Skip to main content
Pearson+ LogoPearson+ Logo
Back

History of Genetics quiz #1

Control buttons has been changed to "navigation" mode.
1/17
  • Why did Thomas Hunt Morgan use fruit flies (Drosophila melanogaster) in his genetic studies?
    Thomas Hunt Morgan used fruit flies because they have a short life cycle, are easy to breed in large numbers, and have easily observable traits, making them ideal for studying patterns of inheritance and the chromosomal theory of inheritance.
  • Did people know about genes and chromosomes during Mendel's time?
    No, during Mendel's time, people did not know about genes and chromosomes. Mendel proposed the existence of 'particles' that controlled inheritance, but the concepts of genes and chromosomes were not understood until later.
  • What is the term for the ancestor who stands at the top of a common genealogy?
    The term for the ancestor at the top of a common genealogy is 'common ancestor.'
  • What was likely the first genetic material on Earth?
    The first genetic material on Earth was probably RNA, as it can both store genetic information and catalyze chemical reactions.
  • What are genes, according to Bill Nye and the history of genetics?
    Genes are units of heredity that control traits and are passed from parents to offspring. Mendel first described them as 'particles,' and later research showed they are located on chromosomes.
  • What is artificial selection and how was it used in early genetics?
    Artificial selection is the process of breeding organisms with desired traits to propagate those traits, such as breeding gentle wolves to create dogs or selecting for carrot color.
  • What was the main idea behind the theory of pangenesis proposed by Aristotle and the Hippocratic School?
    Pangenesis suggested that particles called gemmules from all parts of the body traveled to the reproductive organs and were passed to offspring, allowing inheritance of acquired characteristics.
  • Describe the concept of preformation and its depiction in scientific drawings of the time.
    Preformation was the belief that sex cells contained a miniature adult, called a homunculus, which would grow into a full human, often illustrated as a tiny person curled up inside a sperm cell.
  • What major theory of inheritance did Mendel's pea plant experiments disprove?
    Mendel's experiments disproved the blending theory of inheritance, which claimed offspring were a mix of parental traits like blended fluids.
  • Who rediscovered Mendel's work and helped establish the term 'genetics' in the early 1900s?
    William Bateson and other scientists rediscovered Mendel's work, validated his findings, and coined the term 'genetics' in the early 1900s.
  • Through which type of microscope were the first strands of DNA observed?
    The first strands of DNA were observed using an electron microscope.
  • Which molecule is believed to have come first in the history of genetics: DNA or RNA?
    RNA is believed to have come before DNA in the history of genetics.
  • Who is considered the father of heredity due to his foundational work with pea plants?
    Gregor Mendel is considered the father of heredity.
  • Which British scientist contributed significantly to solving the structure of DNA?
    Rosalind Franklin, a British scientist, helped solve the structure of DNA.
  • Who was the first to identify DNA as a distinct molecule?
    Friedrich Miescher was the first to identify DNA.
  • Who created the first accurate model of the DNA double helix structure?
    James Watson and Francis Crick created the first accurate model of DNA.
  • Who developed the Punnett square, a tool used to predict genetic crosses?
    Reginald Punnett developed the Punnett square.