University of Michigan
LANIF • 012 MEHC
M College of Literature, Science, and the Arts
ARTES • SCIENTIA • VERITAS
EST. 1817
CHEM 210 — Organic Chemistry
F I N A L E X A M I N AT I O N • B I O C H E M I ST R Y & M E TA B O L I S M
INSTITUTION University of Michigan COURSE CODE CHEM 210
PROGRAM B.S. in Chemistry / Pre-Health ACADEMIC YEAR
EXAM TITLE Structure & Reactivity II — Final Exam TOTAL QUESTIONS 32 Questions
COURSE TITLE Organic Chemistry 210 FORMAT Multiple Choice & True/False — Select the
Single Best Answer
EXAMINATION INSTRUCTIONS
▸ Select the single best answer for each multiple-choice question. For True/False items, mark the statement as true or false based
on course material.
▸ Questions cover biochemistry fundamentals, metabolic pathways, molecular interactions, and biomolecule structure/function.
▸ Pay close attention to terminology — flux, conformation, cofactor vs. coenzyme, and pathway names are emphasized.
▸ Correct answers and detailed rationales appear below each question for board and final exam review.
▸ A periodic table is not provided; pKa values and metabolic pathway intermediates should be known from memory.
SECTION I — BIOCHEMISTRY: BIOMOLECULES, METABOLISM & Questions 1
MOLECULAR INTERACTIONS – 32
1. True or False: Nitrogen is called the "superglue" of the chemical world.
A. True
B. False
CORRECT ANSWER B — False
RATIONALE Carbon, not nitrogen, is called the "superglue" of the chemical world. Carbon's unique ability to form four
stable covalent bonds and catenate (bond to itself) allows it to serve as the structural backbone of all
biomolecules. Nitrogen is essential in biomolecules (amino acids, nucleic acids) but does not have carbon's
unparalleled versatility in forming the skeleton of organic and biochemical structures.
2. True or False: Large elements, such as strontium, are common in biomolecules.
A. True
B. False
CORRECT ANSWER B — False
RATIONALE Biomolecules are composed predominantly of small, abundant elements: carbon (C), hydrogen (H), oxygen
(O), nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and sulfur (S) — collectively remembered as CHONPS. Large heavy elements
like strontium (Sr, atomic number 38) are not commonly incorporated into biomolecules. Trace metals (Fe, Zn,
Cu, Mn, Co) are used in enzymes and proteins, but they are first-row transition metals, not large alkaline earth
metals like strontium.
, 3. True or False: The time it takes for a compound to flow through a metabolic pathway is called the payoff phase.
A. True
B. False
CORRECT ANSWER B — False
RATIONALE The time it takes for a compound to flow through a metabolic pathway is called the flux, not the "payoff
phase." The payoff phase specifically refers to the second half of glycolysis (steps 6–10) where ATP and NADH
are produced — the energy-yielding portion of the pathway. Metabolic flux describes the rate of turnover of
molecules through a metabolic pathway and is a key concept in understanding metabolic regulation.
4. True or False: Proteins, carbohydrates, and fats all get broken down into acetyl-CoA.
A. True
B. False
CORRECT ANSWER A — True
RATIONALE Acetyl-CoA is the central convergence point of catabolism. Carbohydrates are broken down through glycolysis
to pyruvate, which is oxidatively decarboxylated to acetyl-CoA. Fats undergo beta-oxidation, which cleaves
fatty acyl-CoA molecules into acetyl-CoA units. Proteins are degraded to amino acids, many of which are
deaminated and converted to pyruvate, acetyl-CoA, or TCA cycle intermediates. Thus all three major fuel
sources can feed into the acetyl-CoA pool for entry into the citric acid cycle.
5. True or False: A fat is a lipid molecule that is a solid at room temperature.
A. True
B. False
CORRECT ANSWER A — True
RATIONALE The operational definition distinguishes fats (solid at room temperature) from oils (liquid at room
temperature). Both are triacylglycerols (triglycerides), but fats contain a higher proportion of saturated fatty
acids that pack tightly, raising the melting point. Oils contain more unsaturated fatty acids whose cis double
bonds introduce kinks that prevent tight packing, keeping them liquid at ambient temperature. This physical
state distinction is a classic definition in lipid biochemistry.
6. In DNA, guanine always pairs with _____.
A. Thymine
B. Guanine
C. Uracil
D. Cytosine
E. Both A and B
CORRECT ANSWER D — Cytosine
RATIONALE Watson-Crick base pairing rules: In DNA, adenine (A) pairs with thymine (T) via two hydrogen bonds, and
guanine (G) pairs with cytosine (C) via three hydrogen bonds. This complementary base pairing is
fundamental to the double helix structure, DNA replication, and transcription. In RNA, uracil (U) replaces
thymine and pairs with adenine. Guanine always pairs with cytosine in both DNA and RNA; it never pairs with
thymine, uracil, or itself under normal Watson-Crick geometry.
LANIF • 012 MEHC
M College of Literature, Science, and the Arts
ARTES • SCIENTIA • VERITAS
EST. 1817
CHEM 210 — Organic Chemistry
F I N A L E X A M I N AT I O N • B I O C H E M I ST R Y & M E TA B O L I S M
INSTITUTION University of Michigan COURSE CODE CHEM 210
PROGRAM B.S. in Chemistry / Pre-Health ACADEMIC YEAR
EXAM TITLE Structure & Reactivity II — Final Exam TOTAL QUESTIONS 32 Questions
COURSE TITLE Organic Chemistry 210 FORMAT Multiple Choice & True/False — Select the
Single Best Answer
EXAMINATION INSTRUCTIONS
▸ Select the single best answer for each multiple-choice question. For True/False items, mark the statement as true or false based
on course material.
▸ Questions cover biochemistry fundamentals, metabolic pathways, molecular interactions, and biomolecule structure/function.
▸ Pay close attention to terminology — flux, conformation, cofactor vs. coenzyme, and pathway names are emphasized.
▸ Correct answers and detailed rationales appear below each question for board and final exam review.
▸ A periodic table is not provided; pKa values and metabolic pathway intermediates should be known from memory.
SECTION I — BIOCHEMISTRY: BIOMOLECULES, METABOLISM & Questions 1
MOLECULAR INTERACTIONS – 32
1. True or False: Nitrogen is called the "superglue" of the chemical world.
A. True
B. False
CORRECT ANSWER B — False
RATIONALE Carbon, not nitrogen, is called the "superglue" of the chemical world. Carbon's unique ability to form four
stable covalent bonds and catenate (bond to itself) allows it to serve as the structural backbone of all
biomolecules. Nitrogen is essential in biomolecules (amino acids, nucleic acids) but does not have carbon's
unparalleled versatility in forming the skeleton of organic and biochemical structures.
2. True or False: Large elements, such as strontium, are common in biomolecules.
A. True
B. False
CORRECT ANSWER B — False
RATIONALE Biomolecules are composed predominantly of small, abundant elements: carbon (C), hydrogen (H), oxygen
(O), nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and sulfur (S) — collectively remembered as CHONPS. Large heavy elements
like strontium (Sr, atomic number 38) are not commonly incorporated into biomolecules. Trace metals (Fe, Zn,
Cu, Mn, Co) are used in enzymes and proteins, but they are first-row transition metals, not large alkaline earth
metals like strontium.
, 3. True or False: The time it takes for a compound to flow through a metabolic pathway is called the payoff phase.
A. True
B. False
CORRECT ANSWER B — False
RATIONALE The time it takes for a compound to flow through a metabolic pathway is called the flux, not the "payoff
phase." The payoff phase specifically refers to the second half of glycolysis (steps 6–10) where ATP and NADH
are produced — the energy-yielding portion of the pathway. Metabolic flux describes the rate of turnover of
molecules through a metabolic pathway and is a key concept in understanding metabolic regulation.
4. True or False: Proteins, carbohydrates, and fats all get broken down into acetyl-CoA.
A. True
B. False
CORRECT ANSWER A — True
RATIONALE Acetyl-CoA is the central convergence point of catabolism. Carbohydrates are broken down through glycolysis
to pyruvate, which is oxidatively decarboxylated to acetyl-CoA. Fats undergo beta-oxidation, which cleaves
fatty acyl-CoA molecules into acetyl-CoA units. Proteins are degraded to amino acids, many of which are
deaminated and converted to pyruvate, acetyl-CoA, or TCA cycle intermediates. Thus all three major fuel
sources can feed into the acetyl-CoA pool for entry into the citric acid cycle.
5. True or False: A fat is a lipid molecule that is a solid at room temperature.
A. True
B. False
CORRECT ANSWER A — True
RATIONALE The operational definition distinguishes fats (solid at room temperature) from oils (liquid at room
temperature). Both are triacylglycerols (triglycerides), but fats contain a higher proportion of saturated fatty
acids that pack tightly, raising the melting point. Oils contain more unsaturated fatty acids whose cis double
bonds introduce kinks that prevent tight packing, keeping them liquid at ambient temperature. This physical
state distinction is a classic definition in lipid biochemistry.
6. In DNA, guanine always pairs with _____.
A. Thymine
B. Guanine
C. Uracil
D. Cytosine
E. Both A and B
CORRECT ANSWER D — Cytosine
RATIONALE Watson-Crick base pairing rules: In DNA, adenine (A) pairs with thymine (T) via two hydrogen bonds, and
guanine (G) pairs with cytosine (C) via three hydrogen bonds. This complementary base pairing is
fundamental to the double helix structure, DNA replication, and transcription. In RNA, uracil (U) replaces
thymine and pairs with adenine. Guanine always pairs with cytosine in both DNA and RNA; it never pairs with
thymine, uracil, or itself under normal Watson-Crick geometry.
