Final Exam Study Cards

Question 1

What is the basic structure of DNA?

Answer 1

DNA is a double helix composed of nucleotides, which include a phosphate group, a sugar, and a nitrogenous base.

Question 2

Which nitrogenous bases are found in DNA?

Answer 2

Adenine (A), Thymine (T), Cytosine (C), and Guanine (G).

Question 3

What type of bond holds the two strands of DNA together?

Answer 3

Hydrogen bonds between complementary nitrogenous bases.

Question 4

True or False: DNA replication is semi-conservative.

Answer 4

True.

Question 5

What is the role of helicase in DNA replication?

Answer 5

Helicase unwinds the DNA double helix.

Question 6

What enzyme synthesizes new DNA strands during replication?

Answer 6

DNA polymerase.

Question 7

Fill in the blank: The process of copying DNA into mRNA is called __________.

Answer 7

Transcription.

Question 8

What is the primary function of mRNA?

Answer 8

To carry genetic information from the DNA to the ribosome for protein synthesis.

Question 9

Which process converts mRNA into a protein?

Answer 9

Translation.

Question 10

What is the role of ribosomes in translation?

Answer 10

Ribosomes facilitate the assembly of amino acids into proteins based on the mRNA sequence.

Question 11

True or False: The cell cycle consists of interphase and mitosis.

Answer 11

True.

Question 12

What are the three phases of interphase?

Answer 12

G1 phase, S phase, and G2 phase.

Question 13

What occurs during the S phase of the cell cycle?

Answer 13

DNA is replicated.

Question 14

What is meiosis?

Answer 14

A type of cell division that reduces the chromosome number by half, producing four gametes.

Question 15

What is the main purpose of meiosis?

Answer 15

To produce gametes for sexual reproduction.

Question 16

Define genetics.

Answer 16

The study of heredity and the variation of inherited characteristics.

Question 17

What is a gene?

Answer 17

A segment of DNA that contains the instructions for making a specific protein.

Question 18

True or False: Alleles are different forms of the same gene.

Answer 18

True.

Question 19

What is the principle of segregation?

Answer 19

During the formation of gametes, the two alleles for a trait separate from each other.

Question 20

Fill in the blank: __________ is the process by which organisms change over time.

Answer 20

Evolution.

Question 21

What is natural selection?

Answer 21

The process through which individuals with favorable traits are more likely to reproduce.

Question 22

What is a mutation?

Answer 22

A change in the DNA sequence that can lead to changes in phenotype.

Question 23

True or False: Evolution can occur in an individual

Answer 23

False. Evolution only happens in populations

Question 24

What is genetic drift?

Answer 24

A random change in allele frequencies in a population over time.

Question 25

What are homologous chromosomes?

Answer 25

Chromosomes that have the same genes but may have different alleles.

Question 26

What is the difference between mitosis and meiosis?

Answer 26

Mitosis produces two identical daughter cells, while meiosis produces four genetically diverse gametes.

Question 27

Two parents who are both heterozygous for two traits will have what ratio of offspring?

Answer 27

9:3:3:1

Question 28

What is a phenotype?

Answer 28

The observable characteristics or traits of an organism.

Question 29

Define genotype.

Answer 29

The genetic makeup of an organism, represented by alleles.

Question 30

True or False: Dominant alleles always mask the expression of recessive alleles.

Answer 30

True.

Question 31

How can you tell if a trait is recessive in a pedigree?

Answer 31

It may skip a generation but even if it doesn't, recessive individuals may have two parents with the dominant trait.

Question 32

What does the term 'carrier' mean in genetics?

Answer 32

An individual who has one copy of a recessive allele and does not exhibit the trait.

Question 33

What is the function of tRNA?

Answer 33

To transport amino acids to the ribosome during protein synthesis.

Question 34

What is the role of transcription factors?

Answer 34

Proteins that help regulate the transcription of genes by binding to nearby DNA.

Question 35

What is a codon?

Answer 35

A sequence of three nucleotides in mRNA that corresponds to a specific amino acid.

Question 36

True or False: All mutations are harmful.

Answer 36

False.

Question 37

Which two species are most closely related? Canis lupus, Canis rufus or Vulpes vulpes. How do you know?

Answer 37

Canis lupus (grey wolf) and Canis rufus (red wolf) are more related to each other than to Vulpes vulpes (red fox) because they share the same genus.

Question 38

What is the bottleneck effect?

Answer 38

When a disaster reduces the number of organisms in a population so that the survivors don't represent all the original alleles in the population. The next generation will be very different in terms of allele frequency

Question 39

What happens during prophase I of meiosis?

Answer 39

Homologous chromosomes pair up and crossing over occurs.

Question 40

Define speciation.

Answer 40

The formation of new and distinct species in the course of evolution.

Question 41

What are vestigial structures?

Answer 41

Structures that no longer serve their original purpose in an organism but show evidence of evolutionary relationships

Question 42

Fill in the blank: Genetic __________ is the process by which genes are passed from parents to offspring.

Answer 42

Inheritance.

Question 43

What is crossing over?

Answer 43

When homologous chromosomes line up and exchange genetic information during meiosis prophase I

Question 44

What are the types of evidence for evolution?

Answer 44

Comparative embryology, biogeography, vestigial, analogous and homologous structures, Molecular genetics and fossil record

Question 45

True or False: All living organisms use the same genetic code.

Answer 45

True.

Question 46

What is the complimentary mRNA strand to this strand of DNA? CCG TAA GCA TGG

Answer 46

GGC AUU CGU ACC

Question 47

How can a DNA mutation lead to a change in a protein?

Answer 47

Mutations in DNA can be translated into the wrong amino acid chain which will fold incorrectly, leading to the protein not working at all or not working as well as it could.

Question 48

What is the result of mitosis and meiosis?

Answer 48

Mitosis: 2 identical daughter cells Meiosis: 4 different daughter cells with half the DNA

Question 49

If an organism has 10 chromosomes in its somatic cells, how many will be in its gametes?

Answer 49

5. Gametes have half the DNA of the body (somatic) cell

Question 50

What are homologous structures?

Answer 50

Physical structures in an organism that show evidence of evolutionary relationship. They form from the same embryonic tissues. Example includes the one bone, two bones, many bones, digits form of the arm of most reptiles, birds and mammals.