BIOCHEMISTRY C 785 READINESS CHECK 1B
CERTIFICATION EVALUATION 2026 QUESTIONS
WITH COMPLETE ANSWERS
◉ Pyranose vs. Furanose. Answer: Pyranose is a 6-membered ring.
Furanose is a 5-membered ring.
◉ Mutarotation. Answer: Conversion from α to ß forms of the sugar
at the anomeric carbon.
◉ Anomeric Carbon. Answer: Carbon that is cyclized. Always the
same as the aldo or keto carbon in the linear form.
◉ α vs. ß sugars. Answer: α form has -OR/OH group opposite from
the -CH2OH group.
ß form has -OR/OH group on the same side as the -CH2OH group.
◉ Starch. Answer: Found in plants. D-glucose polysaccharide.
"Amylose chain". Unbranched. Has reducing and non-reducing end.
◉ Amylose Chain. Answer: Has α-1,4-linkages that produce a coiled
helix similar to an α-helix. Has a reducing and non-reducing end.
,◉ Amylopectin. Answer: Has α-1,4-linkages. Has periodic α-1,6-
linkages that cause branching. Branched every 24-30 residues. Has
reducing and non-reducing end.
◉ Reducing Sugar. Answer: Free aldehydes can reduce FeIII or CuIII.
Aldehyde end is the "reducing" end.
◉ Glycogen. Answer: Found in animals. Branched every 8-12
residues and compact. Used as storage of saccharides in animals.
◉ Cellulose. Answer: Comes from plants. Poly D-glucose. Formed
from ß-1,4-linkage. Form sheets due to equatorial -OH groups that
H-bond with other chains.
◉ Chitin. Answer: Homopolymer of N-acetyl-ß-D-glucosamine. Have
ß-1,4-linkages. Found in lobsters, squid beaks, beetle shells, etc.
◉ Glycoproteins. Answer: Carbohydrates attached to a protein.
Common outside of the cell. Attached at Ser, Thr, or Asn residues.
◉ Membrane Translayer Flip-Flop. Answer: Typically slow, but can
be sped up with Flippase, Floppase, or Scramblase.
, ◉ Membrance Fluidity. Answer: Membrane must be fluid. Cis fats
increase fluidity, trans fats decrease fluidity.
◉ Type I Integral Membrane Protein. Answer: Membrane protein
with C-terminus inside and N-terminus outside
◉ Type II Integral Membrane Protein. Answer: Membrane protein
with N-terminus inside and C-terminus outside
◉ Type III Integral Membrane Protein. Answer: Membrane protein
that contains connected protein helices
◉ Type IV Integral Membrane Protein. Answer: Membrane protein
that contains unconnected protein helices
◉ Bacteriorhodopsin. Answer: Type III integral membrane protein
with 7 connected helices.
◉ ß-Barrel Membrane Protein. Answer: Can act as a large door.
Whole proteins can fit inside.
◉ α-hemolysin. Answer: Secreted as a monomer. Assembles to
punch holes in membranes.
CERTIFICATION EVALUATION 2026 QUESTIONS
WITH COMPLETE ANSWERS
◉ Pyranose vs. Furanose. Answer: Pyranose is a 6-membered ring.
Furanose is a 5-membered ring.
◉ Mutarotation. Answer: Conversion from α to ß forms of the sugar
at the anomeric carbon.
◉ Anomeric Carbon. Answer: Carbon that is cyclized. Always the
same as the aldo or keto carbon in the linear form.
◉ α vs. ß sugars. Answer: α form has -OR/OH group opposite from
the -CH2OH group.
ß form has -OR/OH group on the same side as the -CH2OH group.
◉ Starch. Answer: Found in plants. D-glucose polysaccharide.
"Amylose chain". Unbranched. Has reducing and non-reducing end.
◉ Amylose Chain. Answer: Has α-1,4-linkages that produce a coiled
helix similar to an α-helix. Has a reducing and non-reducing end.
,◉ Amylopectin. Answer: Has α-1,4-linkages. Has periodic α-1,6-
linkages that cause branching. Branched every 24-30 residues. Has
reducing and non-reducing end.
◉ Reducing Sugar. Answer: Free aldehydes can reduce FeIII or CuIII.
Aldehyde end is the "reducing" end.
◉ Glycogen. Answer: Found in animals. Branched every 8-12
residues and compact. Used as storage of saccharides in animals.
◉ Cellulose. Answer: Comes from plants. Poly D-glucose. Formed
from ß-1,4-linkage. Form sheets due to equatorial -OH groups that
H-bond with other chains.
◉ Chitin. Answer: Homopolymer of N-acetyl-ß-D-glucosamine. Have
ß-1,4-linkages. Found in lobsters, squid beaks, beetle shells, etc.
◉ Glycoproteins. Answer: Carbohydrates attached to a protein.
Common outside of the cell. Attached at Ser, Thr, or Asn residues.
◉ Membrane Translayer Flip-Flop. Answer: Typically slow, but can
be sped up with Flippase, Floppase, or Scramblase.
, ◉ Membrance Fluidity. Answer: Membrane must be fluid. Cis fats
increase fluidity, trans fats decrease fluidity.
◉ Type I Integral Membrane Protein. Answer: Membrane protein
with C-terminus inside and N-terminus outside
◉ Type II Integral Membrane Protein. Answer: Membrane protein
with N-terminus inside and C-terminus outside
◉ Type III Integral Membrane Protein. Answer: Membrane protein
that contains connected protein helices
◉ Type IV Integral Membrane Protein. Answer: Membrane protein
that contains unconnected protein helices
◉ Bacteriorhodopsin. Answer: Type III integral membrane protein
with 7 connected helices.
◉ ß-Barrel Membrane Protein. Answer: Can act as a large door.
Whole proteins can fit inside.
◉ α-hemolysin. Answer: Secreted as a monomer. Assembles to
punch holes in membranes.
