Deck 12: Dna: the Carrier of Genetic Information

Question 1

Figure 12-1
Use the figure to answer the corresponding question(s).
Hydrogen bonds can form between guanine and __________, and between adenine and __________.

A) phosphate; sugar
B) thymine; cytosine
C) cytosine; thymine
D) sugar; phosphate
E) adenine; guanine

Answer 1

C

Question 2

In the experiments of Griffith, the conversion of nonlethal R-strain bacteria to lethal S-strain bacteria:

A) was the result of genetic mutation.
B) was an example of the genetic exchange known as transformation.
C) supported the case for proteins as the genetic material.
D) could not be reproduced by other researchers.
E) was an example of conjugation.

Answer 2

B

Question 3

Two chains of DNA must run in __________ direction(s) and must be __________ if they are to bond with each other.

A) the same; uncomplementary
B) opposite; uncomplementary
C) parallel; uncomplementary
D) parallel; complementary
E) antiparallel; complementary

Answer 3

E

Question 4

The information carried by DNA is incorporated in a code specified by the:

A) phosphodiester bonds of the DNA strand.
B) number of separate strands of DNA.
C) size of a particular chromosome.
D) specific nucleotide sequence of the DNA molecule.
E) number of bases in a DNA strand.

Question 5

Which of the following nucleotide sequences represents the complement to the DNA strand 5'-AGATCCG- 3'?

A) 5'- AGATCCG- 3'
B) 3' -AGATCCG- 5'
C) 5' -CTCGAAT- 3'
D) 3' - CTCGAAT- 5'
E) 3' - TCTAGGC- 5'

Question 6

The two molecules that alternate to form the backbone of a polynucleotide chain are:

A) adenine and thymine.
B) cytosine and guanine.
C) sugar and phosphate.
D) base and sugar.
E) base and phosphate.

Question 7

__________ determined the structure of the molecule DNA.

A) Crick and Wilkins
B) Watson and Crick
C) Franklin and Crick
D) Franklin
E) Watson, Crick, and Wilkins

Question 8

X-ray diffraction studies are used to determine:

A) the sequence of amino acids in protein molecules.
B) the sequence of nucleic acids in nucleic acid molecules.
C) the distances between atoms of molecules.
D) the type of chemical under investigation.
E) the wavelength of light emitted by chemicals.

Question 9

__________ used x-ray diffraction to provide images of DNA.

A) Watson and Crick
B) Crick and Wilkins
C) Franklin
D) Franklin and Crick
E) Watson and Wilkins

Question 10

Which of the following statements about DNA is false?

A) DNA is capable of forming many different sequences.
B) DNA contains thymine instead of uracil.
C) DNA is double-stranded rather than single-stranded.
D) DNA is only found in eukaryotic cells.
E) DNA contains the sugar deoxyribose.

Question 11

Chargaff determined that DNA from any source contains about the same amount of guanine as __________.

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

Question 12

Figure 12-1
Use the figure to answer the corresponding question(s).
The portion of the molecule in box 3 of Figure 12-1 is:

A) a sugar.
B) a protein.
C) a pyrimidine.
D) a purine.
E) a nucleotide.

Question 13

Figure 12-1
Use the figure to answer the corresponding question(s).
In Figure 12-1, the portion of the molecule in box __________ is a pyrimidine.

A) 1
B) 3
C) 4
D) 1 and 3
E) 3 and 4

Question 14

The first experimenters to use Griffith's transformation assay to identify the genetic material were:

A) Meselson and Stahl.
B) Watson and Crick.
C) Franklin and Wilkins.
D) Avery, MacLeod, and McCarty.
E) Hershey and Chase.

Question 15

How is a single strand of DNA able to serve as a template for the synthesis of another strand?

A) Nucleotides pair with those of the original strand to form a new strand.
B) Hydrogen bonds holding the two strands together are easy to break, allowing one strand to be a template.
C) A single strand of DNA is not able to serve as a template.
D) One strand of DNA directs the synthesis of a new strand on its partner.
E) Both the pairing of nucleotides and the breaking of hydrogen bonds.

Question 16

Why is DNA able to store large amounts of information?

A) It contains a large number of different nucleotides.
B) Its nucleotides can be arranged in a large number of possible sequences.
C) It is capable of assuming a wide variety of shapes.
D) The sugar and phosphates can be arranged in many different sequences.
E) The nucleotides can be altered to form many different letters in the sequence.

Question 17

X-ray crystallography showed that DNA:

A) had the bases in the center of the molecule.
B) had the sugars and phosphates on the outside of the molecule.
C) was a very long molecule.
D) was made of 2 strands.
E) was a helix.

Question 18

Figure 12-1
Use the figure to answer the corresponding question(s).
The portion of the molecule in box 5 of Figure 12-1 is:

A) a hydrogen bond.
B) a phosphate.
C) a nucleotide.
D) a pyrimidine.
E) a protein.

Question 19

The bacteriophages used in Alfred Hershey's and Martha Chase's experiments showed that:

A) DNA was injected into bacteria.
B) DNA and protein were injected into bacteria.
C) DNA remained on the outer coat of bacteria.
D) proteins were injected into bacteria.
E) proteins were responsible for the production of new viruses within the bacteria.

Question 20

The main reason scientists thought that proteins, rather than DNA, were the carriers of genetic material in the cell was:

A) their presence within the nucleus.
B) their abundance within the cell.
C) the large number of possible amino acid combinations.
D) their ability to self replicate within the cytoplasm.
E) their ability to be exported from the cell.

Question 21

The 5'end of each Okazaki fragment begins with:

A) the same RNA primer that began synthesis on the leading strand.
B) a DNA primer binding to the template DNA.
C) DNA polymerase binding to the template DNA.
D) a separate RNA primer.
E) a small DNA primer.

Question 22

In replication, once the DNA strands have been separated, reformation of the double helix is prevented by:

A) DNA helicase enzyme.
B) single-strand binding proteins.
C) DNA polymerases.
D) ATP.
E) GTP.

Question 23

The final product of DNA replication is:

A) mRNA, tRNA, and rRNA molecules.
B) a wide variety of proteins.
C) DNA fragments.
D) two DNA molecules, each of which contains one new and one old DNA strand.
E) the enzymes needed for further processes, such as DNA polymerase.

Question 24

In DNA replication, the lagging strand:

A) is synthesized as a series of Okazaki fragments.
B) is synthesized as a complementary copy of the leading strand.
C) pairs with the leading strand by complementary base pairing.
D) is made up entirely of RNA primers.
E) is not synthesized until the synthesis of the leading strand is completed.

Question 25

How is the chromosome of a bacterial cell replicated?

A) The linear DNA molecule is replicated from multiple origins of replication bidirectionally.
B) The linear DNA molecule is replicated from one origin of replication bidirectionally.
C) The circular DNA molecule is replicated from multiple origins of replication bidirectionally.
D) The circular DNA molecule is replicated from one origin of replication bidirectionally.
E) The circular DNA molecule is replicated from one origin of replication unidirectionally.

Question 26

Which of the following adds new nucleotides to a growing DNA chain?

A) DNA polymerase
B) DNA helicase
C) RNA primer
D) primase
E) RNA polymerase

Question 27

Why does DNA synthesis only proceed in the 5' to 3' direction?

A) Because DNA polymerases can only add nucleotides to the 3' end of a polynucleotide strand.
B) Because the 3' end of the polynucleotide molecule is more electronegative than the 5'end.
C) Because that is the direction in which the two strands of DNA unzip.
D) Because that is the only direction that the polymerase can be oriented.
E) Because the chromosomes are always aligned in the 5'to 3' direction in the nucleus.

Question 28

Okazaki fragments are joined together by:

A) RNA polymerase.
B) DNA ligase.
C) DNA polymerase.
D) RNA ligase.
E) primase.

Question 29

Primase is the enzyme responsible for:

A) unwinding the DNA double strand to allow DNA polymerase access to the template DNA.
B) introducing nicks into the DNA double strand in order to prevent the formation of knots.
C) hydrolyzing ATP to facilitate DNA unwinding.
D) making short strands of RNA at the site of replication initiation.
E) forming a replication fork in the DNA double helix.

Question 30

How are the chromosomes of a eukaryote cell replicated?

A) The linear DNA molecules are replicated from multiple origins of replication bidirectionally.
B) The linear DNA molecules are replicated from one origin of replication bidirectionally.
C) The circular DNA molecules are replicated from multiple origins of replication bidirectionally.
D) The circular DNA molecules are replicated from one origin of replication bidirectionally.
E) The linear DNA molecules are replicated from one origin of replication unidirectionally.

Question 31

What prevents knot formation in replicating DNA?

A) protosomes
B) topoisomerases
C) scaffolding proteins
D) chromatin
E) histones

Question 32

Enzymes called __________ form breaks in the DNA molecules to prevent the formation of knots in the DNA helix during replication.

A) topoisomerases
B) single-strand binding proteins
C) DNA polymerases
D) RNA polymerases
E) DNA ligases

Question 33

Which of the following causes the unwinding of the DNA double helix?

A) DNA polymerase
B) DNA helicase
C) RNA primer
D) primosome
E) RNA polymerase

Question 34

Who first confirmed that the replication of DNA was semiconservative?

A) Chargaff and Hershey
B) Watson and Crick
C) Avery and Griffith
D) Meselson and Stahl
E) Watson, Crick, and Wilkins

Question 35

The DNA strand that is replicated smoothly and continuously is called the:

A) primary strand.
B) first strand.
C) leading strand.
D) alpha strand.
E) lagging strand.

Question 36

Which of the following best describes semiconservative replication?

A) The translation of a DNA molecule into a complementary strand of RNA.
B) A DNA molecule consists of one parental strand and one new strand.
C) The number of DNA molecules is doubled with every other replication.
D) The replication of DNA never takes place with 100% accuracy.
E) The replication of DNA takes place at a defined period in the cell cycle.

Question 37

When a DNA molecule containing a wrong base at one location in one strand is replicated:

A) the mutation is corrected by the DNA polymerase enzyme.
B) the mutation is ignored by the DNA polymerase enzyme.
C) the mutation is copied into one of the two daughter molecules.
D) the mutation is copied into both of the daughter molecules.
E) the replication is stopped.

Question 38

Meselson and Stahl separated DNA from different generations using:

A) density gradient centrifugation.
B) gel electrophoresis.
C) an electron microscope.
D) differential radioisotope labeling.
E) None of these.

Question 39

A replication fork:

A) is only seen in prokaryotic chromosomes.
B) is only seen in bacterial cells.
C) is a Y-shaped structure where both DNA strands are replicated simultaneously.
D) is a site where one DNA strand serves as a template, but the other strand is not replicated.
E) is created by the action of the enzyme RNA polymerase.

Question 40

If DNA replication rejoined the 2 parental strands, it would be termed:

A) dispersive.
B) gradient.
C) semiconservative.
D) parental.
E) conservative.

Question 41

Figure 12-2
Use the figure to answer the corresponding question(s).

-Refer to Figure 12-2.The correct designation for the DNA strand labeled C is:

A) the leading strand.
B) 3'.
C) Okazaki fragments.
D) polymerase.
E) a strand serving as a template.

Question 42

Figure 12-2
Use the figure to answer the corresponding question(s).
Which of the following statements concerning nucleotide excision repair is FALSE?

A) It is a type of mismatch repair.
B) It involves a nuclease.
C) It involves a DNA polymerase.
D) It involves DNA ligase.
E) It is implicated in xeroderma pigmentosum.

Question 43

DNA Pol III catalyzes the addition of successive nucleotides to the 5' end of a growing polynucleotide chain.
__________________

Question 44

Figure 12-2
Use the figure to answer the corresponding question(s).
Refer to Figure 12-2.The structures represented by the letter E are called:

A) leading fragments
B) Okazaki fragments.
C) replication forks.
D) nucleosomes.
E) DNA polymerases.

Question 45

The ends of eukaryotic chromosomes can be lengthened by:

A) apoptosis.
B) reverse transcriptase.
C) primase.
D) telomerase.
E) DNA polymerase.

Question 46

Figure 12-2
Use the figure to answer the corresponding question(s).
Refer to Figure 12-2.The segments labeled F are responsible for:

A) linking short DNA segments.
B) synthesizing the leading strand.
C) forming the replication fork.
D) initiating DNA synthesis.
E) unwinding the DNA double helix.

Question 47

When cultured normal human cells were infected with a virus that carried the genes that coded for a subunit of telomerase:

A) the cells underwent more cell divisions than normal.
B) the cells underwent fewer cell divisions than normal.
C) the cells died almost immediately.
D) the cells underwent gene expression more vigorously.
E) the cell cycle shortened.

Question 48

In one strand of a DNA molecule, adjacent nucleotides are joined by a phosphodiester linkage.
__________________

Question 49

If you consider a DNA molecule to resemble a twisted ladder, the rungs of the ladder are paired nitrogen bases.
__________________

Question 50

The two strands of a DNA double helix are described as running parallel to each other.
__________________

Question 51

Single-strand binding proteins prevent the hydrolysis of single-strand regions of DNA by nucleases.
__________________

Question 52

One of the pyrimidine bases in a DNA molecule is adenine.
__________________

Question 53

Figure 12-2
Use the figure to answer the corresponding question(s).
Refer to Figure 12-2.The enzyme represented by the letter D is responsible for:

A) linking short DNA segments.
B) synthesizing the leading strand.
C) forming the replication fork.
D) forming nucleosomes.
E) unwinding the DNA double helix.

Question 54

An RNA primer is synthesized by RNA primase.
__________________

Question 55

Explain why proteins were initially hypothesized to be the genetic material instead of DNA.

Question 56

Compare and contrast DNA synthesis in prokaryotes and eukaryotes.

Question 57

List the steps and components involved in the process of DNA replication.

Question 58

Cancerous cells differ from noncancerous cells in that cancerous cells:

A) have reduced levels of telomerase.
B) divide only 20 to 30 times.
C) have lost the ability to resist apoptosis.
D) can maintain telomere length as they divide.
E) lack telomeres.

Question 59

DNA replication is described as being conservative.
__________________

Question 60

__________, the ends of eukaryotic chromosomes, shorten with every cell replication event.

A) Centromeres
B) Telomeres
C) Kinetochores
D) Primosomes
E) Nucleosomes

Question 61

MATCHING
In the following questions, match the component of DNA replication with its function.
a.topoisomerase
d.DNA helicase
b.DNA ligase
e.DNA primase
c.DNA polymerase
f.Single-strand binding protein
joins Okazaki fragments

Question 62

MATCHING
In the following questions, match the component of DNA replication with its function.
a.topoisomerase
d.DNA helicase
b.DNA ligase
e.DNA primase
c.DNA polymerase
f.Single-strand binding protein
produces breaks in the DNA molecules and then rejoins the strands

Question 63

What is meant by the "directionality" of the strands of a DNA molecule? Explain how this directionality is ultimately responsible for Okazaki fragments.

Question 64

MATCHING
In the following questions, match the component of DNA replication with its function.
a.topoisomerase
d.DNA helicase
b.DNA ligase
e.DNA primase
c.DNA polymerase
f.Single-strand binding protein
prevents the double helix from re-forming

Question 65

MATCHING
In the following questions, match the component of DNA replication with its function.
a.topoisomerase
d.DNA helicase
b.DNA ligase
e.DNA primase
c.DNA polymerase
f.Single-strand binding protein
catalyzes a reaction that occurs in the lagging strand but not in the leading strand

Question 66

MATCHING
In the following questions, match the component of DNA replication with its function.
a.topoisomerase
d.DNA helicase
b.DNA ligase
e.DNA primase
c.DNA polymerase
f.Single-strand binding protein
prevents the hydrolysis of single DNA strands by nucleases

Question 67

MATCHING
In the following questions, match the component of DNA replication with its function.
a.topoisomerase
d.DNA helicase
b.DNA ligase
e.DNA primase
c.DNA polymerase
f.Single-strand binding protein
Provide two lines of evidence that support the idea that DNA is the genetic material.

Question 68

MATCHING
In the following questions, match the component of DNA replication with its function.
a.topoisomerase
d.DNA helicase
b.DNA ligase
e.DNA primase
c.DNA polymerase
f.Single-strand binding protein
a helix-destabilizing enzyme

Question 69

Short, noncoding, guanine-rich DNA sequences found in the center of chromosomes are called telomeres.
__________________

Question 70

MATCHING
In the following questions, match the component of DNA replication with its function.
a.topoisomerase
d.DNA helicase
b.DNA ligase
e.DNA primase
c.DNA polymerase
f.Single-strand binding protein
catalyzes the linking of successive nucleotides to a DNA strand already paired with a template strand

Question 71

MATCHING
In the following questions, match the component of DNA replication with its function.
a.topoisomerase
d.DNA helicase
b.DNA ligase
e.DNA primase
c.DNA polymerase
f.Single-strand binding protein
catalyzes the synthesis of a strand of RNA

Question 72

A eukaryotic chromosome would most likely have only one origin of replication.
__________________

Question 73

MATCHING
In the following questions, match the component of DNA replication with its function.
a.topoisomerase
d.DNA helicase
b.DNA ligase
e.DNA primase
c.DNA polymerase
f.Single-strand binding protein
adds nucleotides only to the 3' end of an existing polynucleotide strand

Question 74

MATCHING
In the following questions, match the component of DNA replication with its function.
a.topoisomerase
d.DNA helicase
b.DNA ligase
e.DNA primase
c.DNA polymerase
f.Single-strand binding protein
bind DNA at the origin of replication and break hydrogen bonds

Question 75

MATCHING
In the following questions, match the component of DNA replication with its function.
a.topoisomerase
d.DNA helicase
b.DNA ligase
e.DNA primase
c.DNA polymerase
f.Single-strand binding protein
prevents supercoiling and knotting of DNA strands

Question 76

MATCHING
In the following questions, match the component of DNA replication with its function.
a.topoisomerase
d.DNA helicase
b.DNA ligase
e.DNA primase
c.DNA polymerase
f.Single-strand binding protein
opens the double helix like a zipper

Question 77

Okazaki fragments are found in the leading strand of DNA.
__________________

Question 78

In mismatch repair, enzymes remove incorrectly-paired nucleotides.
__________________

Question 79

How may the degradation of telomeres result in cellular aging?

Question 80

MATCHING
In the following questions, match the component of DNA replication with its function.
a.topoisomerase
d.DNA helicase
b.DNA ligase
e.DNA primase
c.DNA polymerase
f.Single-strand binding protein
starts a new strand of nucleotides opposite a short stretch of the DNA template strand