Question 1

Which of the following best describes the role of restriction endonucleases in recombinant DNA technology?

Accepted Answer

They cut DNA at specific recognition sequences, allowing insertion of foreign genes.

Question 2

A scientist wants to clone a gene that confers drought resistance into a crop plant. Which vector would be most suitable for carrying the gene into a bacterial host for initial amplification?

Accepted Answer

A plasmid such as pBR322

Question 3

During the polymerase chain reaction (PCR), what is the purpose of the heating step?

Accepted Answer

To denature the DNA strands, separating them

Question 4

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

Accepted Answer

Production of human insulin using recombinant bacteria

Question 5

A forensic scientist analyzes short tandem repeats (STRs) in DNA samples from a crime scene. Why are STRs useful for this purpose?

Accepted Answer

STRs are unique to each individual due to variable repeat numbers

Question 6

Which of the following steps occurs FIRST in the process of gene cloning using plasmids?

Accepted Answer

Cutting vector DNA with restriction endonuclease

Question 7

A researcher uses PCR to amplify a gene from a 40,000-year-old mammoth sample. Which property of PCR makes this possible?

Accepted Answer

PCR can amplify DNA from very small or degraded samples

Question 8

Which of the following is a major ethical concern associated with therapeutic cloning?

Accepted Answer

Destruction of human embryos to obtain stem cells

Question 9

Which equation best represents the exponential amplification of DNA during PCR after $$n$$ cycles, starting with one molecule?

Accepted Answer

$$2^n$$

Question 10

A plasmid vector contains an ampicillin resistance gene and a restriction site for EcoRI. After inserting a foreign gene into the EcoRI site, which method is commonly used to select for bacteria that have taken up the recombinant plasmid?

Accepted Answer

Grow bacteria on media containing ampicillin; only those with the plasmid survive

Question 11

Which of the following best describes a multigene family?

Accepted Answer

A collection of identical or very similar genes that have evolved by gene duplication

Question 12

In reproductive cloning, which cell is fused with an enucleated egg to produce a cloned organism?

Accepted Answer

A somatic cell from the organism to be cloned

Question 13

Which of the following is NOT a requirement for gene cloning in bacteria?

Accepted Answer

RNA polymerase

Question 14

A scientist wants to knock out a gene in mice to study its function. Which technique would be most appropriate?

Accepted Answer

In vitro mutagenesis followed by reintroduction into cells

Question 15

Which of the following statements about non-coding DNA in the human genome is correct?

Accepted Answer

Non-coding DNA makes up a large portion of the human genome and includes repetitive sequences

Question 16

Which of the following is a function of retroviruses in biotechnology?

Accepted Answer

They can insert their genome into host cell DNA, making them useful for gene therapy

Question 17

A DNA microarray is used to study gene expression in cancer cells. What is the main advantage of this technique?

Accepted Answer

It allows simultaneous analysis of thousands of genes for expression levels

Question 18

Which of the following best explains why cloned animals often have health problems?

Accepted Answer

Errors in gene expression and epigenetic reprogramming during development

Question 19

Which step in the PCR cycle allows primers to bind to their complementary sequences on the DNA template?

Accepted Answer

Cooling the reaction mixture to allow annealing

Question 20

Which of the following is a direct consequence of gene duplication and mutation in genome evolution?

Accepted Answer

Formation of new gene families with specialized functions

Biotechnology and DNA Technology in Microbiology: Concepts, Methods, and Applications

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