Chapter 01
Overview of Genetics

Multiple Choice Questions
 
1. The basic unit of heredity is the ___________. 
A. individual
B. gene
C. macromolecule
D. trait

Bloom's Level: 1. Remember
Learning Outcome: 01.01.02 Outline how DNA stores the information to make proteins.
Section: 01.01
Topic: The Molecular Expression of Genes
 
2. A variation of a gene is called a(n) _______. 
A. species
B. morph
C. genome
D. allele
E. proteome

Bloom's Level: 1. Remember
Learning Outcome: 01.02.02 Define genetic variation.
Section: 01.02
Topic: The Relationship Between Genes and Traits

 
3. Which of the following acts to accelerate chemical reactions in a cell? 
A. 
nucleic acids

B. 
lipids

C. 
carbohydrates

D. 
enzymes

Bloom's Level: 1. Remember
Learning Outcome: 01.01.01 Describe the biochemical composition of cells.
Section: 01.01
Topic: The Molecular Expression of Genes
 
4. The building blocks of DNA are the _____________. 
A. amino acids
B. carbohydrates
C. enzymes
D. nucleotides
E. lipids

Bloom's Level: 1. Remember
Learning Outcome: 01.01.02 Outline how DNA stores the information to make proteins.
Section: 01.01
Topic: The Molecular Expression of Genes

 
5. The structure of a cell that contains the genetic information is called a ___________. 
A. nucleotide
B. genetic code
C. chromosome
D. 
nucleic acid

Bloom's Level: 1. Remember
Learning Outcome: 01.01.02 Outline how DNA stores the information to make proteins.
Section: 01.01
Topic: The Molecular Expression of Genes
 
6. If a carbohydrate is going to be broken down for energy, which of the following molecules would be directly involved in the breakdown? 
A. 
catabolic enzymes

B. 
nucleotides

C. 
anabolic enzymes

D. 
lipids

E. 
chromosomes

Bloom's Level: 2. Understand
Learning Outcome: 01.01.01 Describe the biochemical composition of cells.
Section: 01.01
Topic: The Molecular Expression of Genes

 
7. RNA is formed by the process of _____________. 
A. transcription
B. translation
C. both transcription and translation

Bloom's Level: 1. Remember
Learning Outcome: 01.01.02 Outline how DNA stores the information to make proteins.
Section: 01.01
Topic: The Molecular Expression of Genes
 
8. A characteristic that an organism displays is called __________. 
A. a gene
B. a chromosome
C. DNA
D. gene expression
E. a trait

Bloom's Level: 1. Remember
Learning Outcome: 01.02.01 Explain how the expression of genes leads to an organism’s traits.
Section: 01.02
Topic: The Relationship Between Genes and Traits
 
9. If a geneticist is studying the prevalence of a trait in a species, they are at the _________ level of study. 
A. population
B. organismal
C. cellular
D. molecular

Bloom's Level: 1. Remember
Learning Outcome: 01.03.01 Compare and contrast the three major fields of genetics: transmission, molecular, and population genetics.
Section: 01.03
Topic: Fields of Genetics

 
10. The study of the processes of transcription and translation is at the _____ level of biological organization. 
A. population
B. organismal
C. cellular
D. molecular

Bloom's Level: 1. Remember
Learning Outcome: 01.03.01 Compare and contrast the three major fields of genetics: transmission, molecular, and population genetics.
Section: 01.03
Topic: Fields of Genetics
 
11. Genetic variation is ultimately based upon which of the following? 
A. 
morphological differences

B. 
variations in nucleotide sequence of the DNA

C. 
carbohydrate content of the cell

D. 
translation

Bloom's Level: 2. Understand
Learning Outcome: 01.02.02 Define genetic variation.
Section: 01.02
Topic: The Relationship Between Genes and Traits

 
12. A species that contains two copies of each chromosome is called _______. 
A. a genetic mutation
B. a morph
C. haploid
D. diploid
E. alleles

Bloom's Level: 1. Remember
Learning Outcome: 01.02.04 Describe how genes are transmitted in sexually reproducing species.
Section: 01.02
Topic: The Relationship Between Genes and Traits
 
13. A cell that makes up the body structure of an organism and is diploid is _______. 
A. a gamete
B. a somatic cell
C. an allele
D. rare
E. a sperm cell

Bloom's Level: 1. Remember
Learning Outcome: 01.02.04 Describe how genes are transmitted in sexually reproducing species.
Section: 01.02
Topic: The Relationship Between Genes and Traits
 
14. In many organisms, one set of chromosomes comes from the maternal parent, while the other set comes from the paternal parent. Similar chromosomes in these sets are said to be _________. 
A. morphs
B. alleles
C. haploid
D. homologues
E. physiological traits

Bloom's Level: 1. Remember
Learning Outcome: 01.02.04 Describe how genes are transmitted in sexually reproducing species.
Section: 01.02
Topic: The Relationship Between Genes and Traits

 
15. In humans, gametes are different than other cells of the body in that they are _________. 
A. diploid
B. haploid
C. genetic mutations
D. morphs

Bloom's Level: 1. Remember
Learning Outcome: 01.02.04 Describe how genes are transmitted in sexually reproducing species.
Section: 01.02
Topic: The Relationship Between Genes and Traits
 
16. 
Natural selection is 
 
A. 
when nongenetically based traits are passed from one generation to the next.

B. 
a process that allows traits to remain the same over many generations.

C. 
a process where environmental constraints enable some phenotypes to be more sucessful than others.

D. 
when one phenotype is as sucessful as all other pehontypes.

Bloom's Level: 2. Understand
Learning Outcome: 01.02.05 Outline the process of evolution.
Section: 01.02
Topic: The Relationship Between Genes and Traits

 
17. _______ is the use of a gene sequence to synthesize a functional protein. 
A. Loss-of-function mutation
B. Gene expression
C. The human genome project
D. Proteonomics

Bloom's Level: 2. Understand
Learning Outcome: 01.01.02 Outline how DNA stores the information to make proteins.
Section: 01.01
Topic: The Molecular Expression of Genes
 
18. The differences in inherited traits among individuals in a population are called _______. 
A. species variation
B.  
genetic mutations

C. genetic variation
D. natural selection

Bloom's Level: 1. Remember
Learning Outcome: 01.02.02 Define genetic variation.
Section: 01.02
Topic: The Relationship Between Genes and Traits
 
19. Three populations of an organism, each with drastically different external markings, but still members of the same species, would be called _______. 
A. homologs
B. mutants
C. communities
D. alleles
E. morphs

Bloom's Level: 1. Remember
Learning Outcome: 01.02.02 Define genetic variation.
Section: 01.02
Topic: The Relationship Between Genes and Traits

 
20. Which one of the following is NOT one of the general classes of macromolecules that are necessary for cellular function? 
A. 
nucleic acids

B. 
proteins

C. 
ions

D. 
carbohydrates

E. 
lipids

Bloom's Level: 1. Remember
Learning Outcome: 01.01.01 Describe the biochemical composition of cells.
Section: 01.01
Topic: The Molecular Expression of Genes
 
21. The changes in the genetic makeup of a population over time is called _______. 
A. homologous recombination
B. model organisms studies
C. genetic crosses
D. biological evolution
E. hypothesis testing

Bloom's Level: 1. Remember
Learning Outcome: 01.02.05 Outline the process of evolution.
Section: 01.02
Topic: The Relationship Between Genes and Traits

 
22. 
Which of the following could be used to study the effects of drugs on gene expression?
 
A. 
population genetics

B. 
transmission genetics

C. 
molecular genetics

D. 
quantitative genetics

Bloom's Level: 2. Understand
Learning Outcome: 01.03.01 Compare and contrast the three major fields of genetics: transmission, molecular, and population genetics.
Section: 01.03
Topic: Fields of Genetics

 
23. Which of the following uses a genetic cross to determine patterns of inheritance? 
A. 
population genetics

B. 
transmission genetics

C. 
molecular genetics

D. 
evolutionary genetics

Bloom's Level: 2. Understand
Learning Outcome: 01.03.01 Compare and contrast the three major fields of genetics: transmission, molecular, and population genetics.
Section: 01.03
Topic: Fields of Genetics

 
24. 
The traits of an individual organism can be influenced by both genes and the
 
A. 
genome.

B. 
environment.

C. 
population size.

D. 
genetic variation within a population.

Bloom's Level: 1. Remember
Learning Outcome: 01.02.03 Discuss the relationship between genes, traits, and the environment.
Section: 01.02
Topic: The Relationship Between Genes and Traits

 
25. 
Most cellular structure and function is due to the expression or synthesis of different 
 
A. 
DNA.

B. 
carbohydrates.

C. 
lipids.

D. 
proteins.

Bloom's Level: 1. Remember
Learning Outcome: 01.01.03 Explain how proteins are largely responsible for cell structure and function.
Section: 01.01

Topic: The Molecular Expression of Genes
 
26. 
Genetics is an experimental as opposed to theoretical science as
 
A. 
hypotheses are tested by the performance of experiments.

B. 
hypotheses are tested by reviewing the literature to see what others have found.

C. 
no hypotheses are accepted or rejected unless they are voted on by a council of scientists.

D. 
it does not rely on observations but only hypothesis testing experiments.

Bloom's Level: 1. Remember
Learning Outcome: 01.04.01 Discuss how genetics is an experimental science.
Section: 01.04
Topic: The Science of Genetics

 
27. 
Performing a mating of two plants, one with a known genotype and the other with an unknown genotype, to determine the genotype of the individual with the unknown genotype would be an example of
 
A. 
discovery-based science.

B. 
hypothesis testing.

C. 
unethical experimentation.

D. 
an impossible experiment.

Bloom's Level: 2. Understand
Learning Outcome: 01.04.02 Outline different strategies for solving problems in genetics.
Section: 01.04
Topic: The Science of Genetics