Question 1

Which experiment provided the first direct evidence that DNA, and not protein, is the genetic material in cells?

Accepted Answer

Avery, MacLeod, and McCarty's fractionation and transformation experiment

Question 2

Which of the following is NOT a necessary characteristic of hereditary material?

Accepted Answer

Ability to catalyze metabolic reactions

Question 3

In the Hershey-Chase experiment, which radioactive isotope was used to label DNA?

Accepted Answer

$$^{32}\mathrm{P}$$

Question 4

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

Accepted Answer

The two strands run in opposite 5' to 3' directions

Question 5

If a DNA sample contains 18% guanine, what is the percentage of adenine?

Accepted Answer

32%

Question 6

Which chemical bond links nucleotides together in a single strand of DNA?

Accepted Answer

Phosphodiester bond

Question 7

Which feature of DNA did Rosalind Franklin's X-ray diffraction data reveal?

Accepted Answer

DNA is a double helix with 10 base pairs per turn

Question 8

Which of the following is a purine base found in DNA?

Accepted Answer

Adenine

Question 9

A single strand of DNA has the sequence 5'-AGTCTTTA-3'. What is the sequence and orientation of the complementary strand?

Accepted Answer

3'-TCAGAAAT-5'

Question 10

Which of the following statements about RNA is FALSE?

Accepted Answer

RNA contains deoxyribose as its sugar

Question 11

Which of the following best explains why GC base pairs are stronger than AT base pairs?

Accepted Answer

GC pairs form three hydrogen bonds, while AT pairs form two

Question 12

Which of the following is a key difference between DNA and RNA?

Accepted Answer

DNA contains thymine, while RNA contains uracil

Question 13

Which of the following is a real-world application of recombinant DNA technology?

Accepted Answer

Gene editing using CRISPR-Cas9

Question 14

Which of the following best describes the central dogma of molecular biology?

Accepted Answer

DNA is transcribed to RNA, which is translated to protein

Question 15

Which of the following is a function of tRNA?

Accepted Answer

Carrying amino acids to the ribosome during translation

Question 16

Which of the following statements about B-DNA and Z-DNA is correct?

Accepted Answer

B-DNA is the predominant form in living cells, while Z-DNA forms under certain conditions

Question 17

Which of the following best describes the role of hydrogen bonds in the DNA double helix?

Accepted Answer

They hold the complementary base pairs together

Question 18

A scientist isolates a nucleic acid that absorbs UV light maximally at 260 nm. What is the most likely identity of this molecule?

Accepted Answer

DNA or RNA

Question 19

Which of the following best explains why oversimplifying DNA as a 'blueprint' can be problematic?

Accepted Answer

It ignores the complex regulation and expression of genetic information

Question 20

Given the following single-stranded DNA sequence: 5'-GATTACA-3', what is the complementary sequence, including orientation?

Accepted Answer

3'-CTAATGT-5'

DNA Structure and Analysis: Foundations of Genetic Material

Study Guide - Practice Questions