Deck 2: Genetics, Genomics, and Epigenomics

Question 1

The community health nurse is planning a program for a local health fair on genetics and health, using Healthy People 2020 goals. Which concepts should guide the nurse's planning for the program?

A) People should know their family health history.
B) All people should have genetic testing done.
C) Genetic testing determines what diseases a person will develop.
D) All diseases have a genetic basis.

Answer 1

People should know their family health history.

Question 2

Which statement would be most appropriate for the nurse to make to a patient newly diagnosed with colorectal cancer?

A) "There is no need for genetic testing as you have already been diagnosed with colorectal cancer."
B) "With genetic testing, family members will not need colonoscopies."
C) "Genetic testing will help identify familial colorectal cancer syndromes."
D) "Family members will be able to determine if they will get colon cancer."

Answer 2

"Genetic testing will help identify familial colorectal cancer syndromes."

Question 3

Which concept does the nurse use when explaining the inheritance of genetic disorders to a couple beginning to think about starting a family?

A) Humans have 46 pairs of chromosomes.
B) Egg and sperm cells each have 23 pairs of chromosomes.
C) Males have two X chromosomes.
D) A person inherits one chromosome from a chromosome pair from each parent.

Answer 3

A person inherits one chromosome from a chromosome pair from each parent.

Question 4

The nurse involved in genomics engages in which of the following activities?

A) Studying the entire genome.
B) Studying individual genes.
C) Studying mutations.
D) Studying chemicals that instruct the genome.

Question 5

While taking a family history and drawing a genetic pedigree, the nurse explains to the patient that:

A) individuals in the same generation are arranged vertically.
B) offspring are in the row below the parents.
C) individuals who have had children together are connected by a vertical line.
D) circles represent males.

Question 6

The nurse is answering nursing students' questions about the process of meiosis and mitosis. Which statement by a student should the nurse correct?

A) "In mitosis, cells divide to form an identical cell."
B) "Gonadal cells contain 23 chromosomes."
C) "Sperm and egg cells are diploid cells."
D) "Haploid cells have 23 chromosomes."

Question 7

The nurse explains to the parents of a child with Prader-Willi syndrome that this disease is caused by:

A) genetic imprinting.
B) mosaicism.
C) single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP).
D) missense mutation.

Question 8

Which statement indicates that a pregnant woman requires more teaching about prenatal screening?

A) "Screening tests assess a woman's risk of having a baby with chromosome problems."
B) "Amniocentesis obtains fetal cells to assess chromosome number and structure."
C) "Chorionic villus sampling can diagnose chromosome problems."
D) "Screening tests can diagnose all chromosome abnormalities."

Question 9

Which manifestation would the nurse expect to find in a child with Down syndrome?

A) Downward slanting eyes with an epicanthal fold.
B) A prominent brow and nose
C) Wide, short hands and fingers
D) Increased muscle tone and lack of flexibility

Question 10

When providing genetic counseling, the nurse explains that the observable clinical expression of genetic coding is called:

A) phenotype.
B) genotype.
C) variable expressivity.
D) reduced penetrance.

Question 11

Which statement indicates that an individual with an autosomal recessive disorder understands its pattern of inheritance?

A) A carrier will not express the trait.
B) The trait will be expressed with one copy of the gene.
C) The affected gene is on the sex chromosome.
D) More females are affected than males

Question 12

The nurse explains to parents that if both of them are carriers of an autosomal recessive genetic mutation, the chance of each child inheriting the disease is:

A) 0%.
B) 25%.
C) 50%.
D) 100%.

Question 13

How should the nurse respond when the parents of a child with cystic fibrosis ask how their male child inherited this autosomal recessive disorder when neither parent has the disease?

A) "Two carriers may pass on the mutation to their child."
B) "The disease often skips a generation."
C) "The gene for this disorder is on the Y chromosome."
D) "Are you sure there is no history of cystic fibrosis in either family?"

Question 14

When counseling parents about genetic transmission of an X-linked disorder, which concept does the nurse keep in mind?

A) A male can pass an X-linked mutation to a son or a daughter.
B) A female can only pass an X-liked disorder to a son.
C) A male with a mutation in an X-linked gene will manifest the disease.
D) An X-linked disorder can be traced through the paternal lineage.

Question 15

Which statement by a patient indicates an understanding of why phenotypic variations in disease occur?

A) "Disease presentation is the same in all people with the same genetic mutations."
B) "Disease presentation only relies on lifestyle choices."
C) "Disease presentation is only due to environmental influences."
D) "Disease presentation usually depends on multiple genes, environment, and lifestyle."

Question 16

The plan of care for a woman newly diagnosed with a BRCA1 mutation should include which strategy?

A) Preoperative planning for immediate prophylactic double mastectomies
B) A recommendation for enhanced screening for breast and ovarian cancer
C) Reassurance that male offspring with BRCA1 do not develop breast cancer
D) Reassurance that the BRCA1 gene protects against ovarian cancer

Question 17

The nurse explains to a patient undergoing karyotyping that this test will:

A) examine nucleotide changes in a gene.
B) detect small deletions or structural abnormalities of the chromosomes and DNA.
C) examine the visual appearance of chromosome structure and number.
D) detect single gene mutations.

Question 18

The nurse explains to a patient with chronic myelogenous leukemia that the therapeutic action of Gleevec (Imatinib) is to:

A) bind directly DNA or RNA to block the aberrant cancer-causing gene product.
B) silence genes that are implicated in causing the growth of cancer causing cells.
C) selectively increase transcription levels of certain genes.
D) promote the replication of healthy genetic material.

Question 19

When teaching a genetics class to nursing students in a baccalaureate nursing program, the nurse educator explains that the International HapMap Project:

A) studies genomic elements to determine commonalities in the human genome.
B) explores the genetic basis for diseases around the world.
C) studies the human genome within a population.
D) analyzes genetic elements to determine what makes people different from one another.

Question 20

The nurse is explaining the inheritance of Huntington disease to a newly diagnosed patient whose partner does not have the gene mutation. Which statement should the nurse make regarding family planning?

A) There is a 0% chance with each pregnancy that the child will inherit the gene for Huntington disease.
B) There is a 25% chance with each pregnancy that the child will inherit the gene for Huntington disease.
C) There is a 50% chance with each pregnancy that the child will inherit the gene for Huntington disease.
D) There is a 100% chance with each pregnancy that the child will inherit the gene for Huntington disease.