Deck 6: DNA: The Molecule of Life

Question 1

A codon is ________.

A)three nucleotides of DNA that code for an amino acid
B)three nucleotides of RNA that code for an amino acid
C)the section of DNA that codes for a protein
D)the section of RNA that codes for a protein

Answer 1

B

Question 2

If you know that a DNA double helix consists of 20 % adenine, what percentage of the DNA double helix is guanine (G)?

A)20%
B)30%
C)80%
D)There is not information to know

Answer 2

B

Question 3

What do the letters D-N-A stand for?

A)Dioxyribonucleic acid
B)Dioxyribonuclear acid
C)Deoxyribonucleic acid
D)Deoxyrobonuclear acid

Answer 3

C

Question 4

What is the type of bond between two strands of DNA?

A)A peptide bond
B)A hydrogen bond
C)A ionic bond
D)A covalent bond

Question 5

If DNA directs the production of RNA, what does RNA make?

A)RNA makes proteins.
B)RNA makes more DNA.
C)RNA makes membranes.
D)RNA makes more RNA.

Question 6

What is different from one DNA nucleotide to the next?

A)The sugar molecule
B)The phosphate group
C)The base
D)The protein

Question 7

What is a gene?

A)A discrete sequence of DNA nucleotides
B)A section of DNA that codes for one or more proteins
C)A section of DNA that codes for a portion of a protein
D)All of these and more are part of the expanding definition of a gene.

Question 8

What part of a chromosome goes through transcription and translation?

A)Only genes go through transcription and translation.
B)Only introns go through transcription and translation.
C)Both introns and exons go through transcription and translation.
D)All of the chromosome goes through transcription and translation.

Question 9

Which of the following statements is incorrect regarding DNA and RNA?

A)They each contain a slightly different sugar molecule.
B)DNA is double stranded, and RNA is a single strand.
C)One of the bases is different.
D)All of the above are correct.

Question 10

Ribosomes ________.

A)translate mRNA into proteins
B)transcribe DNA into mRNA
C)are located inside the nucleus in eukaryotic cells
D)are involved in making ATP for eukaryotic cells

Question 11

DNA replication is a semi-conservative process.This means that after replication, ________.

A)each new DNA double helix consists of two old strands
B)each new DNA double helix consists of one old strand and one new strand
C)each new DNA double helix contains 25% of the old DNA double helix
D)each new DNA double helix consists of two new strands

Question 12

What is the monomer of the DNA molecule?

A)Polynucleotide
B)Monosaccharide
C)Nucleotide
D)Peptide

Question 13

The base that is not found in DNA, but only in RNA is ________.

A)thymine
B)uracil
C)guanine
D)adenine

Question 14

According to the base pairing rules of DNA, if the sequence of bases on one strand was AGGCTTA, what would be the sequence of bases on the complementary strand?

A)AGGCTTA
B)ATTCGGA
C)CGGATTC
D)TCCGAAT

Question 15

What are the three components of a DNA nucleotide?

A)A sugar, a phosphate and a base
B)A sugar, a base, and a polypeptide
C)A sugar, a phosphate, and a peptide
D)A phosphate, a base, and a polypeptide

Question 16

Why does transcription occur in the nucleus and not in the cytoplasm in eukaryotes?

A)RNA cannot exist in the cytoplasm.
B)DNA cannot leave the nucleus.
C)Ribosomes cannot leave the nucleus.
D)Codons are only found in the nucleus.

Question 17

Which of the following statement is not correct about DNA replication?

A)It happens in the nucleus
B)It is semi-conservative
C)Only genes are replicated in DNA replication
D)It involves DNA polymerase

Question 18

What is the main function of DNA helicase in DNA replication?

A)Unzipping the DNA double helix
B)Adding complementary DNA bases to the newly forming DNA strand
C)Proofreading the DNA molecule
D)Fusing DNA fragments together

Question 19

Which enzyme is responsible for adding complementary DNA bases to an exposed DNA strand?

A)DNA helicase
B)DNA polymerase
C)DNA ligase
D)DNA peptidase

Question 20

How is DNA linked to the production of proteins?

A)Proteins hold the instructions on how to make DNA.
B)DNA is the end point of protein production that allows cells to finish making proteins.
C)DNA holds the instructions for the cells on how to make proteins.
D)DNA is not linked to the production of proteins.

Question 21

What is a terminator?

A)A promoter is a region of mRNA that is sliced out.
B)A promoter is a region of DNA that marks the beginning of a gene.
C)A promoter is a region of DNA that marks the end of a gene.
D)A promoter is a region of mRNA where RNA polymerase binds.

Question 22

What is gene regulation?

A)Mechanisms that turn on and off specific genes to change which proteins are made
B)Mechanisms that regulate the replication of DNA
C)Mechanisms that regulate which genes get copied
D)Mechanisms that turn on and off mitosis in the cell cycle

Question 23

If the codon is AAA, what is the complementary anticodon?

A)UUU
B)TTT
C)AAA
D)CCC

Question 24

In what way(s) can mRNAs be processed?

A)By adding caps and tails to the ends of the mRNAs
B)By removing the introns (the noncoding regions)of the mRNAs
C)By splicing the exons (the coding regions)of the mRNAs in different ways
D)All of the above are ways in which mRNAs can be processed

Question 25

How is translation initiated?

A)DNA helicase binds to the origins of replication.
B)Two ribosomal subunits bind to the mRNA transcript.
C)RNA polymerase binds to the promoter sequence.
D)Two ribosomal subunits bind to the DNA sequence.

Question 26

What does "transfer RNA" actually transfer?

A)Ribosome
B)Codons
C)Amino acids
D)Anticodons

Question 27

Can one gene make different proteins?

A)Yes, by splicing the resulting mRNA differently (i.e., removing different exons)
B)Yes, by modifying the original DNA
C)No, because one gene codes only for a single protein
D)No, because genes do not make proteins

Question 28

Where does translation occur in eukaryotes?

A)In the nucleus only
B)Both in the nucleus and in the cytoplasm
C)In the cytoplasm only
D)In neither the nucleus nor the cytoplasm

Question 29

Barr bodies are associated with ________.

A)signal transduction
B)X chromosome inactivation
C)frameshift mutations
D)proto-oncogenes

Question 30

What is the correct sequence of events during translation?

A)Elongation, initiation, termination
B)Initiation, elongation, termination
C)Termination, elongation, initiation
D)Initiation, elongation, initiation

Question 31

What does it mean when we say a gene is "turned off"?

A)The gene is no longer working properly.
B)The gene cannot be transcribed and translated into a protein.
C)The gene has a mutation.
D)The gene is now activated.

Question 32

Which process results in the creation of mRNA?

A)Replication
B)Transcription
C)Translation
D)All of the above

Question 33

The genetic code is ________.

A)our DNA, in other words what makes us who we are
B)our genome
C)the complementary base-pairing of A going with T and C going with G
D)what allows codons to be translated into amino acids

Question 34

Do all cells of the body express the same genes?

A)Yes, since they all contain the same DNA
B)Yes, since they all make the same proteins
C)No, since they don't contain the same DNA
D)No, since they don't all need to make the same proteins

Question 35

If the base sequence of template strand reads GCCATTAC, what is the base sequence of the mRNA?

A)CGGUAAUG
B)CGGTAATG
C)CGGTUUTG
D)GCCAUUAC

Question 36

When is cell-to-cell communication particularly important in regulating gene expression?

A)During mitosis
B)During meiosis
C)During embryonic development
D)During replication

Question 37

Which of the following is not a modification to the mRNA before leaving the nucleus?

A)Intron removal
B)Promoter binding
C)End capping
D)Exon splicing

Question 38

The signal transduction pathway allows ________.

A)one cell to regulate the gene expression of another cell
B)a cell to repair damage to its DNA
C)genes from one organism to be inserted into the nucleus of another organism's cells
D)whole genomes to be sequenced

Question 39

How many nucleotides are required to code for 10 amino acids?

A)3
B)10
C)20
D)30

Question 40

Which of the following statements is correct regarding promoters?

A)Promoters are regions of DNA that indicates the start of a gene
B)Promoters are regions of DNA where RNA polymerase can bind to start transcripton
C)Promoters act as a "start here" signal to help control gene expression
D)All of the above are correct

Question 41

Genetically modified organisms that acquire genes from a different species are called ________ organisms.

A)mutant
B)synthetic
C)cloned
D)transgenic

Question 42

Which of the following is a type of treatment for cancer?

A)Chemotherapy
B)Removing the tumor through surgery
C)Removing the tumor through radiation therapy
D)All of the above are ways that cancer can be treated

Question 43

How would the cDNA created in a lab compare to the original DNA?

A)It would contain only the genes that were producing proteins in the cell at the time the cDNA was created.
B)It would be identical to the original DNA.
C)It would be a single strand instead of the original double-stranded DNA.
D)It would be circular, similar to bacterial DNA.

Question 44

What is a "benign" tumor?

A)A mass of cancerous cells
B)A single mutated cell that could potentially develop into cancer
C)A mass of cells that grows out of control and spreads to other tissues
D)A mass of cells that grows out of control but remains at the site of origin

Question 45

Cancer is ________.

A)uncontrolled cell growth
B)any tumor in the body
C)cells with proto-oncogene activated
D)what happens when cells get old

Question 46

How does a cell typically know when to divide?

A)Cells have an internal clock and divide only when they reach a certain age.
B)Tumor suppressor genes code for growth factor proteins that initiate cell division.
C)Proto-oncogenes code for growth factor proteins that initiate cell division.
D)Oncogenes code for growth factor proteins that initiate cell division.

Question 47

Which of the following mutations can help lead to cancer?

A)Mutations to proto-oncogenes
B)Mutations to tumor suppressor genes
C)Mutations to growth factors
D)All of the above would lead to cancer

Question 48

Which genes are responsible for your overall structure, such as how many legs you have and where they develop?

A)Oncogenes
B)Proto-oncogenes
C)Growth factor genes
D)Homeotic genes

Question 49

What is the main cause of cancer?

A)DNA replication no longer working properly
B)Exposure to carcinogens in the environment
C)Old age, during which the cells of the body no longer work properly
D)We do not currently know the main cause of cancer.

Question 50

What are carcinogens?

A)Physical or chemical factors that can lead to mutations causing cancer
B)The only source of mutations in cells
C)Errors during DNA replication
D)Chemical factors that can treat cancer

Question 51

What is the name of the enzyme that builds cDNA out of mRNA?

A)DNA polymerase
B)RNA polymerase
C)Reverse transcriptase
D)DNA helicase

Question 52

What is recombinant DNA?

A)A segment of DNA containing sequences from two different sources
B)DNA that comes from plasmids
C)DNA that can no longer replicate
D)DNA that is circular

Question 53

What are oncogenes?

A)Oncogenes are necessary genes that help regulate the cell cycle.
B)Oncogenes are mutated proto-oncogenes.
C)Oncogenes are mutated tumor-suppressor genes.
D)Oncogenes are necessary genes that inhibit the cell cycle.

Question 54

What type of mutation leads to a frameshift in the reading of DNA?

A)All point mutations
B)Insertions only
C)Deletions only
D)Both insertions and deletions

Question 55

The spread of cancer cells from their site of origin to sites distant in the body is called ________.

A)metastasis
B)mitosis
C)growth
D)tumor

Question 56

The small circular molecules of DNA commonly found in bacteria are called ________.

A)chromatids
B)plastids
C)loops
D)plasmids

Question 57

A collection of cloned DNA fragments representing an organism's entire genome is called a ________.

A)transgenic assembly
B)genomic library
C)clonal anthology
D)complementary DNA collection

Question 58

The type of mutation that alters the nucleotide sequence of a gene but does not alter the amino acid sequence of the protein produced from that gene is called ________ mutation.

A)missense
B)silent
C)nonsense
D)frameshift

Question 59

Are there ways to prevent cancer?

A)No, cancer cannot be prevented; it can only be treated.
B)No, cancer cannot be prevented or treated.
C)Yes, there are many ways cancer can be prevented, including through a healthy diet and exercise.
D)Yes, cancer can be prevented, but only with intense exercise.

Question 60

Why can a person who is unable to produce insulin be successfully treated with insulin derived from genetically modified bacteria?

A)Typical bacterial insulin is exactly the same as human insulin.
B)The gene that produces insulin in humans was inserted into the bacteria where it continues to produce human insulin.
C)The insulin-producing gene of bacteria was altered to have the same base sequence as the human counterpart and now produces the human version of insulin.
D)Bacterial insulin is similar enough to human insulin to serve the same purpose.

Question 61

Entire genes may be deleted, inverted, replicated, or even translocated to another chromosome.Explain how each one could potentially result in cancer.

Question 62

Is most of our DNA made up of genes?

A)Yes, the vast majority of human DNA consists of genes.
B)No, genes make up only 1.5% of our DNA.
C)No, genes make about 25% of our DNA
D)No, genes make about 50% of our DNA

Question 63

How does chemotherapy kill cancer cells, and why might it also result in hair loss and nausea?

Question 64

The mighty chestnut tree once dominated many of our Appalachian forests but was decimated by an exotic fungus in the first part of the 20th century.A few small groves of trees still remain in isolated pockets, and living roots of some of the fallen ancient trees still try to send up new shoots.These shoots always die as soon as they are exposed to the fungus.How could chestnut trees be genetically modified to be resistant to the fungus and to grow again?

Question 65

The PCR technique doubles the amount of DNA in a sample in each cycle.If you started the PCR technique with two fragments of double-stranded DNA, calculate how many double-stranded DNA fragments you would you have after four cycles.

A)8
B)16
C)32
D)64

Question 66

Restriction enzymes were originally isolated from bacteria, which used them to protect themselves from viruses.How might a restriction enzyme defeat a virus?

Question 67

What is the correct pathway of information to go from a gene to a protein in a eukaryotic cell?

Question 68

Of whom is the baby a clone?

A)Egg donor
B)DNA donor
C)Surrogate mother
D)It depends on whether it is male or female.

Question 69

Gel electrophoresis separates DNA fragments according to their ________.

A)length
B)charge
C)polarity
D)base sequences

Question 70

Describe what happens in signal transduction, both on the cell membrane and inside the cell.Make sure to explain the link between signal transduction and protein synthesis in your answer.

Question 71

What separates the strands of DNA in the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique?

A)Restriction enzymes
B)Helicase
C)Centrifuge
D)Heat

Question 72

Explain the basic mechanism CRISPR in DNA manipulation

Question 73

DNA profiling relies on an individual's ________, no two of which are the same between different people, except identical twins.

A)unique set of genes
B)unique mRNA sequences
C)unique set of short tandem repeats within DNA
D)unique fingerprints

Question 74

What is the role of primers in the PCR techniques?

A)To separate strands of double-stranded DNA
B)To add free nucleotides to the newly formed DNA molecule
C)To allow single strands of DNA to bind together
D)To target specific areas of DNA

Question 75

How does a scientist get the corrected version of a gene into the cells of a gene therapy patient?

A)It is delivered with a modified virus.
B)It is directly injected with a microscopic hypodermic needle.
C)It is attached to a food molecule, such as glucose and is then ingested by the individual.
D)It is attached to the surface of microscopic beads and is then shot into the individual (i.e., shotgun method).

Question 76

Can the PCR technique be used to copy an entire chromosome all at once?

A)No, only the genes would be copied.
B)No, the PCR machine can only copy fragments of DNA.
C)Yes, that is its primary function.
D)There is not enough information provided to answer

Question 77

Three of the following statements are correct.Identify the statement that is not correct regarding genetically modified organisms.

A)There are no risks associated with GM crops.
B)GM crops have been produced with increased nutrition.
C)GM crops have been produced that are disease resistant.
D)GM animals are not in our food supply.