Question 1

Which of the following is NOT a primary goal of recombinant DNA technology?

Accepted Answer

To increase the mutation rate in all organisms

Question 2

A scientist wants to produce a human insulin gene in bacteria. Which of the following steps is essential for this process?

Accepted Answer

Isolate the human insulin gene and insert it into a bacterial plasmid vector

Question 3

Which property makes plasmids especially useful as vectors in recombinant DNA technology?

Accepted Answer

They contain recognizable genetic markers and can replicate independently

Question 4

Restriction enzymes are crucial tools in recombinant DNA technology because they:

Accepted Answer

Cut DNA at specific palindromic sequences

Question 5

A researcher uses a restriction enzyme that produces sticky ends. What is the advantage of sticky ends over blunt ends in DNA cloning?

Accepted Answer

Sticky ends allow for easier and more specific ligation of DNA fragments

Question 6

Which of the following best describes the process of gel electrophoresis?

Accepted Answer

It separates DNA fragments based on size, with smaller fragments migrating farther through the agarose gel

Question 7

Why was the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) not practical before the discovery of hyperthermophilic bacteria?

Accepted Answer

DNA polymerases from hyperthermophilic bacteria are stable at high temperatures required for PCR denaturation

Question 8

Which of the following is a correct sequence of steps in a typical PCR cycle?

Accepted Answer

Denaturation $\rightarrow$ Priming $\rightarrow$ Extension

Question 9

A scientist wants to locate a specific gene within a bacterial genome. Which tool would be most appropriate for this task?

Accepted Answer

A synthetic DNA or RNA probe complementary to the gene of interest

Question 10

Which artificial method is commonly used to insert DNA into plant cells?

Accepted Answer

Gene gun (biolistic particle delivery)

Question 11

A researcher is using next-generation sequencing (NGS) to analyze a pathogen's genome. What is a major advantage of NGS over traditional Sanger sequencing?

Accepted Answer

NGS can sequence millions of DNA fragments simultaneously, increasing speed and throughput

Question 12

Which of the following best explains why agarose is used in gel electrophoresis?

Accepted Answer

Agarose acts as a molecular sieve, allowing smaller DNA fragments to move faster than larger ones

Question 13

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

Accepted Answer

Production of human insulin by genetically engineered bacteria

Question 14

A scientist uses a mutagen to alter a bacterial genome. What is a potential benefit of this approach in biotechnology?

Accepted Answer

It can create microbes with beneficial traits that can be selected and cultured

Question 15

Which of the following statements about synthetic nucleic acids is TRUE?

Accepted Answer

They can be used to create genes for specific proteins and as probes to locate nucleotide sequences

Question 16

A researcher is comparing two DNA fragments using gel electrophoresis. Fragment A migrates farther than Fragment B. What can be concluded?

Accepted Answer

Fragment A is smaller in size than Fragment B

Question 17

Which of the following is an example of a natural method for inserting DNA into cells?

Accepted Answer

Transformation

Question 18

Which of the following best describes a palindrome in the context of restriction enzyme recognition sites?

Accepted Answer

A sequence of DNA that reads the same 5' to 3' on both strands

Question 19

Which of the following is a critical reason for using genetic markers in vectors?

Accepted Answer

They allow identification of cells that have successfully taken up the vector

Question 20

A hospital is investigating an outbreak of a viral disease. Which recombinant DNA technique would be most useful for rapidly determining if the outbreak strains are genetically identical?

Accepted Answer

Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) followed by gel electrophoresis

Recombinant DNA Technology: Tools, Techniques, and Applications

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