Question 1

The discovery of single nucleotide polymorphisms in the human genome means that ________.

Accepted Answer

The discovery of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the human genome allows for analysis of individual risk for specific diseases, as well as the development of personalized medicine based on that analysis. These SNPs provide insight into genetic variations that can lead to differences in an individual's traits and susceptibility to certain diseases.

Question 2

The benefit of the bacterial operon is that ________.

Accepted Answer

The bacterial operon allows for the regulation of multiple structural genes as a team, saving energy and resources for the cell. It is not necessarily more precise or less prone to mutation than individual genes, and it does not allow for independent regulation of each structural gene.

Question 3

The RN instructs the family that the transfer of genetic material can involve contact between two bacterial cells. DNA can pass from one cell to the other through a pilus during this process, which is called ________.

Accepted Answer

The process described where genetic material is transferred between two bacterial cells through a pilus is called conjugation. Transformation involves the uptake of DNA by a bacterial cell from its environment, specialized transduction involves transfer of a specific piece of DNA via a bacteriophage, and generalized transduction involves the transfer of random pieces of DNA via a bacteriophage.

Question 4

Which of the following statements best describes the initiation of translation?

Accepted Answer

The initiation of translation involves the mRNA with the start codon AUG positioning at the P site of the ribosome, where it forms a complex with the corresponding tRNA carrying the methionine amino acid, and this is facilitated by the assembly of the large and small ribosomal subunits.

Question 5

In gram-negative bacteria, like E. coli, the fertility factor is a plasmid possessed by the bacterium that will donate its DNA to a recipient cell. Which of the following statements by the patient demonstrates an understanding of this plasmid?

Accepted Answer

The fertility factor plasmid encodes the information to create a pilus, which is needed for the transfer of DNA to a recipient cell in bacterial conjugation. It is not a large, double-stranded linear piece of DNA, it can be found in both F+ and F- cells, and it does not control the process of transduction.

Question 6

Which of the following statements applies to both DNA and RNA?

Accepted Answer

Both DNA and RNA are synthesized in the 5'-3' direction when a polymerase adds a nucleotide onto the 3' end of the existing polymer. This results in the formation of a phosphodiester bond between the phosphate group of one nucleotide and the 3' hydroxyl group of the ribose sugar of the next nucleotide.

Question 7

The RN is aware that many different types of mutations have been identified in the gene that causes cystic fibrosis. Which of the following terms would best describe a mutation that leads to the deletion of two bases from a DNA sequence?

Accepted Answer

A deletion of two bases would cause a frameshift mutation because it shifts the reading frame of the genetic code, altering the amino acid sequence downstream of the mutation.

Question 8

Which of the following is the most appropriate term to describe the patient's clinical manifestations of cough, rhinorrhea, and poor weight gain due to this genetic disease?

Accepted Answer

Clinical manifestations, such as cough, rhinorrhea, and poor weight gain, are observable traits or characteristics of the patient, which fall under the definition of a phenotype. Genotype (A) refers to the genetic makeup of an individual, while structural genes (C) and regulatory genes (D) are both types of genes that are involved in the expression of a genotype and development of a phenotype. However, they are not the most appropriate terms to describe the patient's clinical manifestations.

Question 9

You educate the patient's mother that the most common cause of cystic fibrosis is a deletion of three nucleotides. Which of the following statements, by the mother, demonstrates an understanding of the disease etiology?

Accepted Answer

Cystic fibrosis is most commonly caused by a deletion of three nucleotides in the CFTR gene, which leads to the absence of a single amino acid (phenylalanine) in the protein product. This deletion is the cause of the most common mutation, ΔF508.

Question 10

A new field of research called nutrigenomics is based on the premise that individuals gain or lose weight according to differences in their individual genomes, making "going on a diet" no longer a one-size-fits-all solution. This is based on what genomic principle?

Accepted Answer

Nutrigenomics is based on the principle that differences in individual genomes contribute to differences in weight gain or loss. Specifically, researchers in this field study single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), which are variations in single DNA building blocks, and how they impact an individual's response to certain nutrients and their risk for certain diseases.

Question 11

A recombinant organism is one that has sustained a change in its genome through receipt of DNA from a different organism.

Accepted Answer

A recombinant organism is one that has undergone genetic recombination through receipt of DNA from a different organism, leading to a change in its genome.

Question 12

The RN is aware that many different types of mutations have been identified in the gene that causes cystic fibrosis. Which of the following terms would best describe a mutation that changes a normal codon into a stop codon, usually resulting in a nonfunctional protein?

Accepted Answer

A nonsense mutation changes a normal codon into a stop codon, resulting in premature termination of translation and a nonfunctional protein. A missense mutation changes one nucleotide and can result in a different amino acid being incorporated into the protein sequence. A point mutation is any change in a single nucleotide. A frameshift mutation occurs when nucleotides are added or deleted, which changes the reading frame and alters the entire protein sequence downstream of the mutation.

Question 13

The emerging field of synthetic biology, while offering promising breakthroughs in medicine and energy production, is not without concern. Apprehension by ethicists is understandable since ________.

Accepted Answer

The ability to create life from scratch raises ethical concerns, as it brings up questions around the definition of life and the extent of human intervention in the natural world.

Question 14

The basic premise of gene therapy is that ________.

Accepted Answer

Gene therapy involves adding a working copy of a gene to the patient's cells to overcome the error in protein production caused by a defective gene. This is typically achieved through the insertion of a correct gene from a healthy cell into the patient's tissue. Gene therapy does not permanently excise the defective gene, and there have been safety issues reported with some gene therapy treatments. The correct gene inserted through gene therapy will not be passed on to the individual's offspring without additional genetic modifications.

Question 15

Mastery of synthetic biology will allow humans to ________.

Accepted Answer

Mastery of synthetic biology has the potential to allow humans to create new organisms, synthesize missing chemicals in cells, construct molecules that target cancer cells, and design alternative forms of energy production. Therefore, all of these choices are possibilities from synthetic biology.

Question 16

Which statement best describes the flow of genetic information in a cell?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Which statement best describes the flow of...

Question 17

Synthetic biology is an emerging field of science whereby researchers are creating new molecules and organisms from an array of chemicals, rather than as a result of cellular reproduction.

Accepted Answer

The description of synthetic biology is accurate and therefore true.

Question 18

In the case of somatic cell gene therapy, the corrected gene will be passed on through the gametes, preventing the manifestation of the disease from recurring in the patient's offspring.

Accepted Answer

Somatic cell gene therapy involves correcting the genetic material in non-reproductive cells of the patient. Therefore, the corrected gene will not be passed on to the patient's offspring. In order to prevent the disease from recurring in the patient's offspring, germline gene therapy would need to be performed, which is currently highly controversial and not widely accepted in the scientific community.

Question 19

A recombinant organism is one that ________.

Accepted Answer

A recombinant organism has obtained genetic material from another organism that has integrated into the genome, combining the two DNA molecules. This is commonly seen in genetically modified organisms (GMOs) where foreign genes are inserted into the genome to provide desirable traits such as resistance to pests or herbicides.

Question 20

When bacteriophages invade bacterial cells, they leave behind DNA that is recognized by the bacteria as foreign and can be eliminated in the event of another attack, reminiscent of adaptive immunity. This natural process can be adapted in the lab so that a combination of guide DNA and nucleases facilitate the cutting of DNA at a precise location in any organism. Here we are describing ________.

Accepted Answer

The description given in the question refers to the CRISPR system, which allows for precise DNA editing using nucleases and guide RNA sequences.

Quiz 8: Microbial Genetics and Genetic Engineering