Deck 10: The Structure and Function of DNA

Question 1

DNA and RNA are polymers composed of ________ monomers.

A) nucleotide
B) carbohydrate
C) fatty acid
D) amino acid

Answer 1

A

Question 2

Thymine and cytosine differ from adenine and guanine in that ________.

A) thymine and cytosine are single-ring structures, whereas adenine and guanine are double-ring structures
B) thymine and cytosine are only found in DNA, whereas adenine and guanine are found in both DNA and RNA
C) thymine and cytosine are only found in DNA, whereas adenine and guanine are only found in RNA
D) thymine and cytosine are larger nitrogenous bases

Answer 2

A

Question 3

RNA contains the nitrogenous base ________ instead of ________,which is found only in DNA.

A) a deoxyribose sugar... a ribose sugar
B) uracil... thymine
C) uracil... guanine
D) thymine... uracil

Answer 3

B

Question 4

DNA replication ________.

A) is a slow process that results in virtually no errors
B) requires DNA polymerase and RNA polymerase
C) is a very fast process that results in numerous errors
D) requires the cooperation of over a dozen enzymes and other proteins

Question 5

What was a surprising feature about the deadly nature of the 2009 H1N1 influenza virus?

A) H1N1 affected the elderly.
B) H1N1 affected healthy young people.
C) H1N1 affected birds.
D) H1N1 affected pigs.

Question 6

What name is given to the collection of traits exhibited by an organism?

A) genome
B) genotype
C) phenotype
D) genetic code

Question 7

The backbone of DNA consists of ________.

A) nitrogenous bases
B) a repeating sugar-nucleotide-sugar-nucleotide pattern
C) a repeating sugar-phosphate-sugar-phosphate pattern
D) paired nucleotides

Question 8

Transcription is the ________.

A) manufacture of a strand of RNA complementary to a strand of DNA
B) manufacture of two new DNA double helices that are identical to an old DNA double helix
C) modification of a strand of RNA prior to the manufacture of a protein
D) manufacture of a protein based on information carried by RNA

Question 9

If adenine makes up 20% of the bases in a DNA double helix,what percent of the bases is guanine?

A) 60%
B) 40%
C) 20%
D) 30%

Question 10

Evidence for the spiral nature of DNA came from ________.

A) X-ray crystallography studies
B) studies of disease-causing bacteria
C) base rule studies
D) bacteriophage studies

Question 11

Which of the following enzymes is responsible for RNA synthesis?

A) DNA polymerase
B) ribosome
C) reverse transcriptase
D) RNA polymerase

Question 12

What type of chemical bond joins the bases of complementary DNA strands?

A) ionic
B) covalent
C) hydrophilic
D) hydrogen

Question 13

How many nucleotides make up a codon?

A) two
B) three
C) four
D) five

Question 14

The region of DNA where RNA synthesis begins is the ________.

A) start codon
B) promoter
C) stop codon
D) terminator

Question 15

The shared genetic code of all life on Earth is evidence that ________.

A) the genetic code arose relatively late in the history of life on Earth
B) DNA replication is error-free
C) all life shares a common ancestry
D) bacterial cells arose earlier than eukaryotic cells

Question 16

If a strand of DNA has the sequence AAGCTC,transcription will result in a(n)________.

A) single RNA strand with the sequence TTCGAG
B) DNA double helix with the sequence AAGCTC for one strand and TTCGAG for the complementary strand
C) single RNA strand with the sequence UUCGAG
D) RNA double helix with the sequence UUCGAG for one strand and AAGCUC for the complimentary strand

Question 17

How many amino acids are common to all living systems?

A) 10
B) 20
C) 30
D) 100

Question 18

In a DNA double helix,adenine pairs with ________ and guanine pairs with ________.

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

Question 19

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 consists of two new strands
D) one new DNA double helix consists of two old strands and the other new DNA double helix consists of two new strands

Question 20

If one strand of a DNA double helix has the sequence GTCCAT,what is the sequence of the other strand?

A) ACTTGC
B) TGAACG
C) CAGGTA
D) CAGGUA

Question 21

Scientific research companies sell kits that allow researchers to produce proteins in test tubes via a process known as "in vitro translation." Which one of following components is NOT needed in these kits?

A) amino acids
B) transfer RNA
C) DNA
D) ribosomes

Question 22

HIV (human immunodeficiency virus)must use its own ________ to reproduce.

A) DNA polymerase
B) reverse transcriptase
C) RNA polymerase
D) tRNA

Question 23

During translation,what is the CORRECT order of events that occur as an amino acid is added?

A) codon recognition, peptide bond formation, translocation
B) translocation, codon recognition, termination
C) initiation, codon recognition, termination
D) peptide bond formation, translocation, codon recognition

Question 24

What protects mRNA from attack by cellular enzymes?

A) RNA splicing
B) the removal of exons
C) the lack of RNA-digesting enzymes in the cytoplasm
D) a cap and tail

Question 25

Translation converts the information stored in ________ to ________.

A) DNA... RNA
B) RNA... a polypeptide
C) DNA... a polypeptide
D) RNA... DNA

Question 26

The DNA codon AGT codes for an amino acid carried by a tRNA with the anticodon ________.

A) TCU
B) AGU
C) TCA
D) AGT

Question 27

What is the smallest number of nucleotides that must be added or subtracted to change the triplet grouping of the genetic message?

A) one
B) two
C) three
D) four

Question 28

A(n)________ is to bacteria as a ________ is to animal cells.

A) retrovirus... virus
B) phage... prophage
C) prophage... provirus
D) RNA virus... DNA virus

Question 29

The expressed (coding)regions of eukaryotic genes are called ________.

A) caps
B) promoters
C) exons
D) introns

Question 30

Peptide bonds form between ________.

A) amino acids
B) an mRNA codon and a tRNA anticodon
C) a tRNA and the amino acid it is carrying
D) an mRNA transcript and the small ribosomal subunit

Question 31

As an experiment,you infect bacteria with an unknown virus to see how the bacteriophage affects the bacteria.After a few days,you notice that the bacterial population is growing normally and that the cells appear healthy.Assuming that the infection occurred,what can you conclude from your observations?

A) The virus is a bacteriophage that is reproducing the lytic cycle.
B) The virus is a retrovirus that is reproducing the lytic cycle.
C) The virus is a bacteriophage that is reproducing the lysogenic cycle.
D) The virus is a retrovirus that is reproducing the lysogenic cycle.

Question 32

Plant viruses ________.

A) often use RNA, rather than DNA, as their genetic material
B) benefit plants, rather than causing disease
C) cause diseases that can be easily cured
D) do not exist, as viruses attack only animals

Question 33

The absence of a terminator in transcription will result in ________.

A) the creation of a virus
B) a strand of mRNA that lacks its cap and tail
C) the production of a longer RNA molecule
D) the production of a shorter RNA molecule

Question 34

How can bacteriophage DNA be spread from cell to cell without causing cell death?

A) by altering the way a cell splices its RNA
B) via a lytic cycle
C) via a lysogenic cycle
D) by changing the length of its DNA molecules

Question 35

What is the ultimate source of all diversity?

A) natural selection
B) sexual recombination
C) meiosis
D) mutation

Question 36

The CORRECT sequence of events occurring during transcription is ________.

A) splicing, capping, tailing
B) initiation, elongation, termination
C) tailing, capping, splicing
D) elongation, initiation, termination

Question 37

Where is translation accomplished?

A) lysosomes
B) smooth endoplasmic reticulum
C) ribosomes
D) nucleoli

Question 38

Mad cow disease is caused by

A) a retrovirus similar to HIV.
B) an enveloped virus.
C) small circular RNA molecules called viroids.
D) infectious proteins called prions.

Question 39

A mutation within a gene that will insert a premature stop codon in mRNA would ________.

A) result in a longer polypeptide chain
B) result in a shortened polypeptide chain
C) change the location at which transcription of the next gene begins
D) have the same effect as deleting a single nucleotide in the gene

Question 40

The RNA that is translated into a polypeptide is ________ RNA.

A) viral
B) ribosomal
C) transfer
D) messenger

Question 41

An mRNA is expressed that begins with the sequence AUGCCAGGCGUC.Using the genetic code below,determine what peptide will be translated from this mRNA.

A) Met - Pro - Gly - Val
B) Met - Gly - Pro - Val
C) Pro - Met - Val - Gly
D) Val - Gly - Pro - Met

Question 42

Scenario Questions
Please read the following scenario to answer the following questions
If you were asked to study the pattern of bacterial growth (increase in numbers over time) during an infection, you would find that numbers of bacteria increase exponentially up to a certain point. Assume that you have been asked to interpret the growth of bacteriophages. You infect the host bacteria and measure the increase of phages over a defined period of time. You plot the results and get the graph shown here.

At what point on the graph are the viruses increasing in number the fastest?

A) A
B) B
C) C
D) D

Question 43

Please read the following scenario to answer the following questions.
While working with cultured mouse cells, a researcher unknowingly treated the cells with a mutagen that causes the deletion or insertion of individual nucleotides in DNA. Subsequently, the researcher isolated and cultured a single cell from this group and noticed that the progeny of this cell were not producing a certain protein and that this affected their survival.
The mutation that resulted from the accident was probably ________.

A) an amino acid substitution
B) one that changed the triplet grouping of the genetic message
C) an error in translation
D) a loss in regulation of gene expression

Question 44

Please read the following scenario to answer the following questions.
While working with cultured mouse cells, a researcher unknowingly treated the cells with a mutagen that causes the deletion or insertion of individual nucleotides in DNA. Subsequently, the researcher isolated and cultured a single cell from this group and noticed that the progeny of this cell were not producing a certain protein and that this affected their survival.
The mutation would be most harmful to the cells if it resulted in ________.

A) a single nucleotide insertion near the start of the coding sequence
B) a single nucleotide deletion near the end of the coding sequence
C) a single nucleotide in the middle of an intron
D) deletion of a triplet near the middle of the gene

Question 45

The figure below shows the flow of genetic information in a eukaryotic cell.The transfer of information from DNA into an RNA molecule is known as ________.

A) DNA replication
B) transcription
C) polypeptide
D) translation

Question 46

Scenario Questions
Please read the following scenario to answer the following questions
If you were asked to study the pattern of bacterial growth (increase in numbers over time) during an infection, you would find that numbers of bacteria increase exponentially up to a certain point. Assume that you have been asked to interpret the growth of bacteriophages. You infect the host bacteria and measure the increase of phages over a defined period of time. You plot the results and get the graph shown here.

Assume that you want to take a sample of viruses so that you could use them to infect the most bacteria.At what point on the graph should you take your sample from if you want to achieve this goal?

A) A
B) B
C) C
D) D

Question 47

Scenario Questions
Please read the following scenario to answer the following questions
If you were asked to study the pattern of bacterial growth (increase in numbers over time) during an infection, you would find that numbers of bacteria increase exponentially up to a certain point. Assume that you have been asked to interpret the growth of bacteriophages. You infect the host bacteria and measure the increase of phages over a defined period of time. You plot the results and get the graph shown here.

The first thing you notice is that there is no immediate increase in viruses following infection.This is because ________.

A) it takes the virus time to adapt to the host
B) although the virus has infected the host, it takes time to complete the lytic cycle
C) the host is immune to the virus
D) the virus is in a lysogenic cycle throughout the experiment

Question 48

Scenario Questions
Please read the following scenario to answer the following questions
If you were asked to study the pattern of bacterial growth (increase in numbers over time) during an infection, you would find that numbers of bacteria increase exponentially up to a certain point. Assume that you have been asked to interpret the growth of bacteriophages. You infect the host bacteria and measure the increase of phages over a defined period of time. You plot the results and get the graph shown here.

Once viruses are detected,the number of viruses increases rapidly.This is because ________.

A) lysogeny produces large numbers of bacteriophages
B) DNA viruses reproduce more rapidly than RNA viruses
C) the host cell speeds the release process
D) the viruses lyse the hosts to release mature viruses quickly in a short amount of time

Question 49

Which of the following would NOT likely develop as an emerging virus?

A) a virus harmful to humans that changes very slowly over time
B) A virus that is normally harmless to humans undergoes rapid mutations.
C) a virus that begins to infect people in New York City, a popular tourist destination
D) a virus that affects primarily rabbits mutates and infects humans

Question 50

Please read the following scenario to answer the following questions.
While working with cultured mouse cells, a researcher unknowingly treated the cells with a mutagen that causes the deletion or insertion of individual nucleotides in DNA. Subsequently, the researcher isolated and cultured a single cell from this group and noticed that the progeny of this cell were not producing a certain protein and that this affected their survival.
The researcher isolated a different single cell and determined that it was producing a certain protein.However,the protein was much shorter than it should have been.What kind of mutation likely occurred in this protein?

A) one that introduced a silent mutation
B) one that substituted amino acids
C) one that introduced a premature stop codon
D) one that deleted an entire amino acid

Question 51

Consider the following figure.It illustrates that a single amino acid substitution in the hemoglobin gene ________.

A) always involves adenine and uracil
B) may alter a protein so that it no longer functions properly
C) is a silent mutation
D) causes a nonsense mutation

Question 52

Flu vaccines have been demonstrated to protect the elderly,as shown in the figure below.Assume there is a sample of 100 elderly people that normally would be hospitalized in winter.How many of them would you predict would still be hospitalized in the winter if all 100 of them received the flu vaccine?

A) 27
B) 48
C) 52
D) 73

Question 53

Examine the genetic code table shown below.The codon AGC codes for the amino acid ________.

A) serine
B) arginine
C) threonine
D) alanine