Genetics

Question 1

What does DNA stand for?

Answer 1

Deoxyribonucleic acid

Question 2

Is DNA a molecule?

Answer 2

Yes

Question 3

What is the “backbone” of DNA made of?

Answer 3

Sugar (deoxyribose) and acidic phosphate groups

Question 4

What are the “rungs” of DNA made of?

Answer 4

Base pairs

Question 5

What are the bases in DNA?

Answer 5

Adenine, Thymine, Guanine, Cytosine

Question 6

What does Adenine pair with?

Answer 6

Thymine

Question 7

What does Thymine pair with?

Answer 7

Adenine

Question 8

What does Guanine pair with?

Answer 8

Cytosine

Question 9

What does Cytosine pair with?

Answer 9

Guanine

Question 10

Which part of DNA contains the information?

Answer 10

The base pairs, and their sequence

Question 11

How many base pairs are in the human genome?

Answer 11

3 billion

Question 12

How many chromosomes are contained in human cells?

Answer 12

46

Question 13

How many chromosome pairs are contained in human cells?

Answer 13

23

Question 14

How many bases are in the human genome?

Answer 14

6 billion

Question 15

What is a gene?

Answer 15

A stretch of DNA which codes for something, usually by making a protein or group of proteins

Question 16

True or false - the DNA of all living things uses the same nucleotides

Answer 16

True

Question 17

In DNA terms, what is a mutation?

Answer 17

Any change in the nucleotide sequence of a chain of DNA (or RNA)

Question 18

What would we call a change in the nucleotide sequence of a chain of DNA (or RNA)

Answer 18

A mutation

Question 19

What is a chromosome made of?

Answer 19

A chain of DNA along with stabilising proteins

Question 20

How does cell reproduction relate to the form of chromosomes?

Answer 20

Chromosomes are stored in the cell nucleus in loose noodle-like forms until the cell needs to reproduce at which time they compact into tight bundles (the common “H” or “X” like shape depicted).

Question 21

True or false - each cell in your body contains all of your genetic code

Answer 21

True. Cells will however “turn off” all but the relevant gene required to perform their purpose.

Question 22

True or false - half of your chromosome pairs come from your mother, and half from your father

Answer 22

False - one chromosome in each pair comes from your mother, the other from your father

Question 23

True or false - within a chromosome pair, the chromosome from the mother will usually contain different genes to the chromosome from the father

Answer 23

False - the two chromosomes will usually contain the same genes, in the same sequence. However there will be base pair sequence variations within the genes.