Question 1

Which of the following best describes the main difference between the preformation and epigenesis theories of development?

Accepted Answer

Preformation proposes that a fully formed miniature human exists in the sperm or egg, while epigenesis proposes that the embryo develops progressively from an undifferentiated mass.

Question 2

You are a biologist in the mid-1800s. To test the blending inheritance hypothesis, you cross a pure-breeding red-flowered plant with a pure-breeding white-flowered plant. The F1 generation is all pink. If you self-cross the F1 generation, what result would REJECT blending inheritance?

Accepted Answer

The F2 generation consists of red, pink, and white-flowered plants in a 1:2:1 ratio.

Question 3

Gregor Mendel’s experiments with pea plants demonstrated that:

Accepted Answer

Traits are inherited as discrete particles that obey specific rules.

Question 4

Which technological advancement was crucial for the discovery that DNA is the material of heredity?

Accepted Answer

The use of radioactive isotopes to label molecules.

Question 5

The Hershey-Chase experiment used bacteriophages labeled with radioactive isotopes. What was the key finding from this experiment?

Accepted Answer

DNA, not protein, entered bacterial cells and directed viral replication.

Question 6

Which equation represents the expected genotypic ratio in the F2 generation of a Mendelian monohybrid cross (heterozygote self-cross)?

Accepted Answer

$$1 \; GG : 2 \; Gg : 1 \; gg$$

Question 7

Which of the following best explains why Mendel’s work was not widely recognized until 1900?

Accepted Answer

His work was published in an obscure journal and not widely read.

Question 8

Which of the following statements about the Green Revolution is correct?

Accepted Answer

It involved the development of high-yield, drought-resistant crops using genetics.

Question 9

Which technique was first used to sequence genomes, and who developed it?

Accepted Answer

Sanger sequencing by Frederick Sanger

Question 10

The Human Genome Project took 13 years to complete. Which of the following is a direct consequence of the genomics revolution that followed?

Accepted Answer

The cost of sequencing genomes has dramatically decreased.

Question 11

Which of the following best describes the impact of CRISPR technology on genetic engineering?

Accepted Answer

It removed previous technical limitations, making our understanding of genetics the main barrier.

Question 12

Which of the following real-world applications was made possible by inserting human insulin genes into bacteria?

Accepted Answer

Production of recombinant human insulin for diabetes treatment

Question 13

Which of the following best summarizes the significance of the discovery that DNA is a double helix?

Accepted Answer

It explained how DNA could replicate and store genetic information.

Question 14

A scientist observes that after crossing two pure-breeding pea plants (one with green pods and one with yellow pods), all F1 offspring have green pods. Which principle does this observation support?

Accepted Answer

The principle of dominance

Question 15

Which of the following equations best represents the probability of obtaining a homozygous recessive offspring from two heterozygous parents in a Mendelian monohybrid cross?

Accepted Answer

$$P(gg) = 0.25$$

Question 16

Which of the following was a major limitation for biologists studying heredity before the 20th century?

Accepted Answer

Lack of understanding of DNA and molecular biology

Question 17

Which of the following best describes the role of chromosome staining in genetics research?

Accepted Answer

It allows visualization of chromosomes during cell division.

Question 18

Which of the following is a direct benefit of the Green Revolution for developing nations?

Accepted Answer

Increased cereal yields and food security

Question 19

Which of the following best explains why blending inheritance could not account for the reappearance of traits in later generations?

Accepted Answer

Blending inheritance predicts that traits would merge and not reappear once lost.

A Brief History and Foundations of Genetics

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