Chapter 1 Sapling

Match the scientists with their seminal work.

- Germ plasm theory: August Weissman - Cell theory: Matthias Schleiden & Theodor Schwann - Rules of inheritance: Gregor Mendel - Polymerase chain reaction: Kary Mullis - 3-D DNA structure: James Watson & Francis Crick

Which of the following practices in agriculture and animal domestication demonstrate a rudimentary understanding of heredity and genetics?

- Primitive societies were more likely to kill wolves that were too aggressive and keep the less aggressive ones as pets and hunting companions - Nomads selected the sheep with the highest-quality wool for breeding - Farmers planted seeds from trees that produced the largest, sweetest fruits and not from trees that produced the smallest or inedible fruits

Which of the following would not be considered a useful model genetic organism?

Bos taurus (the cow)

Who was a nineteenth-century biologist who put forth the theory of evolution through natural selection and published his idea in the book entitled On the Origin of Species?

Charles Darwin

Match each description to the term it defines

Gene: - a chromosomal region that codes for a functional transcript - a functional unit of heredity Allele: - an alternative form of a particular gene Chromsome: - long DNA molecules visible during mitosis - large genetic element that carries genes essential to cellular function

Classify the statements as describing a gene, a chromosome, or a genome.

Gene: - determines a particular characteristic of an organism - codes for a specific protein or RNA - acts as the basic unit of heredity Chromosome: - is a contiguous piece of DNA - is a unit of DNA carrying genetic info encoded in genes - functions to package, organize, and regulate access to DNA - largest molecule in cell - is a linear or circular molecule Genome: - may include plasmids - describes the collection of all of the replicable genetic material of a cell or organism - each organism has one - encodes all the heritable traits of an organism

Who discovered the basic principles of heredity?

Gregor Mendel

Classify the following traits as inherited or acquired: - blonde hair - detached earlobes - cystic fibrosis - face shape - language fluency - muscle mass gained from strength training - small stature due for malnourishment - fetal alcohol syndrome

Inherited: blonde hair, detached earlobes, cystic fibrosis, face shape Acquired: language fluency, muscle mass gained from strength training, small stature due for malnourishment, fetal alcohol syndrome

Prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells have some distinct and some shared features. Place each description in the appropriate category.

Prokaryotes: - lack chloroplasts - localize genome in the cytoplasm Eukaryotes: - include algae - contain mitochondria Both: - have a cytoplasmic membrane

What characteristic makes prokaryotic cells different from eukaryotic cells?

Prokaryotic cells do not contain membrane-bound organelles

Which statement describes the central dogma of biology?

Transcription is the process of synthesizing RNA from DNA. Translation is the process of synthesizing an amino acid sequence from RNA.

Which of the following would not be considered a useful characteristic for a model genetic organism?

a long generation time

Which genetic condition is found at an unexpectedly high frequency among the Hopi Native Americans?

albinism

Which tenet of cell theory is described by the following paragraph about the historical observations of cells? Cell theory began to develop in 1839, following the research of Marrhias Schleiden and Theodor Schwann into plant and animal tissues. Both the botanist Schleiden and the physiologist Schwann noticed that every organism they viewed under a microscope, whether plant or animal, was composed of cells. Their observations that all living species are made up of one or more cells led to the early formation of cell theory.

all organisms are composed of one or more cells

What are the multiple forms of one gene called?

alleles

Which one of the following is the most inclusive definition of a model organism (model system)?

an organism with a biological system that is representative of the same system in other organisms

What are the structures in a cell that group genes together, are composed of chromatin (DNA and protein), and become visible under a light microscope during mitosis?

chromosomes

What is the complete set of genetic instructions for an organism?

its genome

What process involves the separation of chromosomes in the division of somatic, nonsex, cells?

mitosis

The study of the chemical nature of the gene, and how genetic information is replicated and expressed is part of what division of genetics?

molecular genetics

What division of genetics is essentially a study of evolution?

population genetics

Which of the following describes a genome

the collection of genetic material in a cell or organism

How does the structure of DNA encode genetic information?

the sequence of bases

How did 17th and 18th century botanists contribute to the rise of modern genetics?

they developed techniques for experimental plant hybridization