Chapter 4 Carbon and the Molecular Diversity of Life

4.1 Multiple-Choice Questions

1. The element present in all organic molecules is ________.

(A) hydrogen
(B) oxygen
(C) carbon
(D) nitrogen

2. The complexity and variety of organic molecules is due to ________.

(A) the chemical versatility of carbon atoms
(B) the variety of rare elements in organic molecules
(C) the diverse bonding patterns of nitrogen
(D) their interaction with water

3. The experimental approach taken in current biological investigations presumes

that ________.
(A) simple organic compounds can be synthesized in the laboratory from
inorganic precursors, but complex organic compounds like carbohydrates and
proteins can be synthesized only by living organisms
(B) a life force ultimately controls the activities of living organisms, and this life
force cannot be
(C) living organisms are composed of the same elements present in nonliving
things, plus a few special trace elements found only in living organisms or
their products
(D) living organisms can be understood in terms of the same physical and
chemical laws that can be used to explain all natural phenomena

4. Differences among organisms are caused by differences in the ________.

(A) elemental composition from organism to organism
(B) types and relative amounts of organic molecules synthesized by each
organism
(C) sizes of the organic molecules in each organism
(D) types of inorganic compounds present in each organism
5. Stanley Miller's 1953 experiments supported the hypothesis that ________.
(A) life on Earth arose from simple inorganic molecules
(B) organic molecules can be synthesized abiotically under conditions that may
have existed on early Earth
(C) life on Earth arose from simple organic molecules, with energy from lightning
and volcanoes
(D) the conditions on early Earth were conducive to the origin of life

6. Miller's classic experiment demonstrated that a discharge of sparks through a

mixture of gases could result in the formation of a large variety of organic
compounds. Miller did not use ________ as one of the gases in his experiment.
(A) methane
(B) oxygen
(C) water
(D) ammonia

7. Which of the following is true of carbon?

(A) It forms only polar molecules.
(B) It can form a maximum of three covalent bonds with other elements.
(C) It is highly electronegative.
(D) It can form both polar and nonpolar bonds.

8. The kind and number of bonds an atom can form depends on ________.
(A) its atomic number
(B) its electron configuration
(C) its atomic mass
(D) the number of particles in its nucleus

9. Why is carbon so important in biology?

(A) It is a common element on Earth.
(B) It has very little electronegativity, making it a good electron donor.
(C) It bonds to only a few other elements.
(D) It can form a variety of carbon skeletons and host functional groups.
10. How many electrons does one atom of carbon share to complete its valence shell?
(A) 2
(B) 3
(C) 4
(D) 8

11. A carbon atom has 6 electrons however, its valency is 4. This is because the
carbon atom ________.
(A) donates its 2 electrons to another atom
(B) shares its 2 electrons and bonds with another atom
(C) has 4 electrons in its first shell and 2 in the second shell
(D) has only 2 electrons in its first shell and 4 in the second shell

12. In an ethane (C2H6) molecule, each carbon atom is bonded to ________ hydrogen
atoms.
(A) two
(B) three
(C) four
(D) six

13. A carbon atom is most likely to form what kind of bond(s) with other atoms?
(A) ionic
(B) hydrogen
(C) covalent
(D) ionic bonds, covalent bonds, and hydrogen bonds

14. Why are hydrocarbons insoluble in water?

(A) The majority of their bonds are polar covalent carbon-to-hydrogen linkages.
(B) The majority of their bonds are nonpolar covalent carbon-to-hydrogen
linkages.
(C) They exhibit considerable molecular complexity and diversity.
(D) They are less dense than water.

15. Which of the following statements correctly describes cis-trans isomers?

(A) They have variations in arrangement around a double bond.
(B) They have an asymmetric carbon that makes them mirror images.
(C) They have the same chemical properties.
(D) They have different molecular formulas.
16. Each bond in carbon dioxide represents ________.

(A) one resonating electron

(B) a pair of shared electrons
(C) two pairs of shared electrons
(D) a pair of protons

17. Research indicates that ibuprofen, a drug used to relieve inflammation and pain, is
a mixture of two enantiomers; that is, molecules that ________.
(A) have identical chemical formulas but differ in the branching of their carbon
skeletons
(B) are mirror images of each other
(C) differ in the location of their double bonds
(D) differ in the arrangement of atoms around their double bonds

18. What determines whether a carbon atom's covalent bonds to other atoms are in a
tetrahedral configuration or a planar configuration?
(A) the presence or absence of bonds with oxygen atoms
(B) the presence or absence of double bonds between the carbon atom and other
atoms
(C) the polarity of the covalent bonds between carbon and other atoms
(D) solvent in which the organic molecule is dissolved

19. Which of the following carbon molecules does not have the bond angle of 109.5°?
(A) CH4
(B) C2 H4
(C) C2 H6
(D) C3 H8

20. Compared to a hydrocarbon chain where all the carbon atoms are linked by single
bonds, a hydrocarbon chain with the same number of carbon atoms but with one
or more double bonds will ________.
(A) be more flexible in structure
(B) be more constrained in structure
(C) be more polar
(D) have more hydrogen atoms
21. Organic molecules with only hydrogens and five carbon atoms cannot ________.
(A) have a branching carbon skeleton
(B) have different combinations of double bonds between carbon atoms
(C) have different positions of double bonds between carbon atoms
(D) form enantiomers

22. Some carbon skeletons have different numbers and locations of double bonds to
________.
(A) add molecular complexity and diversity that characterize living matter
(B) be more flexible that makes the molecule stronger
(C) stay in its liquid state
(D) increase its solubility in water

23. Use the following figure to answer the question.

The two molecules shown in the figures are best described as ________.
(A) enantiomers
(B) structural isomers
(C) cis-trans isomers
(D) chain length isomers
24. Use the following figure to answer the question.

The figure shows the structures of glucose and fructose. These two molecules
differ in the ________.
(A) number of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen atoms
(B) types of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen atoms
(C) arrangement of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen atoms
(D) number of oxygen atoms joined to carbon atoms by double covalent bonds

25. Use the following figure to answer the question.

The figure shows the structures of glucose and fructose. These two molecules are
________.
(A) isotopes
(B) enantiomers
(C) cis-trans isomers
(D) structural isomers
26. Use the following figure to answer the question.

The two molecules shown in the figure are best described as ________.
(A) enantiomers
(B) radioactive isotopes
(C) structural isomers
(D) cis-trans isomers

27. Which of the following illustrations is not a structural isomer of an organic

compound with the molecular formula C6 H14 ? For clarity, only the carbon
skeletons are shown; hydrogen atoms that would be attached to the carbons have
been omitted.

(A)

(B)

(C)

(D)
28. Which of the pairs of molecular structures shown depict enantiomers
(enantiomeric forms) of the same molecule?

(A)

(B)

(C)

(D)

29. Use the figure to answer the question.

Thalidomide and L-dopa (see figure) are examples of pharmaceutical drugs that
occur as enantiomers, or molecules that ________.
(A) have identical three-dimensional shapes
(B) are mirror images of one another
(C) are mirror images of one another and have the same biological activity
(D) are cis-trans isomers

30. Which of the following molecules is polar?

C3 H7 OH C2 H5 COOH
(A) C3 H7 OH and C2 H5 COOH are both polar molecules.
(B) Neither C2 H5 COOH or C3 H7 OH is polar.
(C) C2 H5 COOH is polar, but C3 H7 OH is not polar.
(D) C2 H5 COOH is not polar, but C3 H7 OH is polar.
31. Which of the functional groups is not reactive but serves as a recognizable tag on
the DNA molecule and alter the expression of genes in the cells.
(A) Amino
(B) Methyl
(C) Carboxyl
(D) Hydroxyl

32. A compound contains hydroxyl groups as its predominant functional group.

Therefore, this compound ________.
(A) lacks an asymmetric carbon and is probably a fat or lipid
(B) should dissolve in water
(C) should dissolve in a nonpolar solvent
(D) will not form hydrogen bonds with water

33. Which two functional groups are always found in amino acids?
(A) carbonyl and amino groups
(B) carboxyl and amino groups
(C) amino and sulfhydryl groups
(D) hydroxyl and carboxyl groups

34. Amino acids are acids because they always possess ________ as the functional
group?
(A) amino
(B) carbonyl
(C) carboxyl
(D) phosphate

35. Testosterone and estradiol are male and female sex hormones, respectively, in
many vertebrates. In what way(s) do these molecules differ from each other?
Testosterone and estradiol ________.
(A) are structural isomers but have the same molecular formula
(B) are cis-trans isomers but have the same molecular formula
(C) have different functional groups attached to the same carbon skeleton
(D) are enantiomers of the same organic molecule
36. Use the figure to answer the question.

What is the name of the functional group shown in the figure?

(A) carbonyl
(B) ketone
(C) aldehyde
(D) carboxyl

37. Use the figures to answer the question.

Which functional group shown can pick up protons and raise the pH of the
surrounding solution?
(A) A
(B) B
(C) C
(D) D

38. Use the figures to answer the question.

Which of the functional groups shown helps stabilize proteins by forming

covalent cross-links within or between protein molecules?
(A) A
(B) B
(C) C
(D) D
39. Use the figures to answer the question.

Which of the functional groups shown is present in ethanol but not in ethane?
(A) A
(B) B
(C) C
(D) D

40. Use the figures to answer the question.

Which of the groups is an acidic functional group that can dissociate and release
H + into a solution?
(A) A
(B) B
(C) C
(D) D

41. Use the figures to answer the question.

Which molecule(s) shown is (are) ionized in a cell?

(A) A
(B) B and D
(C) C and D
(D) D
42. Use the figures to answer the question.

Which molecules shown contain a carbonyl group?

(A) A and B
(B) B and C
(C) B, C, and D
(D) C and D

43. Use the figures to answer the question.

Which molecule has at least one carbon atom attached to three different chemical
groups?
(A) A
(B) B
(C) D
(D) A and B
44. Use the figures to answer the question.

Which molecule shown has a carbonyl functional group in the form of an

aldehyde?
(A) A
(B) B
(C) C
(D) D

45. Use the figures to answer the question.

Which molecule shown contains a carboxyl group?

(A) A
(B) B
(C) C
(D) D
46. Use the figures to answer the question.

Which molecule shown can increase the concentration of hydrogen ions in a

solution and is therefore an organic acid?
(A) A
(B) B
(C) C
(D) D

47. Use the figures to answer the question.

Which molecule can be a result of mercaptoethanol reduction of a disulfide

bridge?
(A) A
(B) B
(C) C
(D) D
48. Use the figures to answer the question.

Which molecule shown is a thiol?

(A) A
(B) B
(C) C
(D) D

49. Use the figures to answer the question.

Which molecule shown above contains a functional group that is a part of the
molecule known as the "energy currency of living organisms"?
(A) A
(B) B
(C) C
(D) D
50. Use the figures to answer the question.

Which molecule shown above can contribute negative charge when positioned in
a chain?
(A) A
(B) B
(C) C
(D) D

51. Which of the following statements is true?

(A) ADP contains more energy than ATP.
(B) Following hydrolysis, ATP can give off one phosphate, whereas ADP cannot.
(C) ADP can have two positive charges.
(D) ATP can have four negative charges.

52. Which of the following molecules is a part of ATP?

(A) adenosine
(B) cytosine
(C) guanine
(D) uracil

4.2 Student Edition End-of-Chapter Questions

53. Organic chemistry is currently defined as

(A) the study of compounds made only by living cells.
(B) the study of carbon compounds.
(C) the study of natural (as opposed to synthetic) compounds.
(D) the study of hydrocarbons.
54.

Which functional group is not present in this molecule?

(A) carboxyl
(B) sulfhydryl
(C) hydroxyl
(D) amino

55. Which chemical group is most likely to be responsible for an organic molecule
behaving as a base?
(A) hydroxyl
(B) carbonyl
(C) amino
(D) phosphate

56. Visualize the structural formula of each of the following hydrocarbons. Which
hydrocarbon has a double bond in its carbon skeleton?
(A) C3 H8
(B) C2 H6
(C) C2 H4
(D) C2 H2

57. Choose the term that correctly describes the relationship between these two sugar
molecules:

(A) structural isomers

(B) cis-trans isomers
(C) enantiomers
(D) isotopes
58. Which action could produce a carbonyl group?
(A) the replacement of the -OH of a carboxyl group with hydrogen
(B) the addition of a thiol to a hydroxyl
(C) the addition of a hydroxyl to a phosphate
(D) the replacement of the nitrogen of an amine with oxygen