shown below?

a) Cholesterol
b) phosphatidate
c) phosphatidilinositol
d) sphingomyelin

14) What is the effect of a double bond on fatty acid structure?

15) What is the most significant chemical difference between triacylglycerols and
glycerophospholipids that leads to their different functions?
16) __________________ contain a double bond three carbons from the distal end of the fatty
acid.

17) In phosphoglycerides, the fatty acids are linked to the glycerol backbone by
______________ linkages.

18) ___________________ are aqueous compartments enclosed by a lipid bilayer which can be
created in a laboratory.

19) Write the chemical structure of dodecanoic acid (12:0)

20) Write the chemical structure of tetradecanoic acid (14:0)

21) Write the chemical structure of cis-9-hexadecenoic acid (16:1(Δ9))

22) Write the chemical structure of cis-,cis-9,12-octadecadienoic acid.

23) Write the chemical structure of a fatty acid with 14 carbon atoms and one double bond in
position ω3.

24) True or false: Dodecanoic acid has a higher melting temperature than Eicosanoic acid

25) True or false: 18:1(Δ9) fatty acid has a higher melting point than 18:1(Δ9,12,15)

26) True or false: Glycolipids are oriented in a completely asymmetric fashion with the sugar
residues always on the extracellular side of the membrane.

27) True or False: Glycolipids are phospholipids

28) What is the name of the compound shown below?

 CHEM221

BIOCHEMISTRY

PRACTICE QUESTIONS

Chapter 10

1) C 10) polar head, non polar tail 24) False

2) D
11) C
3) A 25) True
12) C
4) E
13) D
5) D 26) True
6) B
7) A 27) False

8) B

9) A

14) Most double bonds in fatty acids are in the cis configuration. This results in a rigid bend in
the hydrocarbon chain.

15) Triacylglycerols are nonpolar hydrophobic molecules that can be stored in specialized
nonaqueous cellular compartments. Glycerophospholipids are amphipathic molecules that can
serve as structural components of membranes, which have hydrophilic and hydrophobic regions.

16) ω-3 Fatty acids

17) ester

18) Lipid vesicles, or liposomes