Genetics - Chapter 1 - Intro to Genetics

pioneering work in the field of genetics began prior to the 20th century. however, much of the early work relied only upon simple observation. select the genetics concepts that were discovered before the year 1900.

- calculation of Mendelian inheritance -theory of natural selection

Which of the statements are ways that modern geneticists are addressing medical, social, or industrial problems? (3)

- developing genetic tests for conditions so that patients can receive appropriate preventive care - improving the yield of agricultural crops through genetic modification - studying viral genetics to learn how to control the spread of infectious diseases

Which statements are true regarding how advancements in genetics have impacted society today? (3)

- genetic testing has brought attention to our legislation on individual biological privacy - industrial services have decreased their environmental footprint using microbial environment to decrease waste product - animal model manipulation has expanded our understanding of human disease

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

- nomads selected the chickens that laid the most eggs for breeding - farmers planted seeds from the trees that produced the largest, sweetest fruits and not from trees that produced the smallest or inedible fruits - primitive societies were more likely to kill wolves that were too aggressive and keep the less aggressive ones as pets and hunting companions

Select the statements related to the use of genetic information that are not potential social or ethical issues in the United States.

- participants willingly donate their DNA for specific research purposes - approved genetic screening methods are used to detect rare disease alleles in afflicted individuals

Suppose that life exists elsewhere in the universe. All life must contain some type of genetic information, but alien genomes might not consist of nucleic acids or have the same features as those found in the genomes of life on Earth.

- the ability to replicate the genetic information accurately for the next generation - the ability to store the entire set of information an organism needs for reproduction and development

Which of the statements are reasons why rhinoceroses would be a poor choice as model organisms for studying breast cancer?

- they are needlessly large when smaller, more easily handled organisms, such as mice, are available - they are inappropriate for experimental manipulation because they are an endangered species - they produce very few offspring at a time and thus require a lot of time to collect meaningful data

What are the early concepts of heredity?

-pangenesis (incorrect) -inheritance of acquired traits (incorrect) -performationism (incorrect) -blending inheritance (incorrect) -germ-plasm theory (correct) -cell theory (correct) -mendelian inheritance (correct)

Which of the following is a correct statement?

A major difference between eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells is the presence or absence of a defined nucleus, respectively.

which statement describes the central dogma of biology?

DNA is transcribed into RNA. RNA is translated into an amino acid sequence.

What is the relation between genetics and evolution?

Evolution involves change in the frequency of genetic variants

Classify each statement as describing a gene, chromosome, or 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

Which theory has contributed the most to disprove the concept of blending inheritance?

Mendelian inheritance

Which of the following examples of scientists and subfields of genetics are matched INCORRECTLY?

Morgan - molecular genetics

Which of the following would likely make the best model genetic organism for studying gene regulation in higher animals?

Mus musculus (mouse)

Which of the following statements best explains the high frequency of albinism in Hopis?

The male Hopis with albinism enjoyed the privilege of being exempted from normal labor and were allowed to remain behind in the village with the women of the tribe.

Cell theory began to develop in 1839, following the research of Matthias 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. Which tenet of cell thoery is described by the paragraph about the historical observations of cells?

all organisms are composed of one or more cells

What 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

Which of the following research topics listed below belongs to a different subdiscipline of genetics from the rest?

chemical structure of DNA

What are permanent changes to the structure of chromosomes that can be passed from cell to cell and affect many genes simultaneously called?

chromosome mutations

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

Which topic would be covered within the subdiscipline of population genetics?

effect of small numbers of individuals on changes in the frequencies of an allele

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 forms of a particular gene chromosome: -long DNA molecules visible during mitosis -large genetic element that carries genes essential to cellular function

Classify each action as belonging to genetics, genomics, or both.

genetics: study individual gene function; generate mutants genomics: study many genes; sequence genomes of organisms; use whole-organism approach both: study DNA

match the scientists with their seminal work.

germ-plasm theory - august weismann cell theory - matthias schleiden and theodor schwann rules of inheritance - gregor mendel polymerase chain reaction - kary mullis theoretical 3D DNA structure - james watson and francis crick

Match the current applications to the appropriate branch of genetics. Not all applications will be placed.

hereditary genetics: observing phenotypes in offspring to understand gene inheritance; tracing pedigrees to determine patterns of gene transmission within a family population genetics: calculating allele frequencies to determine changes within gene pools molecular genetics: using recombinant DNA in subcloning techniques

Given observations of a family, identify the best-supported conclusion about genetic versus environmental trait determination

identical twins separated at birth and raised in different parts of the country both have a severe form of asthma that neither biological parent has. Conclusion: genetical factors caused the asthma.

Which theory shares some conceptual overlap with pangenesis?

inheritance of acquired characteristics

Classify the traits as inherited or acquired.

inherited: blue eyes; attached earlobes; cystic fibrosis; face shape acquired: language fluency; muscle mass gained from strength training; small stature due to malnourishment; fetal alcohol syndrome

classify each statement as true for either the concept of pangenesis or the germ-plasm theory

pangenesis: - offspring inherit genetic information from throughout their parents' bodies - different tissues contain only their own genetic information germ-plasm theory: - all cells contain complete genetic information - offspring inherit geneteic information from their parents' reproductive cels only

match each hypothesis to its theory

preformationism: genetic information is inherited from one parent or the other, not both pangenesis concept: cells in different tissues have unique genetic codes that are transferred to the gonads to produce gametes germ-plasm theory: reproductive cells have complete genetic codes for their species

classify descriptions as pertaining to prokaryotic cells, eukaryotic cells, or both

prokaryotes: -lack chloroplasts -localize genome in the cytoplasm eukaryotes: -include fungi -contain mitochondria both: -have ribosomes

Classify each example as being either related to genetics or not related to genetics.

related: having brown eyes; being prescribed anticoagulant; modifying the pest resistance of fruit and vegetables not related: getting a scar on the skin; caring for an apple tree in order to grow better fruit from its seeds

Place each of the molecules in the correct order based on the general flow of genetic information given by the central dogma of molecular biology.

replication: blue double helix transcription: red pokey translocation: strand made up of circles

What is an implication of the fact that all organisms have similar genetic systems?

the coding system for genomic information is common to all life

Which of these describes a genome?

the collection of genetical material in a cell or organism

The blending of inheritance theory differs from the concept of preformationism. What does the blending inheritance theory state and how is it different from preforformationism?

the egg and sperm contain genetic material that mixes upon conception to produce an intermediate phenotype in the offspring

how does the structure of DNA encode genetic information?

the sequence of bases

How are DNA and RNA similar?

they consist of nucleotides

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

they developed techniques for experimental plant hybridization