Question 1

What is the difference between a linkage map and a physical map?

Accepted Answer

A) For a linkage map, markers are spaced by recombination frequency, whereas for a physical map they are spaced by numbers of base pairs (bp). 
B) For a physical map, the ATCG order and sequence must be achieved, but not for the linkage map. 
C) For a linkage map, it is shown how each gene is linked to every other gene. 
D) For a physical map, the distances must be calculable in units such as nanometers. 
E) There is no difference between the two except in the type of pictorial representation. 
A) For a linkage map, markers are spaced by recombination frequency, whereas for a physical map they are spaced by numbers of base pairs (bp). 
B) For a physical map, the ATCG order and sequence must be achieved, but not for the linkage map. 
C) For a linkage map, it is shown how each gene is linked to every other gene. 
D) For a physical map, the distances must be calculable in units such as nanometers. 
E) There is no difference between the two except in the type of pictorial representation. A

Question 2

Which of the following has the largest genome and the fewest genes per million base pairs?

Accepted Answer

A) Haemophilus influenzae (bacterium) 
B) Saccharomyces cerevisiae (yeast) 
C) Arabidopsis thaliana (plant) 
D) Drosophila melanogaster (fruit fly) 
E) Homo sapiens (human) 
A) Haemophilus influenzae (bacterium) 
B) Saccharomyces cerevisiae (yeast) 
C) Arabidopsis thaliana (plant) 
D) Drosophila melanogaster (fruit fly) 
E) Homo sapiens (human) E

Question 3

The biggest problem with the shotgun technique is its tendency to underestimate the size of the genome. Which of the following might best account for this?

Accepted Answer

A) skipping some of the clones to be sequenced 
B) missing some of the overlapping regions of the clones 
C) counting some of the overlapping regions of the clones twice 
D) having some of the clones die during the experiment and therefore not be represented 
E) missing some duplicated sequences 
A) skipping some of the clones to be sequenced 
B) missing some of the overlapping regions of the clones 
C) counting some of the overlapping regions of the clones twice 
D) having some of the clones die during the experiment and therefore not be represented 
E) missing some duplicated sequences E

Question 4

What is it that can be duplicated in a genome?

Accepted Answer

A) DNA sequences above a minimum size only 
B) DNA sequences below a minimal size only 
C) entire chromosomes only 
D) entire sets of chromosomes only 
E) sequences, chromosomes, or sets of chromosomes 
A) DNA sequences above a minimum size only 
B) DNA sequences below a minimal size only 
C) entire chromosomes only 
D) entire sets of chromosomes only 
E) sequences, chromosomes, or sets of chromosomes

Question 5

What does the field often called "evo-devo" study?

Accepted Answer

A) whether or not development is an evolutionary process 
B) how developmental processes have evolved 
C) whether or not all animals have developmental regulation 
D) whether the pattern of human development evolved early or late 
E) whether or not there are specific genes controlling development 
A) whether or not development is an evolutionary process 
B) how developmental processes have evolved 
C) whether or not all animals have developmental regulation 
D) whether the pattern of human development evolved early or late 
E) whether or not there are specific genes controlling development

Question 6

What is proteomics?

Accepted Answer

A) the linkage of each gene to a particular protein 
B) the study of the full protein set encoded by a genome 
C) the totality of the functional possibilities of a single protein 
D) the study of how amino acids are ordered in a protein 
E) the study of how a single gene activates many proteins 
A) the linkage of each gene to a particular protein 
B) the study of the full protein set encoded by a genome 
C) the totality of the functional possibilities of a single protein 
D) the study of how amino acids are ordered in a protein 
E) the study of how a single gene activates many proteins

Question 7

If humans have 2,900 Mb, a specific member of the lily family has 120,000 Mb, and a yeast has ~13 Mb, why can't this data allow us to order their evolutionary significance?

Accepted Answer

A) Size matters less than gene density. 
B) Size does not compare to gene density. 
C) Size does not vary with gene complexity. 
D) Size is mostly due to "junk" DNA. 
E) Size is comparable only within phyla. 
A) Size matters less than gene density. 
B) Size does not compare to gene density. 
C) Size does not vary with gene complexity. 
D) Size is mostly due to "junk" DNA. 
E) Size is comparable only within phyla.

Question 8

Why is it unwise to try to relate an organism's complexity with its size or number of cells?

Accepted Answer

A) A very large organism may be composed of very few cells or very few cell types. 
B) A single-celled organism, such as a bacterium or a protist, still has to conduct all the complex life functions of a large multicellular organism. 
C) A single-celled organism that is also eukaryotic, such as a yeast, still reproduces mitotically. 
D) A simple organism can have a much larger genome. 
E) A complex organism can have a very small and simple genome. 
A) A very large organism may be composed of very few cells or very few cell types. 
B) A single-celled organism, such as a bacterium or a protist, still has to conduct all the complex life functions of a large multicellular organism. 
C) A single-celled organism that is also eukaryotic, such as a yeast, still reproduces mitotically. 
D) A simple organism can have a much larger genome. 
E) A complex organism can have a very small and simple genome.

Question 9

Which of the following seems to be the known upper and lower size limits of genomes?

Accepted Answer

A) 1-2900 Mb (million base pairs) 
B) 1,500-40,000 Mb 
C) 1-580,000 Mb 
D) 100-120,000 Mb 
E) 100-200,000 Mb 
A) 1-2900 Mb (million base pairs) 
B) 1,500-40,000 Mb 
C) 1-580,000 Mb 
D) 100-120,000 Mb 
E) 100-200,000 Mb

Question 10

What is bioinformatics?

Accepted Answer

A) a technique using 3D images of genes in order to predict how and when they will be expressed 
B) a method that uses very large national and international databases to access and work with sequence information 
C) a software program available from NIH to design genes 
D) a series of search programs that allow a student to identify who in the world is trying to sequence a given species 
E) a procedure that uses software to order DNA sequences in a variety of comparable ways 
A) a technique using 3D images of genes in order to predict how and when they will be expressed 
B) a method that uses very large national and international databases to access and work with sequence information 
C) a software program available from NIH to design genes 
D) a series of search programs that allow a student to identify who in the world is trying to sequence a given species 
E) a procedure that uses software to order DNA sequences in a variety of comparable ways

Question 11

Homeotic genes contain a homeobox sequence that is highly conserved among very diverse species. The homeobox is the code for that domain of a protein that binds to DNA in a regulatory developmental process. Which of the following would you then expect?

Accepted Answer

A) That homeotic genes are selectively expressed over developmental time. 
B) That a homeobox containing gene has to be a developmental regulator. 
C) That homeoboxes cannot be expressed in non-homeotic genes. 
D) That all organisms must have homeotic genes. 
E) That all organisms must have homeobox containing genes. 
A) That homeotic genes are selectively expressed over developmental time. 
B) That a homeobox containing gene has to be a developmental regulator. 
C) That homeoboxes cannot be expressed in non-homeotic genes. 
D) That all organisms must have homeotic genes. 
E) That all organisms must have homeobox containing genes.

Question 12

Although quite different in structure, plants and animals share some basic similarities in their development, such as

Accepted Answer

A) the importance of cell and tissue movements. 
B) the importance of selective cell enlargement. 
C) the importance of homeobox-containing homeotic genes. 
D) a common evolutionary origin of the complete developmental program. 
E) a cascade of transcription factors that regulate gene expression on a finer and finer scale. 
A) the importance of cell and tissue movements. 
B) the importance of selective cell enlargement. 
C) the importance of homeobox-containing homeotic genes. 
D) a common evolutionary origin of the complete developmental program. 
E) a cascade of transcription factors that regulate gene expression on a finer and finer scale.

Question 13

Which of the following most correctly describes a shotgun technique for sequencing a genome?

Accepted Answer

A) genetic mapping followed immediately by sequencing 
B) physical mapping followed immediately by sequencing 
C) cloning large genome fragments into very large vectors such as YACs, followed by sequencing 
D) cloning several sizes of fragments into various size vectors, ordering the clones, and then sequencing them 
E) cloning the whole genome directly, from one end to the other 
A) genetic mapping followed immediately by sequencing 
B) physical mapping followed immediately by sequencing 
C) cloning large genome fragments into very large vectors such as YACs, followed by sequencing 
D) cloning several sizes of fragments into various size vectors, ordering the clones, and then sequencing them 
E) cloning the whole genome directly, from one end to the other

Question 14

Two eukaryotic proteins have one domain in common but are otherwise very different. Which of the following processes is most likely to have contributed to this phenomenon?

Accepted Answer

A) gene duplication 
B) RNA splicing 
C) exon shuffling 
D) histone modification 
E) random point mutations 
A) gene duplication 
B) RNA splicing 
C) exon shuffling 
D) histone modification 
E) random point mutations

Question 15

Why might the cricket genome have 11 times as many base pairs than that of Drosophila melanogaster?

Accepted Answer

A) The two insect species evolved at very different geologic eras. 
B) Crickets have higher gene density. 
C) Drosophila are more complex organisms. 
D) Crickets must have more non-coding DNA. 
E) Crickets must make many more proteins. 
A) The two insect species evolved at very different geologic eras. 
B) Crickets have higher gene density. 
C) Drosophila are more complex organisms. 
D) Crickets must have more non-coding DNA. 
E) Crickets must make many more proteins.

Question 16

Why is it preferable to use large computers and databases in searching for individual genes, rather than testing each sequence for possible function?

Accepted Answer

A) Testing for function would require too many cells. 
B) Testing for function would require knowing the species, its life stage, and its phylogeny. 
C) Testing for function would require knowing where a particular gene starts and ends and how it is regulated. 
D) Use of computer databases is intellectually less rigorous. 
E) The computer data can be sent to more labs. 
A) Testing for function would require too many cells. 
B) Testing for function would require knowing the species, its life stage, and its phylogeny. 
C) Testing for function would require knowing where a particular gene starts and ends and how it is regulated. 
D) Use of computer databases is intellectually less rigorous. 
E) The computer data can be sent to more labs.

Question 17

How is a physical map of the genome of an organism achieved?

Accepted Answer

A) using recombination frequency 
B) using very high-powered microscopy 
C) using restriction enzyme cutting sites 
D) using sequencing of nucleotides 
E) using DNA fingerprinting via electrophoresis 
A) using recombination frequency 
B) using very high-powered microscopy 
C) using restriction enzyme cutting sites 
D) using sequencing of nucleotides 
E) using DNA fingerprinting via electrophoresis

Question 18

A microarray known as a GeneChip, with most now known human protein coding sequences, has recently been developed to aid in the study of human cancer by first comparing two three subsets of cancer subtypes. What kind of information might be gleaned from this GeneChip to aid in cancer prevention?

Accepted Answer

A) information about whether or not a patient has this type of cancer prior to treatment. 
B) evidence that might suggest how best to treat a person's cancer with chemotherapy. 
C) data that could alert patients to what kind of cancer they were likely to acquire. 
D) information about which parent might have provided a patient with cancer-causing genes. 
E) information on cancer epidemiology in the U.S. or elsewhere. 
A) information about whether or not a patient has this type of cancer prior to treatment. 
B) evidence that might suggest how best to treat a person's cancer with chemotherapy. 
C) data that could alert patients to what kind of cancer they were likely to acquire. 
D) information about which parent might have provided a patient with cancer-causing genes. 
E) information on cancer epidemiology in the U.S. or elsewhere.

Question 19

Barbara McClintock, famous for discovering that genes could move within genomes, had her meticulous work ignored for nearly 4 decades, but eventually won the Nobel Prize. Why was her work so distrusted?

Accepted Answer

A) The work of women scientists was still not allowed to be published. 
B) Geneticists did not want to lose their cherished notions of DNA stability. 
C) There were too many alternative explanations for transposition. 
D) She allowed no one else to duplicate her work. 
E) She worked only with maize, which was considered "merely" a plant. 
A) The work of women scientists was still not allowed to be published. 
B) Geneticists did not want to lose their cherished notions of DNA stability. 
C) There were too many alternative explanations for transposition. 
D) She allowed no one else to duplicate her work. 
E) She worked only with maize, which was considered "merely" a plant.

Question 20

One of the characteristics of retrotransposons is that

Accepted Answer

A) they code for an enzyme that synthesizes DNA using an RNA template. 
B) they are found only in animal cells. 
C) they generally move by a cut-and-paste mechanism. 
D) they contribute a significant portion of the genetic variability seen within a population of gametes. 
E) their amplification is dependent on a retrovirus. 
A) they code for an enzyme that synthesizes DNA using an RNA template. 
B) they are found only in animal cells. 
C) they generally move by a cut-and-paste mechanism. 
D) they contribute a significant portion of the genetic variability seen within a population of gametes. 
E) their amplification is dependent on a retrovirus.

Exam 21: Genomes and Their Evolution

What is the difference between a linkage map and a physical map?

Which of the following has the largest genome and the fewest genes per million base pairs?

The biggest problem with the shotgun technique is its tendency to underestimate the size of the genome. Which of the following might best account for this?

What is it that can be duplicated in a genome?

What does the field often called "evo-devo" study?

What is proteomics?

If humans have 2,900 Mb, a specific member of the lily family has 120,000 Mb, and a yeast has ~13 Mb, why can't this data allow us to order their evolutionary significance?

Why is it unwise to try to relate an organism's complexity with its size or number of cells?

Which of the following seems to be the known upper and lower size limits of genomes?

What is bioinformatics?

Homeotic genes contain a homeobox sequence that is highly conserved among very diverse species. The homeobox is the code for that domain of a protein that binds to DNA in a regulatory developmental process. Which of the following would you then expect?

Although quite different in structure, plants and animals share some basic similarities in their development, such as

Which of the following most correctly describes a shotgun technique for sequencing a genome?

Two eukaryotic proteins have one domain in common but are otherwise very different. Which of the following processes is most likely to have contributed to this phenomenon?

Why might the cricket genome have 11 times as many base pairs than that of Drosophila melanogaster?

Why is it preferable to use large computers and databases in searching for individual genes, rather than testing each sequence for possible function?

How is a physical map of the genome of an organism achieved?

A microarray known as a GeneChip, with most now known human protein coding sequences, has recently been developed to aid in the study of human cancer by first comparing two three subsets of cancer subtypes. What kind of information might be gleaned from this GeneChip to aid in cancer prevention?

Barbara McClintock, famous for discovering that genes could move within genomes, had her meticulous work ignored for nearly 4 decades, but eventually won the Nobel Prize. Why was her work so distrusted?

One of the characteristics of retrotransposons is that

Introduction: Themes in the Study of Life

The Chemical Context of Life

Water and the Fitness of the Environment

Carbon and the Molecular Diversity of Life

The Structure and Function of Large Biological Molecules

A Tour of the Cell

Membrane Structure and Function

An Introduction to Metabolism

Cellular Respiration: Harvesting Chemical Energy

Photosynthesis

Cell Communication

The Cell Cycle

Meiosis and Sexual Life Cycles

Mendel and the Gene Idea

The Chromosomal Basis of Inheritance

The Molecular Basis of Inheritance

From Gene to Protein

Control of Gene Expression

Viruses

Biotechnology

Descent With Modification: a Darwinian View of Life

The Evolution of Populations

The Origin of Species

The History of Life on Earth

Phylogeny and the Tree of Life

Bacteria and Archaea

Protists

Plant Diversity I: How Plants Colonized Land

Plant Diversity Ii: the Evolution of Seed Plants

Fungi

An Introduction to Animal Diversity

Invertebrates

Vertebrates

Plant Structure, Growth, and Development

Transport in Vascular Plants

Soil and Plant Nutrition

Angiosperm Reproduction and Biotechnology

Plant Responses to Internal and External Signals

Basic Principles of Animal Form and Function

Animal Nutrition

Circulation and Gas Exchange

The Immune System

Osmoregulation and Excretion

Hormones and the Endocrine System

Animal Reproduction

Animal Development

Neurons, Synapses, and Signaling

Nervous Systems

Sensory and Motor Mechanisms

Animal Behavior

An Introduction to Ecology and the Biosphere

Population Ecology

Community Ecology

Ecosystems

Conservation Biology and Restoration Ecology

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