Question 1

Which scientist is MOST closely associated with the Green Revolution?

Accepted Answer

A) Norman Borlaug 
B) James Watson 
C) Gregor Mendel 
D) Walter Sutton 
E) Kary Mullis

Question 2

What common-sense observation makes the theory of preformationism unlikely?

Accepted Answer

The answer of What common-sense observation makes the theory of...

Question 3

Which of the following nitrogenous bases is found in RNA but not in DNA?

Accepted Answer

A) Guanine 
B) Cytosine 
C) Uracil 
D) Adenine 
E) Thymine

Question 4

Which of the following species is considered a model genetic organism?

Accepted Answer

A) The plant, Linaria vulgaris 
B) The deer mouse, Peromyscus maniculatus 
C) The worm, Caenorhabditis elegans 
D) The frog, Hyla chrysoscelis 
E) The chimpanzee, Pan troglodytes

Question 5

Evolution can be viewed as which of the following?

Accepted Answer

A) The transition from somatic cells to sex cells by mitosis is followed by mutations created in the DNA. 
B) A change in the environment of a group of plants is followed by the replacement of plants with DNA genomes by plants with RNA genomes. 
C) A competition for food resources occurs between two species occupying the same location 
D) There are several alleles for a single gene so that multiple phenotypes for a plant or animal is possible. 
E) Genetic variation arises, and some genetic variants increase in frequency while others decrease in frequency.

Question 6

Albinism is rare in most human populations, occurring at a frequency of about 1 in 20, 000 people.However, the trait occurs at a frequency of 1 in 200 in certain Hopi villages of Black Mesa in Arizona.Explain in terms of natural selection why albinism is so rare in most human populations.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Albinism is rare in most human populations,...

Question 7

A change in the frequencies of genetic variants within a population over time leads to:

Accepted Answer

A) a genome. 
B) a phenotype. 
C) a genotype. 
D) mutations. 
E) evolution.

Question 8

What common-sense observation makes the theory of acquired characteristics unlikely?

Accepted Answer

The answer of What common-sense observation makes the theory of...

Question 9

Which of the following theories of inheritance is currently considered TRUE?

Accepted Answer

A) Germ-plasm theory 
B) Pangenesis 
C) Blending inheritance 
D) Inheritance of acquired characteristics 
E) None of the above is considered true based on new evidence.

Question 10

Which of the following theories of inheritance is no longer accepted as TRUE?

Accepted Answer

A) Pangenesis 
B) Blending inheritance 
C) Inheritance of acquired characteristics 
D) Preformationism 
E) None of the above is currently considered true.

Question 11

In animals, meiosis is the process that leads to:

Accepted Answer

A) new alleles. 
B) gametes. 
C) somatic cells. 
D) a doubling of chromosomes. 
E) loss of detrimental mutant alleles.

Question 12

Which CORRECTLY shows the flow of genetic information during gene expression?

Accepted Answer

A) RNA $\rightarrow$ DNA $\rightarrow$ protein 
B) Protein $\rightarrow$ DNA $\rightarrow$ RNA 
C) DNA $\rightarrow$RNA$\rightarrow$ protein 
D) DNA $\rightarrow$ protein $\rightarrow$ DNA 
E) None of the above answers is correct.

Question 13

A measurable or observable trait or characteristic is called a:

Accepted Answer

A) phenotype. 
B) genotype. 
C) single-nucleotide polymorphism. 
D) small interfering RNA. 
E) gene bank.

Question 14

Who developed polymerase chain reaction (PCR), a technique that quickly amplifies samples of DNA?

Accepted Answer

A) Kary Mullis 
B) James Watson 
C) Walter Sutton 
D) Thomas Hunt Morgan 
E) Maurice Wilkins

Question 15

Genetic information can be carried in which of the following biomolecules?

Accepted Answer

A) Proteins 
B) DNA and not RNA 
C) RNA and not DNA 
D) Either DNA or RNA 
E) Proteins and not RNA

Question 16

_____ combines molecular biology and computer science.

Accepted Answer

A) Single-nucleotide polymorphism 
B) MicroRNAs 
C) Polymerase chain reaction 
D) Bioinformatics 
E) Eukaryotics

Question 17

The contribution Charles Darwin made to biology was to:

Accepted Answer

A) demonstrate the connection between Mendel's principles of inheritance and evolution. 
B) propose that evolution occurs by natural selection. 
C) develop the theory of evolution, based on earlier theories of population genetics. 
D) connect the fields of evolution and molecular genetics. 
E) demonstrate that genes were located on chromosomes.

Question 18

List some traits of a species that make it ideal as a genetic model organism.

Accepted Answer

The answer of List some traits of a species that...

Question 19

A giraffe reaches for food from the high branches of trees.Over a period of generations of this type of activity, the necks of giraffes increase in length.Which incorrect notion of inheritance would this example BEST represent?

Accepted Answer

A) Blending inheritance 
B) Pangenesis 
C) Inheritance of acquired characteristics 
D) Preformationism 
E) Cell theory

Question 20

A form of a gene that has a slightly different sequence than other forms of the same gene but encodes the same type of an RNA or protein, is called a(n):

Accepted Answer

A) locus. 
B) allele. 
C) homologous chromosome. 
D) heterozygote. 
E) homozygote.

Exam 1: Introduction to Genetics