Deck 10: Mutations and Cancer

Question 1

A mutation can cause a change _____.

A) in the amino acid sequence of a protein
B) in the shape of a protein
C) in the way the cell cycle is regulated
D) that is beneficial to the cell
E) all of these

Answer 1

E

Question 2

At which point does a mutation exert its potentially dysfunctional effects in a cell?

A) during DNA replication
B) during protein translation
C) after a protein is produced
D) during DNA transcription
E) only during cell division

Answer 2

C

Question 3

Cancer consists of too much

A) cell division.
B) translation.
C) apoptosis.
D) toxin production.
E) DNA replication.

Answer 3

A

Question 4

A specific gene,called GRAB,prevents a cell from entering mitosis if there are any signs of DNA damage.This means that GRAB would be a type of

A) cell cycle checkpoint.
B) tumor-causing gene.
C) non-hereditary gene.
D) growth signal.
E) mutation.

Question 5

There are several points during the cell cycle when the cell will check to be sure everything is progressing normally,without mistakes,and confirm that the cell should continue to the next phase of the cycle.When do these "cell cycle checkpoints" occur?

A) between G₁ and S,and between G₂ and mitosis
B) between G₁ and G₂,between G₂ and mitosis,and during mitosis
C) between G₁ and S,between G₂ and mitosis,and during mitosis
D) between S and G₂,between G₂ and mitosis,and during cytokinesis
E) during S and cytokinesis

Question 6

DNA mutations can arise from uncorrected errors in DNA replication,inheritance,and _____.

A) a poor diet lacking in vitamins and minerals
B) chronic sleep deprivation
C) environmental insults
D) catching an influenza virus from a person with mutated genes
E) abnormal cell division

Question 7

Cell division is usually kept under control by

A) apoptosis.
B) a single checkpoint in cytokinesis.
C) several checkpoints in the cell cycle and by apoptosis.
D) suicide checkpoints.
E) cell cycle repair mechanisms.

Question 8

At the G₂ checkpoint,cells pause to

A) wait until there is a need for them to divide.
B) make sure that all chromosomes have been copied and are undamaged.
C) make sure that the spindle is fully formed.
D) wait until all chromosomes are lined up properly.
E) make sure that the homologous chromosomes are wrapped around each other.

Question 9

Which of the following help(s)to prevent cancer?

A) cell cycle checkpoints
B) apoptosis
C) DNA repair enzymes
D) regulation of the cell cycle
E) All of the above.

Question 10

Proteins scan chromosomes for damage during the

A) G₁ checkpoint.
B) beginning of the synthesis phase.
C) apoptosis phase.
D) G₂ checkpoint.
E) metaphase checkpoint.

Question 11

Apoptosis

A) occurs in normal cell division.
B) contains several checkpoints.
C) is programmed cell death.
D) is a mechanism of cell repair.
E) ensures equal DNA in cytokinesis.

Question 12

Why does wearing sunscreen reduce cancer risk?

A) Sunscreen can repair damaged DNA.
B) Sunscreen can activate checkpoints in skin cells.
C) Sunscreen can reduce the chance of mutations caused by exposure to UV radiation present in sunlight.
D) It does not reduce cancer risk;sunscreen causes mutation and actually increases cancer risk.
E) Sunscreen can prevent cells with mutations from being destroyed.

Question 13

At the G₁ checkpoint,cells pause to

A) wait until there is a need for them to divide.
B) make sure that all chromosomes have been copied and are undamaged.
C) make sure that the nuclear envelope is intact.
D) make sure that all chromosomes are lined up properly.
E) make sure that the homologous chromosomes are wrapped around each other.

Question 14

If a cell is irreparably damaged,it undergoes programmed cell death,called

A) apoptosis.
B) cell division.
C) metastasis.
D) cytokinesis.
E) mitosis.

Question 15

In an otherwise normal cell,what happens if one mistake is made during DNA replication?

A) Nothing;mistakes just happen.
B) A cell cycle checkpoint detects the error and pauses the cell cycle so the error can be corrected.
C) The cell will begin to divide out of control,forming a malignant tumor.
D) Mistakes are never made during DNA replication.
E) The mutation will be inherited by the individual's offspring.

Question 16

The cell cycle checkpoints are responsible for checking that the cell is prepared to move on to the next stage in cell division.For example,the G₁-to-S checkpoint ensures that the cell has all the components and signals necessary to go on to S phase and that the appropriate signals are present.The G₂ checkpoint checks whether the

A) chromosomes have been separated properly.
B) DNA has been replicated properly.
C) chromosomes have aligned properly.
D) DNA has decondensed.
E) cell organelles have duplicated properly.

Question 17

What might be the result of a mutation in one of the proteins responsible for the G₁ checkpoint?

A) The cell would continue to S phase without signals to divide being present.
B) The cell would divide uncontrollably.
C) The cell would move through the cell cycle more rapidly than normal.
D) Nothing;one of the other checkpoints would make up for its absence.
E) All of the above.

Question 18

Cancer is

A) an organ that becomes malignant.
B) a metastatic cell.
C) unregulated apoptosis.
D) unregulated cell division.
E) regulated cell division.

Question 19

Cell cycle checkpoints detect and control

A) DNA content.
B) signals that promote cell division.
C) DNA damage.
D) proper chromosome alignment.
E) All of the above.

Question 20

Programmed cell death is called

A) apoptosis.
B) endocytosis.
C) cytokinesis.
D) cytolysis.
E) mitosis.

Question 21

Side-effects of chemotherapy,such as vomiting,hair loss,and bruising occur because

A) cancerous cells release toxins that poison the rest of the body.
B) cancerous cells have overtaken normal cells,causing malfunctions.
C) chemotherapeutic drugs specifically target cancerous cells.
D) chemotherapeutic drugs kill both normal and cancerous cells.
E) the body has an immune reaction to chemotherapeutic drugs.

Question 22

The medical condition of cells growing out of control is called

A) cytokinesis.
B) cancer.
C) metastasis.
D) apoptosis.
E) tumorization.

Question 23

Cancer may be caused by

A) a cell cycle checkpoint problem.
B) failure in apoptosis.
C) unregulated cell division.
D) failure in DNA repair mechanisms.
E) All of the above.

Question 24

All of the following could be effective cancer treatments EXCEPT

A) a drug that enhances apoptosis.
B) a drug that increases DNA replication.
C) a drug that prevents formation of the mitotic spindle.
D) a drug that increases the immune system response.
E) a drug that makes cells more permeable to drugs.

Question 25

True or False: Chemotherapy treatments only kill the cancer cells and don't affect normal,healthy cells.

A) True
B) False

Question 26

Cells that have accumulated too much chromosomal damage can

A) lead to the formation of a tumor.
B) lead to cancer.
C) cause the cell to destroy itself (apoptosis).
D) lead to uncontrolled cell division.
E) All of the above.

Question 27

Why would a drug that specifically kills rapidly dividing cells make a good chemotherapeutic agent?

A) The drug would only target cancer cells.
B) The drug would not affect normal cells.
C) Cancer cells divide more rapidly than most normal cells.
D) Unlike radiation therapy,the drug would target a specific population of cells.
E) Cancer cells are the only cells dividing in a mature human.

Question 28

Chemotherapy drugs interfere with

A) cell division.
B) chromosome duplication.
C) spindle formation.
D) chromosome separation during mitosis.
E) All of the above.

Question 29

How could a cancerous cell evade apoptosis?

A) The cell responds to environmental signals.
B) The cell goes through the cell cycle too quickly for apoptosis to occur.
C) The cell has a mutation in a checkpoint protein.
D) The cell is stuck in one phase of the cell cycle.
E) Cancerous cells can't evade apoptosis.

Question 30

What is the name of the organization that oversees the quality control of pharmaceutical drugs produced in the United States?

A) National Institutes of Health (NIH)
B) Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
C) Federal Drug Administration (FDA)
D) Centers for Disease Control (CDC)
E) U.S.Department of Agriculture (USDA)

Question 31

Radiation therapy for cancer works by

A) burning the cells,thereby killing them.
B) damaging the cell's DNA,resulting in cell death.
C) interfering with the cell's mitotic spindle.
D) dissolving the tumor through heating.
E) freezing the cells,thereby killing them.

Question 32

What causes cancer to kill people?

A) Cancer cells accumulate DNA mutations.
B) Tumors can spread to other parts of the body.
C) Cancer cells crowd out normal cells and disrupt organ functions.
D) Cancer cells have uncontrolled cell division.
E) Tumors cells contain abnormal DNA

Question 33

Metastasis is

A) an effective form of treatment for cancer.
B) part of cell division,when chromosomes line up.
C) a state of rest for the cell,between divisions.
D) a state of active cell division.
E) the spread of cancer from one location in the body to another.

Question 34

Most chemotherapy drugs are effective because they

A) increase protein production.
B) increase the immune system response needed to fight cancer.
C) kill cancer cells only without affecting healthy cells.
D) interrupt cell division.
E) destroy the plasma membrane,thus causing cell death.

Question 35

When cancer has spread to many areas of the body,the most common form of treatment is

A) surgery to remove the tumors.
B) radiation directed at the tumors.
C) chemotherapy drugs injected into the bloodstream.
D) heat therapy directed at the tumors.
E) cold therapy directed at the tumors.

Question 36

Physical side-effects from chemotherapy and radiotherapy could be maximally reduced by

A) targeting specific tumor cells.
B) reducing amounts of drug or radiation.
C) reducing exposure time.
D) better detection methods.
E) using multiple drugs with radiation.

Question 37

Chemotherapy is used in the battle against

A) breast cancer.
B) colon cancer.
C) skin cancer.
D) prostate cancer.
E) All of the above.

Question 38

Chemotherapeutics act on

A) all dividing cells.
B) cancer cells.
C) all cells.
D) apoptotic cells.
E) dividing cancer cells.

Question 39

Cell division in cancerous tumors

A) proceeds until apoptosis.
B) is regulated by the cell cycle.
C) progresses at a predicted rate.
D) is regulated by checkpoints.
E) accumulates DNA damage.

Question 40

Radiation and chemotherapy typically have all of the following side-effects EXCEPT

A) blurry vision.
B) nausea.
C) diarrhea.
D) vomiting.
E) hair loss.

Question 41

What is an example of a mutation in an allele?

A) a base change in the gene coding sequence
B) a base change in the gene's regulatory regions
C) a deletion of a base within the gene
D) an insertion of a base within the gene
E) All of the above.

Question 42

How many different alleles of a gene like BRCA1 can an individual have?

A) Several hundred,since there are hundreds of known BRCA1 alleles
B) Four: two from their father and two from their mother
C) Only two: one from their father and one from their mother
D) One for males and hundreds for females
E) One for males and two for females

Question 43

If you were going to set up a clinical trial of a new chemotherapy drug that would be used in addition to traditional treatment for prostate cancer,who would you use as the control group for your experiment?

A) patients with prostate cancer who received no treatment
B) patients with prostate cancer who received traditional treatment alone
C) patients with prostate cancer who were given the trial drug but no traditional treatment
D) patients with prostate cancer who received traditional treatment plus the trial drug
E) healthy patients with no prostate cancer

Question 44

There are several different alleles for flower color in carnations.One of them causes white flowers;a different allele of the same gene causes red flowers.This means that all of the following are true,EXCEPT

A) white carnations have different DNA sequences than red carnations.
B) white carnations and red carnations have somewhat different proteins.
C) a carnation plant could have one copy of the white allele and one copy of the red allele.
D) a carnation plant could have two copies of the white allele and two copies of the red allele.
E) All of the above.

Question 45

An allele is

A) any section of DNA.
B) a gene.
C) a specific section of a chromosome.
D) an alternate version of a gene.
E) a pair of genes.

Question 46

A mutation would most likely be inherited if it is located in a ____ cell.

A) skin
B) body
C) sperm
D) liver
E) All of the above.

Question 47

What would be the best way to distinguish between two alleles and two genes?

A) Examine the proteins they produce;most genes would produce very similar versions of the same protein,but two alleles would produce very different proteins.
B) Examine the proteins they produce;a gene produces one protein,and an allele produces two different proteins.
C) Examine their DNA;the DNA sequences of two different alleles would be more similar to each other than the sequences of two different genes.
D) You can't distinguish between them;there's no actual difference between alleles and genes.
E) Determine their chromosomal location;alleles will always be on different chromosomes,but genes will always be on different copies of the same chromosome.

Question 48

One promising new treatment for cancer uses "angiogenesis inhibitors" such as Avastin^®.This treatment works because a growing tumor requires additional nutrients,and thus excretes substances to encourage growth of new blood vessels to "feed" the tumor.Angiogenesis inhibitors prevent that blood vessel growth.What might be one benefit of this treatment over traditional chemotherapy?

A) It would not affect most dividing cells,and so it would be more specific than traditional chemotherapy.
B) It would be able to target all tumors,and so it would be less selective than traditional chemotherapy.
C) It would starve cells in a tumor,which would kill them more gradually than traditional chemotherapy.
D) It targets only rapidly dividing cells because those are the ones that form tumors.
E) All of the above.

Question 49

A newly identified mutation in mice,called "darkened dorsal," causes a dark stripe along the mouse's back.This mutation is located at a specific location on chromosome 2.A different sequence at this same chromosomal position results in a fur color pattern called "nonagouti." Based on this information,darkened dorsal and nonagouti are different

A) genes for fur color.
B) alleles for the same gene.
C) mutations of the same chromosome.
D) chromatids.
E) All of the above.

Question 50

True or False: Different versions of a gene are called alleles;a mutation in a gene can create an allele.

A) True
B) False

Question 51

How many alleles for a single trait are present in each human cell?

A) 1
B) 2
C) 23
D) 46
E) 4

Question 52

How many copies of any particular gene does an individual human have?

A) 4
B) 1
C) 2
D) 46
E) 23

Question 53

Bob and Linda are a newly married couple.They hope to have a child but are having trouble getting pregnant.They visit a fertility clinic,where they receive a variety of tests.One test shows that Bob is healthy but carries a single disease-causing allele for CFTR (the gene that can cause cystic fibrosis),but Linda does not.This means that

A) Bob's DNA sequence for CFTR is different from Linda's.
B) Bob has two different versions of the CFTR gene.
C) Linda does not have any copies of the CFTR gene.
D) Bob is unable to ever have children.
E) Both A and B

Question 54

Different alleles are the result of

A) mutations in RNA sequences.
B) any change in DNA sequences.
C) changes in DNA sequence within a gene.
D) changes in the size of a chromosome.
E) any kind of radiation damage.

Question 55

A mutation is best described as an error in

A) DNA.
B) mRNA.
C) protein.
D) enzymes.
E) cell division.

Question 56

Alleles are located

A) on chromosome 17 only.
B) in random locations on chromosomes.
C) at a specific position on each of a pair of chromosomes.
D) on one chromosome of each pair.
E) on chromosomes 13 and 17.

Question 57

Gene mutations can arise when nucleotides are

A) added to the gene.
B) taken away from the gene.
C) changed within the gene.
D) mismatched within the gene.
E) All of the above.

Question 58

Which of the following is TRUE?

A) Alleles are usually harmful because they result from mutations.
B) Alleles are just different versions of the same gene.
C) Normal,healthy individuals don't usually carry alleles.
D) An individual may have one,two,or three alleles for a particular trait.
E) None of the above.

Question 59

If you ran a pharmaceutical company,what would be the most effective series of steps for your company to discover new drugs from plants and bring them to market?

A) Identify likely drug sources,test chemicals on cultured cells,select the most effective chemical,convert chemical into a form for delivery into humans,do clinical trials,get FDA approval for drug sales,scale up drug supply.
B) Identify likely drug sources,select the most effective chemical,convert chemical into a form for delivery into humans,test chemicals on cultured cells,do clinical trials,get FDA approval for drug sales,scale up drug supply.
C) Identify likely drug sources,select the most effective chemical,test chemicals on cultured cells,convert chemical into a form for delivery into humans,do clinical trials,scale up drug supply,get FDA approval for drug sales.
D) Get FDA approval for drug sales,identify likely drug sources,test chemicals on cultured cells,select the most effective chemical,convert chemical into a form for delivery into humans,do clinical trials,scale up drug supply.
E) Get FDA approval for drug sales,identify likely drug sources,test chemicals on cultured cells,do clinical trials,select the most effective chemical,convert chemical into a form for delivery into humans,scale up drug supply.

Question 60

Most new alleles arise via

A) large rearrangements of genes.
B) exchanges of genes during crossing over.
C) mutations in existing genes.
D) changes in DNA polymerase that alter how polymerase copies DNA.
E) changes in the beginning and ending of a gene.

Question 61

Which sequence is the complementary DNA sequence of ATG GGC CTG?

A) ATG GGC CTG
B) TAC CCG GAG
C) TUC CCG GUC
D) TAC CCG GAC
E) TAC CCC GAC

Question 62

The enzyme that copies DNA makes a mistake approximately every 10,000 to 100,000 bases.Surprisingly,however,if we examine newly copied DNA,we see that the actual error rate is lower than this.How is that possible?

A) The bases are self-correcting;the DNA will fix any errors as it is copied.
B) The cell is immediately killed if it contains a mistake in its DNA.
C) There are other enzymes that find errors in DNA and repair them.
D) All of the above.
E) None of the above.

Question 63

Which of the following statements is always TRUE?

A) A mutation is harmful.
B) Mutations lead to changes in protein function.
C) Changes in DNA lead to changes in protein function.
D) A change in the DNA may change a protein's shape and function.
E) A change in DNA will lead to cancer.

Question 64

DNA mutations can

A) be detrimental.
B) be beneficial.
C) have no effect.
D) All of the above.
E) A or B only

Question 65

Why might a change in its amino acid sequence lead to a change in the way a protein functions?

A) Amino acids determine a protein's shape.The wrong shape may not function normally.
B) A change in the amino acid sequence would not change the final protein.
C) A change in the amino acid sequence would cause a change in the DNA,which alters the protein.
D) A change in the amino acid sequence causes the DNA to pair incorrectly.
E) None of the above.

Question 66

Why aren't all mutations that occur in DNA inherited by our offspring?

A) Only mutations in the DNA contained in the sperm and eggs will be inherited.
B) Each cell has different DNA in it,with only the genes that cell needs.
C) DNA that is mutated can't be inherited;the cell corrects it before passing it on.
D) DNA that is inherited can't have more than one mutation in it.
E) Some mutations occur in noncoding regions of genes,so they are not inherited.

Question 67

Which of the following cannot lead to a mutation?

A) replacing thymine with uracil when making RNA
B) deleting a portion of a gene
C) replacing thymine with guanine when copying DNA
D) inserting three base pairs into a gene
E) inserting one base pair into a gene

Question 68

Substitution of a nucleotide base in the coding sequence of a gene may alter the protein's

A) amino acid sequence.
B) 3D shape.
C) folding.
D) function.
E) All of the above.

Question 69

Amino acid sequences result from the process of

A) transcription.
B) translation.
C) replication.
D) regulation.
E) complementary base pairing.

Question 70

Radioactive Man,a comic-book superhero,gained his abilities by falling into a vat of industrial toxic waste.Is this a likely outcome?

A) Yes,because mutations can be helpful,harmful,or neutral.
B) No,because most mutations are either harmful or neutral.
C) No,because toxic waste is not mutagenic.
D) No,because so many mutations would probably cause cancer or other disease.
E) Both B and D

Question 71

Is the way a protein folds important for its function?

A) Yes,protein function depends on the protein's 3-D structure.
B) Yes,because DNA mutations are caused by protein folding incorrectly.
C) No,as long as the sequence is correct.
D) No,as long as the protein is still soluble.
E) None of the above.

Question 72

Mutations are

A) always harmful.
B) never neutral.
C) always helpful.
D) never helpful.
E) sometimes harmful,sometimes helpful,and sometimes neutral.

Question 73

DNA damage is usually repaired

A) in the egg or sperm cells before fertilization.
B) at or before checkpoints in the cell cycle.
C) in the ribosome during translation.
D) by the mitotic spindle.
E) by the complementary strand of DNA.

Question 74

How does a mutation in a noncoding region of DNA affect the final shape of the protein?

A) A mutation in a noncoding region would not affect the final protein shape,but it could affect gene regulation.
B) A change in the noncoding region leads to a change in amino acid sequence,which changes the way the protein folds.
C) A change in the amino acid sequence causes the DNA to pair incorrectly.
D) A change in the noncoding region causes the protein to fold "inside out."
E) None of the above.

Question 75

Mutations in DNA sequences may occur during the process of

A) transcription.
B) translation.
C) replication.
D) tumor suppression.
E) apoptosis.

Question 76

What would happen if the enzyme that makes DNA added a nucleotide to the middle of a coding region of a gene?

A) It would change the reading frame of the DNA and possibly lead to a change in the amino acid sequence of the protein made from that gene.
B) It wouldn't matter because it is in a coding region.
C) It is only one nucleotide so it wouldn't matter;more than one nucleotide would need to be added to change a protein.
D) It would make longer mRNA and protein from that gene.
E) All of the above.

Question 77

Mutations in DNA occur during

A) transcription.
B) translation.
C) protein modification.
D) RNA duplication.
E) DNA duplication.

Question 78

Which sequence is a result of a single mismatch in DNA replication of the sequence ATG GGC CTG?

A) ATG GGC CTC
B) AAG GGC CTC
C) TAC CCG GTC
D) TGC CCG GAG
E) TUC CCG GUC

Question 79

The number of errors made by DNA polymerase during DNA replication that pass through the cell's repair checkpoints is estimated at

A) 1 in 100 bases mismatched.
B) 1 in 1000 bases mismatched.
C) 1 in 1,000,000 bases mismatched.
D) 1 in 10,000,000,000 bases mismatched.
E) 1 in 10 bases mismatched.

Question 80

Do all mutations that occur within the DNA sequence result in abnormal protein expression,and therefore affect the function of the protein?

A) Yes,regardless of the location of the mutation,protein expression and function will be adversely affected.
B) No,mutations occurring within the noncoding regions of the DNA sequence will not affect overall protein structure.
C) No,DNA repair enzymes are designed specifically to "proofread" the DNA and they catch most mistakes.
D) Yes,any mutations located within the DNA sequence will affect the structure of the protein.
E) B and C