PCB 3063-Test Bank for Chapter 10: DNA: The Chemical Nature of the Gene

PCB 3063-Test Bank for Chapter 10: DNA: The Chemical Nature of the Gene Multiple-Choice Questions 1. Which of the following is NOT a key characteristic that genetic material must possess? a. Genetic material must contain complex information. b. Genetic material must replicate faithfully. c. Genetic material must encode the phenotype. d. Genetic material must have the capacity to vary. e. Genetic material must contain nitrogen but not sulfur. Answer: e Section 10.1 Comprehension 2. Why was the idea that genes are made of nucleic acids not widely accepted until after 1950? a. Proteins are more abundant than nucleic acids, so it seemed more logical that proteins would carry genetic information. b. Until the structure of DNA was understood, how DNA could store and transmit genetic information was unclear. c. Amino acids existed in the pre-biotic environment, so they would have most likely been the first to carry genetic information for life. d. DNA was not chemically stable for long enough to be a good method of storing genetic information. e. Nothing was known about the chemistry of DNA until after 1950. Answer: b Section 10.1 Comprehension 3. How did Albert Kossel contribute to our understanding of DNA? a. Used X-ray diffraction to examine the structure of DNA b. Determined that DNA contains four different nitrogenous bases c. Found that “the transforming principle” is destroyed by enzymes that hydrolyze DNA d. Found that the phosphorus-containing components are the genetic material of phages e. Discovered “the transforming principle” that could genetically alter bacteria Answer: b Section 10.2 Comprehension 4. How did Fred Griffith contribute to our understanding of DNA? a. Used X-ray diffraction to examine the structure of DNA b. Determined that DNA contains four different nitrogenous bases c. Found that “the transforming principle” is destroyed by enzymes that hydrolyze DNA d. Found that the phosphorus-containing components are the genetic material of phages e. Discovered “the transforming principle” that could genetically alter bacteria Answer: e Section 10.2 Comprehension 5. How did Avery, MacLeod, and McCarty contribute to our understanding of DNA? a. Used X-ray diffraction to examine the structure of DNA b. Determined that DNA contains four different nitrogenous bases c. Found that “the transforming principle” is destroyed by enzymes that hydrolyze DNA d. Found that the phosphorus-containing components are the genetic material of phages e. Discovered “the transforming principle” that could genetically alter bacteria Answer: e Section 10.2 Comprehension 6. How did Rosalind Franklin contribute to our understanding of DNA? a. Used X-ray diffraction to show that the structure of DNA is helical b. Determined that DNA contains four different nitrogenous bases c. Found that “the transforming principle” is destroyed by enzymes that hydrolyze DNA d. Found that the phosphorus-containing components are the genetic material of phages e. Discovered “the transforming principle” that could genetically alter bacteria Answer: a Section 10.2 Comprehension 7. How did Alfred Hershey and Martha Chase contribute to our understanding of DNA? a. Used X-ray diffraction to examine the structure of DNA b. Determined that DNA contains four different nitrogenous bases c. Found that “the transforming principle” is destroyed by enzymes that hydrolyze DNA d. Found that the phosphorus-containing components are the genetic material of phages e. Discovered “the transforming principle” that could genetically alter bacteria Answer: d Section 10.2 Comprehension 8. Indicate which of the following statements is FALSE. a. Covalent bonds connect nucleotides in a strand; noncovalent interactions hold strands into a double-stranded structure. b. Uracil is similar to thymine except that uracil lacks a methyl group on the carbon at position 5 on the carbon-nitrogen ring. c. Frederick Griffith demonstrated that a transforming chemical from dead bacteria could change the genetic information of living bacteria. d. Avery, MacLeod, and McCarty showed that DNA is the genetic information of cells and that RNA is the genetic information of viruses. e. The pyrimidine bases in nucleic acids are cytosine, thymine, and uracil. Answer: d Section 10.2 Comprehension 9. Which hypothesis contributed to the idea that protein is the genetic material because, with its 20 different amino acids, protein structure could be highly variable? a. Tetranucleotide hypothesis b. Central dogma hypothesis c. RNA world hypothesis d. One gene-one enzyme hypothesis e. Adaptor hypothesis Answer: a Section 10.2 Comprehension 10. The following table shows Chargaff’s data that demonstrates base composition of DNA from different biological sources. Which of the following is NOT a general conclusion that is supported by these data? a. DNA consists of a series of four-nucleotide units, each containing all four bases—ATGC —in a fixed sequence. b. The amount of adenine is always equal to the amount of thymin