MMSC491 HUMAN MOLECULAR GENETICS
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MMSC491 — HUMAN MOLECULAR GENETICS: COMPLETE 300-QUESTION EXAM BANK
Exam Coverage Summary: MMSC491 (Human Molecular Genetics) covers molecular processes
required to diagnose inherited disorders, cancer, hematological disorders, infectious agents, and
DNA identity-based testing in transplantation, paternity testing, and forensics. Exam 1 focuses
on DNA structure, replication, transcription, PCR, cloning, sequencing, chromosomes, cell cycle,
mutations, epigenetics, and noncoding RNA. Exam 2 covers phenotype/genotype, inheritance
patterns, X-chromosome inactivation, epigenetics, and noncoding RNA. Exam 3 covers cancer
biology, gene therapy, telomeres, oncogenes, tumor suppressors, tumor types, mutation types,
chromosome abnormalities, and genomic databases.
EXAM 1 — FOUNDATIONS OF MOLECULAR GENETICS (Questions 1-100)
1. In a DNA double helix, each type of base forms a stable base pair with only one type of base.
When bases on an RNA strand are involved in base pairing, which bases can form stable base
pairs with more than one type of base?
A) Adenine and Cytosine
B) Guanine and Uracil
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C) Thymine and Guanine
D) Cytosine and Adenine
Answer: B
In RNA, guanine can pair with both cytosine and uracil, and uracil can pair with both adenine
and guanine, allowing for more flexible base pairing interactions.
2. The sequence -GATCCAGGACCATGT- is part of a protein-coding gene. Which of the following
is the sequence that would be found on the mRNA produced from this sequence?
A) -CTAGGT CCTGGTACA-
B) -CUAGGUCCUGGUACA-
C) -GATCCAGGACCATGT-
D) -CTAGGT CCTGGTACA-
Answer: B
During transcription, the RNA sequence is complementary to the template DNA strand, with
uracil (U) replacing thymine (T). The correct complementary RNA sequence is -
CUAGGUCCUGGUACA-.
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3. Which of the following statements about DNA amplification is FALSE?
A) Amplifying DNA means making many identical copies of one or more starting DNA sequences
B) The object of DNA cloning is to amplify DNA
C) The object of PCR is to amplify DNA
D) The object of DNA sequencing is to amplify DNA
Answer: D
DNA sequencing determines the order of nucleotides in a DNA molecule; it does not amplify
DNA. PCR and DNA cloning are methods used to amplify DNA.
4. Which of the following statements about DNA amplification is FALSE?
A) Amplifying DNA always requires a DNA polymerase
B) Amplifying DNA must be carried out in bacterial or yeast cells
C) DNA cloning in cells involves attaching the DNA to be cloned to a vector DNA
D) DNA cloning in cells is the most efficient way to obtain very large amounts of amplified DNA
Answer: B
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PCR can amplify DNA in vitro without the use of bacterial or yeast cells. DNA polymerase is
required for amplification, but not all amplification requires cellular hosts.
5. Regarding the structure of bases in nucleic acids, which statement is INCORRECT?
A) Purines carry an amino group, unlike pyrimidines
B) Both purines and pyrimidines contain nitrogen
C) Purines have a double-ring structure
D) Pyrimidines have a single-ring structure
Answer: A
Both purines and pyrimidines can carry amino groups. The key difference is that purines
(adenine, guanine) have a double-ring structure, while pyrimidines (cytosine, thymine, uracil)
have a single-ring structure.
6. Regarding the sugar residues in nucleic acids, which statement is INCORRECT?
A) The internal sugar residues in a DNA strand normally have free hydroxyl groups, unlike those
in an RNA strand
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