Microbiology Chapter 10 - Book Study Questions (Shenandoah University)

What are the differences between DNA nucleotides and RNA nucleotides?

- RNA contains ribose sugars, has Uracil as a base instead of Thymine and a phosphate group; instability makes suitable for short term functions - - DNA contain deoxyribose sugars, has Adenine, Thymine, Guanine and Cytosine as bases, and a phosphate group; DNA added stability, suitable for storage

The end of a nucleic acid strand with a free phosphate group is called the __________________.

5' end

During the denaturation of DNA, which of the following happens? a. hydrogen bonds between complementary bases break b. phosphodiester bonds break within the sugar-phosphate backbone c. hydrogen bonds within the sugar-phosphate backbone break d. phosphodiester bonds between complementary bases break

a. hydrogen bonds between complementary bases break

Ribosomes are composed of rRNA and what other component? a. protein b. polypeptides c. DNA d. mRNA

a. protein

Which of the following types of RNA codes for a protein? a. dsRNA b. mRNA c. rRNA d. tRNA

b. mRNA

Serratia marcescens cells produce a red pigment at room temperature. The red color of the colonies is an example of which of the following? a. genotype b. phenotype c. change in DNA base composition d. adaption to the environment

b. phenotype

Frederick Griffith infected mice with a combination of dead R and live S bacterial strains. What was the outcome, and why did it occur? a. The mice will live; transformation was not required b. The mice will die; transformation of genetic material from R to S was required c. The mice will live; transformation of genetic material from R to S was required d. The mice will die; transformation was not required

d. the mice will die; transformation was not required

True or False: Double-stranded RNA is commonly found inside cells.

False

True or False: Noncoding DNA has no biological purpose.

False

True or False: The A-T base pair has more hydrogen bonding than the C-G base pair.

False

Why is DNA with a high GC content more difficult to denature than that with a low GC content?

GC base pairs have an additional hydrogen bond compared to AT, so it is therefore harder to denature

True or False: Ribosomes are composed mostly of RNA.

True

True or False: The work of Rosalind Franklin and R.G. Gosling was important in demonstrating the helical nature of DNA.

True

True or False: Within an organism, phenotypes may change while genotypes remain constant.

True

What is meant by the term "antiparallel"?

Two strands twisted around each other forming a right-handed helix, 3' end strands faces the 5'end of other - one strand goes one direction, the other goes the opposite

Which of the following best describes the results from Hershey and Chase's experiment using bacterial viruses with 35S-labeled DNA that are consistent with protein being the molecule responsible for hereditary? a. After infection with the 35S-labeled viruses and centrifugation, only the pellet would be radioactive b. After infection with the 35S-labeled viruses and centrifugation, both the pellet and the supernatant would be radioactive c. After infection with the 32P-labeled viruses and centrifugation, only the pellet would be radioactive d. After infection with the 32P-labeled viruses and centrifugation, both the pellet and the supernatant would be radioactive

a. After infection with the 35S-labeled viruses and centrifugation, both the pellet and the supernatant would be radioactive

Which of the following correctly describes the structure of the typical eukaryotic genome? a. diploid b. linear c. singular d. double stranded

a. diploid

Which of the following statements about base pairing in DNA is incorrect? a. purines always base pairs with pyrimidines b. adenine binds to guanine c. base pairs are stabilized by hydrogen bonds d. base pairing occurs at the interior of the double helix

b. adenine binds to guanine

Which method did Morgan and colleagues use to show that hereditary information was carried on chromosomes? a. statistical predictions of the outcomes of crosses using true-breeding parents b. correlations between microscopic observations of chromosomal movement and the characteristics of offspring c. transformation of nonpathogenic bacteria to pathogenic bacteria d. mutations resulting in distinct defects in metabolic enzymatic pathways

b. correlations between microscopic observations of chromosomal movement and the characteristics of offspring

If 30% of the bases within a DNA molecule are adenine, what is the percentage of thymine? a. 20% b. 25% c. 30% d. 35%

c. 30%

Which of the following may use RNA as its genome? a. a bacterium b. an archaeon c. a virus d. a eukaryote

c. a virus

Which of the following genes would not likely be encoded on a plasmid? a. genes encoding toxins that damage host tissue b. genes encoding antibacterial resistance c. gene encoding enzymes for glycolysis d. genes encoding enzymes for the degradation of an unusual substrate

c. gene encoding enzymes for glycolysis

Why was the alga Acetabularia a good model organisms for Joachim Hämmerling to use to identify the location of genetic material? a. it lacks a nuclear membrane b. it self-fertilizes c. it is a large, asymmetrical, single cell easy to see with the naked eye d. it makes a protein capsid

c. it is a large, asymmetrical, single cell easy to see with the naked eye

Which of the following is typically found as part of the prokaryotic genome? a. chloroplast DNA b. linear chromosomes c. plasmids d. mitochondrial DNA

c. plasmids

Which of the following types of RNA is known for its catalytic abilities? a. dsRNA b. mRNA c. rRNA d. tRNA

c. rRNA

If a DNA strand contains the sequence 5' - ATTCCGGATCGA - 3', which of the following is the sequence of the complementary strand of DNA? a. 5' - TAAGGCCTAGCT - 3' b. 5' - ATTCCGGATCGA - 3' c. 3' - TAACCGGTACGT - 5' d. 5' - TCGATCCGGAAT - 3'

d. 5' - TCGATCCGGAAT - 3'

Which of the following is not found within DNA? a. thymine b. phosphodiester bonds c. complementary base pairing d. amino acids

d. amino acids

According to Beadle and Tatum's "one gene-one enzyme" hypothesis, which of the following enzymes will eliminate the transformation of hereditary material from pathogenic bacteria to nonpathogenic bacteria? a. carbohydrate-degrading enzymes b. proteinases c. ribonucleases d. deoxyribonucleases

d. deoxyribonucleases

Histones are DNA binding proteins that are important for DNA packaging in which of the following? a. double-stranded and single-stranded DNA viruses b. archaea and bacteria c. bacteria and eukaryotes d. eukaryotes and archaea

d. eukaryotes and archaea

A nucleic acid is purified from a mixture. The molecules are relatively small, contain uracil and most are covalently bound to an amino acid. Which of the following was purified? a. DNA b. mRNA c. rRNA d. tRNA

d. tRNA

Plasmids are typically transferred among members of a bacterial community by ________________ gene transfer.

horizontal (lateral?)

The element _________________ is unique to nucleic acids compared with other macromolecules.

phosphorous

In the late 1800's and early 1900's, the macromolecule thought to be responsible for heredity was __________________.

protein

What are some functions of noncoding DNA?

regulation of transcription or translation through production of small noncoding RNA molecules, DNA packaging, and chromosomal stability

Why do bacteria and viruses make good model systems for various genetic studies?

they have structure simplicity, are readily manipulated genetically, and have high populations in a small space in a short amount of time - Biochemical unity in all organisms: common same underlying molecules responsible for heredity & use of genetic material to give cells varying characteristics