Biochemistry Practice Test 4
Biochemistry NCLEX Practice Test
Biochemistry is a key topic within the NCLEX test plan, located under Nursing Science → Clinical Foundations → Biochemistry. This section links metabolic processes to nutrition, medication action, and laboratory interpretation in nursing care. Each test contains 50 questions designed to mirror the difficulty and variety of the real exam.
This is the 4th part of the Biochemistry series. To explore all practice tests under this topic, use the “Back to Main Topic” button at the end of the page.
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Biochemistry Practice Test 4
Mucopolysaccharides are?
- Homopolysaccharide
- Hetropolysaccharides
- Proteins
- Amino acids
Explanation: Answer reason: Mucopolysaccharides (glycosaminoglycans) consist of repeating disaccharide units containing amino sugars and uronic acids; thus they are heteropolysaccharides, not proteins or amino acids.
Which one of the following is semi-essential amino acid for humans?
- Valine
- Arginine
- Lysine
- Tyrosine
Explanation: Answer reason: Arginine is considered a semi-essential (conditionally essential) amino acid in humans, especially during growth and stress; valine and lysine are essential, while tyrosine is generally nonessential.
A Lipotropic factor is?
- Choline
- Palmitic acid
- Calcium
- Vitamin C
Explanation: Answer reason: Choline acts as a lipotropic factor by mobilizing hepatic fat and preventing fatty liver; the other options are not lipotropic agents.
Tissues form lactic acid from glucose. This phenomenon is termed as?
- Aerobic glycolysis
- Oxidation
- Oxidative phosphorylation
- Anaerobic glycolysis
Explanation: Answer reason: Lactic acid is produced when pyruvate from glycolysis is reduced under low-oxygen conditions; this is anaerobic glycolysis, not aerobic pathways or oxidative phosphorylation.
Catalyses the reaction in group added to double bond converted into single bond?
- Ligases
- Isomerases
- Lyases
- Isomerases
Explanation: Answer reason: Lyases catalyze addition of groups to double bonds (or removal to form double bonds). Adding a group converts a double bond to a single bond, so the enzyme class is lyases.
What test would you perform on potatoes to identify starch?
- Benedict's test
- Fehling' test
- Iodine test
- Litmus paper test
Explanation: Answer reason: Iodine reacts with starch to produce a blue-black color. Benedict’s and Fehling’s tests detect reducing sugars, and litmus paper tests pH.
The break down of glucose by enzymes, giving energy and pyruvic acid is called ________?
- Gluconeogenesis
- Glycogenesis
- Glycolysis
- Glycogenolysis
Explanation: Answer reason: Glycolysis is the enzymatic breakdown of glucose to pyruvate with the production of ATP. The other options refer to glucose or glycogen synthesis or glycogen breakdown.
Fibrous protein such as silk fibroin consists of polypeptide chains arranged in?
- Α-helix
- Β-pleated sheet
- Β-helix
- None of these
Explanation: Answer reason: Silk fibroin is a fibrous protein whose polypeptide chains form antiparallel β-pleated sheets due to repetitive Gly-Ala/Ser sequences, not α-helix or β-helix.
NAD is required as a coenzyme in?
- Citric acid cycle
- HMP shunt
- Β-Oxidation of fatty acids
- Both (A) and (C)
Explanation: Answer reason: NAD+ serves as an electron acceptor for several dehydrogenases in the citric acid cycle and in β-oxidation (e.g., β-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase). The HMP shunt uses NADP+/NADPH, not NAD+.
Biotin is required as a coenzyme by?
- Anaerobic Dehydrogenases
- Decarboxylase
- Aerobic Dehydrogenases
- Carboxylase
Explanation: Answer reason: Biotin (vitamin B7) functions as a CO2 carrier for carboxylase enzymes, e.g., pyruvate carboxylase and acetyl-CoA carboxylase; it is not a coenzyme for dehydrogenases or decarboxylases.
Biotin is a coenzyme for?
- Pyruvate Carboxylase
- Acetyl CoA Carboxylase
- Propionyl CoA Carboxylase
- All of these
Explanation: Answer reason: Biotin serves as a CO2 carrier for carboxylase enzymes, including pyruvate carboxylase, acetyl-CoA carboxylase, and propionyl-CoA carboxylase; therefore, all listed are correct.
Two sugars which differ from one another only in configuration around a single carbon atom are termed?
- Epimers
- Anomers
- Optical isomers
- Stereoisomers
Explanation: Answer reason: Epimers are stereoisomers that differ in configuration at only one chiral carbon. Anomers differ specifically at the anomeric carbon; optical isomers and stereoisomers are broader terms.
In which of the following types of enzyme water may be added to a C-C resulting breaking the bond?
- Hydrolase
- Hydratase
- Hydroxylase
- Esterase
- Oxygenase
Explanation: Answer reason: Hydratases catalyze hydration across a carbon–carbon double bond, adding H and OH and thereby breaking the C=C into a single C–C bond. The other enzymes perform hydrolysis, hydroxylation, or oxygen incorporation reactions.
Endopeptidases are those enzymes which cleave the polypeptide at?
- C terminal
- N terminal
- Internal amino acid in polypeptide
- External amino acids
Explanation: Answer reason: Endopeptidases hydrolyze peptide bonds within a polypeptide chain, not at the terminal ends; exopeptidases remove residues from the N- or C-terminus.
An aromatic amino acid is?
- Lysine
- Tyrosine
- Taurine
- Arginine
Explanation: Answer reason: Among the options, only tyrosine contains an aromatic ring; lysine and arginine are basic aliphatic amino acids and taurine is not a standard aromatic amino acid.
The amino acid with a nonpolar side chain is?
- Serine
- Valine
- Asparagine
- Threonin
Explanation: Answer reason: Valine is a nonpolar aliphatic amino acid; serine, threonine, and asparagine have polar side chains.
The basic amino acids are?
- Lysine
- Bile acids
- Glycine
- Alanine
Explanation: Answer reason: Lysine has a positively charged side chain at physiological pH, classifying it as a basic amino acid. Glycine and alanine are neutral, and bile acids are not amino acids.
According to Bronsted, acids are?
- Proton accepter
- Electron donor
- Proton donor
- Electron accepter
Explanation: Answer reason: By Brønsted–Lowry theory, an acid donates a proton (H+) and a base accepts a proton.
What is the term for the molecule that an enzyme acts upon?
- Substrate
- Product
- Inhibitor
- Cofactor
Explanation: Answer reason: Enzymes bind and act on their specific reactant called the substrate, converting it into products.
Haemoglobin is a?
- Fat
- Protein
- Vitamin
- Food
Explanation: Answer reason: Hemoglobin is a conjugated globular protein (globin chains plus heme), not a fat, vitamin, or food.
Which group of proteins is biologically active?
- Hormones
- Antibodies
- Enzymes
- Antigens
Explanation: Answer reason: Enzymes are proteins that act as biological catalysts, the classic example of biologically active proteins. Antibodies and some hormones are proteins, but the term most specifically refers to enzymes.
What is the term for the total sum of chemical activity in the body?
- Anabolism
- Catabolism
- Metabolism
- None of the above
Explanation: Answer reason: Metabolism encompasses the total of all chemical reactions in the body, including both anabolism and catabolism.
Who proposed the fluid mosaic model of the cell membrane?
- Robertson
- Schwann
- Dave Donson
- Singer and Nicholson
Explanation: Answer reason: The fluid mosaic model of the cell membrane was proposed by S. J. Singer and G. Nicolson in 1972, describing a lipid bilayer with proteins moving within it.
What is the green pigment in leaves and stems of plants that absorbs sunlight for the process of photosynthesis?
- Chlorophyll
- Cellulose
- Cytoplasm
- Glucose
Explanation: Answer reason: Chlorophyll is the green pigment that captures light energy for photosynthesis; cellulose is structural, cytoplasm is the cell’s fluid, and glucose is a product of photosynthesis.
Which type of bond is present between the two strands of DNA?
- Glucosidic bond
- Hydrogen bond
- Disulfide bond
- Metallic bond
Explanation: Answer reason: Complementary bases on the two DNA strands pair via hydrogen bonds (A–T two bonds; G–C three bonds), holding the strands together.
Which of the following is a monosaccharide?
- Sucrose
- Maltose
- Glucose
Explanation: Answer reason: Glucose is a monosaccharide; sucrose and maltose are disaccharides.
Which of the following is not a polyunsaturated fatty acid?
- Linoleic acid
- Linolenic acid
- Oleic acid
- Arachidonic acid
Explanation: Answer reason: Oleic acid is a monounsaturated fatty acid (18:1), whereas linoleic (18:2), linolenic (18:3), and arachidonic acid (20:4) are polyunsaturated.
Arachidonic acid in the placenta is synthesized under the influence of which of the following?
- Oestrogen
- Progesterone
- Oxytocin
- Phospholipase A2
Explanation: Answer reason: Phospholipase A2 cleaves membrane phospholipids to release arachidonic acid, the precursor for prostaglandins; estrogen, progesterone, and oxytocin do not synthesize arachidonic acid.
Metabolism can be defined as the ________?
- Process whereby all unspecialized cells become specialized to perform distinct functions
- Process whereby new cells are formed to replace worn-out cells
- Sum of all chemical reactions in an organism
- Adjustment by an organism to external or internal changes
Explanation: Answer reason: Metabolism encompasses all anabolic and catabolic chemical reactions occurring in an organism. Other choices describe differentiation, cell replacement, or adaptation/homeostasis.
A dipeptide has?
- 2 amino acids and 1 peptide bond
- 2 amino acids and 2 peptide bonds
- 2 amino acids and 3 peptide bonds
- 2 amino acids and 4 peptide bonds
Explanation: Answer reason: A dipeptide is formed by two amino acids joined by a single peptide bond; peptide bonds equal amino acids minus one.
Which of the following statements about enzymes or their function is true?
- Enzymes do not alter the overall change in free energy for a reaction
- Enzymes are proteins whose three-dimensional form is key to their function
- Enzymes speed up reactions by lowering activation energy
- All of the above
Explanation: Answer reason: All listed statements are correct: enzymes do not change the reaction’s overall free energy (ΔG), they are proteins whose specific 3D conformation determines function, and they catalyze reactions by lowering activation energy.
The "lock and key hypothesis" attempts to explain the mechanism of?
- Enzyme specificity
- Pinocytosis
- Sharing of electrons
- Vacuole formation
Explanation: Answer reason: The lock-and-key model states that an enzyme’s active site is complementary in shape to its specific substrate, explaining enzyme specificity.
At high temperature the rate of enzyme action decreases because the increased heat?
- Alters the active site of the enzyme
- Changes the pH of the system
- Neutralize acids and bases in the system
- Increases the concentration of enzymes
Explanation: Answer reason: High temperatures denature enzyme proteins, disrupting tertiary structure and changing the active site so substrates cannot bind effectively, lowering activity. The other options do not explain heat-related loss of enzyme function.
The key enzyme in the regulation of fatty acid synthesis is?
- Acetyl CoA carboxylate
- AMP activated proteinkinase
- Protein phosphate
- None
Explanation: Answer reason: Acetyl-CoA carboxylase catalyzes the committed rate-limiting step (acetyl-CoA to malonyl-CoA) and is the primary regulatory point of fatty acid synthesis; AMPK and protein phosphatases regulate ACC activity.
The isoelectric point of an amino acid is defined as the pH?
- Of maximum electrolytic mobility
- Where the molecule carries no electric charge
- Where the carboxyl group is uncharged
- Where the amino group is uncharged
Explanation: Answer reason: The isoelectric point (pI) is the pH at which an amino acid has a net zero charge (zwitterion predominates), thus no net migration in an electric field. Options focusing on individual groups or maximum mobility are incorrect.
What is the synthesis of large molecules from smaller molecules called?
- Anabolism
- Catabolism
- Absorption
- Metabolism
Explanation: Answer reason: Building complex molecules from simpler ones is anabolism; catabolism breaks down molecules, absorption is uptake, and metabolism encompasses both processes.
What are the chief components of a cell?
- Carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen and oxygen
- Hydrogen, nitrogen, sodium and potassium
- Magnesium, potassium, carbon and hydrogen
- Helium, nitrogen, calcium and carbon
Explanation: Answer reason: The primary elements that constitute most cellular biomolecules are carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen (CHON).
What are the smaller units of protein?
- Glycerol
- Amino acid
- Glucose
- Vitamin C
Explanation: Answer reason: Proteins are polymers composed of amino acid monomers linked by peptide bonds. Glycerol is part of fats, glucose is a carbohydrate, and vitamin C is a vitamin.
Which of the following amino acids is essential?
- Proline
- Tyrosine
- Glycine
- Valine
Explanation: Answer reason: Valine is an essential branched-chain amino acid; proline, glycine, and tyrosine are nonessential/conditionally essential.
Which vitamin is a sulfur-containing vitamin?
- Vit-B1
- Vit-B3
- Vit-B5
- Vit-B7
Explanation: Answer reason: Biotin (vitamin B7) contains sulfur in its thiophane ring and is commonly identified as the sulfur-containing vitamin among these options.
Which type of enzyme inhibitor supports the lock and key hypothesis?
- Competitive inhibitor
- Non-competitive inhibitor
- Activated inhibitor
Explanation: Answer reason: Competitive inhibitors resemble the substrate and compete for the enzyme’s active site, fitting like a key in a lock and thus supporting the lock-and-key model.
What is an essential feature of a competitive inhibitor?
- Combine with prosthetic group
- Modify a substrate
- Occupy an active site
- Bind to an operator
Explanation: Answer reason: Competitive inhibitors reversibly compete with the substrate for the enzyme’s active site; occupying the active site is their defining property.
Compounds having the same structural formula but differing in spatial configuration are known as?
- Stereoisomers
- Anomers
- Optical isomers
- Epimers
Explanation: Answer reason: Stereoisomers have the same connectivity (structural formula) but differ in three-dimensional arrangement. Anomers, epimers, and optical isomers are specific types of stereoisomers; the general term is stereoisomers.
Non essential amino acids?
- Are not components of tissue proteins?
- May be synthesized in the body from essential amino acids
- Have no role in the metabolism
- May be synthesized in the body in diseased states
Explanation: Answer reason: Nonessential amino acids are synthesized by the body; some derive from essential amino acids (e.g., tyrosine from phenylalanine, cysteine from methionine). They are components of proteins and have metabolic roles; synthesis is not limited to diseased states.
Histones are?
- Identical to protamine
- Proteins rich in lysine and arginine
- Proteins with high molecular weight
- Insoluble in water and very dilute acids
Explanation: Answer reason: Histones are basic nuclear proteins enriched in the basic amino acids lysine and arginine; they are not identical to protamines, have relatively low molecular weights, and are soluble in water and dilute acids.
If the fatty acid is esterified with an alcohol of high molecular weight instead of glycerol, the resulting compound is?
- Lipositol
- Plasmalogen
- Wax
- Cephalin
Explanation: Answer reason: Waxes are esters formed from long‑chain fatty acids and long‑chain (high–molecular‑weight) alcohols rather than glycerol. Plasmalogen and cephalin are glycerophospholipids.
Lipoic acid is a coenzyme for?
- Pyruvate dehydrogenase
- Α-Ketoglutarate dehydrogenase
- Both (A) and (B)
- None of these
Explanation: Answer reason: Lipoic acid (lipoamide) functions as a swinging-arm coenzyme in multienzyme dehydrogenase complexes, including both pyruvate dehydrogenase and α-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase.
Cori disease is caused due to absence of?
- Branching enzyme
- Disbranching enzyme
- Glycogen synthase
- Phosphorylase
Explanation: Answer reason: Cori disease (GSD type III) is due to deficiency of the glycogen debranching enzyme; branching enzyme deficiency causes Andersen disease.
Mc Ardle’s syndrome is characterized by the absence of?
- Liver Phosphorylase
- Muscle Phosphorylase
- Branching enzyme
- Debranching enzyme
Explanation: Answer reason: McArdle disease (glycogen storage disease type V) is due to deficiency of myophosphorylase, the muscle glycogen phosphorylase.
Pompe’s disease is caused due to deficiency of?
- Lysosomal α-1→4 and 1→6-glucosidase
- Glucose-6-phosphatase
- Glycogen synthase
- Phosphofructokinase
Explanation: Answer reason: Pompe disease (GSD II) results from deficiency of lysosomal acid α-glucosidase (acid maltase), which cleaves α-1,4 and α-1,6 bonds of glycogen. Other enzymes listed correspond to different disorders (e.g., G6-phosphatase—Von Gierke; PFK—Tarui).
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