Deck 12: Dna: the Molecule of Heredity

Question 1

The 'rule" formulated by Chargaff states that

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

Answer 1

D

Question 2

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

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

Answer 2

B

Question 3

All of the following are found in DNA EXCEPT

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

Answer 3

C

Question 4

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

Question 5

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

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

Question 6

In a DNA molecule, base pairing occurs between

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

Question 7

The sequence of subunits in the DNA "backbone" is

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

Question 8

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

A) non- deadly strain was mixed with the heat- killed, non- deadly strain before injection, the mice died.
B) non- deadly strain was mixed with the heat- killed, deadly strain before injection, the mice died.
C) deadly strain was heat- killed before injection, the mice died.
D) non- deadly strain was mixed with the heat- killed, deadly strain before injection, the mice lived.

Question 9

DNA possesses

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

Question 10

A DNA nucleotide is made up of

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

Question 11

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

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

Question 12

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

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

Question 13

The hereditary material present in all cells is

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

Question 14

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

A) a DNA molecule has a uniform diameter of 2 nanometers.
B) in a DNA molecule, A pairs with T and G pairs with C.
C) the DNA molecule consists of repeating subunits.
D) a DNA molecule is helical.
E) the phosphate- sugar "backbone" of the molecule is on the outside of the DNA helix.

Question 15

Complementary base pairs are held together by

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

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

Question 17

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

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

Question 18

Hershey and Chase concluded that is the hereditary molecule by examining how radioactively labeled molecules moved between a virus and bacteria.

A) Lipids
B) DNA
C) phospholipids
D) protein

Question 19

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

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

Question 20

In DNA, phosphate groups bond to

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

Question 21

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

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

Question 22

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

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

Question 23

How many bases are in the DNA molecule of a typical human chromosome?

A) Thousands
B) Two
C) Four
D) Millions

Question 24

In the comparison of a DNA molecule to a twisted ladder, the upright sides of the ladder are

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

Question 25

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

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

Question 26

In the comparison of a DNA molecule to a twisted ladder, the rungs (footholds) of the ladder are

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

Question 27

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

A) Phospholipid
B) Ribose
C) Hydrogen bonds
D) Deoxyribose
E) Phosphate

Question 28

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

A) Phosphate
B) Covalent bonds
C) Hydrogen bonds
D) Deoxyribose
E) Double helix

Question 29

Regarding the structure of DNA, which of the following joins deoxyribose to phosphate?

A) Double helix
B) Phosphate
C) Hydrogen bonds
D) Ionic bonds
E) Covalent bonds

Question 30

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

A) Adenine
B) Uracil
C) Phosphate group
D) Deoxyribose

Question 31

How many different kinds of base pairings are in DNA?

A) Four
B) Millions
C) Two
D) Hundreds or thousands

Question 32

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

Question 33

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

A) Deoxyribose
B) Nitrogen base
C) Phosphate
D) Ribose

Question 34

The way DNA stores information is through the of bases.

A) size
B) different types
C) sequence
D) number

Question 35

How many different kinds of nucleotides are in DNA?

A) Hundreds or thousands
B) Millions
C) Two
D) Four

Question 36

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

A) Double helix
B) Covalent bonds
C) Hydrogen bonds
D) Deoxyribose
E) Phosphate

Question 37

If the DNA sequence is G- C- C- T- A- T in one polynucleotide chain, then the sequence found in the other polynucleotide chain must be

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

Question 38

When a cell divides, each daughter cell receives

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

Question 39

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

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

Question 40

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

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

Question 41

A(n) mutation is when one or more nucleotide pairs are lost.

A) insertion
B) inversion
C) nucleotide substitution
D) deletion

Question 42

What determines the function of the gene product?

A) The number of phosphates
B) The sequence of phosphates
C) The sequence of bases
D) The number of bases
E) The sequences of deoxyribose

Question 43

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

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

Question 44

Specific segments of DNA that code for a specific protein are called

A) genes.
B) mutations.
C) nuclei.
D) chromosomes.
E) nucleoli.

Question 45

DNA polymerase, before any proofreading by repair enzymes, makes one mistake for about every

A) 100 to 1,000 base pairs.
B) 100 million to 10 billion base pairs.
C) 10,000 to 1 million base pairs.
D) 1 to 100 base pairs.
E) 1 million to 10 million base pairs.

Question 46

Agents that cause mutations are called mutagens. All of the following are examples of mutagens EXCEPT

A) vitamins.
B) ultraviolet radiation.
C) X- rays.
D) cigarette smoke.

Question 47

Semiconservative DNA replication means that

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

Question 48

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

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

Question 49

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) insertion mutation.
B) inversion.
C) deletion mutation.
D) translocation.
E) nucleotide substitution mutation.

Question 50

After proofreading repair enzymes check the work of DNA polymerase, newly replicated DNA strands contain about one mistake for every

A) 10,000 to 1 million base pairs.
B) 1 million to 10 million base pairs.
C) 100 million to 10 billion base pairs.
D) 1 to 100 base pairs.
E) 100 to 1,000 base pairs.

Question 51

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

Question 52

All of the following occur during DNA replication EXCEPT

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

Question 53

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

Question 54

Mutations are a source of genetic _ by which evolutionary change is possible.

A) stability
B) constancy
C) reproduction
D) variability

Question 55

replication is the process when DNA uses one parental strand and synthesizes a new strand, resulting in each daughter cell having a new and parental DNA strand.

A) Redundant
B) Inversion
C) Semiconservative
D) Conservative

Question 56

What two bases in the DNA molecule are double- ringed?

A) Guanine and cytosine
B) Thymine and cytosine
C) Thymine and uracil
D) Guanine and adenine
E) Uracil and guanine

Question 57

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) nucleotide substitution mutation.
B) insertion mutation.
C) deletion mutation.
D) inversion.
E) translocation.

Question 58

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

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

Question 59

When chromosomes replicate

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

Question 60

DNA polymerase always moves from along the strand resulting in DNA replication to be continuous on one strand and discontinuous on the other.

A) 3' to 5'
B) phosphate group to base
C) base to phosphor group
D) 5' to 3'

Question 61

Inversions are movements of DNA from one chromosome to another.

Question 62

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

Question 63

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

Question 64

The two strands of DNA are held together by hydrogen bonds.

Question 65

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.

Question 66

The basic subunits of DNA are the .

Question 67

The molecule

Question 68

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

Question 69

Most mutations are harmful or neutral, although in rare instances some can be beneficial.

Question 70

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.

Question 71

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

Question 72

During DNA replication, the continuous daughter strand is the leading strand.

Question 73

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

Question 74

In eukaryotic cells, chromosomes are composed of both DNA and proteins.

Question 75

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

Question 76

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

Question 77

DNA ligase is important in the replication process because it can join together segments of DNA into a single daughter strand.

Question 78

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

Question 79

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.

Question 80

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