Deck 16: Reproductive Technology, Genetic Testing, and Gene Therapy

Question 1

What condition has been the target of over half the gene therapy trials performed so far?

A) SCIDS
B) Cancer
C) Cardiovascular disease
D) Osteogenesis imperfect
E) Diabetes

Answer 1

B

Question 2

The most specific and sensitive method for detecting genetic defects in an embryo is __________.

A) amniocentesis
B) chorionic villus sampling
C) PGD
D) karytotyping
E) recombinant DNA techniques

Answer 2

E

Question 3

The risk of passing on a genetically-based male infertility problem is greatest with _________.

A) ICSI
B) IUI
C) GIFT
D) ZIFT
E) IVF

Answer 3

A

Question 4

Which of the following couples would NOT ordinarily be encouraged to seek genetic counseling?

A) Those who plan to raise large families.
B) Those with a child who has an inherited disorder or birth defect.
C) Those who are first cousins.
D) Those who have had babies who died in infancy or before birth.
E) Those whose occupations may pose a risk to pregnancy.

Question 5

Which of the following is NOT used in gene therapy to transfer cloned DNA into human cells?

A) Retroviruses
B) Fusion of cells with DNA-containing vesicles
C) Microinjection
D) Transformation
E) Chemical means to get the DNA through the cell membrane

Question 6

In a woman's monthly cycle, the hormone _____________ is released when estrogen reaches a peak.

A) lutenizing hormone
B) oxytocin
C) progesterone
D) testosterone
E) human chorionic gonadotrophin

Question 7

Most genetic counselors

A) have an M.D. and/or Ph.D. degree.
B) are individuals who have previously sought counseling themselves.
C) are trained in biology and psychology, but are unfamiliar with lab and clinical procedures.
D) work in individual private counseling offices.
E) have none of these traits.

Question 8

What legal restrictions on the use of PGD are in place in the United States?

A) It has been banned across the board.
B) It can only be used to prevent implantation if the disease diagnosed has a 100 percent chance of occurring with the genotype revealed.
C) It cannot be used for sex selection.
D) It cannot be used for screening embryos to be tissue donors.
E) None of these are legal restrictions currently in place in the United States.

Question 9

Which one of the following risks is increased by ART?

A) Ectopic pregnancies
B) Low birth weight
C) Multiple births
D) Passing on male infertility to sons
E) All of these

Question 10

Intracytoplasmic sperm injection is used by couples in which

A) the female has blocked oviducts.
B) the female has very irregular ovulation.
C) the female is approaching menopause.
D) the source of sperm is a sperm bank.
E) the male is infertile.

Question 11

The most common vectors used in DNA therapy experiments are ___________.

A) modified human cells
B) retroviruses
C) hanta viruses
D) bacteria
E) naked DNA

Question 12

In which of the following does fertilization take place within a woman's body?

A) GIFT
B) ICSI
C) PGD
D) IVF
E) ZIFT

Question 13

When a woman is artificially inseminated and surrenders the child to the father and his mate, the woman is both the gestational and the genetic mother.

Question 14

Usually, the first procedure a genetic counselor performs for a client is

A) amniocentesis or CVS.
B) taking a karyotype.
C) biochemical testing.
D) constructing a pedigree.
E) ultrasonic imaging.

Question 15

A hormone used by competitive athletes to increase the oxygen-carrying capacity of their blood is _____________.

A) oxytocin
B) glucagon
C) erythropoietin
D) norepinephrine
E) serotonin

Question 16

About what portion of all couples are affected by infertility?

A) Fewer than 1 percent
B) About 3 percent
C) About 8 percent
D) About 13 percent
E) Over 20 percent

Question 17

About _______ percent of all pregnancies from IVF involve multiple births.

A) 5
B) 10
C) 15
D) 20
E) 25

Question 18

The major cause of male infertility is ________________.

A) varicocele
B) undescended testicles
C) testicular failure
D) semen disorders
E) obstructions

Question 19

The ART that is employed exclusively to deal with male infertility problems is _____________.

A) IUI
B) IVF
C) GIFT
D) ZIFT
E) more than one of these

Question 20

The use of growth hormone produced by recombinant DNA technology to stimulate the growth of short children who have no genetic disorder is an example of

A) somatic gene therapy.
B) germ-line therapy.
C) enhancement gene therapy.
D) therapeutic cloning.
E) none of these.

Question 21

"Gene doping" with Repoxygen has the goal of increasing the production of ____________________ cells in athletes.

Question 22

Most of the problems with gene therapy have been traced to ____________________.

Question 23

In estimating risks for genetic counseling, one parent with an autosomal dominant and two parents heterozygous for recessive conditions are considered to be ____________________.

Question 24

The most common reason for infertility in women that can be overcome by IVF is ____________________.

Question 25

Genetic counseling provides information to allow informed decisions about reproductive choices.

Question 26

Gene therapy done to sperm or egg cells, or the cells that produce them, is called ____________________ gene therapy.

Question 27

Gene therapy has not yet cured any patients of their genetic disorder.

Question 28

The condition of having no sperm in the semen is called _____________.

Question 29

Using PGD to screen for embryos that would become suitable donors for siblings is illegal under any circumstance.

Question 30

No birth control method other than complete abstinence is 100 percent successful.

Question 31

The risk of having a premature baby is low with IVF.

Question 32

Louise Brown was the first baby born as a result of ____________________.

Question 33

Polar body biopsy can be used to test for genetic disorders in sperm.

Question 34

Blocked oviducts can be the result of STDs.

Question 35

The first successful outcome of gene therapy was in a case of a young girl suffering from ____________________ who was supplied with copies of the ADR gene.

Question 36

A post-menopausal woman who uses IVF to become pregnant must use eggs donated by another younger woman.

Question 37

The most direct way to detect Down Syndrome in a fetus is by ___________.

Question 38

The retrovirus to be used as a vector in gene therapy is first made harmless by removal of ____________________.

Question 39

Surrogacy is legal in every state in the United States.

Question 40

Gene therapy has been successful in treating Leber congenital amaurosis, a rare form of ____________.

Question 41

What are the goals of heterozygote screening? Explain why sickle cell anemia and Tay-Sachs screening programs are good examples of this type of screening.

Question 42

Knowledge about the sex of an unborn fetus is a byproduct of prenatal testing. Because such information might be used as the basis for elective abortion for sex selection, should information about the sex of an unborn child be withheld from the parents unless it is medically relevant?

Question 43

It is argued that genetic testing can be used to hold down costs for insurance and in employee liability. Should mandatory genetic testing be used as a condition for employment or insurance? Why or why not?

Question 44

Explain why PKU is a model disease for newborn screening programs.

Question 45

Genetic screening for PKU is mandated by law in the U.S., yet it only affects about 1 in 40,000 individuals. As screening techniques become increasingly sophisticated, how far should mandatory screening be extended? What about screening for conditions such as XYY (about 1 in 1,000 male births)? Can you suggest guidelines for the selection of genetic disorders to be included in such mandatory screening?

Question 46

Describe two prenatal tests for genetic disorders.

Question 47

What are the problems and benefits associated with presymptomatic testing for late-onset disorders such as Huntington disease?

Question 48

In ________, a zygote formed by IVF is implanted into the oviduct through a small incision.

Question 49

Enumerate the various categories of individuals who seek genetic counseling.

Question 50

As a genetic counselor, you have assessed a risk factor of 1 in 50 for a couple having a child with Down syndrome. Your earlier interview leads you to believe that they do not have a clear understanding of probability. How would you go about explaining this risk factor and what steps would you take to ensure that they understand your explanation?

Question 51

Should the law limit application of gene therapy to only correcting genetic defects? Should enhancement gene therapy be illegal? Do you think such a law would be enforceable?

Question 52

All newborns are screened for certain genetic disorders. Explain why this is done and why we don't do this for all genetic disorders.