Biomolecules – Lipids: NEET MCQs with Answers

15 free questions on Biomolecules – Lipids for NEET (UG), starting with previous-year NEET and AIPMT questions. Try each one, then tap Show answer for the answer and a short explanation.

Syllabus covered: Lipids: structure and function

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Question 1

Previous-year question
From the compounds listed below, identify those that are NOT fatty acids. [Re-NEET 2024]
A. Glutamic acid
B. Arachidonic acid
C. Palmitic acid
D. Lecithin
E. Aspartic acid
  1. C, D and E only
  2. A and B only
  3. A, D and E only
  4. B and C only
Show answer
Answer: (C) A, D and E only
Explanation: Glutamic acid and aspartic acid are acidic amino acids, and lecithin is a phospholipid, so A, D and E are not fatty acids. Arachidonic acid (20 C, unsaturated) and palmitic acid (16 C, saturated) are fatty acids.

Question 2

Previous-year question
Which of the following is NOT a polymer? [NEET 2017]
  1. Proteins
  2. Polysaccharides
  3. Lipids
  4. Nucleic acids
Show answer
Answer: (C) Lipids
Explanation: Lipids have relatively low molecular weight (generally below 800 Da) and are not formed by repeating monomer units, so they are not true polymers; they appear in the acid-insoluble fraction only because they form membrane vesicles. Proteins, polysaccharides and nucleic acids are true biopolymers of amino acids, monosaccharides and nucleotides respectively.

Question 3

Previous-year question
Which of the following are NOT polymeric? [NEET 2017]
  1. Proteins
  2. Polysaccharides
  3. Lipids
  4. Nucleic acids
Show answer
Answer: (C) Lipids
Explanation: Lipids are not strictly macromolecules and are not built by the repeated linking of a monomer; they are assemblies of glycerol and fatty acids held by ester bonds.

Question 4

Previous-year question
A typical fat molecule is made up of [NEET 2016]
  1. three glycerol molecules and one fatty acid molecule
  2. one glycerol and three fatty acid molecules
  3. one glycerol and one fatty acid molecule
  4. three glycerol and three fatty acid molecules
Show answer
Answer: (B) one glycerol and three fatty acid molecules
Explanation: Three fatty acid molecules are esterified with the three hydroxyl groups of a single glycerol to give a triglyceride.

Question 5

Previous-year question
Lipids are insoluble in water because lipid molecules are [AIPMT 2002]
  1. Hydrophilic
  2. Hydrophobic
  3. Neutral
  4. Zwitter ions
Show answer
Answer: (B) Hydrophobic
Explanation: Lipids are insoluble in water but soluble in non-polar solvents such as benzene and chloroform, because lipid molecules are non-polar, that is, hydrophobic. The commonest lipid of the cell is the phospholipid, which contains a hydrophilic polar head and a hydrophobic non-polar tail.

Question 6

Previous-year question
Which one of the following is not a constituent of the cell membrane? [AIPMT 2007]
  1. Cholesterol
  2. Glycolipids
  3. Proline
  4. Phospholipids
Show answer
Answer: (C) Proline
Explanation: Proline is an amino acid and is not a lipid constituent of the cell membrane. The lipids of the cell membrane are of three types — phospholipids, glycolipids and sterols such as cholesterol in animals and phytosterol in plants.

Question 7

Previous-year question
A phosphoglyceride is always made up of [NEET 2013]
  1. Only a saturated fatty acid esterified to a glycerol molecule to which a phosphate group is also attached
  2. Only an unsaturated fatty acid esterified to a glycerol molecule to which a phosphate group is also attached
  3. A saturated or unsaturated fatty acid esterified to a glycerol molecule to which a phosphate group is also attached
  4. A saturated or unsaturated fatty acid esterified to a phosphate group, which is also attached to a glycerol molecule
Show answer
Answer: (C) A saturated or unsaturated fatty acid esterified to a glycerol molecule to which a phosphate group is also attached
Explanation: Phosphoglycerides are esters of two fatty acids, phosphoric acid and the trifunctional alcohol glycerol. The fatty acids may be either saturated or unsaturated and are attached to the glycerol at the 1 and 2 positions through ester bonds, the phosphate occupying the third position.
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Question 8

Previous-year question
A typical fat molecule is made up of [NEET 2016]
  1. One glycerol and three fatty acid molecules
  2. One glycerol and one fatty acid molecule
  3. Three glycerol and three fatty acid molecules
  4. Three glycerol molecules and one fatty acid molecule
Show answer
Answer: (A) One glycerol and three fatty acid molecules
Explanation: A typical fat molecule is a triglyceride formed by the esterification of one molecule of glycerol with three molecules of fatty acid. The three fatty acids may be of the same type or of different types depending upon the nature of the fat.

Question 9

Previous-year question
Which of the following are not polymeric? [NEET 2017]
  1. Nucleic acid
  2. Proteins
  3. Polysaccharides
  4. Lipids
Show answer
Answer: (D) Lipids
Explanation: Proteins, nucleic acids and polysaccharides are all polymers formed by the polymerisation of monomers into repetitive chains. Lipids are not polymers; the basic units of a fat are fatty acids and glycerol, which combine to form a triglyceride from three fatty acids and one glycerol molecule.

Question 10

Previous-year question
The following are statements with reference to lipids. I. Lipids having only single bonds are called unsaturated fatty acids. II. Lecithin is a phospholipid. III. Trihydroxy propane is glycerol. IV. Palmitic acid has 20 carbon atoms including the carboxyl carbon. V. Arachidonic acid has 16 carbon atoms. [NEET 2021]
  1. I and III
  2. III and IV
  3. II and III
  4. II and V
Show answer
Answer: (C) II and III
Explanation: Statements II and III are correct. Statement I is wrong because lipids having only single bonds are saturated fatty acids. Statements IV and V have their figures interchanged: palmitic acid has 16 carbon atoms including the carboxyl carbon, while arachidonic acid has 20 carbon atoms.

Question 11

Previous-year question
Read the following statements on lipids and find out the correct set of statements. I. Lecithin found in the plasma membrane is a glycolipid. II. Saturated fatty acids possess one or more C=C bonds. III. Gingelly oil has a lower melting point, hence it remains as an oil in winter. IV. Lipids are generally insoluble in water, but soluble in some organic solvents. V. When a fatty acid is esterified with glycerol, monoglycerides are formed. [NEET 2022]
  1. I, IV and V
  2. III, IV and V
  3. I, II and IV
  4. I, II and III
Show answer
Answer: (B) III, IV and V
Explanation: Statements III, IV and V are correct. Statement I is wrong because lecithin is a phospholipid, not a glycolipid, since it contains phosphorus and a phosphorylated organic compound. Statement II is wrong because saturated fatty acids contain no double bonds; it is unsaturated fatty acids that possess one or more C=C bonds.

Question 12

Previous-year question
Lecithin, a small molecular weight organic compound found in living tissues, is an example of [NEET 2024]
  1. Amino acids
  2. Phospholipids
  3. Glycerides
  4. Carbohydrates
Show answer
Answer: (B) Phospholipids
Explanation: Lecithin is a type of phospholipid, a class of lipids that form the major component of cell membranes. It specifically contains a phosphate group, a glycerol backbone, two fatty acid chains and a choline molecule.

Question 13

Previous-year question
Lipids are insoluble in water because lipid molecules are [2002]
  1. neutral
  2. hydrophilic
  3. zwitter ions
  4. hydrophobic
Show answer
Answer: (D) hydrophobic
Explanation: Lipids consist largely of long hydrocarbon chains that are non-polar and therefore cannot form hydrogen bonds with water. Since water molecules associate preferentially with one another, the lipid is excluded and separates out, which is the property that allows a phospholipid bilayer to form spontaneously.

Question 14

Previous-year question
A typical fat molecule is made up of [NEET-I 2016]
  1. Three glycerol molecules and one fatty acid
  2. One glycerol and three fatty acid molecules
  3. One glycerol and one fatty acid molecule
  4. Three glycerol and three fatty acid molecules
Show answer
Answer: (B) One glycerol and three fatty acid molecules
Explanation: A triglyceride has one glycerol esterified to three fatty acids.

Question 15

Previous-year question
A phosphoglyceride is always made up of [AIPMT 2013]
  1. Only a saturated fatty acid esterified to glycerol with a phosphate group
  2. Only an unsaturated fatty acid esterified to glycerol with a phosphate group
  3. A saturated or unsaturated fatty acid esterified to glycerol to which a phosphate group is attached
  4. A saturated or unsaturated fatty acid esterified to a phosphate group attached to glycerol
Show answer
Answer: (C) A saturated or unsaturated fatty acid esterified to glycerol to which a phosphate group is attached
Explanation: A phosphoglyceride has a (saturated or unsaturated) fatty acid esterified to glycerol, which also bears a phosphate group.

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