Deck 3: Biological Foundations, Prenatal Development, and Birth

Question 1

The sex of a new organism is determined by

A) the genes on the X chromosome.
B) whether the ovum is carrying an X chromosome or a Y chromosome.
C) whether the sperm fertilizes an X-bearing or a Y-bearing ovum.
D) whether an X-bearing or a Y-bearing sperm fertilizes the ovum.

Answer 1

D

Question 2

Which of the following is an example of a dominant characteristic?

A) red hair
B) nearsightedness
C) curly hair
D) Type O blood

Answer 2

C

Question 3

Blond hair can result only from having

A) two dominant alleles.
B) two recessive alleles.
C) a dominant dark hair allele and a recessive blond hair allele.
D) a dominant blond hair allele and a recessive dark hair allele.

Answer 3

B

Question 4

In __________, __________ is/are produced when meiosis is complete.

A) males; one sperm
B) females; four eggs
C) males; four sperm
D) females; 1 to 2 million eggs

Question 5

Dizygotic twins __________ monozygotic twins.

A) are more common than
B) are more genetically similar than
C) are as genetically similar as
D) look more alike than

Question 6

Fraternal twinning

A) occurs more often in Asian than Caucasian births.
B) occurs more often among women whose mothers and sisters gave birth to fraternal twins.
C) occurs less often among women who are overweight than among those with a slight body build.
D) is less likely with each additional birth.

Question 7

Which of the following statements is true about genotypes?

A) They are directly observable characteristics.
B) They always pair up in the same way across the DNA ladder rungs.
C) They are rodlike structures in the cell nucleus that transmit genetic information.
D) They are a complex blend of genetic information that influences all our unique characteristics.

Question 8

Each person is made up of trillions of __________ and 23 __________.

A) genes; billion cells
B) cells; matching pairs of chromosomes
C) matching pairs of chromosomes; genes
D) cells; chromosomes

Question 9

If the alleles from both parents are alike,

A) the child is heterozygous.
B) the child will not display the inherited trait.
C) dominant-recessive inheritance occurs.
D) the child is homozygous.

Question 10

Brothers, Patrick and Michael, do not look very much alike. Patrick has green eyes and blond, curly hair like his mother. Michael has blue eyes and dark brown, straight hair like his father. These directly observable characteristics are

A) phenotypes.
B) genotypes.
C) chromosomes.
D) DNA.

Question 11

Fred and George are identical twins. Ashton and Michael are fraternal twins. Which of the following statements is true?

A) Ashton and Michael have the same genetic makeup.
B) Fred and George have the same genetic makeup.
C) Ashton and Michael are more genetically similar than Fred and George.
D) Fred and George are genetically no more alike than ordinary siblings.

Question 12

A zygote that separates into two clusters of cells produces

A) a child with Down syndrome.
B) fraternal twins.
C) identical twins.
D) a child with triple X syndrome.

Question 13

Individuals around the world are about _____ percent genetically identical.

A) 10
B) 33.3
C) 55
D) 99.1

Question 14

Deoxyribonucleic acid, or DNA,

A) is a rodlike structure that stores and transmits genetic information.
B) comes in 23 matching pairs.
C) looks like a twisted ladder.
D) cannot duplicate itself.

Question 15

__________ are sex cells that contain __________ chromosomes each.

A) Gametes; 23
B) Gametes; 23 pairs of
C) Zygotes; 46
D) Autosomes; 23 pairs of

Question 16

__________ matching pair(s) of chromosomes is/are called autosomes.

A) One
B) Two
C) Four
D) Twenty-two

Question 17

__________ are the biological foundation on which our characteristics are built.

A) Phenotypes
B) Chromosomes
C) Proteins
D) Genes

Question 18

During mitosis,

A) a single cell develops into a complex, many-celled human being.
B) new body cells are created, each with its own unique DNA.
C) the number of chromosomes normally present in body cells is halved.
D) crossing over occurs.

Question 19

Fraternal twins account for 1 in every _____ births in the United States.

A) 60
B) 100
C) 330
D) 500

Question 20

Gametes are

A) the result of the uniting of the sperm and the ovum at fertilization.
B) formed through a cell division process called meiosis.
C) created with twice the usual number of chromosomes.
D) formed through a cell division process called mitosis.

Question 21

Victoria carries the abnormal allele for hemophilia. Which of the following children is most likely to inherit the disorder?

A) her oldest daughter, Maryanne
B) her second daughter, Alice
C) her oldest son, Albert
D) her youngest daughter, Beatrice

Question 22

Harley was born with Klinefelter syndrome. Which of the following statements is true?

A) Harley is missing an X chromosome.
B) Harley has an extra Y chromosome.
C) Harley will probably need hormone therapy at puberty to stimulate development of sex characteristics.
D) Harley will probably need special education to treat spatial ability problems.

Question 23

Individuals who know that genetic problems exist in their families are good candidates for __________ before deciding to conceive.

A) gene therapy
B) chorionic villus sampling
C) genetic counseling
D) amniocentesis

Question 24

Characteristics that vary on a continuum among people, such as height, weight, intelligence, and personality, are due to

A) dominant-recessive relationships.
B) polygenic inheritance.
C) incomplete dominance.
D) genomic imprinting.

Question 25

Down syndrome is most commonly caused by

A) advanced maternal or paternal age.
B) an error that occurs in the early stages of mitosis, called mosaic pattern.
C) mutation of the genetic material on the twenty-third chromosome pair.
D) failure of the twenty-first pair of chromosomes to separate during meiosis.

Question 26

__________ is an example of incomplete dominance.

A) Sickle cell anemia
B) Cooley's anemia
C) Marfan syndrome
D) PKU

Question 27

One of the most frequently occurring recessive disorder is

A) phenylketonuria (PKU).
B) Down syndrome.
C) cystic fibrosis.
D) Tay-Sachs disease.

Question 28

The risk of bearing a baby with Down syndrome rises dramatically with

A) paternal age.
B) maternal age.
C) maternal smoking.
D) paternal radiation exposure.

Question 29

__________ reveals that genomic imprinting can operate on the sex chromosomes.

A) Cooley's anemia
B) Marfan syndrome
C) Homosexuality
D) Fragile X syndrome

Question 30

Which of the following is an example of a recessive characteristic?

A) facial dimples
B) pattern baldness
C) farsightedness
D) double-jointedness

Question 31

All U.S. states require that each newborn be given a blood test for

A) Tay-Sachs disease.
B) hemophilia.
C) PKU.
D) cystic fibrosis.

Question 32

On the job, Mr. Williams was exposed to high doses of radiation. Because of this exposure, when planning their family, the Williams' should be concerned about

A) germline mutation.
B) somatic mutation.
C) polygenic inheritance.
D) chromosomal abnormalities.

Question 33

The fact that children are more likely to develop diabetes if their father, rather than their mother, suffers from it is best explained by

A) genomic imprinting.
B) genetic mutation.
C) X-linked inheritance.
D) polygenic inheritance.

Question 34

In __________, a hollow needle is inserted through the abdominal wall to obtain a sample of fluid in the uterus during the 14th week after conception or later.

A) fetoscopy
B) amniocentesis
C) ultrafast MRI
D) preimplantation genetic diagnosis

Question 35

One example of a dominant disorder is

A) sickle cell anemia.
B) diabetes insipidus.
C) Duchenne muscular dystrophy.
D) Huntington disease.

Question 36

Which of the following statements is true about individuals with sex chromosome disorders?

A) Males with XYY syndrome are more aggressive and antisocial than XY males.
B) Verbal difficulties are common among girls with triple X syndrome.
C) Most children with sex chromosome disorders suffer from mental retardation.
D) Girls with Turner syndrome have trouble with reading and vocabulary.

Question 37

Which of the following statements is true about individuals with Down syndrome?

A) Most die before the age of 40 and have eye cataracts and hearing loss.
B) Many have enlarged brains, especially in the cerebral cortex region.
C) More than half who live past age 40 show symptoms of Alzheimer's disease.
D) Affected individuals have few common physical features.

Question 38

Amelia was born to parents of Mediterranean descent. In infancy, Amelia appeared pale, had slowed physical growth, and was lethargic. Amelia's parents should have her tested for

A) Cooley's anemia.
B) Huntington disease.
C) Marfan syndrome.
D) Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

Question 39

Women of advanced maternal age are primary candidates for

A) fetoscopy.
B) ultrafast MRI.
C) preimplantation genetic diagnosis.
D) chorionic villus sampling.

Question 40

Which of the following statements is true about sex differences?

A) More girls than boys are born with birth defects.
B) More boys than girls are born mentally retarded.
C) More girls than boys have learning disabilities.
D) Fewer boys than girls die in infancy and childhood.

Question 41

During the period of the zygote, the __________ becomes the new organism, and the __________ becomes the structures that provide protective covering and nourishment.

A) embryonic disk; trophoblast
B) trophoblast; amnion
C) yolk sac; chorion
D) embryonic disc; villi

Question 42

Between the seventh and ninth days, during the period of the zygote,

A) the one-celled zygote multiplies and forms a blastocyst.
B) fertilization occurs.
C) the face forms.
D) implantation occurs.

Question 43

Usually, __________ is used to treat women whose fallopian tubes are permanently damaged.

A) in vitro fertilization
B) donor insemination
C) surrogacy
D) chorionic villus sampling

Question 44

Sperm live for up to _____ days and can lie in wait for the ovum, which survives for _____ day(s).

A) 2; 1
B) 4; 2
C) 6; 1
D) 8; 2

Question 45

Which of the following statements is true about donor insemination and in vitro fertilization?

A) In vitro infants are less securely attached to their parents than naturally conceived infants.
B) Sperm donors are always screened for genetic or sexually transmitted diseases.
C) In vitro babies are at no greater risk for birth defects than naturally conceived infants.
D) There is a higher rate of low birth weight among in vitro babies than naturally conceived infants.

Question 46

Using __________, researchers hope to correct genetic abnormalities by delivering DNA carrying a functional gene to the cells.

A) gene therapy
B) proteomics
C) ultrafast MRI
D) ultrasound

Question 47

During the period of the embryo, the __________ becomes the nervous system, the __________ becomes the circulatory system, and the __________ becomes the digestive system.

A) ectoderm; mesoderm; endoderm
B) ectoderm; endoderm; mesoderm
C) mesoderm; ectoderm; endoderm
D) endoderm; ectoderm; mesoderm

Question 48

The __________ is the longest prenatal period.

A) period of the embryo
B) period of the zygote
C) period of the fetus
D) first trimester

Question 49

Donor insemination

A) is often used to overcome female reproductive difficulties.
B) is 70 to 80 percent successful.
C) is sharply restricted in 11 states and the District of Columbia.
D) results in multiple births about 50 percent of the time.

Question 50

Which of the following statements is true about the period of the zygote?

A) It lasts from implantation to the eighth week of pregnancy.
B) During this period, the primitive brain and spinal cord appear.
C) During this period, the blastocyst burrows into the uterine lining.
D) It spans the first and second trimester of pregnancy.

Question 51

The yolk sac

A) produces blood cells until the developing liver, spleen, and bone marrow are mature enough to take over this function.
B) forms a membrane that encloses the developing organism.
C) helps keep the temperature of the prenatal world constant.
D) provides a cushion against any jolts caused by the mother's movement.

Question 52

While the ovum is traveling, the __________ secrete(s) hormones that prepare the lining of the uterus to receive a fertilized ovum.

A) fallopian tubes
B) corpus luteum
C) cervix
D) blastocyst

Question 53

From the __________, tiny __________ emerge, which burrow into the uterine wall and start to develop the placenta.

A) amnion; veins
B) chorion; villi
C) trophoblast; hairs
D) embryonic disk; veins

Question 54

One concern about surrogate motherhood is that it

A) poses a greater risk than natural conception to infant survival and healthy development.
B) may promote exploitation of financially needy women.
C) is a dangerous step toward selective breeding.
D) is too heavily regulated.

Question 55

At first, the __________ system develops the fastest.

A) circulatory
B) digestive
C) nervous
D) endocrine

Question 56

The umbilical cord

A) contains two veins.
B) provides the fetus a cushion against jolts caused by the mother's movements.
C) grows to a length of 1 to 3 feet.
D) develops during the period of the fetus.

Question 57

Yardley is pregnant with her first child. When should she expect to feel its movements?

A) between 8 and 11 weeks
B) between 12 and 15 weeks
C) between 17 and 20 weeks
D) between 21 and 24 weeks

Question 58

At the end of the period of the embryo, the developing organism

A) establishes a regular sleep-wake cycle.
B) makes flutters that can be felt by the mother.
C) is about 3 inches long and weighs an ounce.
D) responds to touch.

Question 59

The period of the embryo

A) lasts for about two weeks.
B) is the period of the most rapid prenatal changes.
C) begins during the second trimester of pregnancy.
D) is the period when the developing organism is the least vulnerable.

Question 60

The male produces an average of __________ sperm each day.

A) 300
B) 300,000
C) 3 million
D) 300 million

Question 61

Prenatal tobacco exposure is linked to

A) a predisposition to nicotine addiction during adolescence.
B) impaired heart rate and breathing during sleep, infant death, and asthma.
C) deformed facial features and poor vision.
D) delayed language development and poor fine-motor skills.

Question 62

Prenatal __________ exposure from maternal seafood diets predicts deficits in speed of cognitive processing and motor, attention, and verbal test performance during the school years.

A) lead
B) mercury
C) polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB)
D) DES

Question 63

Betty was born with deformities of the arms and legs, as well as damage to her heart and kidneys. She scores below average in intelligence. Based on the damage to the developing organism, you could conclude that Betty's mother took __________ while pregnant.

A) diethylstilbestrol (DES)
B) Accutane
C) aspirin
D) thalidomide

Question 64

In Taiwan, prenatal exposure to very high levels of __________ resulted in low birth weight, discolored skin, and deformities of the gums and nails.

A) lead in paint chips
B) zinc in fish
C) radiation
D) PCBs in rice oil

Question 65

Even tiny amounts of __________ in the paternal bloodstream cause a dramatic change in the sex ratio of offspring.

A) lead
B) dioxin
C) mercury
D) PCBs

Question 66

Which of the following statements is true about teratogens?

A) Aspirin cannot penetrate the placental barrier.
B) Having two cups of coffee per day cannot increase the risk of miscarriage.
C) Ingesting in excess of 100 milligrams of caffeine per day increases the risk of low birth weight.
D) Antidepressant medication use is not linked to any long-term birth complications.

Question 67

Which of the following statements is true about teratogens?

A) Harm done by them is usually simple and straightforward.
B) Larger doses over longer time periods usually have more negative effects.
C) They are not influenced by heredity.
D) The presence of several negative factors at once can lessen the impact of a single harmful agent.

Question 68

During the period of the fetus,

A) neurons are first produced.
B) the organism remains awake about 6 hours a day.
C) brain weight increases tenfold.
D) teratogenic damage is the most severe.

Question 69

Currently, the most widely used potent teratogen is

A) DES.
B) Accutane.
C) aspirin.
D) thalidomide.

Question 70

Hillary is seven months pregnant. She has not yet stopped smoking. If she stops now, she can immediately reduce the risk that her infant will

A) smoke in the future.
B) be born with physical defects.
C) be born underweight.
D) have a flattened philtrum.

Question 71

The effects of teratogens

A) are limited to immediate physical damage.
B) show up at birth.
C) may occur indirectly.
D) are no longer a serious concern.

Question 72

The most frequent prenatal infection is

A) herpes simplex 2.
B) syphilis.
C) cytomegalovirus.
D) chlamydia.

Question 73

In the final three months of pregnancy, the fetus

A) is especially vulnerable to teratogens.
B) gains less than 3 pounds.
C) grows 7 inches.
D) reduces its body fat to help with temperature regulation.

Question 74

Higher fetal activity in the last weeks of pregnancy

A) predicts a more active infant in the first month of life.
B) predicts a more fearful 2-year-old.
C) can indicate a premature delivery.
D) predicts a more easily frustrated toddler.

Question 75

Although smoking has declined in Western nations, an estimated _____ percent of U.S. women smoke during their pregnancies.

A) 8
B) 11
C) 14
D) 17

Question 76

Sometime between 22 and 26 weeks,

A) vernix and lanugo begin to cover the skin.
B) a fetus has a chance of survival outside the womb.
C) synchrony between the fetal heart rate and motor activity peaks.
D) the external genitals are formed.

Question 77

High rates of miscarriage, physical deformities, and slow physical growth have occurred in __________ due to __________.

A) Native American reservations; ARND
B) inner city neighborhoods; lead exposure
C) Minimata; mercury poisoning
D) Hiroshima, Nagasaki, and Chernobyl; radiation exposure

Question 78

Which of the following statements is true about teratogens during the fetal period?

A) Teratogenic damage is usually minor.
B) Teratogens cause irreversible brain damage.
C) Serious defects are most likely to occur from teratogens.
D) Teratogens rarely have any impact.

Question 79

It is difficult to assess the damage from illegal drug use during pregnancy because

A) the effects of the drugs wear off within days of delivery.
B) many users display other high-risk behaviors.
C) public interest in the area has diminished.
D) prenatally exposed babies rarely develop lasting problems.

Question 80

Reign's biological mother died of alcohol poisoning. Reign exhibits slow physical growth and has short eyelid openings, a thin upper lip, and a flattened philtrum. Reign probably has

A) fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS).
B) partial fetal alcohol syndrome (p-FAS).
C) alcohol-related neurodevelopmental disorder (ARND).
D) brain impairment in a maximum of two areas of functioning.