Deck 11: Dna: the Molecule of Heredity

Question 1

The two polynucleotide chains in a DNA molecule are attached to each other by:

A)covalent bonds between carbon atoms.
B)hydrogen bonds between bases.
C)peptide bonds between amino acids.
D)ionic bonds between "R" groups in amino acids.
E)covalent bonds between phosphates and sugars.

Answer 1

B

Question 2

When Griffith experimented with two types of Streptococcus pneumoniae, he found that:

A)the deadly strain killed the mice, but the nondeadly strain did not.
B)if the deadly strain was heat-killed before injection, the mice lived.
C)if the nondeadly strain was mixed with the heat-killed, nondeadly strain before injection, the mice died.
D)if the nondeadly strain was mixed with the heat-killed, deadly strain before injection, the mice died.

Answer 2

D

Question 3

In Griffith's experiments, what happened when heat-killed S-strain bacteria were injected into a mouse along with live R-strain bacteria?

A)DNA from the live R-strain was taken up by the heat-killed S-strain, converting them to R-strain and killing the mouse.
B)DNA from the heat-killed S-strain was taken up by the live R-strain, converting them to S-strain and killing the mouse.
C)Proteins released from the heat-killed S-strain killed the mouse.
D)RNA from the heat-killed S-strain was translated into proteins that killed the mouse.

Answer 3

B

Question 4

In DNA, phosphate groups bond to:

A)adenine.
B)ribose.
C)pyrimidine bases.
D)other phosphate groups.
E)deoxyribose.

Question 5

The hereditary material present in all cells is:

A)protein.
B)RNA.
C)DNA.
D)R-strain.
E)S-strain.

Question 6

All of the following are found in DNA EXCEPT:

A)deoxyribose.
B)guanine.
C)a phosphate group.
D)a phospholipid group.
E)thymine.

Question 7

Complementary base pairs are held together by:

A)peptide bonds.
B)hydrogen bonds.
C)disulfide bonds.
D)covalent bonds.
E)ionic bonds.

Question 8

The "rule" formulated by Chargaff states that:

A)A = T and G = C in any molecule of DNA.
B)A = C and G = T in any molecule of DNA.
C)A = G and C = T in any molecule of DNA.
D)A = U and G = C in any molecule of RNA.
E)DNA and RNA are made up of the same four nitrogenous bases.

Question 9

If the DNA of a certain organism has guanine as 30% of its bases, then what percentage of its bases are adenine?

A)0%
B)10%
C)20%
D)30%
E)40%

Question 10

"Chargaff's rule" for base pairing in DNA is that:

A)the amount of A = the amount of C, and the amount of G = the amount of T.
B)A bonds with C, and G bonds with T.
C)A bonds with G, and C bonds with T.
D)A bonds with T, and G bonds with C.
E)the amount of A = the amount of G, and the amount of C = the amount of T.

Question 11

The sequence of subunits in the DNA "backbone" is:

A)-base-phosphate-base-phosphate-base-phosphate-.
B)-phosphate-sugar-phosphate-sugar-phosphate-sugar-.
C)-sugar-base-sugar-base-sugar-base-sugar-base-.
D)-base-sugar-phosphate-base-sugar-phosphate-.
E)-base-phosphate-sugar-base-phosphate-sugar-.

Question 12

DNA possesses:

A)A, U, G, and C bases.
B)only C and T bases.
C)only A and G bases.
D)C, T, A, and G bases.
E)both U and T bases.

Question 13

A DNA nucleotide is made up of (in the correct sequence):

A)phosphate-deoxyribose-nitrogen-base.
B)phospholipid-deoxyribose-base.
C)phosphate-deoxyribose-phosphate-deoxyribose.
D)adenine-thymine-guanine-cytosine.
E)base-phosphate-glucose.

Question 14

By the early 1950s, many biologists realized that the key to understanding inheritance lay in the structure of:

A)DNA.
B)protein.
C)enzymes.
D)chromosomes.
E)ribosomes.

Question 15

In a DNA molecule, base pairing occurs between:

A)adenine and thymine.
B)adenine and guanine.
C)guanine and uracil.
D)thymine and cytosine.
E)adenine and uracil.

Question 16

What was the most significant conclusion of Griffith's experiments with pneumonia in mice?

A)Mice exposed to the S-strain bacterium became resistant to the R-strain bacterium.
B)There is a substance present in dead bacteria that can cause a heritable change in living bacteria.
C)The genetic material was definitively proven to be DNA.
D)S-strain bacteria can cause pneumonia.
E)Heat destroys the hereditary material.

Question 17

In an analysis of the nucleotide composition of DNA to see which bases are equivalent in amount, which of the following is true?

A)A = C
B)A = G and C = T
C)A + C = G + T
D)A + T = C + G

Question 18

What is the relationship among DNA, a gene, and a chromosome?

A)A chromosome contains hundreds of genes, which are composed of protein.
B)A chromosome contains hundreds of genes, which are composed of DNA.
C)A gene contains hundreds of chromosomes, which are composed of protein.
D)A gene is composed of DNA, but it has no relationship to a chromosome.
E)A gene contains hundreds of chromosomes, which are composed of DNA.

Question 19

The X-ray diffraction pattern for DNA suggested to Wilkins and Franklin all of the following features about DNA EXCEPT:

A)a DNA molecule is helical.
B)a DNA molecule has a diameter of 2 nanometers.
C)one full turn of the DNA helix occurs every 3.4 nanometers.
D)the phosphate-sugar "backbone" of the molecule is on the outside of the DNA helix.
E)in a DNA molecule, A pairs with T and G pairs with C.

Question 20

If the quantities of the four bases in a DNA molecule are measured, we find that:

A)A = C and G = T.
B)A = G and C = T.
C)T = A and C = G.
D)no two bases are equal in amount.
E)all bases are equal in amount.

Question 21

Which of the following is TRUE in the Watson-Crick model of DNA?

A)Ribose always bonds to a nitrogenous base.
B)During replication, the phosphate groups are copied but the base sequence is not copied.
C)Phosphate groups always bond to ribose.
D)The number of adenines equals the number of guanines.
E)Four different types of bases are found in DNA.

Question 22

It became apparent to Watson and Crick after completing their model that a DNA molecule could carry a vast amount of hereditary information in its:

A)sequence of bases.
B)phosphate-sugar backbone.
C)variety of phosphate groups.
D)side groups of bases.
E)different five-carbon sugars.

Question 23

Which component of a DNA nucleotide could be removed without breaking the polynucleotide chain?

A)ribose
B)deoxyribose
C)phosphate
D)uracil
E)thymine

Question 24

Regarding the structure of DNA, which is covalently bonded to a nitrogen-containing base?

A)deoxyribose
B)phosphate
C)double helix
D)hydrogen bonds
E)covalent bonds

Question 25

How many DNA base pairs are in a typical gene?

A)two
B)four
C)hundreds or thousands
D)millions or billions

Question 26

How many bases are in a DNA molecule?

A)two
B)four
C)hundreds or thousands
D)millions or billions

Question 27

Regarding the structure of DNA, which joins sugar to phosphate?

A)deoxyribose
B)phosphate
C)double helix
D)hydrogen bonds
E)covalent bonds

Question 28

How many different kinds of nucleotides are in DNA?

A)two
B)four
C)hundreds or thousands
D)millions or billions

Question 29

In the comparison of a DNA molecule to a twisted ladder, the uprights of the ladder are:

A)nitrogenous bases linked together.
B)deoxyribose linked to phosphate.
C)deoxyribose linked to sulfate.
D)nitrogenous bases linked to phosphate.
E)hydrogen bonds between bases.

Question 30

Regarding the structure of DNA, which joins adenine and thymine and also guanine and cytosine?

A)deoxyribose
B)phosphate
C)double helix
D)hydrogen bonds
E)covalent bonds

Question 31

Which of the following is NOT true according to Chargaff's base pairing rule?

A)A = T in amount.
B)G = C in amount.
C)A + G = T + C in amount.
D)A + T = G + C in amount.

Question 32

Which of the following is TRUE regarding the genetic information in the cells of your body?

A)Different kinds of body cells contain different genetic information.
B)Each type of body cell contains only the genetic information it needs to be that type of cell.
C)The genetic information in almost all of your body cells is identical.
D)The genetic information in your body cells changes in a predictable manner as you grow and develop.

Question 33

In the comparison of a DNA molecule to a twisted ladder, the rungs of the ladder are:

A)nitrogenous bases linked together.
B)deoxyribose linked to phosphate.
C)deoxyribose linked to sulfate.
D)nitrogenous bases linked to phosphate.
E)the backbones of the molecule.

Question 34

How many different kinds of base pairings are in DNA?

A)two
B)four
C)hundreds or thousands
D)millions or billions

Question 35

When a cell divides:

A)each daughter cell receives a nearly perfect copy of the parent cell's genetic information.
B)each daughter cell receives exactly half the genetic information in the parent cell.
C)each daughter cell receives the same amount of genetic information that was in the parent cell, but it has been altered.

Question 36

Watson and Crick are credited with the discovery and description of the DNA:

A)deoxyribose sugar.
B)phosphate group.
C)double helix.
D)hydrogen bonds.
E)covalent bonds.

Question 37

Regarding the structure of DNA, the units that form the "uprights" of the DNA ladder and do not attach to the nitrogen bases are:

A)deoxyribose molecules.
B)phosphate molecules.
C)ribose molecules.
D)sulfur-containing bases.

Question 38

Regarding the structure of DNA, which is like a spiral staircase?

A)deoxyribose
B)phosphate
C)double helix
D)hydrogen bonds
E)covalent bonds

Question 39

Why did scientists initially think DNA would be a poor candidate for the hereditary information within a cell?

A)Griffith's experiments suggested that protein was the hereditary material.
B)Studies showed that viruses lacking DNA passed genetic traits to the next generation.
C)DNA was shown to be made of only four different kinds of nucleotides.
D)The work of Franklin and Wilkins showed that DNA could not be the hereditary material.

Question 40

For the DNA sequence G-C-C-T-A-T in one polynucleotide chain, the sequence found in the other polynucleotide chain must be:

A)C-G-G-A-T-A.
B)G-C-C-A-T-A.
C)C-G-G-A-U-A.
D)A-T-T-C-G-C.
E)G-C-C-T-A-T.

Question 41

Which of the following is TRUE regarding how the DNA in your body's cells can accumulate mutations?

A)Mistakes are never made during DNA replication; they always occur during the G1 phase of interphase.
B)Some DNA spontaneously breaks down every second, making the chromosome significantly shorter with every passing day.
C)The ultraviolet radiation in sunlight may induce changes in DNA.
D)Spontaneous mutation rates are around one in every four nucleotides that are replicated.

Question 42

During DNA replication, the continuous daughter strand is the leading strand. True or False?

Question 43

The number of subunits in a DNA molecule is more important to its function than the sequence of these subunits. True or False?

Question 44

Chargaff found that the amounts of the four bases vary from species to species, but the amount of adenine always equals the amount of guanine and the amount of thymine always equals the amount of cytosine. True or False?

Question 45

A cell that lacks the ability to make DNA repair enzymes will:

A)be able to correctly replicate its DNA, but it will need more time to do so.
B)be unable to replicate its DNA.
C)replicate its DNA as well as a cell with intact repair enzymes.
D)replicate its DNA as rapidly as a normal cell, but the resulting DNA will have more errors in it.

Question 46

Which of the following is TRUE about the accuracy of DNA replication?

A)Many errors are made during DNA replication, but this does not matter because of the immense size of the DNA molecule.
B)Many errors are made during DNA replication, but this does not matter because repair enzymes mend the errors.
C)The few errors made by DNA polymerase are usually corrected by repair enzymes.
D)DNA polymerase makes very few errors, so no repair enzymes are needed.
E)DNA polymerase always makes a perfect copy of the original DNA.

Question 47

Semiconservative DNA replication means that:

A)the old DNA is completely broken down.
B)the old DNA remains completely intact.
C)A pairs with T and G pairs with C.
D)only half of the DNA is replicated.
E)each new DNA molecule has half the DNA from the old one.

Question 48

DNA polymerase, before any proofreading by repair enzymes, makes (on average)one mistake for every:

A)1 to 100 base pairs.
B)100 to 1,000 base pairs.
C)1,000 to 100,000 base pairs.
D)100,000 to 1 million base pairs.
E)100 million to 1 billion base pairs.

Question 49

Newly replicated DNA strands contain (on average)one mistake for every:

A)1 to 100 base pairs.
B)100 to 1,000 base pairs.
C)100,000 to 1 million base pairs.
D)100 million to 1 billion base pairs.

Question 50

When chromosomes replicate:

A)the two DNA strands separate and each is used as a template for synthesis of a new strand.
B)new DNA synthesis occurs in only one location along the entire DNA molecule.
C)one strand of the DNA is completely replicated first, and then the second strand is replicated.
D)the original DNA is distributed to the two daughter cells, with no new DNA synthesized.

Question 51

Imagine that a DNA sequence of 5'-A-C-G-T-A-C-G-T-3' is altered to 5'-A-C-G-C-A-C-G-T-3'. This could happen as a result of a(n):

A)point mutation.
B)deletion mutation.
C)insertion mutation.
D)inversion.
E)translocation.

Question 52

In one strand of DNA, the nucleotide sequence is 5'-A-T-G-C-3'. The complementary sequence in the other strand must be:

A)5'-C-G-T-A-3'.
B)5'-A-T-G-C-3'.
C)3'-T-A-C-G-5'.
D)3'-G-C-A-T-5'.

Question 53

Which of the following is NOT involved in the DNA replication process?

A)DNA helicase
B)DNA ligase
C)DNA replicase
D)DNA polymerase

Question 54

In semiconservative replication, a DNA molecule serves as a template for a new DNA molecule, which consists of either both parental strands of DNA or both newly synthesized strands of DNA. True or False?

Question 55

Imagine that a DNA sequence of 5'-A-C-G-T-A-C-G-T-3' is altered to 5'-A-C-G-A-C-G-T-3'. This could happen as a result of a(n):

A)point mutation.
B)deletion mutation.
C)insertion mutation.
D)inversion.
E)translocation.

Question 56

In eukaryotic cells, chromosomes are composed of both DNA and proteins. True or False?

Question 57

A strand of DNA is a polymer of nucleotides held together by hydrogen bonds. True or False?

Question 58

DNA ligase is important in the replication process because it can bind together segments of DNA. True or False?

Question 59

All of the following occur during DNA replication EXCEPT the:

A)separation of parental DNA strands.
B)use of parental DNA as a template.
C)use of DNA polymerase enzymes.
D)synthesis of totally new double-stranded DNA molecules.

Question 60

When DNA polymerase encounters thymine in the parental strand, what does it add to the growing daughter strand?

A)deoxyribose
B)phosphate group
C)adenine
D)uracil

Question 61

Inversions are movements of DNA from one chromosome to another. True or False?

Question 62

Briefly describe the experiments conducted by Avery, McCarty, and MacLeod. What was the relevance of their research?

Question 63

DNA is copied within eukaryotic cells in the process of ________ to produce two identical DNA molecules.

Question 64

The basic subunits of DNA are the ________.

Question 65

The X-ray diffraction studies of the British scientists named ________ were essential for the discovery of the structure of the DNA molecule.

Question 66

The molecule ________ carries the genetic "blueprints" for all forms of life on Earth.

Question 67

Chromosomes contain both ________ and ________, and early-20th-century scientists were unsure which of these carried the heritable units called genes.

Question 68

At one end of a double helix, one strand has a free sugar (3')group and the other has a free ________ group.

Question 69

DNA replication occurs without errors due to the complementary base pairing used in the copying process. True or False?

Question 70

DNA replication uses ________ base pairing to ensure genetic constancy.

Question 71

The DNA of chromosomes is composed of two strands wound about each other in the shape of a ________.

Question 72

DNA helicase is involved in "rewinding" the strands of DNA back into a helix after replication. True or False?

Question 73

By the early 1900s, scientists had determined that heritable information existed as discrete units called genes, which were located on ________.

Question 74

Segments of DNA that are made during replication are joined together by ________.

Question 75

________ is the process whereby a molecule of DNA copies itself.

Question 76

DNA polymerase and other repair enzymes ________ the newly synthesized DNA strand during and after the replication process.

Question 77

If cytosine makes up 22% of the bases in a sample of DNA from an organism, then adenine makes up what percentage of the bases?

Question 78

Most mutations are harmful, although some can be beneficial. True or False?

Question 79

________ breaks the hydrogen bonds between complementary base pairs during DNA replication.

Question 80

DNA polymerase has the ability to match the nucleotide base in the parental strand with a free nucleotide that is complementary to that base. It then forms the covalent bonds between the nucleotides in the growing daughter strand of DNA. True or False?