Question 1

Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of a good scientific hypothesis?

Accepted Answer

It is stated as a question rather than a statement.

Question 2

A student is designing an experiment to test the effect of light intensity on plant growth. Which of the following is the best example of an independent variable for this experiment?

Accepted Answer

The intensity of light the plants receive

Question 3

How does genetic diversity contribute to overall biodiversity in an ecosystem?

Accepted Answer

It allows populations to adapt to changing environments, supporting species survival.

Question 4

During meiosis, a diploid cell with a chromosome number of $2n = 20$ undergoes division. How many chromosomes will each gamete contain after meiosis is complete?

Accepted Answer

$10$

Question 5

Which of the following best describes the benefit of sexual reproduction over asexual reproduction?

Accepted Answer

It increases genetic variation among offspring.

Question 6

In pea plants, the allele for tall ($T$) is dominant over the allele for short ($t$). If a heterozygous tall plant ($Tt$) is crossed with a homozygous short plant ($tt$), what is the expected phenotypic ratio of their offspring?

Accepted Answer

1 tall : 1 short

Question 7

In guinea pigs, black fur ($B$) is dominant over brown fur ($b$). If two heterozygous black-furred guinea pigs ($Bb$) are crossed, what is the probability of them having a brown-furred offspring?

Accepted Answer

$\frac{1}{4}$

Question 8

In a dihybrid cross between two pea plants that are both heterozygous for seed shape ($Rr$) and seed color ($Yy$), what is the expected phenotypic ratio of their offspring?

Accepted Answer

9 round yellow : 3 round green : 3 wrinkled yellow : 1 wrinkled green

Question 9

A cross between a homozygous red-flowered plant ($RR$) and a homozygous white-flowered plant ($rr$) produces all pink-flowered offspring. Which inheritance pattern does this demonstrate?

Accepted Answer

Incomplete dominance

Question 10

Which of the following scenarios best illustrates Mendel’s law of independent assortment?

Accepted Answer

A plant with round, yellow seeds produces offspring with round, yellow; round, green; wrinkled, yellow; and wrinkled, green seeds.

Question 11

In a human pedigree, a trait appears in every generation and affects both males and females equally. What is the most likely mode of inheritance for this trait?

Accepted Answer

Autosomal dominant

Question 12

Which of the following best describes epistasis?

Accepted Answer

One gene masks or modifies the expression of another gene.

Question 13

A woman with blood type $AB$ and a man with blood type $O$ have a child. What are the possible blood types of their child?

Accepted Answer

A or B

Question 14

Which of the following is an example of a polygenic trait in humans?

Accepted Answer

Height

Question 15

If a trait is governed by quantitative inheritance, such as human skin color, what type of distribution is typically observed in the population?

Accepted Answer

A bell-shaped (normal) distribution

Question 16

Which of the following best explains why siblings from the same parents can have different phenotypes for a polygenic trait?

Accepted Answer

They inherit different combinations of multiple genes that contribute to the trait.

Question 17

A geneticist is studying a population of plants where flower color is determined by two genes, each with two alleles. If both genes exhibit incomplete dominance, how many different flower colors could potentially be observed in the F2 generation?

Accepted Answer

9

Question 18

Which of the following is an example of codominance in humans?

Accepted Answer

A person with type AB blood expressing both A and B antigens equally

Question 19

In a cross between two heterozygous individuals for a single gene ($Aa 	imes Aa$), what is the expected genotypic ratio among the offspring?

Accepted Answer

1 AA : 2 Aa : 1 aa

Question 20

Which of the following best describes pleiotropy?

Accepted Answer

A single gene affects multiple, seemingly unrelated traits.

Genetics and Scientific Method: Study Notes for General Biology

Study Guide - Practice Questions

Study Guide - Flashcards