Lesson 2.1.2a

2.1.2a Water and carbohydrates Quiz: OCR Biology, Unit 1

20 questions

Written by Revision Ninja · Last reviewed 11 October 2026

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Lesson 2.1.2a, Water and carbohydrates: 20 multiple choice questions for the OCR Biology (H020), Unit 1: Foundations in biology, written with Revision Ninja.

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The 20 questions

  1. Adjacent water molecules are held together by which type of attraction?

    • Hydrogen bonds
    • Peptide bonds
    • Ionic bonds
    • Glycosidic bonds

  2. Which property of water makes it an effective solvent?

    • Polarity
    • Low viscosity
    • High density
    • High boiling point

  3. What water property stabilises internal cell temperatures?

    • Maximum density at 4C
    • Low surface tension
    • High specific heat capacity
    • High latent heat

  4. What biological advantage does the lower density of ice provide?

    • Insulates aquatic habitats
    • Increases water pressure
    • Speeds up evaporation
    • Lowers freezing point

  5. A monosaccharide with six carbon atoms is called a:

    • Hexose
    • Pentose
    • Polysaccharide
    • Disaccharide

  6. Alpha- and beta-glucose differ structurally in the position of which group on carbon 1?

    • Methyl group
    • Hydroxyl group
    • Carboxyl group
    • Hydrogen group

  7. Which pair of monosaccharides forms maltose?

    • Glucose and fructose
    • Glucose and galactose
    • Ribose and glucose
    • Two alpha-glucose molecules

  8. A reducing sugar is present in a sample. Which result is expected with Benedict's test on heating?

    • Cloudy white emulsion
    • Blue-black colour
    • Purple colour
    • Brick-red precipitate

  9. What type of covalent bond forms between two monosaccharides during condensation?

    • Glycosidic bond
    • Ester bond
    • Phosphodiester bond
    • Peptide bond

  10. What are the two monomer products of the hydrolysis of maltose?

    • Two galactose molecules
    • Glucose and fructose
    • Glucose and galactose
    • Two glucose molecules

  11. Which polysaccharide is a straight, unbranched chain of beta-glucose units linked by 1-4 bonds, forming strong fibres?

    • Glycogen
    • Cellulose
    • Amylose
    • Chitin

  12. Which polysaccharide is most highly branched and is used for rapid glucose release in animals?

    • Glycogen
    • Chitin
    • Cellulose
    • Amylose

  13. Which structural feature makes amylose compact for energy storage?

    • Porous sheet
    • Coiled helix
    • Branched chains
    • Straight fibres

  14. Which bond type links parallel cellulose chains to form strong microfibrils?

    • Hydrogen bonds
    • Peptide bonds
    • Ionic bonds
    • Disulphide bonds

  15. A starch solution is tested with iodine solution. What colour is expected?

    • Blue-black
    • Orange
    • Brick red
    • Purple

  16. Why is glycogen better suited than starch for rapid energy release in animals?

    • More branched structure
    • Insoluble in cytoplasm
    • Contains nitrogen atoms
    • Higher molecular mass

  17. Why is sucrose considered a non-reducing sugar?

    • Lacks glycosidic bonds
    • Contains only glucose
    • Is insoluble in water
    • No free aldehyde group

  18. What causes structural differences between amylose and cellulose?

    • Different ester bonds
    • Presence of nitrogen
    • Alpha and beta glucose
    • Branched versus linear

  19. Why do plants store glucose as starch rather than free glucose?

    • Starch is a gas
    • Starch dissolves easily
    • Starch is a lipid
    • Starch is insoluble

  20. How many carbon atoms are in a pentose monosaccharide?

    • Five
    • Four
    • Six
    • Three

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