Question

The structure of biomolecules controls their structure, properties, function, and relationships with other biomolecules. Which of the following statements is true about the relationship between a given class of biomolecule and water?

A) Large carbohydrate polymers will not be soluble or stable in an aqueous solution.
B) If the outer surface of a protein contains a high density of non-polar amino acids, it can be water-soluble.
C) Since lipid chains are hydrophobic, the presence or absence of water does not affect how they group.
D) Nucleic acids can hydrogen bond, which allows them to base-pair and to non-covalently bond with water.

Answer 1

The true statement about the relationship between biomolecules and water is that nucleic acids can hydrogen bond, allowing them to base-pair and bond non-covalently with water, because of their polar nature which facilitates interactions with water molecules.

Step-by-step explanation:

The structure of biomolecules and their interaction with water are fundamental aspects of biology. In the context provided, the statement that is true about the relationship between a class of biomolecules and water is: D) Nucleic acids can hydrogen bond, which allows them to base-pair and to non-covalently bond with water. This is because nucleic acids like DNA and RNA have the ability to form hydrogen bonds due to their polar nature, which indeed allows them to interact with water molecules as well as base-pair to form the double helix structure.

Carbohydrates, such as large carbohydrate polymers, are generally soluble in water because most have hydrophilic groups that interact with water. This is contrary to statement A, which is false. Proteins with a high density of non-polar amino acids on their surface are less likely to be water-soluble (statement B is false), since water solubility is favored by the presence of polar or charged amino acids that can interact with water.