ST.

XAVIER’S COLLEGE
KOLKATA
(AUTONOMOUS)

1st SEMESTER EXAMINATION

JANUARY – FEBRUARY 2021
B.M.B.T.
Wednesday, January 20, 2021
MBTCR1011T 12:00 PM to 3:00 PM
3 hours
BIOCHEMISTRY AND
Full Marks : 80
METABOLISM

PLEASE READ THESE INSTRUCTIONS BEFORE YOU START WRITING:

1. Of the questions attempted, the answers to only the first required number of questions (as stipulated in
the question paper) will be evaluated. So please do not attempt extra questions.

2. Use fountain pen or ball-point pen of blue or black ink.

3. Write (not type) the answers legibly, in your own words as far as practicable, on A4 size sheets.
4. Save the pages of your answer sheets (hand-written document) to a single PDF file and name the
document accurately i.e. Roll No_Paper Code.PDF (example: 147_PH36141T).
5. Send the PDF file to the following email address within 30 minutes of the completion of the
examination: MBTCR1011T@SXCCAL.EDU
6. In the subject field of your email, please write “Answer Script – Roll No, Paper Code” (example:
“Answer Script – 147, PH36141T”).
7. The scanned answer scripts should have enough clarity to enable evaluation.
8. On top of each page handwrite the following information: Name, Roll Number, Paper Code , Date,
and Page Number
9. No multiple submissions would be allowed.

The marks are given in brackets [ ] at the end of each question or part question.

The question paper consists of 5 pages.

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 Of the questions attempted, the answers to only the first required number of
questions (as stipulated in the question paper) will be evaluated.
So, PLEASE DO NOT ATTEMPT EXTRA QUESTIONS.

MODULE A
(40 MARKS)

Answer ANY TWO Questions from Q1-Q3.

1. (i) Describe the following mentioning their importance in bio-macromolecules:

(a) Van-der-Waal forces;
(b) - stacking;
(c) Salt-linkages.
(ii) What is Disulfide bridge and which chemical reaction is associated with the formation of disulfide
bridges? In which situation disulfide bridges are detrimental for protein solubility and how can you
get rid of that?
(iii)What is common in Amylose and Cellulose? Are they same in structure and function? Elaborate and
justify your answer.
(iv) State the relationship between saturation/unsaturation and melting point of fatty acids with examples.
Justify your answer. [(2×3)+(1.5+1.5)+3+3=15]

2. (i) Discuss the structure and importance of the following:

(a) EF hand;
(b) Heptad repeat
(ii) Name the protein where hydroxy-proline is commonly observed. Discuss the structural speciality of
that protein in terms of component secondary structures and amino acid composition.
(iii)What is I-cell disease? What are the reasons that cause this disease? [(2.5×2)+(1+4)+5=15]
3. (i) What is the relation between pH and the ratio of acid to base?
(ii) How can you relate pI with pKa values for Glu and Lys? Draw amino acid titration curve and justify
your answer.
(iii)Briefly state the mechanism of N-linked glycosylation inside the cell.
(iv) Discuss the importance of Phosphatidylinositol in implementing extracellular signals inside the cell.
[2+4+5+4=15]

Answer ANY TWO Questions from Q4-Q7.

4. Briefly describe the structural changes occur in haemoglobin upon oxygen binding. [5]
5. (i) What is lactose? Name the enzymes which hydrolyse Lactose in human beings and bacteria.
(ii) Why rancidity of cooking oil is adverse for human health? [3+2=5]
6. (i) Name three major kinds of membrane lipids.
(ii) State the mechanism of intramolecular hemiketal formation in carbohydrates with an example.
[1.5+3.5=5]
7. (i) Why omega-3 fatty acids are named so?
(ii) How does the differences in human ABO blood groups illustrate the effects of glycosyl-
transferases? Discuss. [1.5+3.5=5]

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 MODULE B
40 MARKS

Answer ANY TWO Questions from Q8–Q10.

8. (i) (a) The composition (mole fraction) of one of the strands of a double-helical DNA is [A] = 0.3, and
[G] = 0.24. Calculate the following, if possible. If impossible, write "I."
For the same strand:
[T] = (a) ____
[C] = (b) ____
[T] + [C] = (c) ____
For the other strand:
[A] = (d) ____
[T] = (e) ____
[A] + [T] = (f) ____
[G] = (g) ____
[C] = (h) ____
[G] + [C] = (i) ____
(b) In one sentence, identify the most obvious structural difference between A-form (Watson-Crick)
DNA and Z-form DNA.
(ii) The following expression for the actual free-energy change for the reaction A + B → C + D is
incorrect.
G = G'° + RT ln Keq'
Why is it wrong, and what is the correct expression for the real free-energy change of this reaction?
(iii)In glycolysis, the enzyme pyruvate kinase catalyzes this reaction:
Phosphoenolpyruvate + ADP → pyruvate + ATP
(a) Given the information below, show how you would calculate the equilibrium constant for this
reaction. (R = 8.315 J/mol·K; T = 298 K)
Reaction 1) ATP → ADP + Pi G'° = –30.5 kJ/mol
Reaction 2) phosphoenolpyruvate → pyruvate + P i G'° = –61.9 kJ/mol
(b) Is the reaction thermodynamically feasible?
(c) Is the reaction kinetically feasible?
(iv) Trace the pathway for the oxidative phase of Pentose Phosphate Pathway (PPP) along with the
overall equation and its significance. [(3+2)+2+(2+1+1)+4=15]

9. (i) (a) A solution of DNA is heated slowly until the tm is reached. What is the likely structure of the
DNA molecules at this temperature?
(b) Describe qualitatively how the tm for a double-stranded DNA depends upon its nucleotide
composition.
(c) The C0t½ value can be used to determine the sequence complexity of a DNA preparation. Justify
the statement with the help of a C0t½ curve representing the kinetics of reassociation of calf
thymus DNA.
(ii) Describe why the standard free energy of hydrolysis of ATP→ADP+Pi is
(a) exergonic, and
(b) favorable.
(c) Standard free energy of hydrolysis of GTP and ATP should not differ significantly. Then why is
ATP the accepted energy currency of cell and not any other nucleoside-triphosphates?
(iii)The hexokinase step (Step 1 of Glycolysis) is irreversible and occurs prior to the
phosphofructokinase step (Step 3 of Glycolysis). Then why the phosphofructokinase catalysed
reaction is the committed step in glycolysis?
(iv) Phosphofructokinase-catalysed reaction is usually the rate-limiting step of the Glycolysis pathway.
Graphically represent how this enzyme is regulated. [(1+1+3)+(1+2+2)+2+3=15]

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10. (i) (a) B-form of DNA is the most stable structure. Briefly describe how Watson & Crick developed this
structure based on the experimental evidences available to them.
(b) Watson & Crick went a step further to predict how DNA, the genetic material for most living
entities, can be copied with high fidelity. What was their prediction?
(ii) Even though glycogen contains no phosphate, the two products of glycogenolysis are mostly
glucose-1-phosphate along with a minority of glucose molecules.
(a) Explain how glucose-1-phosphate is produced.
(b) Explain how glucose is produced by glycogenolysis.
(c) Why glucose is the minor product of glycogenolysis?
(d) Glucose-1-phosphate is converted to glucose-6-phosphate by the enzyme phosphoglucomutase.
Is the same phosphate group at C-1 position transferred to the C-6 position. Justify your answer.
(e) How, in the liver, glucose-6-phosphate thus produced, is converted to glucose so that it can be
released into blood? [(4+1)+(2+2+1+2+3)=15]

Answer ANY TWO Questions from Q11–Q14.

11. The nucleotide sequence of the sense strand of a double helical DNA molecule is
ATGCGTAACTAACCG.
(a) What nucleotides are present at the 5'- and 3'-ends?
(b) How would you distinguish the 5'-end from the 3'-end if the bases were the same at both ends?
(c) What is the nucleotide sequence of the complementary strand?
(d) What will be the nucleotide sequence of the mRNA that is transcribed from this DNA? [1+1+1+2=5]

12. (i) Choose the correct answer. Justify your choice.

The Gibbs free energy of activation is
A) the difference between the substrate and the transition state.
B) the difference between the substrate and the product.
C) the difference between the product and the transition state.
D) All of the above.
E) None of the above.
(ii) Consider the following interconversion:
Fructose-6-phosphate ↔ Glucose-6-phosphate K’eq = 1.97
(a) What is the ∆G’ for the reaction at 25 C? [R = 8.315 J/mol·K]
0 0

(b) If the concentration of fructose-6-phosphate is adjusted to 1.5 M and that of glucose-6-phosphate

is adjusted 0.50 M, what is ∆G?
(c) Why are ∆G’0 and ∆G different? [1+(1+2+1)=5]

13. (i) (a) Write a double-stranded DNA sequence containing a six-nucleotide palindrome.
(b) With the help of neat diagrams show the special structures that this DNA can attain in:
1. a single-stranded state
2. a double-stranded state.
(ii) The diagram below shows the effects of arsenic on the metabolism of glyceraldehyde
3-phosphate. As a result, in the presence of arsenic, how many molecules of ATP would be created
directly from the conversion of two glucose molecules to four pyruvate molecules? Justify.

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 A. 0
B. 1
C. 2
D. 4 [(1+2)+2=5]

14. (i) A man collapses while running a marathon and is taken to the emergency room. His blood is found
to be somewhat acidic. Explain the finding.
(ii) After an overnight fast, glucokinase would be expected to have little, if any, physiological activity.
Justify the statement.
(iii)An investigator is measuring the activity of various enzymes involved in reactions of intermediary
metabolism. One of the enzymes has greatly decreased activity compared to reference values. The
buffer of the assay contains citrate. Which of the following enzymes will most likely be directly
affected by the use of citrate?
A. Fructose-2,6-bisphosphatase
B. Isocitrate dehydrogenase
C. Phosphofructokinase-1
D. Pyruvate carboxylase [2+2+1=5]

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