Q: Which of the following best describes the flow of genetic information according to the Central Dogma of molecular biology?

$$\text{DNA} \rightarrow \text{RNA} \rightarrow \text{Protein}$$

Question 1

Which experiment provided the strongest evidence that DNA, and not protein, is the genetic material in cells?

Accepted Answer

Hershey and Chase's experiment using bacteriophages labeled with radioactive isotopes

Question 2

During which phase of mitosis do chromosomes align at the cell's equator, and how many chromatids does each chromosome have at this stage in a human somatic cell?

Accepted Answer

Metaphase; each chromosome has two chromatids

Question 3

A cell with 8 chromosomes undergoes meiosis. How many chromosomes and chromatids are present in each daughter cell at the end of meiosis II?

Accepted Answer

4 chromosomes and 4 chromatids

Question 4

Which enzyme is responsible for synthesizing short RNA primers during DNA replication in prokaryotes?

Accepted Answer

Primase

Question 5

What is the main function of telomerase in eukaryotic cells?

Accepted Answer

To add repetitive DNA sequences to the ends of chromosomes to prevent shortening during replication

Question 6

Which of the following best describes the flow of genetic information according to the Central Dogma of molecular biology?

Accepted Answer

$$	ext{DNA} ightarrow 	ext{RNA} ightarrow 	ext{Protein}$$

Question 7

A point mutation changes a codon from $$	ext{UAC} ($$tyrosine) to $$	ext{UAA} ($$stop codon). What type of mutation is this?

Accepted Answer

Nonsense mutation

Question 8

Which of the following statements about the lac operon in E. coli is correct?

Accepted Answer

The lac operon is induced when lactose is present and glucose is absent

Question 9

Which of the following best explains why eukaryotic gene expression is more complex than prokaryotic gene expression?

Accepted Answer

Eukaryotic gene expression involves chromatin remodeling and multiple levels of regulation

Question 10

A pedigree shows a trait that appears in every generation and affects both males and females equally. What is the most likely mode of inheritance?

Accepted Answer

Autosomal dominant

Question 11

Which of the following is a direct result of the Meselson and Stahl experiment?

Accepted Answer

DNA replication is semiconservative

Question 12

Which process is used to amplify a specific DNA sequence in vitro, and what is the key enzyme involved?

Accepted Answer

Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR); Taq polymerase

Question 13

A woman who is a carrier for an X-linked recessive disorder and a man who is unaffected have a son. What is the probability that their son will have the disorder?

Accepted Answer

$$50\%$$

Question 14

Which of the following mutations is most likely to convert a proto-oncogene into an oncogene?

Accepted Answer

A gain-of-function mutation that increases gene expression

Question 15

Which of the following best describes the function of tumor-suppressor genes?

Accepted Answer

They inhibit cell division and prevent uncontrolled cell growth

Question 16

In eukaryotic cells, which of the following modifications occurs to pre-mRNA before it leaves the nucleus?

Accepted Answer

Addition of a 5' cap and a 3' poly-A tail, and removal of introns

Question 17

Which of the following is a property of the genetic code?

Accepted Answer

It is redundant, with multiple codons coding for the same amino acid

Question 18

A patient is diagnosed with colorectal cancer. Which of the following best explains the molecular basis for the development of this cancer?

Accepted Answer

It results from the accumulation of multiple mutations in proto-oncogenes and tumor-suppressor genes

Question 19

Which of the following best describes the difference between embryonic stem cells and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS cells)?

Accepted Answer

Embryonic stem cells are derived from early embryos, while iPS cells are reprogrammed from adult somatic cells

Question 20

Which of the following is true about the directionality of nucleic acids during transcription?

Accepted Answer

RNA is synthesized in the $$5' \rightarrow 3'$$ direction using the DNA template strand

BIOL 190A Final Exam Study Guide: Genetics, DNA, and Gene Expression

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