Question 1

Which cellular process is responsible for the gradual increase in cell number during early embryonic development, as shown in the cell proliferation diagram?

Accepted Answer

Cell division (proliferation)

Question 2

A teratoma is a tumor that contains tissues such as fat, skin, teeth, and hair arranged in no particular order. What is the most likely cause of teratoma formation?

Accepted Answer

Unregulated cell differentiation

Question 3

Which type of stem cell is capable of giving rise to all cell types in the body, and is described as totipotent or pluripotent?

Accepted Answer

Embryonic stem cell

Question 4

In the process of animal cloning, such as the creation of Dolly the sheep, what key evidence was provided regarding differentiated cells?

Accepted Answer

Differentiated cells retain all genes in the genome

Question 5

Which gene class is responsible for assigning segment identities in Drosophila and mammals, and is highly conserved across animal species?

Accepted Answer

Homeotic (Hox) genes

Question 6

What is the function of 'organizer' cells during embryonic development?

Accepted Answer

They assign positional values to differentiating cells via morphogen gradients

Question 7

Which process is illustrated by the diagram showing cells breaking free and migrating away during development, such as neural crest cell migration?

Accepted Answer

Cell movement and tissue folding

Question 8

What is the main difference between plant and animal cells regarding totipotency and dedifferentiation?

Accepted Answer

Plant cells can dedifferentiate and regain totipotency

Question 9

Which equation best describes the relationship between morphogen concentration and cell fate determination?

Accepted Answer

Cell fate = $$f([Morphogen])$$ where $$f is a $$function of morphogen concentration

Question 10

Which of the following best explains why a chicken embryo with defective cell-suicide genes develops webbing between its toes?

Accepted Answer

Failure of programmed cell death (apoptosis) in the toe region

Question 11

Which theory of cell differentiation states that differentiated cells retain the full set of genes but only express a subset?

Accepted Answer

Differential Expression Theory

Question 12

What is the role of enhancer elements in gene expression during development?

Accepted Answer

They bind transcription factors and regulate spatial and temporal gene expression

Question 13

Which process is responsible for the formation of the three major body axes (anterior-posterior, dorsal-ventral, left-right) in animal development?

Accepted Answer

Pattern formation guided by morphogen gradients

Question 14

A mutation in a Hox gene in mammals can result in which of the following?

Accepted Answer

Transformation of one vertebral segment into another

Question 15

Which of the following is a real-world example of programmed cell death (apoptosis) during development?

Accepted Answer

Separation of fingers in human embryos

Question 16

Which equation represents the stepwise loss of potency during cell differentiation?

Accepted Answer

$$Potency_{final} = Potency_{initial} - \Delta Potency$$

Question 17

Which of the following best describes the evolutionary significance of Hox genes?

Accepted Answer

They are conserved across animal species and changes in their expression can lead to evolutionary changes in body plan

Question 18

In Drosophila, which gene is considered a 'master regulator' that forms a gradient specifying the anterior-posterior axis?

Accepted Answer

Bicoid gene

Question 19

Which process is illustrated by the diagram showing the progressive compartmentalization of the embryo by gap, pair-rule, and segment polarity genes?

Accepted Answer

Hierarchical genetic regulation of pattern formation

Question 20

Which equation best describes the relationship between spatial signals, transcription factors, and gene expression?

Accepted Answer

$$Gene\ Expression = f(Spatial\ Signal, Transcription\ Factor)$$

Developmental Genetics: Mechanisms of Animal Development and Pattern Formation

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