Question 1

The procedure in which an individual gene is altered to prevent it from carrying out its normal function is called the:

Accepted Answer

The procedure in which an individual gene is altered to prevent it from carrying out its normal function is called the gene knockout procedure. Recombinant procedure involves combining DNA from different sources, polygenic procedure involves the study of multiple genes affecting a single trait, and elimination procedure is not a commonly used term in genetics.

Question 2

The heritability coefficient is used to estimate:

Accepted Answer

The heritability coefficient is used to estimate the extent to which variation in a group of people can be accounted for by genetic factors. It is typically expressed as a number between 0 and 1, with higher numbers indicating a stronger genetic contribution to the trait or behavior being studied. However, it's important to note that heritability coefficients only pertain to the specific population and environment being studied and do not necessarily generalize to other populations or environments.

Question 3

An animal researcher inserts into the body of a mouse a genetic substance that is designed to prevent neurons from responding to dopamine.The researcher then observes the mouse to determine the impact of the absence of dopamine on the mouse's behaviour.This researcher has just utilized what is called the:

Accepted Answer

The gene knockout procedure involves disabling or "knocking out" a specific gene in an organism, which results in the absence of the protein that the gene encodes. In this scenario, the genetic substance inserted into the mouse is likely designed to block or disable the gene responsible for producing dopamine receptors in the neurons. Therefore, the researcher has utilized the gene knockout procedure to study the impact of dopamine on the mouse's behavior.

Question 4

The heritability coefficient for intelligence is .50.This means that:

Accepted Answer

Heritability of .50 means that 50% of the variation in intelligence within a group is due to genetic differences.

Question 5

Recombinant DNA procedures refer to the process in which:

Accepted Answer

Recombinant DNA procedures involve taking pieces of DNA from several organisms and combining them in a new organism. This allows for the creation of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) with desired traits or characteristics. Chromosome transplantation, altering gene function, and changing dominant or recessive qualities of genes are not necessarily involved in recombinant DNA procedures.

Question 6

Dizygotic twins share a certain percentage of their genetic endowment with their parents.This percentage of genetic endowment is _______________.

Accepted Answer

Dizygotic (fraternal) twins share about 50 percent of their genetic endowment with their parents, just like any other siblings. They are formed when two separate eggs are fertilized by two separate sperm, resulting in two genetically unique individuals. Therefore, they do not share identical genes like monozygotic (identical) twins do.

Question 7

Adoption studies have found that people with schizophrenia:

Accepted Answer

Adoption studies have consistently found that people with schizophrenia are more similar to their biological parents than to their adoptive parents. This suggests that genetic factors play a significant role in the development of schizophrenia.

Question 8

The heritability coefficient is highest for which of the following human characteristics?

Accepted Answer

Height has the highest heritability coefficient among the given options (around 0.8 according to twin studies), indicating that genes have a greater influence on an individual's height than environmental factors. However, it is important to note that heritability coefficients can vary depending on the sample population and research methods used.

Question 9

Recombinant DNA procedures have been used to produce human growth hormone that has been used to treat children who are abnormally short.The results of the research examining the impact for these children is that:

Accepted Answer

The answer of Recombinant DNA procedures have been used to...

Question 10

Siblings have a certain percentage of chance of sharing the same gene with one another.This percentage of chance is ________.

Accepted Answer

Siblings share 50% of their DNA with each other as they inherit half of their genetic material from their mother and half from their father.

Question 11

Which of the following is one of the methods used in recombinant DNA research?

Accepted Answer

This is one of the methods used in recombinant DNA research, known as restriction enzyme digestion. These enzymes cut DNA molecules at specific sites, allowing for the insertion of desired DNA sequences or the removal of undesirable ones. Option A is referring to immunization, not recombinant DNA research. Options B and C are referring to neurological treatments, not recombinant DNA research.

Question 12

Techniques in which pieces of DNA from an organism are combined with DNA from other organisms and then allowed to proliferate in a new host organism are called:

Accepted Answer

Recombinant DNA procedures involve combining DNA from different organisms and allowing them to proliferate in a new host organism, which is exactly what is described in the question. The other choices are either not related to the description of the technique or are not commonly used terms in genetic engineering.

Question 13

While genetic engineering gives humans potential control over heredity and evolutionary processes,there is a key question with respect to the use of genetic engineering?

Accepted Answer

The key question with respect to the use of genetic engineering is whether it is moral/ethical to manipulate genetic makeup. This is a complex issue with many ethical and social considerations, including concerns about equity and justice, unintended consequences, and the potential for misuse.

Question 14

The probability of a child sharing any particular gene with his or her parents is:

Accepted Answer

Each child has a 50% chance of inheriting any particular gene from each parent, due to the basic principles of Mendelian inheritance.

Question 15

Which of the following procedures have been used to produce human growth hormone?

Accepted Answer

Recombinant DNA technology has been used to produce human growth hormone by inserting the gene encoding the hormone into a host cell (such as E. coli) to produce the hormone in large quantities. Gene knockout is a technique used to study the function of specific genes, polygenic transmission refers to the inheritance of traits controlled by multiple genes, and inheritance transmission is a general term referring to the passing of genetic material from one generation to the next. None of these other procedures have been used to produce human growth hormone.

Question 16

The extent to which variation among a group of people can be attributed to genetic factors is estimated by the:

Accepted Answer

The heritability coefficient estimates the extent to which variation among a group of people can be attributed to genetic factors. The other options do not pertain to this concept.

Question 17

The gene knockout procedure refers to the process of:

Accepted Answer

The gene knockout procedure involves altering a specific gene in such a way that its normal function is prevented, typically by using techniques such as CRISPR-Cas9. This allows researchers to study the specific effects of that gene on an organism's characteristics and behaviors.  The other options (A, B, and D) do not accurately describe the gene knockout procedure.

Question 18

While the gene knockout procedure has been shown to result in changes in behaviour,interpretation of the findings of this procedure must be made carefully since:

Accepted Answer

Few behaviours are controlled by only one gene, meaning that knockout of one gene may have little impact on the overall behaviour of an animal. Other genes and environmental factors also play a significant role in determining behaviour.

Question 19

Of the list below,which pair of individuals is most alike genetically speaking?

Accepted Answer

Two brothers who are identical twins are the most alike genetically speaking as they originate from a single fertilized egg that splits into two embryos, meaning they have nearly identical DNA. Fraternal twins, on the other hand, come from separate fertilized eggs and are genetically no more alike than regular siblings.

Question 20

A grandchild has a certain percentage of chance of sharing any single gene with his or her grandparents.This percentage of chance is ________.

Accepted Answer

A grandchild inherits 50% of their genes from each parent, and each parent inherited 50% of their genes from their own parents (the grandparents). Therefore, a grandchild has a 25% chance of inheriting any single gene from each grandparent.

Quiz 4: Genes, evolution, and Behaviour