Genetics Chap 1

Research focus: Evolution
What is the subdiscipline?

Research focus: Chemical nature of gene

Research focus: Gene regulation

Research focus: Arrangement of genes on chromosomes

Research focus: Gene mapping

Research focus: Differences in allele frequencies in wet and dry environments

Research focus: Differences in gene function in wet and dry environments

Research focus: Translation

True/False
Humans first applied genetics to the domestication of plants and animals between approximately 10,000 and 12,000 years ago.

The theory of pangenesis states that all living organisms are composed of cells.

Many human traits such as skin and hair color, exhibit blending inheritance, in which genetic information is mixed and is not separated in future generations.

Bacteria and viruses can be used to study genes and inheritance, even though they are structurally and metabolically different from animal and plant cells.

Some viruses have RNA as their genetic information.

Charles Darwin accurately described the laws of inheritance in his landmark book, On the Origin of Species.

Albinism requires a mutation in all of the genes that control the synthesis and storage of melanin.

Most phenotypes or traits, such as hair color, are
determined solely by the information provided by a single gene.

Evolution cannot occur
without genetic changes in populations.

Cell theory

Pangenesis

Blending inheritance

Inheritance of acquired characteristics

The central dogma that genetic information passes from DNA to RNA to protein

germ-plasm theory

The first complete DNA sequence of a non-viral, free-living
organism was obtained for

a. a bacterium in 1900.

b. a bacterium in 1945.

c. a bacterium in 1995.

d. humans in 1990.

e. humans in 2000.

Genetic information can be carried in which of the following
biomolecules?

a. proteins

b. DNA and not RNA

c. RNA and not DNA

d. Either DNA or RNA

Which of the following species is considered a genetic model organism?

a. The
plant, Linaria vulgaris

b. The deer mouse, Peromyscus maniculatus

c. The worm, Caenorhabditis elegans

d. The frog, Hyla chrysoscelis

e. The chimpanzee, Pan troglodytes

The three-dimensional structure of DNA was first deciphered based on the work of:

a. James Watson

b. Francis Crick

c. Maurice Wilkins

d. Rosalind Franklin

e. all of the above

Which of the following scientists contributed significantly to the foundations of population genetics?

a. James Watson

b. Thomas Hunt Morgan

c. Ronald Fisher

d. Charles Darwin

Which of the following scientists contributed significantly to the foundations of molecular genetics?

a. James Watson

b. Thomas Hunt Morgan

c. John B. S. Haldane

d. Charles Darwin

Which of the following scientists contributed significantly to the foundations of transmission genetics?

a. James Watson

b. Thomas Hunt Morgan

c. John B. S. Haldane

d. Charles Darwin

The contribution Charles Darwin made to genetics was to

a. demonstrate the connection between Mendel’s principles of inheritance and
evolution.

b. propose that evolution occurs by natural selection.

c. develop
the theory of evolution, based on earlier theories of population genetics.

d. connect the fields of evolution
and molecular genetics.

The contribution of Gilbert and Sanger to modern genetics was to

a. develop the PCR technique.

b. discover DNA in the nucleus of
cells.

c. describe the structure of DNA.

d. show that genes were made of
DNA.

e. develop a method for sequencing DNA.

Which of the following is not a component within a single nucleotide of a nucleic acid?

a. nitrogenous base

b. sugar

c. polymerase

d. phosphate

" " is a field in genetics that combines molecular biology and computer science.

A measurable or observable trait or characteristic is called a(n) " ".

The complete genetic makeup of any organism is its " ".

A form of a gene that has a slightly different sequence than other forms of the same gene
but encodes the same type of an RNA or protein, is called a(n)

" " is a change in allele frequency of a population over time.

Permanent, heritable changes in genetic information (DNA) are called

Within cells, genes are located on structures called