Question 1: Which of these elements is NOT a constituent of Carbohydrates?

• Carbon
• Hydrogen
• Oxygen
• Nitrogen (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Nitrogen

Carbohydrates strictly consist of Carbon, and the components of Water ('hydro') - Hydrogen & Oxygen. Hence, Carbo+Hydrate

Question 2: Another word that might describe complex carbohydrates is...

• Monosaccharide
• Disaccharide
• Polysaccharide (Correct answer)
• None of the above

Correct answer: Polysaccharide

poly means "many"; a complex carbohydrate consists of many simpler carbohydrate molecules linked together.

Question 3: Carbon is the basis for carbohydrates and all other biologically important molecules. All of the following are reasons why Carbon lends itself to being the basic building block of life on our planet - except for one. Which statement is incorrect?

• Carbon readily makes four stable bonds in single, double, or triple configurations.
• Carbon is a very dense & heavy element, giving living things stability. (Correct answer)
• Carbon is the least electronegative non-metal
• Carbon has a high affinity for Oxygen & Hydrogen, which make bonds easily with C.

Correct answer: Carbon is a very dense & heavy element, giving living things stability.

Carbon is not so dense and heavy as to be the reason for stable biomolecules. Their stability comes from a variety of factors, including bonds, molecule shape, size & molecular mass.

Question 4: As a component of Carbohydrates, Oxygen is very important, too. Which of the following statements is incorrect about the way Oxygen behaves as part of a molecule?

• Oxygen has six outer valence electrons, and makes up to 2 bonds.
• Oxygen is highly electronegative; it is an 'electron hog', sharing them unevenly.
• The uneven sharing of electrons results in Oxygen forming polar covalent bonds.
• The presence of oxygen in Carbohydrates makes them highly insoluble in water. (Correct answer)

Correct answer: The presence of oxygen in Carbohydrates makes them highly insoluble in water.

Actually, the reverse is true: Oxygen enhances a molecule's solubility in water.

Question 5: Which of these functional groups are you not going to find in a carbohydrate?

• Carbonyl -C=O
• Sulfhydryl -SH (Correct answer)
• Hydroxyl -OH
• Ether -C-O-C-

Correct answer: Sulfhydryl -SH

Sulfur is not a component of the Carbohydrates. It is found in some amino acids & proteins.

Question 6: Which of the following carbohydrates does this structural diagram represent?

• Fructose
• Maltose
• Sucrose

The structural diagram represents glucose, a simple sugar and monosaccharide. Glucose is an important carbohydrate in the body and is used as a source of energy. It is a hexose sugar, meaning it has six carbon atoms. The diagram shows the arrangement of the carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen atoms in glucose, with a ring structure formed by five carbon atoms and an oxygen atom.

Question 7: The sugars glucose, fructose, and galactose all belong to which category of carbohydrates?

• Monosaccharides (Correct answer)
• Disaccharides
• Polysaccharides

Correct answer: Monosaccharides

They're all single-ring structures, hence 'mono'.

Question 8: The sugars lactose, maltose, and sucrose all belong to which category of carbohydrates?

• Monosaccharides
• Disaccharides (Correct answer)
• Polysaccharides
• None of the above

Correct answer: Disaccharides

They all have a double ring structure, hence 'di'

Question 9: Which of the following is NOT a role of Carbohydrates in a cell or organism?

• Provide energy, either immediate or long-term (storage)
• Provide structure, support, and strength in certain organisms.
• Formation of muscle tissues & bone in vertebrate bodies (Correct answer)
• Osmoregulation - moderating fluid balance in living organisms

Correct answer: Formation of muscle tissues & bone in vertebrate bodies

Although we tend to think of carbs as a high-energy nutrient, they have other roles: chitin makes up the exoskeletons of insects & crustaceans, cellulose is the supporting fibre of herbaceous plants, and starches & sugars play a role in osmoregulation of cells, too. Protein is responsible for forming muscle & bone.

Question 10: Which of the following is not a monosaccharide?

• Glucose
• Fructose
• Galactose
• Sucrose (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Sucrose

Sucrose is not a monosaccharide because it is a disaccharide composed of two monosaccharides, glucose and fructose, joined together by a glycosidic bond. Monosaccharides, on the other hand, are single sugar molecules that cannot be broken down into smaller sugar units. Glucose, fructose, and galactose are all monosaccharides because they consist of a single sugar unit.

Question 11: In 1993, _________ received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for inventing PCR?

• David Baltimore
• Kary Mullis (Correct answer)
• Robert Weinberg
• John Nash

Correct answer: Kary Mullis

Kary Mullis received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1993 for inventing PCR, which stands for Polymerase Chain Reaction. PCR is a technique used in molecular biology to amplify a specific segment of DNA. Mullis' invention revolutionized the field of genetics and had a profound impact on various scientific disciplines. His work has enabled advancements in DNA sequencing, genetic testing, forensic analysis, and disease diagnosis, making him a deserving recipient of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry.