$$\text{DNA} \rightarrow \text{RNA} \rightarrow \text{Protein}$$

Question 1

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

Accepted Answer

$$	ext{DNA} ightarrow 	ext{RNA} ightarrow 	ext{Protein}$$

Question 2

A mutation that results in the insertion of a single nucleotide into a gene is most likely to cause which of the following?

Accepted Answer

A frameshift mutation

Question 3

Which enzyme is responsible for joining Okazaki fragments during DNA replication?

Accepted Answer

DNA ligase

Question 4

In the classic Griffith experiment with Streptococcus pneumoniae, what was the key finding?

Accepted Answer

Nonpathogenic bacteria could become pathogenic when mixed with heat-killed pathogenic bacteria

Question 5

Which of the following is a function of plasmids in bacteria?

Accepted Answer

They may carry genes for antibiotic resistance

Question 6

Which of the following best describes a repressible operon?

Accepted Answer

It is usually on but can be turned off by a corepressor

Question 7

What is the role of tRNA during translation?

Accepted Answer

It brings amino acids to the ribosome and matches them to the mRNA codon

Question 8

Which of the following mutations is most likely to result in a truncated (shortened) protein?

Accepted Answer

Nonsense mutation

Question 9

Which process involves the transfer of bacterial DNA from one cell to another via a bacteriophage?

Accepted Answer

Transduction

Question 10

Which of the following best explains why DNA polymerase has a low error rate during replication?

Accepted Answer

It has proofreading activity that corrects mismatched bases

Question 11

A chemical mutagen causes adenine to pair with cytosine instead of thymine. What type of mutation is this?

Accepted Answer

Base substitution

Question 12

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

Accepted Answer

Identifying genetic markers for disease susceptibility

Question 13

Which of the following statements about bacterial chromosomes is correct?

Accepted Answer

They are usually a single circular DNA molecule

Question 14

Which of the following best describes the function of the operator in an operon?

Accepted Answer

It is a DNA segment that controls transcription of structural genes

Question 15

Which of the following is a likely consequence of a frameshift mutation in a gene?

Accepted Answer

A completely altered amino acid sequence downstream of the mutation

Question 16

Which of the following is true about the Ames test?

Accepted Answer

It measures the rate of mutation reversion in bacteria exposed to a potential mutagen

Question 17

Which of the following is a difference between prokaryotic and eukaryotic protein synthesis?

Accepted Answer

In prokaryotes, translation can begin before transcription is complete

Question 18

Which of the following best describes horizontal gene transfer?

Accepted Answer

Transfer of genetic material between organisms of the same generation

Question 19

Which of the following is a function of the enzyme helicase during DNA replication?

Accepted Answer

It unwinds the DNA double helix

Question 20

Which of the following is a likely outcome if a bacterium acquires an R factor plasmid?

Accepted Answer

It becomes resistant to one or more antibiotics

Microbial Genetics: Structure, Function, and Mechanisms of Genetic Change

Study Guide - Practice Questions