Deck 4: Genes and Biotechnology

Question 1

A codon is

A)a sequence of three nucleotide bases.
B)a sequence of four nucleotide bases.
C)a section of the ribosomal RNA.
D)the four nucleotide bases on transfer RNA.
E)the gene that directs protein synthesis.

Answer 1

A

Question 2

DNA is composed of

A)phosphate,ribose,adenine,thymine,guanine and cytosine.
B)phosphate,deoxyribose,thymine,adenine,guanine and cytosine.
C)phosphate,ribose,adenine,uracil,guanine and cytosine.
D)phosphate,deoxyribose,adenine,uracil,guanine and cytosine.
E)none of the above.

Answer 2

B

Question 3

DNA differs from RNA in that

A)the sugar in DNA is deoxyribose.
B)the four nucleotides in DNA and RNA are completely different.
C)DNA has more than one function in the cell.
D)DNA carries genetic information but RNA does not.
E)DNA is single stranded,whereas RNA is double stranded.

Answer 3

A

Question 4

An analysis of the chemical structure of DNA reveals that the amount of

A)thymine equals that of adenine.
B)uracil equals adenine.
C)guanine equals thymine.
D)cytosine equals uracil.
E)adenine equals cytosine.

Question 5

Which of the following methods is used to distinguish between different strains of a bacterium?

A)Specialised transduction.
B)Growth characteristics.
C)Pulse field gel electrophoresis.
D)Colony morphology.
E)All of the above.

Question 6

How many chromosomes are present in a typical bacterial cell?

A)Two pairs.
B)Four.
C)One pair.
D)One.
E)23.

Question 7

Recombinant DNA

A)is the new DNA produced as a result of mutation.
B)is the result of new genes being transferred to a DNA molecule.
C)is formed when errors in transcription occur.
D)is the term used for DNA once it has zipped back up following transcription.
E)usually makes the cell non-viable.

Question 8

Mutation in bacteria

A)occurs at the rate of about once in every 109 cell divisions.
B)may occur as a result of exposure to radiation.
C)may result in the organism acquiring better characteristics.
D)may result the organism becoming resistant to antibiotics.
E)all of the above.

Question 9

A resistance factor

A)is a plasmid that carries genes for antibiotic resistance.
B)is a factor that enables a bacterium to resist being infected by a phage.
C)prevents mutation occurring in the chromosome of a bacterium.
D)limits the rate of mutation in bacteria by stabilising their DNA.
E)is a gene that is only expressed under adverse conditions.

Question 10

The structure of DNA is best described as

A)a single chain twisted around itself.
B)a random mixture of deoxyribose,phosphate,adenine,guanine,thymine and cytosine.
C)two complementary chains of nucleotides held together by hydrogen bonds.
D)two chains of phosphate and ribose wound in a double helix.
E)a backbone of nucleotide bases with phosphate and deoxyribose molecules attached.

Question 11

A gene

A)is a piece of DNA which determines a particular characteristic of a cell.
B)directs the formation of a particular protein.
C)consists of a linear sequence of nucleotides.
D)consists of four bases called adenine,guanine,thymine and cytosine.
E)all of the above.

Question 12

Which of the following can be produced using genetic engineering techniques?

A)Human insulin.
B)Interferon.
C)Human growth hormone.
D)Hepatitis B vaccine.
E)All of the above.

Question 13

The ability of some bacteria to take up fragments of DNA from their environment and incorporate them into their own DNA is called

A)polymerisation.
B)conjugation.
C)transduction.
D)aggregation.
E)transformation.

Question 14

Which of the following statements is TRUE?

A)DNA codes for the cell nucleic acids.
B)Proteins are assembled from a DNA template.
C)DNA directs the synthesis of amino acids.
D)Messenger RNA carries amino acids to the transfer RNA template.
E)There are four different types of RNA.

Question 15

The polymerase chain reaction (PCR)is used to

A)duplicate the chromosomes of bacteria.
B)produce billions of copies of a segment of DNA.
C)separate DNA fragments in an electromagnetic field.
D)stain fragments of DNA with a radioactive label.
E)determine the sequence of nucleotides in a segment of DNA.

Question 16

The synthesis of a protein requires the process of

A)conjugation followed by recombination.
B)recombination followed by conjugation.
C)transcription followed by translation.
D)translation followed by recombination.
E)transcription followed by recombination.

Question 17

The formation of messenger RNA on a DNA template is called

A)transformation.
B)translation.
C)transduction.
D)transcription.
E)conjugation.

Question 18

During bacterial conjugation

A)a bacteriophage may infect a cell and cause it to lyse.
B)a phage is introduced into a bacterium to alter its DNA.
C)transformed DNA is transferred to a new cell.
D)a plasmid is transferred from one cell to another.
E)An endospore is formed containing the new DNA.

Question 19

Which of the following methods is used to determine whether a particular nucleotide sequence is present in a DNA sample?

A)DNA fingerprinting.
B)Pulse field gel electrophoresis (PFGE).
C)DNA probes.
D)Southern blot.
E)All of the above.

Question 20

The term used to indicate that a cell produces a protein from a gene is

A)specialised transformation.
B)gene expression.
C)genetic recombination.
D)protein conjugation.
E)reverse transcription.

Question 21

An enzyme that can break a DNA molecule at a specific point is called a

A)point mutase.
B)restriction endonuclease.
C)reverse transcriptase.
D)point depolymerase.
E)none of the above.

Question 22

A vaccine that is made from viral antigens produced in yeast cells

A)is likely to be a weaker type.
B)can only be used in animals.
C)is said to be plasmid-derived.
D)is a genetically engineered vaccine.
E)can treat a disease but not prevent it.

Question 23

Genetic engineering involves

A)the manipulation of microbial cells to produce specialised end products.
B)the use of plasmids to introduce new characteristics into a bacterial cell.
C)infection of bacteria by phage carrying specialised genes.
D)the use of restriction enzymes to isolate specific gene sequences.
E)all of the above.

Question 24

Biotechnology refers to

A)the various techniques for manipulating DNA.
B)the use of methods for harvesting microorganisms from nature.
C)the use of vaccines to prevent disease.
D)the use of antibiotics to treat disease.
E)the development of microorganisms that prevent disease.