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Genes Practice Questions
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1 Explain why it is necessary to be able to replicate DNA in order to sustain life.
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2 What is the appropriate scientific term used to describe ‘a series of bases that code for a protein?’
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3 If a strand of DNA is found to contain 250 adenine bases, how many thymine bases does it have?
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4 Suppose you are analyzing a strand of DNA that contains 400 cytosines. If the strand contains a total of 1,000 bases, how many adenines does it contain? Why do you know this to be true?
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5 Why are the two strands of a molecule of DNA referred to as ‘complementary?’
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6 What is a ‘template’ strand in terms of DNA replication?
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7 What is the physical difference between a 5’ end and 3’ end of a DNA molecule?
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SLIDE 4 8 DNA strands are considered to be antiparallel. How would the molecule appear differently if they were ‘parallel’ instead?
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9 Why are new DNA strands only created in a 5’(3’ direction?
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10 A landmark study in DNA replication research by Meselson and Stahl involved growing bacteria including an isotope of nitrogen 15N and then placing these bacteria in a medium containing
- nly 14N. According to the known method of DNA
replication, what do you predict the ratio of the two isotopes would be in DNA from the first round
Homework
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SLIDE 5 11 In what way is DNA polymerase similar to a waiter
- r waitress in a restaurant?
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12 DNA polymerase (specifically Taq polymerase) has to
be added to the mixture when DNA is placed in a PCR
- machine. Explain the importance of adding the
polymerase.
Students type their answers here
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13 A forensic technician has placed a single strand of DNA into a PCR machine, along with appropriate polymerases and primers. How many DNA molecules will be present after 20 cycles?
Students type their answers here
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14 Suppose you are a doctor studying a disease that destroys DNA polymerase enzymes in the cell. What impact do you predict this will have on the reproductive ability of the affected cells?
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15 Why do we often describe a DNA molecule as an ‘archive’ of information?
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16 Can you accurately predict the number of cytosine bases found in a DNA strand if provided with only the number of thymine bases in that strand?
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SLIDE 7 17 Match the single strand of DNA below with its complementary strand: TACGGCATC
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18 Supposed you are analyzing a strand of DNA that contains 375 thymines. If the strand has 900 bases, how many guanines does it have?
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19 In a newly replicated molecule of DNA, how much
- f the molecule has just been synthesized, and
how much was pre-existing?
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20 What end of the DNA strand has a phosphate group attached? The 5’, or the 3’?
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21 The area of a DNA molecule where the replication process takes place is often referred to as a ‘replication fork.’ Explain why you think this term is used to describe this location.
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22 Explain what the term ‘antiparallel’ means in terms of DNA replication.
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SLIDE 9 23 Does DNA polymerase use the template strand or the daughter strand to complete the replication process? Explain.
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24 A forensic technician has placed a single strand of DNA into a PCR machine, along with appropriate polymerases and primers. How many DNA molecules will be present after 50 cycles?
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25 Temperature is very important in the PCR process. Explain.
Students type their answers here
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26 How does the sequence of nitrogenous bases affect the appearance of a molecule of RNA?
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27 Why is the process of transcription essential to the utilization of DNA?
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28 What role does the promoter region of a DNA sequence play in the transcription process?
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SLIDE 11 29 Does RNA polymerase bind to the template strand
- r non-template strand of DNA? Explain why this
makes sense for creating RNA that contains the needed information contained in the DNA molecule.
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30 Match the strand of DNA below with its appropriate mRNA sequence. TACGGTCATTGA
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31 Considering the 5’ and 3’ ends, in which direction is a molecule of RNA synthesized?
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32 Why are both the non-template DNA strand and mRNA both 5’(3’ in orientation?
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33 Which nitrogen base is involved in transcription but not DNA replication? Why is this the case? Homework
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34 How does the sequence of bases impact the physical structure of RNA differently than DNA?
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35 What enzyme conducts the process of transcription in cells?
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36 What does the ‘m’ in mRNA represent? Why did scientists designate it with this name?
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37 Match the strand of DNA below with its appropriate mRNA sequence. TACTGGTTCAGC
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38 Compare the promoter and termination sequences of DNA to a traffic light.
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39 Does the process of DNA replication involved uracil? Why or why not?
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40 How does a strand of mRNA compare to the non- template strand of DNA from which it was created? Gene Expression Overview Classwork
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41 How many nitrogen bases compose a single codon?
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42 What is the relationship between codons and proteins?
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43 Create a flow chart using words and arrows to show the entire process of gene expression. (You should use 5 words)
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44 What three letters will begin all mRNA sequences that code for proteins? Explain your answer.
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45 What is the ‘central dogma’ of biology? Explain why this saying is used to describe the biological concept.
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46 If you were to sequence the DNA of a housefly, what bases would you find in its genome?
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SLIDE 17 47 Why are DNA, RNA and their codons referred to as the universal code of life?
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48 What does the comprehensive gene expression process throughout living organisms suggest about the origins of life?
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49 Sometimes the term ‘protein synthesis’ is used to describe gene expression. Explain the relevance
- f this term to this process.
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50 The fact that a single amino acid may be coded for by multiple codons may help to diminish the negative effects of a DNA mutation. Explain why this may be true.
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51 How are the termination steps of transcription and translation different?
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52 What amino acid is specified by the codon AUG?
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53 What amino acid is specified by the codon UCG? Homework
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54 In what way are codons similar to airport codes? (ex. PHL = Philadelphia)
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55 What amino acid will you find in the beginning of all sequences that create proteins?
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56 What DNA and RNA bases would you find in the DNA of a blue whale?
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57 How many codons, when expressed, will stop the translation process?
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58 Explain why the term ‘gene expression’ is utilized when describing the process of generating protein from DNA.
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SLIDE 21 59 How could a change in the DNA sequence of a gene have an impact on the translation process?
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60 Suppose an error occurs in the translation phase
- f gene expression. Will this error affect the DNA
sequence of the gene? Why or why not?
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61 In which step (initiation, elongation, termination) are new amino acids added during translation?
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SLIDE 22 62 How are the codons that specify a protein similar to the words that make up a sentence? What would happen if you were to change the sequence
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63 What amino acid is specified by the codon UCA?
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64 What occurs in the translation process when the codon UGA is reached? Translation Classwork
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65 Why is the term ‘translation’ appropriate for the last step of gene expression?
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66 What is the role of rRNA in the process of protein synthesis?
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67 What does the ‘t’ in tRNA represent? Why is this an appropriate name when considering the role of this molecule in the translation process?
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68 What part of a tRNA molecule specifies the amino acid to which it will bind?
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69 How does the codon sequence of mRNA specify which tRNA molecules will bind to the mRNA?
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70 If an mRNA codon reads UGC, what is the anticodon on the tRNA molecule with which it will bind? What amino acid will this tRNA molecule carry?
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71 What is the anticodon on the first tRNA molecule that will begin every translation process? How can you predict this accurately?
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72 In what way is a tRNA molecule that has taken part in translation different before and after the process?
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73 Why it is important for the efficient production of proteins that the cell has many tRNA molecules available?
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74 What is the role of the ‘P’ site in translation?
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75 What will occur in the ribosome when the codon UAG is reached on the mRNA?
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76 Describe the relationship between genes and proteins.
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77 Below is a template strand of a gene that codes for a protein. Provide the related mRNA, tRNA and amino acid sequences. TACGGTCTACCGACT
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78 Define the term mutation and give an example of a substitution mutation and an example of a frameshift mutation in a DNA strand.
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79 What is the final product of a strand of DNA that has undergone a mutation? Homework
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80 Where does the process of translation occur in the cell?
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81 What is the role of tRNA in the process of translation?
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82 If an mRNA codon reads CCU, what will its complementary anticodon be? Which amino acid will the tRNA carry?
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SLIDE 29 83 If there are only 20 amino acids used in the process of translation, explain the existence of thousands of different types of proteins in living
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84 What is the relationship between codons and anticodons in the translation process?
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85 In what way is the ‘A’ site on the ribosome similar to a loading dock at a warehouse?
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SLIDE 30 86 How does the ribosome link individual amino acids together during the process of translation?
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87 Compare the process of translation to the process
- f writing a sentence. What does each letter
represent? What does the completed sentence represent? What would happen if the words or letters were in the incorrect order?
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88 Explain how the termination segment of translation occurs.
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89 What is the final product of the translation process?
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90 How is ‘translation’ in terms of biology similar to ‘translation’ in terms of linguistics?
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91 Below is a template strand of a gene that codes for a protein. Provide the related mRNA, tRNA and amino acid sequences. TACCGCTTAGTCATT
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92 Discuss how a mutation in DNA can affect the function of a resultant protein.
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93 Discuss how a mutation affects the processes associated to the Central Dogma.
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