FACULTY OF APPLIED SCIENCES

SUPPLEMENTARY EXAMINATION

Course Code & Name : MF108 STRUCTURAL BIOCHEMISTRY

Semester : May – August 2021
Instructor/Examiner/Lecturer : Assoc Prof Dr Nyam Kar Lin/Asst Prof Dr Yam Hok Chai
Duration : 3 hours

INSTRUCTIONS TO CANDIDATES:

FIVE (5) SHORT RESPONSE ITEMS 50 mark

TOTAL: 50 marks

This question paper consists of 1 page, excluding the cover page. Your answers should
be thorough but concise. Prepare your Exam Submission in the question paper itself in
Microsoft Word file, named as “MF108 Supp Exam_Student ID” and submit in MF108
class CN (Task  Supp Exam Submission). You are allowed to write or draw diagrams
on different paper, snap picture and transfer into this document/file. Late submission
will result in 0% for this assessment.
ANSWER SUMISSION INSTRUCTIONS TO STUDENTS:
Page 1 - this page
Page 2 - softcopy of your Student ID
Page 3 - softcopy of your exam token
Page 4 onwards - your answers. Please number your answers clearly.

Warning:
The University Examination Board of UCSI University regards cheating and plagiarism as a
most serious offence and will not hesitate to mete out the appropriate punitive actions
according to the severity of the offence committed, and in accordance with the clauses
stipulated in the Students’ Handbook, up to and including expulsion from UCSI University.

Student ID
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Exam token

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FIVE (5) SHORT RESPONSE ITEMS. [50 marks]

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Instruction: Answer ALL items in this word file.

Q1. (a) Explain the characteristic of amino acids that could contribute to the degree of
complexity of proteins. [5 MARKS]

(b) In your opinion, why ionic property is important for certain amino acids?
[3 MARKS]
(c) Why is histidine amino acid needed as a protein monomer? [2
MARKS]

Q2. (a) Explain the properties of a protein to be placed in transmembrane. [4

MARKS]

(b) Explain why protein sequence is used as the reference for phylogenetic analysis
instead of DNA sequence. [4
MARKS]

Q3. (a) Define enzymes based on your own understanding. [2

MARKS]

(b) “Velocity of enzyme is in linear correlation with substrate concentration during early
enzymatic reaction”
Defend this statement using a kinetic model of enzyme activity. [5 MARKS]

(c) Provide an example of enzyme to explain the importance of cofactor in assisting to

perform catalytic reaction. [4
MARKS]

(d) Elaborate how asymptotical Vm value can be deduced indirectly from the
Lineweaver-Burk plot.
[5 MARKS]

Q4 (a) In your opinion, what makes DNA can be easily compacted and stored? [4
MARKS]

(b) What possible circumstances would happen if DNA had an additional new
nucleotide?
[3 MARKS]

Q5 (a) Explain an experiment that proves membrane are in fluidity conformation [4

MARKS]

(b) Discuss the inevitable roles of membrane carrier proteins in sustaining cell functions,
provide specific examples in your explanation. [5 MARKS]

<END OF QUESTION PAPER>

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Q1
(a) Amino acids are the building blocks of protein; the sequences of amino acids form
primary structure of the proteins. Amino acids can join via peptide bonds and form a lot of
linear chain of amino acids called polypeptide, these polypeptides can fold into three-
dimension(3D) structure that called proteins. Besides, as the R groups of amino acids have
varied structure and chemical functionality, they can affect the secondary structure of the
proteins which are noncovalent force form between adjacent amino acids in the polypeptide
chains. This will make the polypeptide chains to arrange itself into characteristic helical or
pleated segments. Based on this, the tertiary structure of proteins will also be built and form
the overall 3D shape.
(b) In my opinion, ionic property is important for certain amino acids because the amino
groups and carboxyl groups of different amino acids can react together, eliminating a water
molecule and forming a covalent amide linkage called peptide bond. This makes the amino
acids to be joined together forming a polypeptide which is basic if a protein.
(c) Histidine amino acid is needed as protein monomer because it has a positively charged
imidazole functional group. This is important for histidine to be included in active site of
some enzymes.

Q2
(a)
(b) Phylogenetic analysis is study of evolutionary development of a species. Protein sequence
is used as the reference for phylogenetic analysis instead of DNA sequence because proteins
are fundamental building blocks of our life, and the functional properties are determined by
the sequence of amino acids. Besides, as there is possible for gene mutation, means that the
changes in DNA sequence but not changes in protein sequence, thus the protein sequence is
more suitable for phylogenetic analysis.

Q3
(a) Enzymes or biological catalysts are types of protein which can speed up metabolism and
some chemical reaction inside our body by lowering the activation energy of the reaction.
Besides, the enzyme has its own specificity which mean different type of enzymes are used in
different type of reactions.

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(b) During the enzymatic reaction, the substrate binds to the active site of enzyme and cause
the velocity of reaction to be increases. When the concentration of substrate is increased, the
initial velocity of reaction will also increase. However, when the substrate concentration
decreases because of the reaction, the velocity of reaction also slows down. The following
graph shown the relationship between concentration of substrate and rate of reaction.

(c) Cofactor is non protein molecule that needed for an enzyme’s function. If an enzyme
without cofactor called apoenzyme and it is in inactive form. Once cofactor is added, the
enzyme become active, and we called holoenzyme. There are two types of cofactors which
are organic or inorganic cofactor. Organic cofactors can be classified into two groups which
are prosthetic group and coenzyme.
(d)

Q4
(a) In my opinion, DNA can be easily compacted and stored is because
(b) If DNA had an additional new nucleotide, it may affect the formation of proteins because
the DNA sequences are used to determine the sequences of amino acids which is primary
structure of a protein during protein synthesis. Besides, if the sequences of DNA has
changed, some characteristic of human may be changed, such as color of hair or color of
eyes.

Q5
(a)
(b) As the permeability of the phospholipid bilayer, some polar substances or water-soluble
substances cannot pass through the membrane easily, thus they required a help of a transport
molecule to pass through the membrane, which are channel proteins and carrier proteins. For
the carrier proteins, they are involved in facilitated diffusion and active transport. Carrier
proteins have a binding site which can bind with specific molecules and transport them from
one side to another side. An example of carrier protein is sodium-potassium pump which
occur in animal cells, it transports both sodium and potassium ions against concentration
gradient by using ATP.

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