This set of Biophysics Multiple Choice Questions & Answers (MCQs) focuses on “Separation Techniques”.
1. Which of the following matches the criteria of TLC?
a) it’s a column chromatography
b) it’s a liquid chromatography
c) it’s a planner chromatography
d) it’s a gas chromatography
View Answer
Explanation: Thin layer chromatography is based on the movement of samples with the mobile phase, over a planner static medium. So TLC is a Planner chromatography.
2. Which of the following person invented TLC?
a) Mikhail Tsvet
b) Edwin Southern
c) Newton
d) Oliver H. Lowry
View Answer
Explanation: Edwin Southern invented the western blotting method. Whereas Oliver H. Lowry invented the folin lowery method. Mikhail Tsvet invented the chromatography method. He first used this technique to separate components of petroleum.
3. TLC is used to separate ___________
a) volatile sample
b) non-volatile amino acids sample
c) non-volatile large protein sample
d) volatile lipid sample
View Answer
Explanation: Volatile sample cannot be separated by TLC, it is only separated by HPLC. Most importantly, TLC is used to separate small compounds only. So it is used to separate Non-volatile amino acids sample.
4. TLC is a type of affinity chromatography.
a) True
b) False
View Answer
Explanation: No, TLC is just a planner chromatography. The compounds get separated only on the basis on their movement in the solvent medium.
5. Imagine the following image as a TLC medium. If the solvent medium is polar than which one is more nonpolar?
a) Molecule A is the most nonpolar
b) Molecule B is the most nonpolar
c) Molecule C is the most nonpolar
d) Molecule D is the most nonpolar
View Answer
Explanation: In a polar solvent that molecule will move faster which is more polar due to polarity – polarity attraction. So the lease distance traveled molecule is the most nonpolar.
6. What is the width of coating material in an analytical TLC?
a) 0.25 mm
b) 0.50 mm
c) 0. 25 μm
d) 0.50 μm
View Answer
Explanation: The TLC plates are available in the market from 0.2mm to 200 mm width. But, for an analytical TLC experiment, the width should be very this thin so an analytical TLC plate comes with a diameter of 0.25 mm.
7. In TLC, a static phage or absorbent is immobilized onto an inert material (used as a backbone). According to you, what should be the best backbone material?
a) A glass or plastic plate
b) An aluminum plate
c) A diamond plate
d) A piece of paper
View Answer
Explanation: The backbone material should have a very low cost so that we can spend more money on the absorbent material. Therefore, A glass or plastic plate is the most suitable as a backbone material.
8. Silica gel is used along with which of the following compound?
a) Calcium Sulphate
b) Aluminum Phosphate
c) Calcium Chloride
d) Calcium Phosphate
View Answer
Explanation: Calcium Sulphate makes the silica get more stable and static. Thus Calcium Sulphate is used along with silica gel to make uniform pore size in absorbent material.
9. What is not used as a stationary phase in TLC?
a) Silica gel
b) Alumina
c) n-hexane
d) Zirconium oxide
View Answer
Explanation: The stationary phage used must be a solid structure. But n-hexane is a liquid compound so it cannot be used as a stationary medium for TLC.
10. What is the standard mobile phase used for amino acid separation through TLC?
a) Butanol / Acetic Acid / Water (80/20/20)
b) Hexane / Chloroform / Acetic acid (50/15/5)
c) Carbon tetrachloride / chloroform (95/5)
d) Ethyl Acetate/ propanol (65/35)
View Answer
Explanation: The medium containing Hexane / Chloroform / Acetic acid (50/15/5) is mostly used for hydrocarbon separation as hexane is more nonpolar. And the medium containing Butanol/ Acetic Acid/Water (80/20/20) is used for amino acid separation because it contains butanol which is soluble for most of the amino acids.
11. Suppose a solute molecule have traveled 2 cm from the origin and the Rf value for that molecule is 0.25; what is the distance traveled by solvent front from the origin?
a) 6 cm
b) 4 cm
c) 8 cm
d) 10 cm
View Answer
Explanation: Retardation Factor or Rf value = (Distance traveled by the solute molecule from the origin/ Distance traveled by the solvent front from the origin of samples). So the distance traveled by solvent front from the origin is = 2/0.25 = 8 cm.
12. Which of the following molecule can be detected using KMnO4?
a) Fructose
b) Amino acid
c) Proteins
d) Hydrocarbons
View Answer
Explanation: KMnO4 is an oxidative reagent which can oxidize alcohol to acid. Among the following options, Fructose has alcohol groups so KMnO4 can be used for the detection of this compound.
13. Which of the following is not a destructive method of TLC plate detection?
a) Ninhydrin method of detection
b) Use of KMnO4 for detection
c) Use of H2O2
d) Use of UV light
View Answer
Explanation: Those methods are destructive in which, after the completion of the test, the sample molecules changed into another compound and cannot be regenerated. Among the following options, after the Use of UV light, the sample remains unchanged so this is a non-destructive method.
14. If the following TLC experiment is performed in a non-polar solvent then arrange the following amino acids according to their decreasing order of polarity.
a) D>C>B>A
b) A>B>C>D
c) A>C>B>D
d) D>B>C>A
View Answer
Explanation: In a non-polar solvent, the most polar molecules will move slower. So the highest distance traveled molecule will be the least polar. According to this concept, D is the most polar and A is the higher polar molecule and according to their decreasing order of polarity, the order will be D>C>B>A.
15. The Ninhydrin method of amino acid detection is a constructive method.
a) True
b) False
View Answer
Explanation: Ninhydrin method of amino acid detection is a destructive method of detection. After reacting with the Ninhydrin reagent, the amino acids get changed into another compound which gives the color for detection.
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