$$P(A \ \text{and} \ B) = P(A) \times P(B)$$

Question 1

Which of the following best explains why Gregor Mendel's research is still relevant to modern genetics?

Accepted Answer

His experiments established the basic principles of inheritance that apply to all sexually reproducing organisms.

Question 2

A heterozygous pea plant (Yy) is crossed with a homozygous recessive plant (yy). What is the expected phenotypic ratio of the offspring?

Accepted Answer

$$1:1$$

Question 3

Which of the following is an example of incomplete dominance?

Accepted Answer

A red flower crossed with a white flower produces pink flowers.

Question 4

Which equation would you use to calculate the probability of two independent events both occurring?

Accepted Answer

$$P(A \ 	ext{and} \ B) = P(A) 	imes P(B)$$

Question 5

Which of the following best describes a test cross?

Accepted Answer

Crossing an individual with a dominant phenotype with a homozygous recessive individual to determine genotype.

Question 6

A woman with blood type AB has a child with a man who is blood type O. What are the possible blood types of their child?

Accepted Answer

A or B

Question 7

Which of the following is a key feature of the law of independent assortment?

Accepted Answer

Alleles of different genes assort independently during gamete formation.

Question 8

Which experiment provided the first strong evidence that DNA is the genetic material?

Accepted Answer

Griffith's transformation experiment with Streptococcus pneumoniae.

Question 9

Which enzyme is responsible for adding nucleotides during DNA replication?

Accepted Answer

DNA polymerase

Question 10

If a trait is X-linked recessive, which of the following is most likely to be true?

Accepted Answer

Males are more likely to express the trait than females.

Question 11

Which of the following best describes the antiparallel nature of DNA?

Accepted Answer

The two strands run in opposite directions: one 5' to 3', the other 3' to 5'.

Question 12

A couple has a child with cystic fibrosis, an autosomal recessive disorder. Neither parent has the disease. What are the genotypes of the parents?

Accepted Answer

Both are heterozygous carriers.

Question 13

Which of the following is a real-world example of codominance?

Accepted Answer

AB blood type, where both A and B alleles are expressed equally.

Question 14

Which of the following best explains why DNA replication is considered semi-conservative?

Accepted Answer

Each new DNA molecule consists of one old strand and one new strand.

Question 15

Which of the following is a correct sequence of events in DNA replication?

Accepted Answer

Helicase unwinds DNA, primase adds RNA primer, DNA polymerase synthesizes new strand.

Question 16

Which of the following best describes pleiotropy?

Accepted Answer

A single gene affects multiple phenotypic traits.

Question 17

Which of the following is a correct application of the product rule in genetics?

Accepted Answer

Calculating the probability of two independent traits both appearing in offspring.

Question 18

Which of the following scientists contributed to the discovery of the double helix structure of DNA?

Accepted Answer

Watson and Crick

Question 19

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 20

Which of the following best describes the difference between DNA and RNA?

Accepted Answer

DNA contains deoxyribose sugar, while RNA contains ribose sugar.

Genetics and Molecular Biology: Patterns of Inheritance and DNA Structure

Study Guide - Practice Questions