Question 1

Increases in poly(A) tail length result in increased ____.

Accepted Answer

A)  transcription 
B)  translation 
C)  protein stability 
D)  mRNA degradation 
E)  alternative splicing 
A)  transcription 
B)  translation 
C)  protein stability 
D)  mRNA degradation 
E)  alternative splicing

Question 2

Many breast cancers are associated with mutations in the BRCA1 gene. Explain the difference between sporadic and familial breast cancer caused by this gene at a molecular level.

Accepted Answer

In order to develop breast cancer from a

Question 3

Sporadic cancers ____.

Accepted Answer

A)  may develop when proto-oncogenes mutate to form tumor suppressor genes 
B)  may develop when tumor suppressor genes are over-expressed 
C)  are caused by benign tumors 
D)  are cancers that are not inherited 
E)  are less frequent than familial cancers 
A)  may develop when proto-oncogenes mutate to form tumor suppressor genes 
B)  may develop when tumor suppressor genes are over-expressed 
C)  are caused by benign tumors 
D)  are cancers that are not inherited 
E)  are less frequent than familial cancers

Question 4

Cytoplasmic determinants are ____.

Accepted Answer

A)  key mRNAs and proteins stored in the sperm cytoplasm that direct the early stages of development 
B)  key mRNAs and proteins stored in the egg cytoplasm that direct the early stages of development 
C)  evenly distributed throughout the egg cell 
D)  distributed symmetrically to daughter cells 
E)  proteins from the egg and sperm cytoplasm that interact to form novel protein complexes in the zygote 
A)  key mRNAs and proteins stored in the sperm cytoplasm that direct the early stages of development 
B)  key mRNAs and proteins stored in the egg cytoplasm that direct the early stages of development 
C)  evenly distributed throughout the egg cell 
D)  distributed symmetrically to daughter cells 
E)  proteins from the egg and sperm cytoplasm that interact to form novel protein complexes in the zygote

Question 5

Which statement correctly describes BRCA ?

Accepted Answer

A)  Mutations to BRCA2 appear to be more lethal than mutations to BRCA1 . 
B)  It is an oncogene associated with breast cancer. 
C)  It is a tumor suppressor gene associated with breast cancer. 
D)  BRCA mutations are not inherited. 
E)  BRCA is a proto-oncogene involved in breast tissue development. 
A)  Mutations to BRCA2 appear to be more lethal than mutations to BRCA1 . 
B)  It is an oncogene associated with breast cancer. 
C)  It is a tumor suppressor gene associated with breast cancer. 
D)  BRCA mutations are not inherited. 
E)  BRCA is a proto-oncogene involved in breast tissue development.

Question 6

Explain the difference between benign and malignant tumors.

Accepted Answer

In benign tumors, the cells have dediffe

Question 7

Changes in pre-mRNA processing and the rate at which mRNAs are degraded are a part of ____.

Accepted Answer

A)  histone modifications 
B)  chromatin remodeling 
C)  transcriptional regulation 
D)  posttranscriptional regulation 
E)  genomic imprinting 
A)  histone modifications 
B)  chromatin remodeling 
C)  transcriptional regulation 
D)  posttranscriptional regulation 
E)  genomic imprinting

Question 8

Methylation regulates transcription by ____.

Accepted Answer

A)  adding a methyl group to cytosine bases of DNA 
B)  adding a methyl group to cysteine residues on RNA polymerase II 
C)  adding a methyl group to cysteine bases of DNA 
D)  adding a methyl group to cytosine residues on RNA polymerase II 
E)  interfering with the chromatin remodeling process 
A)  adding a methyl group to cytosine bases of DNA 
B)  adding a methyl group to cysteine residues on RNA polymerase II 
C)  adding a methyl group to cysteine bases of DNA 
D)  adding a methyl group to cytosine residues on RNA polymerase II 
E)  interfering with the chromatin remodeling process

Question 9

Posttranslational modification includes ____.

Accepted Answer

A)  cleavage of poly-A tails from mRNA 
B)  the binding of miRNAs to mRNA 
C)  the chemical modification, processing, and degradation of proteins 
D)  chromatin remodeling 
E)  splicing of mRNAs 
A)  cleavage of poly-A tails from mRNA 
B)  the binding of miRNAs to mRNA 
C)  the chemical modification, processing, and degradation of proteins 
D)  chromatin remodeling 
E)  splicing of mRNAs

Question 10

A key difference between eukaryotic and prokaryotic genomes is ____.

Accepted Answer

A)  the lack of gene expression controls in prokaryotes 
B)  the physical arrangement of genes on the chromosome(s) 
C)  simultaneous transcription and translation in eukaryotes vs. sequential transcription and translation in prokaryotes 
D)  the physical separation of transcription and translation in prokaryotes compared to the lack of separation of these processes in eukaryotes 
E)  the regulation of the cell cycle by prokaryotes, which is not observed in eukaryotes. 
A)  the lack of gene expression controls in prokaryotes 
B)  the physical arrangement of genes on the chromosome(s) 
C)  simultaneous transcription and translation in eukaryotes vs. sequential transcription and translation in prokaryotes 
D)  the physical separation of transcription and translation in prokaryotes compared to the lack of separation of these processes in eukaryotes 
E)  the regulation of the cell cycle by prokaryotes, which is not observed in eukaryotes.

Question 11

The default state for the lac operon is "off," while the default state for the trp operon is "on." Explain this difference in regulation and the mechanism of control via the repressor proteins.

Accepted Answer

The lac operon's function is to allow a

Question 12

An enhancer is a sequence that increases transcription of a gene ____.

Accepted Answer

A)  when its orientation is the same as that of the gene it controls 
B)  when it is located just downstream of the promoter 
C)  when it is located just upstream of the promoter 
D)  when it is distant from the gene it controls 
E)  independently of its position, orientation, and distance from a promoter 
A)  when its orientation is the same as that of the gene it controls 
B)  when it is located just downstream of the promoter 
C)  when it is located just upstream of the promoter 
D)  when it is distant from the gene it controls 
E)  independently of its position, orientation, and distance from a promoter

Question 13

One function of the 3' UTR (untranslated region) of mRNA is to ____.

Accepted Answer

A)  control the half-life of mRNA 
B)  bind RNA polymerase to initiate transcription 
C)  help activators bind to the enhancer region 
D)  base pair with the translated region of the transcript to mark it for degradation 
E)  bind ribosomes to initiate translation 
A)  control the half-life of mRNA 
B)  bind RNA polymerase to initiate transcription 
C)  help activators bind to the enhancer region 
D)  base pair with the translated region of the transcript to mark it for degradation 
E)  bind ribosomes to initiate translation

Question 14

Experiments with mouse cells indicate that long noncoding RNAs ____.

Accepted Answer

A)  block cardiac cell development 
B)  play a critical role in cardiac cell differentiation 
C)  are not expressed in embryonic stem cells 
D)  are only expressed after cardiac cells have differentiated 
E)  are transcription factors that promote cardiac cell differentiation 
A)  block cardiac cell development 
B)  play a critical role in cardiac cell differentiation 
C)  are not expressed in embryonic stem cells 
D)  are only expressed after cardiac cells have differentiated 
E)  are transcription factors that promote cardiac cell differentiation

Question 15

Removing a nucleosome from DNA to expose a promoter is an example of ____.

Accepted Answer

A)  induction 
B)  dedifferentiation 
C)  post-transcriptional regulation 
D)  gene silencing 
E)  chromatin remodeling 
A)  induction 
B)  dedifferentiation 
C)  post-transcriptional regulation 
D)  gene silencing 
E)  chromatin remodeling

Question 16

Where is the trp repressor gene located?

Accepted Answer

A)  Just upstream of the trp operon 
B)  On a region of the chromosome at some distance from the trp operon 
C)  Adjacent to the lac repressor gene 
D)  Just downstream of the trp operon 
E)  Directly adjacent to the promoter region of the trp operon 
A)  Just upstream of the trp operon 
B)  On a region of the chromosome at some distance from the trp operon 
C)  Adjacent to the lac repressor gene 
D)  Just downstream of the trp operon 
E)  Directly adjacent to the promoter region of the trp operon

Question 17

When lactose is present in the medium, RNA polymerase will bind to the ____ of the E. coli lac operon.

Accepted Answer

A)  lacI gene 
B)  operator 
C)  promoter 
D)  transcription initiation site 
E)  first codon of the lacZ gene 
A)  lacI gene 
B)  operator 
C)  promoter 
D)  transcription initiation site 
E)  first codon of the lacZ gene

Question 18

Which genes encode proteins that regulate the cell cycle in normal cells?

Accepted Answer

A)  tumor suppressor genes 
B)  proto-oncogenes 
C)  oncogenes 
D)  tumor suppressor genes and proto-oncogenes 
E)  tumor suppressor genes, proto-oncogenes, and oncogenes 
A)  tumor suppressor genes 
B)  proto-oncogenes 
C)  oncogenes 
D)  tumor suppressor genes and proto-oncogenes 
E)  tumor suppressor genes, proto-oncogenes, and oncogenes

Question 19

How does RNA polymerase II bind to the DNA?

Accepted Answer

A)  It binds directly to the eukaryotic promoter sequence. 
B)  It binds directly to the TATA box. 
C)  It binds to transcription factors in the nucleus, and the complex then binds to the promoter. 
D)  Transcription factors first bind to the promoter, then recruit RNA polymerase II to that site. 
E)  Some transcription factors bind to the promoter, while others bind to RNA polymerase II, then the two groups of proteins bind to each other. 
A)  It binds directly to the eukaryotic promoter sequence. 
B)  It binds directly to the TATA box. 
C)  It binds to transcription factors in the nucleus, and the complex then binds to the promoter. 
D)  Transcription factors first bind to the promoter, then recruit RNA polymerase II to that site. 
E)  Some transcription factors bind to the promoter, while others bind to RNA polymerase II, then the two groups of proteins bind to each other.

Question 20

A bridge is formed between the activators at the enhancer and the proteins at the promoter and promoter proximal region by ____.

Accepted Answer

A)  hormones 
B)  RNA polymerase II 
C)  repressors 
D)  inducers 
E)  coactivators 
A)  hormones 
B)  RNA polymerase II 
C)  repressors 
D)  inducers 
E)  coactivators

Exam 16: Regulation of Gene Expression

Increases in poly(A) tail length result in increased ____.

Many breast cancers are associated with mutations in the BRCA1 gene. Explain the difference between sporadic and familial breast cancer caused by this gene at a molecular level.

Sporadic cancers ____.

Cytoplasmic determinants are ____.

Which statement correctly describes BRCA ?

Explain the difference between benign and malignant tumors.

Changes in pre-mRNA processing and the rate at which mRNAs are degraded are a part of ____.

Methylation regulates transcription by ____.

Posttranslational modification includes ____.

A key difference between eukaryotic and prokaryotic genomes is ____.

The default state for the lac operon is "off," while the default state for the trp operon is "on." Explain this difference in regulation and the mechanism of control via the repressor proteins.

An enhancer is a sequence that increases transcription of a gene ____.

One function of the 3' UTR (untranslated region) of mRNA is to ____.

Experiments with mouse cells indicate that long noncoding RNAs ____.

Removing a nucleosome from DNA to expose a promoter is an example of ____.

Where is the trp repressor gene located?

When lactose is present in the medium, RNA polymerase will bind to the ____ of the E. coli lac operon.

Which genes encode proteins that regulate the cell cycle in normal cells?

How does RNA polymerase II bind to the DNA?

A bridge is formed between the activators at the enhancer and the proteins at the promoter and promoter proximal region by ____.

Introduction to Biological Concepts and Research

Life, Chemistry, and Water

Biological Molecules: the Carbon Compounds of Life

Cells

Membranes and Transport

Energy, Enzymes, and Biological Reactions

Cellular Respiration: Harvesting Chemical Energy

Photosynthesis

Cell Communication

Cell Division and Mitosis

Meiosis: the Cellular Basis of Sexual Reproduction

Mendel, Genes, and Inheritance

Genes, Chromosomes, and Human Genetics

Dna Structure, Replication, and Organization

Gene Expression: From Dna to Protein

Bacterial and Viral Genetics

Dna Technology: Making and Using Genetically Altered Organisms, and Other Applications

Genomes and Proteomes

The Development of Evolutionary Thought

Microevolution: Genetic Changes Within Populations

Speciation

Paleobiology and Macroevolution

Systematic Biology: Phylogeny and Classification

The Origin of Life

Prokaryotes and Viruses

Protists

Seedless Plants

Seed Plants

Fungi

Animal Phylogeny, Acoelomates, and Protostomes

Deuterostomes: Vertebrates and Their Closest Relatives

The Plant Body

Transport in Plants

Plant Nutrition

Reproduction and Development in Flowering Plants

Plant Signals and Responses to the Environment

Introduction to Animal Organization and Physiology

Information Flow and the Neuron

Nervous Systems

Sensory Systems

The Endocrine System

Muscles, Bones, and Body Movements

The Circulatory System

Defenses Against Disease

Gas Exchange: the Respiratory System

Digestive Systems and Animal Nutrition

Regulating the Internal Environment: Osmoregulation, Excretion, and Thermoregulation

Animal Reproduction

Animal Development

Ecology and the Biosphere

Population Ecology

Population Interactions and Community Ecology

Ecosystems

Biodiversity and Conservation Biology

Animal Behavior

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