Lesson 1.4.1

1.4.1 Monosaccharides, disaccharides and polysaccharides Quiz: Pearson Edexcel Biology A (Salters-Nuffield), Unit 1

20 questions

Written by Revision Ninja · Last reviewed 11 October 2026

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Lesson 1.4.1, Monosaccharides, disaccharides and polysaccharides: 20 multiple choice questions for the Pearson Edexcel Biology A (Salters-Nuffield) (9BI0), Unit 1: Lifestyle, Health and Risk, written with Revision Ninja.

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The 20 questions

  1. Which of these is a monosaccharide?

    • Sucrose
    • Glycogen
    • Maltose
    • Glucose

  2. What is the molecular formula of glucose?

    • C5H10O5
    • C6H12O6
    • C6H10O5
    • C12H22O11

  3. Which pair of monosaccharides forms sucrose when joined?

    • Glucose and galactose
    • Glucose and fructose
    • Galactose and fructose
    • Glucose and glucose

  4. Which disaccharide is formed from glucose and galactose?

    • Sucrose
    • Maltose
    • Lactose
    • Amylose

  5. Which polysaccharide is made of unbranched chains of alpha-glucose units?

    • Sucrose
    • Amylopectin
    • Glycogen
    • Amylose

  6. What is the main structural difference between amylose and amylopectin?

    • Amylose is made of fructose, whereas amylopectin is made of galactose
    • Amylose has side branches, whereas amylopectin is unbranched
    • Amylopectin has side branches, whereas amylose is unbranched
    • Amylopectin is a disaccharide, whereas amylose is a polysaccharide

  7. Why is glycogen well suited to storing glucose in animal cells?

    • It is compact and highly branched, so glucose can be released quickly by hydrolysis
    • It is made of fructose units, which are stored more efficiently than glucose in the liver
    • It is a lipid that stores more energy per gram than any carbohydrate molecule in the body
    • It is a soluble monosaccharide that diffuses out of cells to supply other tissues quickly

  8. Why is starch rather than glucose used as an energy store in plants?

    • Starch contains more energy per molecule than glucose, because it is a monosaccharide
    • Starch can be made from nitrogen, which glucose cannot be made from in the plant
    • Glucose is an insoluble polymer, so it cannot be transported to other parts of the plant
    • Starch is insoluble, so it does not affect the osmotic balance of the cell

  9. What is the relative formula mass of the disaccharide maltose, C12H22O11? (Ar: C = 12, H = 1, O = 16)

    • 162
    • 342
    • 180
    • 360

  10. Which monosaccharide is the main product of hydrolysis of starch and glycogen?

    • Galactose
    • Glucose
    • Fructose
    • Ribose

  11. How does a glycosidic bond form between two monosaccharides?

    • By a condensation reaction in which a molecule of water is removed
    • By the transfer of a phosphate group from ATP to the first sugar
    • By a reaction that releases oxygen as a by-product of photosynthesis
    • By a hydrolysis reaction in which a molecule of water is added

  12. Which statement about the hydrolysis of a disaccharide is correct?

    • A water molecule is added, and the glycosidic bond is broken to give two monosaccharides
    • The disaccharide is reduced by hydrogen, which joins it to a second disaccharide molecule
    • The disaccharide is oxidised by oxygen, releasing carbon dioxide and water as products
    • A water molecule is removed, and a new glycosidic bond forms between the two sugars

  13. Why is glycogen more highly branched than amylopectin?

    • Branching allows many glucose units to be released simultaneously by enzymes at the ends of the branches
    • Branching increases the number of monosaccharides in glycogen, which increases its molecular mass
    • Branching stops glycogen from being hydrolysed, so it can store energy for longer periods
    • Branching makes glycogen less soluble, which prevents it from being digested in the stomach

  14. Which polysaccharide is found in the liver and muscles of animals as a storage form of glucose?

    • Glycogen
    • Amylose
    • Cellulose
    • Chitin

  15. Which feature makes starch a more compact energy store than an equal mass of free glucose?

    • It is a lipid which stores energy in ester bonds that are more stable than glycosidic bonds
    • It is a large insoluble polymer that does not change the water potential of the cell significantly
    • It is made of fructose, which holds more energy per gram than glucose does
    • It contains more glucose molecules per gram than glucose itself, because the water is removed

  16. In an experiment, a student hydrolyses a sample of starch and finds that the product gives a positive test with Benedict's reagent. What does this indicate?

    • Reducing sugars, such as glucose, were produced by the hydrolysis
    • Protein was produced, because Benedict's reagent detects peptide bonds
    • Starch remains unchanged, because Benedict's reagent only detects the starch polymer
    • Lipids were produced, because Benedict's reagent detects fats in a sample

  17. Which statement about sucrose is correct?

    • Sucrose is a polysaccharide made from many galactose units joined in a long chain
    • Sucrose is a monosaccharide found in the liver as a store of energy for muscles
    • Sucrose is a reducing disaccharide made from two glucose molecules joined by a 1,6 bond
    • Sucrose is a non-reducing disaccharide made from glucose and fructose

  18. Which of these is a difference between amylose and glycogen?

    • Amylose is a lipid, whereas glycogen is a carbohydrate
    • Amylose is found in animal liver, whereas glycogen is found only in plant seeds
    • Glycogen is made of fructose, whereas amylose is made of glucose
    • Glycogen is highly branched, whereas amylose is essentially unbranched

  19. A student models the number of free ends in a glycogen molecule and an amylose molecule of similar mass. Which prediction is most accurate?

    • Glycogen has many more free ends than amylose, because glycogen is more highly branched
    • Amylose has many more free ends than glycogen, because amylose is more branched than glycogen
    • Both molecules have the same number of free ends, because they are made of the same monomer
    • Neither molecule has free ends, because both are cyclic polymers of glucose

  20. Which products are formed by complete hydrolysis of one molecule of maltose?

    • A glucose and a galactose molecule
    • A glucose and a fructose molecule
    • Two glucose molecules
    • Two fructose molecules

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