Structure & Function of Biological Molecules - Exam Questions

Question 1

What is membrane thickness?

Answer 1

5nm

Question 2

All phospholipids have a glycerol backbone except..?

Answer 2

Sphingomyelin

Question 3

What is tocopherol?

Answer 3

A vitamin

Question 4

What is the fatty acid that can be described at 18:0?

Answer 4

Stearic acid

Question 5

Fatty acid (18:1delta9), where is the double bond?

Answer 5

Carbon 9 from the carbod=xylate end.

Question 6

Cholesterol is:

a. hydrophobic
b. hydrophilic
c. amphipathic
d. amphigydric
e. lipopathic

Answer 6

c. Cholesterol is amphipathic (has both hydrophobic and hydrophilic ends)

Question 7

Which phospholipids are more likely to face the extracellular matrix?

Answer 7

Phosphatidylcholine and sphingomyelin

Question 8

Membrane fluidity is decreased by what molecule?

Answer 8

Cholesterol

Question 9

What is ankyrin?

Answer 9

A structural protein

Question 10

Give one example of a membrane ion channel.

Answer 10

GABAA

Question 11

Peripheral membrane proteins:

a. are covalently bound to fatty acids in the membrane.
b. are attached to the membrane surface by ionic interractions
c. can span the lipid bilayer
d. are also known as anchor proteins
e. are also known as intrinsic proteins

Answer 11

b. Peripheral membrane proteins are attached to the membrane by ionic interactions

Question 12

Give an example of an anchored membrane protein.

Answer 12

Ras

Question 13

Phospholipase C cleaves the bond within phospholipids between…

Answer 13

..the glycerol molecule and the second fatty acid chain

Question 14

Anchored proteins can be removed from the bilayer by..

Answer 14

..detergent or phospholipases