AQA A-Level Biology Topic 1: Biological
Molecules May 2024 Exam Questions
and Answers
What are monomers? - Answer>> Monomers are *small units*
which are the components of larger molecules.
What are polymers? - Answer>> Polymers are molecules made
from *many monomers* joined together.
What are examples of monomers? - Answer>>
*Monosaccharides, amino acids* and *nucleotides*
What are examples of polymers? - Answer>> *Polysaccharides,
polypeptides* and *polynucleotides*
What reaction allows two monomers to bond together? -
Answer>> A *condensation reaction* allows *two monomers* to
be joined together by a chemical bond, *releasing a water
molecule*.
What reaction breaks the chemical bond between two molecules?
- Answer>> A *hydrolysis reaction* allows the chemical bond to
break between two molecules and this happens due to the
*addition of water*.
What are carbohydrates? - Answer>> Carbohydrates are
molecules which consist only of *carbon, hydrogen and oxygen*.
What is the small unit that makes up a carbohydrate. -
Answer>> Monosaccharides
,What is formed when two monosaccharides go through
condensation reaction? - Answer>> A *disaccharide* is formed.
What is the special bond that is formed during the condensation
reaction between two monosaccharides? - Answer>> A
*glycosidic bond*
What is formed when many monosaccharides go through
condensation reaction? - Answer>> A *polysaccharide* is
formed.
What are examples of monosaccharides? - Answer>> -
*Glucose* (*α-glucose* and *β glucose*)
- *Galactose*
- *Fructose*
What is the structure of both α-glucose and β glucose? -
Answer>> They both have *6 carbon atoms*, α-glucose has its
OH group attached at the *bottom right* and β glucose has its OH
group attached at the *top right*.
Which disaccharide is formed when two α-glucose molecules join
together? - Answer>> Maltose
Which disaccharide is formed when a glucose molecule and
fructose join together? - Answer>> Sucrose
Which disaccharide is formed when a glucose molecule and
galactose join together? - Answer>> Lactose
What are the three polysaccharides that are formed from glucose
monomers? - Answer>> - *Glycogen* (formed by the
condensation of α-glucose)
, - *Starch* (formed by the condensation of α-glucose)
- *Cellulose* (formed by the condensation of β glucose)
What is starch? - Answer>> Starch is what plants *store as
excess glucose*. When plants require glucose for respiration and
energy, starch is broken down into glucose.
What mixture does starch consist of? - Answer>> *Amylose*
and *Amylopectin*
Describe the structure of starch? - Answer>> Amylose is a
*long, unbranched chain of α-glucose* molecules. Due to its
specific glycosidic bonding, its shape becomes *coiled*, which
makes it very *compact*.
Amylopectin is a *long, branched chain of α-glucose* molecules.
It has got many *side branches* on it.
Explain the relationship between the structure and function in
starch. - Answer>> The coiled and compact shape of amylose
allows a *lot of energy to be stored*, therefore making it good for
energy storage.
The side branches on amylopectin allow *enzymes to break
down* the molecule and make it *easier to break the glycosidic
bond*. This means that energy can be *released quicker* for
important functions like *respiration*.
Starch is also *insoluble* and therefore *do not affect the water
potential*, so water cannot enter cells by osmosis.
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