THE UNIVERSITY OF ZAMBIA

SCHOOL OF MEDICINE

DEPARTMENT PHARMACY

SCD-PMY 232 (BIOCHEMISTRY)

DATE: 16TH APRIL, 2012 TIME: 09:00 – 12: 00 HRS

INSTRUCTIONS
Please Note.

1. This Paper consist s of Part 1 and Part 2. The allocated time is 3hours.

2. Part 1 has 40 MCQ questions each of equal value. Total Marks 40

2.1 .A calculated negative mark will be given for a wrong answer
2.2 .Zero (0) mark for non response or I do not know answer

WARNING: DO NOT GUESS

3. Part 2 has 5 SLAQ (Short and Long Answer Questions) each of equal Value.
Total Marks 60

4. Use Separate Answer Sheet for Part 2 questions

5. Remember to Indicate Your Computer Number on ALL your answer scripts

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PART 1

Attempt ALL Questions -1 to 40 (40 Marks)

Indicate TRUE or FALSE against the options given after the question

1. With respect to human nutrition,

a) Carbohydrates are body’s least efficient energy source
b) Carbohydrates accounts for 85-90% of total caloric intake
c) Unused starches and sugars are stored as glycogen to be used by the body later
d) Adequate Carbohydrates intake results in protein utilization for energy
e) Protein sparing action of glucose occurs if adequate Carbohydrates in the system

2. In diet and nutrition essentials

a) Fats are least concentrated source of energy
b) Fats do not Serve to make food flavorable and do not contain fat soluble vitamins
c) Saturated - fatty acids are derived from plant derivatives and liquid at room
temperature
d) Fat soluble Vitamins include Vitamin A, D, E, K
e) All essential amino acids can be produced by the body

3. Milk is deficient of which mineral

a) Phosphorous
b) Sodium
c) Iron
d) Potassium
e) All of the above

4. Caloric balance is
a) Calories consumed plus calories expended
b) Positive when caloric balance leads weight loss
c) Negative when caloric balance results into weight loss
d) Calculated through accurate record keeping of calories consumed and expended
relative to metabolic and activity needs
e) Calories consumed minus calories expended

5. Concerning Creatine Supplementation, Positive effects are:

a) Weight gain

b) Lactic acid buffer

c) Stimulates protein synthesis

d) Increases fat free mass

e) Decreases total cholesterol and total triglycerides and improves HDL-LDL ratio

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 6. The following are not positive effects of creatine supplementation:

a) increase intensity of workouts

b) muscle cramping

c) gastrointestinal disturbances

d) renal dysfunction

e) None of the above

7. Deficiency of water soluble vitamins can cause all of the following except

a) Rickets
b) Pellagra
c) Beriberi
d) Scurvy
e) None

8. About Calcium deficiency the following is false:

a) Bones become weak and brittle resulting in osteoporosis

b) Young adult requires 1000mg/day
c) Females are not commonly affected because they tend to get enough calcium in
diet
d) While exercise helps bones to retain calcium, extreme levels of exercise, causing
hormonal imbalances, can disrupt calcium retention
e) Supplementing with calcium carbonate or citrate is not advisable

9. Which of the following is true about Iron Deficiency?

a) Common in males than females

b) Results in iron-deficiency anemia, limiting oxygen carrying capacity of blood

c) Athlete feels tired and weak due to muscles’ inability to generate energy

d) Supplementation with iron tablets is advisable

e) None of the above

10. In human nutrition, the following is not true about Body Weight Loss

a) A combination of dieting and exercise can lead to body weight loss

b) A negative energy balance must be achieved

c) Loss of greater 1 kg per week is inadequate

d) Weight loss of more than 5kg per week can be attributed to dehydration

e) A positive energy balance must be achieved

11. Which of the following Vitamin is not Water Soluble?

a) Vitamin A
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b) Vitamin C
c) Vitamin K
d) Vitamin D
e) None

12. The following is true about Vitamins

a) Water soluble Vitamins help to regulate metabolism and can be stored

b) Fat soluble Vitamins are found mostly in dark green, deep yellow and orange fruits
and vegetables
c) Vitamins A, C and E function as antioxidants and may prevent premature aging,
cancers, heart disease and other health problems
d) Help protect cells from free radicals
e) I do not know

13. The following statements regarding diet and nutrition are untrue except:

a) Activity increases need for energy not necessarily all vitamins, minerals and nutrients

b) Activity increases need for energy and vitamins, minerals and nutrients

c) Activity decreases need for energy not necessarily all vitamins, minerals and
nutrients

d) Activity decreases need for vitamins, minerals and nutrients and not necessarily
energy

e) None

14. Gout is characterized by elevated uric acid concentrations in blood and urine due to a
variety of metabolic abnormalities that lead to the overproduction of purine
nucleotides. Allopurinol is used in the treatment of gout because this drug, and its
metabolic product, alloxanthine, act as inhibitors of:

a) Xanthine Oxidase
b) PRPP synthetase
c) Adenyl succinate synthase
d) Hypoxhantine guanine phosphoribosyl transferase
e) Nucleotides

15. Both the salvage and de novo synthesis pathways of purine and pyrimidine
biosynthesis lead to the production of nucleoside-5′-phosphates through the utilization
of an activated sugar. The activated sugar intermediate used for this purpose is:

a) Glucose 6 (P)
b) Ribose 5 (P)

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c) 5 Phosphoribosyl 1 pyrophosphate
d) Ribosyl pyrophosphate
e) Deoxyribosyl 5 pirophosphate

16. The first purine nucleotide that is fully formed in metabolism is:

a) IMP
b) AMP
c) GMP
d) XMP
e) ADP

17. Three amino acids that donate amine groups for the purine biosynthesis are

a) Glycine, glutamine, aspartate

b) Glycine, beta-alanine, aspartate
C) Glycine, alanine, aspartate
d) Lysine, glutamine, aspartate
e) Lysine, glutamate, asparagine

18. Hereditary Orotic aciduria is characterized by severe anemia, growth retardation, and
high levels of orotic acid excretion. It is produced by deficit of enzymes related with:

a) Synthesis of pyrimidine nucleotides

b) Catabolism of pyrimidine nucleotides
c) Synthesis of purine nucleotides
d) Catabolism of purine nucleotides
e) Synthesis of Hem

19. The following is FALSE about Nucleoproteins:

a) Nucleoproteins are simple proteins

b) Nucleoproteins are conjugated proteins
c) Nucleoproteins are primary derived proteins
d) Nucleoproteins are Secondary derived proteins
e) None of the above

20. Which is TRUE statement about nucleic acid?

a) Triose is sugar present in nucleic acid

b) Pentose and tetrose sugars are present in nucleic acid
c) Pentose sugar is present in nucleic acid
d) Hexose sugar is present in nucleic acid
e) All sugars are present in nucleic acid

21. The following is TRUE about nucleic acid bases:

a) Cytosine is a Pyrimidine base

b) Thymine is also called 5- methyluracil
c) Uracil is a Pyrimidine base found in RNA
d) Guanine contain imidazole ring
e) Pyrimidine bases contain imidazole ring

22. Regarding RNA:

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a) Adenine is absent in RNA
b) Uracil is a purine base present in RNA
c) Guanine is present in RNA as Guanosine
d) Cytosine is present in RNA
e) Uracil is a Pyrimidine base found in RNA

23. Regarding DNA, the following is UNCORRECT:

a) Adenine is present in DNA a adenosine

b) Cytosine is a Purine base found in DNA
c) Guanine is absent in DNA
d) Thymine is a Pyrimidine base present in DNA
e) DNA is monomer of nucleosides

24. The following is FALSE regarding purines and pyrimidines

a) Guanine contain imidazole ring

b) Cytosine contain imidazole ring
c) Uracil contain imidazole ring
d) Thymine contain imidazole ring
e) Purines and Pyrimidines do not contain imidazole ring

25. Ribonucleic acid contain the following Pyrimidine bases :

a) Cytosine and Uracil

b) Cytosine and Thymine
c) Thymine and Uracil
d) Any of these pairs
e) None of these pairs

26. The following statements regarding a Purine base are False EXCEPT :

a) A Purine base is present in Coenzyme NAD

b) The Coenzyme NADP has a Purine base in its structure
c) A Purine base is functional and structural component of coenzyme FMN
d) The structure of Coenzyme FAD does not consist a Purine base
e) A Purine base is present in all coenzymes

27 The following statements are False EXCEPT:

a) Thymine is a complementary base of adenine in RNA

b) Cytosine is a complementary base of adenine in RNA
c) Guaninine is a complementary base of adenine in RNA
d) Uracil is a complementary base of adenine in RNA
e) All statements are correct

28. DNA contains all the following EXCEPT

a) Adenine
b) Thiamine
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 c) Cytosine
d) Guanine
e) None

Study the biochemical structure in figure 1 below and answer questions 29-32

Fig 1.

29. Approved name of the chemical structure as shown in fig 1.

a) Adenine
b) Allopurinol
c) Uric acid
d) Guanine
e) Hipoxanthine

30. The following is true about fig. 1

a) Represents a Pyrimidine base
b) Not a derivative of Adenosine
c) A metabolite of Purine bases
d) It is a structure of uracil
e) None of the above

31. The chemical structure shown in Fig 1 above represents :

a) Structural and functional component of nucleic acid

b) Pyrimidine metabolite
c) Chemical compound responsible for hyperuricaemia
d) A drug used in treatment of gout
e) I do not know
32. The following is not true regarding the compound in fig 1:

a) Intermediate of catabolism of Purine bases

b) Anolog of Hipoxanthine
c) Structure of Guanosine
d) Not a Substrate of Xanthine Oxidase
e) Xanthine Oxidase Inhibitor

33. Which is FALSE regarding the nitrogenous compound?

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 a) During the catabolism of pyrimidine bases, Xanthine Oxidase catalyzes the
conversion of Hypoxanthine to Xanthine and the conversion of Xanthine to uric
acid.

b) During the catabolism of purine bases Xanthine Oxidase catalyzes the

conversion of Allopurinol to Xanthine and the conversion of uric acid to Xanthine .

c) During the anabolism of purine bases Xanthine Oxidase catalyzes the conversion
of Hypoxanthine to Xanthine and the conversion of Xanthine to uric acid.

d) During the catabolism of purine bases Xanthine Oxidase catalyzes the

conversion of uric acid to Hypoxanthine and the conversion of Xypoxanthine to
Xanthine.

e) During the catabolism of purine bases Xanthine Oxidase catalyzes the

conversion of Hypoxanthine to Xanthine and the conversion of Xanthine to uric
acid.

34. Which of the following drug is used to prevent uric acid synthesis by inhibiting the
enzyme Xanthine Oxidase?

a) Aspirin
b) b ) Panadol
c) c) Allopurinol
d) d) Colchicine
e) e) Probenecid

35. The name of biochemical compound in fig. 2 below is ---------

a) Thymine
b) Adenine
c) Caffeine
d) Uracil
e) Theobromine

Fig 2.

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36. The following is true about Nucleoside

a) pyrimidine or purine N-glycoside of D-ribofuranose or 2-deoxy-D-ribofuranose

b) Result from linking one or more phosphates with a Pyrimidine or Purine base onto
the 5’ end of the molecule through esterification
c) purine or pyrimidine N-glycosides of almost any carbohydrate
d) Polymer of ribonucleotides
e) I do not know

37. A Nucleotide is defined as

a) pyrimidine or purine N-glycoside of D-ribofuranose or 2-deoxy-D-ribofuranose

b) purine or pyrimidine N-glycosides of almost any carbohydrate.
c) Result from linking one or more phosphates with a Pyrimidine or Purine base onto
the 5’ end of the molecule through esterification
d) Polymer of ribonucleotides
e) None of the above

38. With reference to nucleotides, which of the following statements is correct?

a) RNA (ribonucleic acid) is a polymer of ribonucleotides

b) DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) is a polymer of deoxyribonucleotides
c) Both deoxy- and ribonucleotides contain Adenine, Guanine and Cytosine
d) Ribonucleotides contain Uracil
e) Deoxyribonucleotides contain Thymine

39. Which is not true about the biochemical compound in figure 3 below?
a) A Pyrimidine nucleoside of D-ribofuranose
b) A Purine nucleoside of Deoxyribofuranose

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 c) Uridine
d) Adenosine
e) None of the above

Figure 3

40. The chemical structure in figure 4 below is NOT

a) Nucleoside
b) Pyrimidine
c) Thymidine
d) Guanine
e) Component of nucleic acids

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Figure 4

PART TWO

Attempt ALL Three Questions.

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1. Gout is characterized by elevated uric acid concentrations in blood and urine due to a
variety of metabolic abnormalities that lead to the overproduction of purine nucleotides.

i. Describe how carbohydrate metabolism linked to increase in uric acid production

in Von Gierke’s disease ( 5 marks)
ii. State three major characteristics of Von Gierke’s disease (3marks)
iii. Mention two other disorders due nucleotide metabolic abnormalities ( 2 marks)
iv. Discuss the nitrogenous bases found in nucleic acids (10 marks)

2. Write brief notes on all of the following

i. Caffeine and Theobroma (5Marks)

ii. Nucleotidines (5Marks)
iii. Conversion of IMP to AMP (5Marks)
iv. IMP conversion to GMP (5Marks)

3. A 30 year old black African female (Clinical Pharmacist) who works for an international
NGO is paid K 15 million per month. She lives in New Kasama in Lusaka but she travels
a lot. She divorced three years ago and has three teenage children. From her latest
medical examination it was discovered that her height is 160cm and weight was 95 Kg.
She had elevated glucose and uric acid concentrations in blood and urine with high
total plasma cholesterol levels. Her BP was 160/120. She does not know her HIV status
but confessed that her former husband committed suicide shortly after their divorce.

i. In relation to the above case, discuss the food pyramid and explain the nutritional
value of water and vitamins. (10Marks)
ii. Define Body Mass Index and calculate Ms Clinical Pharmacist’s BMI (3 marks)
iii. What will be the ideal weight for this young woman? ( 1 mark)
iv. What three metabolic diseases and their risk factors likely to occur in this woman
(3 marks)
v. What life style modifications can be recommended to her? ( 3 marks)

#THE END

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