Which amino acid among the following has significant UV absorption at 280 nm used in protein quantification?
In starvation, nitrogen is primarily carried from muscle to liver and kidney by which amino acid?
Which of the following processes does not occur in mitochondria?
Chemiosmotic coupling of oxidative phosphorylation is related to which of the following?
What is the coenzyme form of pyridoxine?
What is the role of adenine phosphoribosyl transferase (APRT) in purine metabolism?
Uric acid is formed by?
What is the function of primase?
Which RNA is used in RNA splicing?
Which of the following does not play a role in protein synthesis?
NEET-PG 2012 - Biochemistry NEET-PG Practice Questions and MCQs
Question 151: Which amino acid among the following has significant UV absorption at 280 nm used in protein quantification?
- A. Tyrosine (Correct Answer)
- B. Alanine
- C. Histidine
- D. Arginine
Explanation: ***Correct Option: Tyrosine*** - Tyrosine contains a **phenol functional group** (aromatic ring with hydroxyl group), giving it **significant UV absorption at 280 nm** (specifically ~274 nm) - Along with **tryptophan** and **phenylalanine**, tyrosine is one of the three aromatic amino acids used for **protein quantification via UV spectroscopy** - The aromatic side chain with conjugated double bonds enables strong UV light absorption *Incorrect Option: Alanine* - Alanine has a **methyl group** as its side chain (non-polar, aliphatic) - **Lacks aromatic rings** or conjugated systems - Does **not absorb UV light** at 280 nm *Incorrect Option: Histidine* - Histidine has an **imidazole ring** (heterocyclic aromatic) in its side chain - While technically aromatic, it has **minimal UV absorption at 280 nm** (weak absorption around 210-230 nm) - **Not used for protein quantification** at 280 nm due to insignificant absorption at this wavelength *Incorrect Option: Arginine* - Arginine contains a **guanidinium group** (highly basic, polar) - **Non-aromatic structure** without conjugated double bonds - Does **not exhibit UV absorption** at wavelengths used for protein analysis
Question 152: In starvation, nitrogen is primarily carried from muscle to liver and kidney by which amino acid?
- A. Alanine (Correct Answer)
- B. Glycine
- C. Aspartic acid
- D. Asparagine
Explanation: ***Alanine*** - During starvation, muscles break down proteins, and the amino groups from these proteins are transferred to **pyruvate** to form **alanine** via the **glucose-alanine cycle (Cahill cycle)**. - **Alanine** is then released into the bloodstream and transported primarily to the **liver**, where its carbon skeleton can be used for **gluconeogenesis** and the amino group enters the urea cycle. - Note: While alanine is the primary carrier to the liver, **glutamine** is the main nitrogen carrier to the kidney. However, among the given options, alanine is unequivocally the correct answer. *Aspartic acid* - While aspartate is involved in amino group transfer and is a crucial component of the **urea cycle**, it is not the primary carrier for inter-organ nitrogen transport from muscle to liver during starvation. - Its role is more localized within the liver for the urea cycle rather than as a transport amino acid. *Glycine* - Glycine plays roles in various metabolic pathways, including synthesis of heme, purines, and conjugation reactions, but it is not the primary amino acid for carrying nitrogen from muscle to liver during starvation. - Its small size and simple structure make it less suitable for efficient nitrogen transport compared to alanine. *Asparagine* - Asparagine has a minor role in nitrogen transport but is not the primary carrier during starvation. - It is synthesized from **aspartate** and ammonia and is typically involved in protein synthesis and nitrogen storage in some tissues.
Question 153: Which of the following processes does not occur in mitochondria?
- A. Fatty acid oxidation
- B. Electron transport chain
- C. Glycogenolysis (Correct Answer)
- D. Citric acid cycle (Kreb's cycle)
Explanation: ***Glycogenolysis*** - **Glycogenolysis** is the breakdown of **glycogen** into glucose, which primarily occurs in the **cytosol** of cells, mainly in the liver and muscles. - This process is crucial for maintaining blood glucose levels and providing energy during periods of fasting or increased demand, and it does not take place within the mitochondria. *Fatty acid oxidation* - **Fatty acid oxidation**, also known as beta-oxidation, is a mitochondrial process that breaks down fatty acids into **acetyl-CoA** for energy production. - This occurs extensively within the mitochondrial matrix, producing ATP. *Electron transport chain* - The **electron transport chain** is located in the **inner mitochondrial membrane** and is the final stage of aerobic respiration, producing the majority of ATP. - It involves a series of protein complexes that transfer electrons to oxygen, creating a proton gradient for ATP synthesis. *Citric acid cycle (Kreb's cycle)* - The **citric acid cycle**, or **Krebs cycle**, is a central metabolic pathway that occurs in the **mitochondrial matrix**. - It oxidizes acetyl-CoA, derived from carbohydrates, fats, and proteins, to produce ATP, NADH, and FADH2.
Question 154: Chemiosmotic coupling of oxidative phosphorylation is related to which of the following?
- A. ATP generation by pumping of neutrons
- B. Formation of ATP at substrate level
- C. ATP generation by pumping of protons (Correct Answer)
- D. ATP formation by transport of electrons
Explanation: ***ATP generation by pumping of protons*** - **Chemiosmotic coupling** links the electron transport chain's activity to ATP synthesis through the generation of a **proton gradient** across the inner mitochondrial membrane. - The energy released from the flow of electrons through complexes I, III, and IV is used to pump protons from the mitochondrial matrix to the intermembrane space, creating a **proton motive force** that drives ATP synthase. *Formation of ATP at substrate level* - **Substrate-level phosphorylation** involves the direct transfer of a phosphate group from a high-energy substrate to ADP to form ATP, independently of a proton gradient. - This process occurs in reactions like those in **glycolysis** and the **Krebs cycle**, not in oxidative phosphorylation via chemiosmosis. *ATP generation by pumping of neutrons* - **Neutrons** are subatomic particles with no electric charge and are not involved in biological processes like ATP generation or membrane transport. - Pumping of neutrons has no physiological relevance in cellular energy metabolism. *ATP formation by transport of electrons* - While **electron transport** is an integral part of oxidative phosphorylation, it does not directly form ATP. - The energy released during electron transport is used to create the **proton gradient** (chemiosmotic coupling), which then drives ATP synthesis, rather than ATP being formed directly by electron movement.
Question 155: What is the coenzyme form of pyridoxine?
- A. ADP
- B. NAD
- C. PLP (Correct Answer)
- D. FAD
Explanation: ***PLP*** - **Pyridoxal phosphate (PLP)** is the active coenzyme form of **pyridoxine (vitamin B6)**. - It plays a crucial role in numerous metabolic reactions, particularly those involving **amino acid metabolism**. *ADP* - **Adenosine diphosphate (ADP)** is an important molecule in energy transfer, particularly in the formation of **ATP (adenosine triphosphate)**. - It is not a coenzyme form of any vitamin, but rather a **nucleotide**. *NAD* - **Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD)** is a coenzyme derived from **niacin (vitamin B3)**. - It functions as an electron carrier in **redox reactions** and is vital for cellular respiration. *FAD* - **Flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD)** is a coenzyme derived from **riboflavin (vitamin B2)**. - It also serves as an electron carrier in **redox reactions**, particularly in the electron transport chain.
Question 156: What is the role of adenine phosphoribosyl transferase (APRT) in purine metabolism?
- A. Breakdown of purines
- B. Salvage pathway of purine nucleotide synthesis (Correct Answer)
- C. Not involved in purine metabolism
- D. De novo synthesis of purines
Explanation: ***Salvage pathway of purine nucleotide synthesis*** - **Adenine phosphoribosyl transferase (APRT)** catalyzes the reaction of **adenine** with **5-phosphoribosyl-1-pyrophosphate (PRPP)** to form **adenosine monophosphate (AMP)**. - This reaction is a crucial step in the **purine salvage pathway**, which reclaims pre-formed purine bases and converts them back into nucleotides, conserving energy. *Breakdown of purines* - The breakdown of purines (catabolism) typically involves enzymes like **adenosine deaminase** and **xanthine oxidase**, leading to the formation of **uric acid**. - APRT is involved in synthesizing nucleotides, not their degradation. *Not involved in purine metabolism* - APRT is an enzyme specifically involved in the **anabolic processes** of purine metabolism, as it contributes to the formation of purine nucleotides. - Its role is well-established within the **salvage pathway**. *De novo synthesis of purines* - The **de novo synthesis pathway** builds purine nucleotides from simpler precursors like **amino acids**, **CO2**, and **THF derivatives**. - While both pathways produce purine nucleotides, APRT is exclusively part of the **salvage pathway**, which recycles existing purine bases.
Question 157: Uric acid is formed by?
- A. Catabolism of proteins
- B. Catabolism of ketones
- C. Catabolism of purines (Correct Answer)
- D. Catabolism of pyrimidines
Explanation: ***Catabolism of purines*** - **Uric acid** is the final breakdown product of **purine metabolism** in humans. - **Purines** (adenine and guanine) are components of nucleic acids (DNA and RNA) and are broken down through a series of enzymatic steps, ultimately forming uric acid. *Catabolism of proteins* - The catabolism of proteins leads to the formation of **amino acids**, which are then further broken down to produce **urea** (via the urea cycle) as the main nitrogenous waste product, not uric acid. - Protein breakdown primarily provides energy or building blocks for new proteins. *Catabolism of ketones* - The catabolism of ketones occurs when the body uses **fatty acids** for energy, often during fasting or uncontrolled diabetes. - Key products are **acetyl-CoA** and energy, not uric acid. *Catabolism of pyrimidines* - The catabolism of pyrimidines (cytosine, thymine, and uracil) produces compounds like **beta-alanine** and **ammonia**. - Unlike purines, pyrimidine breakdown does not result in uric acid formation.
Question 158: What is the function of primase?
- A. Joining DNA fragments
- B. Synthesizing small RNA fragments during translation
- C. Unwinding of DNA
- D. Synthesizing small RNA fragments during DNA synthesis (Correct Answer)
Explanation: ***Synthesizing small RNA fragments during DNA synthesis*** - **Primase** is an enzyme that synthesises short **RNA primers** which are crucial for initiating DNA replication. - These **RNA primers** provide a free 3'-hydroxyl group, which **DNA polymerase** requires to start adding deoxyribonucleotides. *Joining DNA fragments* - This function is primarily carried out by **DNA ligase**, which forms phosphodiester bonds between adjacent nucleotides to join DNA fragments. - **DNA ligase** is essential for repairing DNA breaks and joining **Okazaki fragments** on the lagging strand during replication. *Synthesising small RNA fragments during translation* - Small RNA fragments are generally involved in **gene regulation** (e.g., microRNAs) or structural components of ribosomes (e.g., ribosomal RNA) during translation, but primase is not involved in their synthesis for this purpose. - The synthesis of **mRNA**, **tRNA**, and **rRNA** during translation is carried out by **RNA polymerases**, not **primase**. *Unwinding of DNA* - The **unwinding of the DNA double helix** is primarily performed by an enzyme called **DNA helicase**. - **DNA helicase** breaks the hydrogen bonds between complementary base pairs, separating the two strands to allow replication or transcription to proceed.
Question 159: Which RNA is used in RNA splicing?
- A. mRNA
- B. tRNA
- C. rRNA
- D. Small nuclear RNA (snRNA) (Correct Answer)
Explanation: ***Small nuclear RNA (snRNA)*** - **snRNAs** are key components of **spliceosomes**, the molecular machines that catalyze the removal of introns from pre-mRNA. - They bind to specific sequences within the pre-mRNA and facilitate the splicing reactions. *mRNA* - **mRNA (messenger RNA)** carries the genetic code from DNA to the ribosomes for **protein synthesis**. - While it is the molecule that gets spliced, it does not directly participate in the splicing machinery itself. *rRNA* - **rRNA (ribosomal RNA)** is a structural and catalytic component of **ribosomes**, where protein synthesis occurs. - It plays no direct role in the process of RNA splicing. *tRNA* - **tRNA (transfer RNA)** molecules are responsible for carrying specific **amino acids** to the ribosome during protein synthesis. - They are involved in translation, not in the processing of RNA by splicing.
Question 160: Which of the following does not play a role in protein synthesis?
- A. m-RNA
- B. ATP
- C. Intron (Correct Answer)
- D. Exon
Explanation: ***Intron*** - Introns are **non-coding regions** within a gene that are transcribed into RNA but are subsequently **spliced out** before translation. - They do not carry genetic information for protein synthesis; their removal ensures the correct sequence of amino acids is produced. *Exon* - Exons are the **coding regions** of a gene that contain the genetic information for protein synthesis. - After introns are removed, exons are ligated together to form the **mature mRNA** that is translated into protein. *m-RNA* - **Messenger RNA (mRNA)** carries the genetic code from DNA in the nucleus to the ribosomes in the cytoplasm. - It serves as the **template** for protein synthesis through the process of translation. *ATP* - **Adenosine triphosphate (ATP)** provides the **energy** required for various steps in protein synthesis, including mRNA transcription, amino acid activation, and ribosome movement. - It is a crucial energy currency that fuels the process of forming peptide bonds and assembling the polypeptide chain.