Genetics & DNA Quiz

1. What does DNA stand for?

1. Deoxyribonucleic Acid
2. Deoxyribose Nitrous Acid
3. Dinitrogen Nucleic Acid
4. Double Nitrogen Acid

2. What is the shape of the DNA molecule?

1. Double helix
2. Flat ladder
3. Single helix
4. Triple helix

3. The four nitrogenous bases in DNA are Adenine, Thymine, Guanine, and:

1. Cytosine
2. Leucine
3. Serine
4. Uracil

4. How many chromosomes does a typical human cell have?

1. 23
2. 44
3. 46
4. 48

5. What is a gene?

1. A section of DNA encoding a protein or functional RNA
2. A type of chromosome
3. The entire DNA molecule
4. The protein produced by DNA

6. What is a DNA mutation?

1. A permanent change in the DNA sequence
2. When chromosomes separate
3. When DNA is replicated perfectly
4. When proteins are made incorrectly

7. What is 'natural selection' as a mechanism of evolution?

1. Environmental pressures favouring survival and reproduction of better-adapted individuals
2. Humans choosing which organisms to breed
3. Organisms choosing to adapt
4. Random genetic changes over time

8. What is 'dominant' and 'recessive' in genetics?

1. Dominant = from mother; recessive = from father
2. Dominant alleles are expressed when present; recessive alleles are only expressed when two copies are inherited
3. Dominant genes are stronger; recessive genes are weaker versions
4. Dominant traits appear in males; recessive in females

9. Who are credited with discovering the structure of DNA in 1953?

1. Darwin and Mendel
2. Franklin and Wilkins
3. Watson and Crick
4. Watson, Crick, Franklin, and Wilkins all contributed

10. What is 'genetic engineering'?

1. Cloning entire organisms
2. Directly manipulating an organism's DNA to alter its characteristics
3. Studying family genetics over generations
4. Traditional cross-breeding of plants and animals

11. What is the Human Genome Project?

1. A database of human ancestry
2. A project to clone humans
3. A project to eliminate genetic diseases
4. An international project that mapped and sequenced all human DNA

12. What is CRISPR-Cas9?

1. A gene editing tool that can precisely cut and modify DNA
2. A genetic disease
3. A type of chromosome
4. A type of DNA molecule

13. What are stem cells?

1. Cancer cells
2. Cells found only in bone marrow
3. The first cells to form in a embryo only
4. Undifferentiated cells that can develop into specialised cell types

14. What is a 'karyotype'?

1. A map of a person's genes
2. A test for genetic mutations
3. A visual display of an organism's full set of chromosomes
4. The sequence of DNA bases

15. Down syndrome is caused by having an extra copy of which chromosome?

1. Chromosome 13
2. Chromosome 18
3. Chromosome 21
4. Chromosome X

16. What is RNA and how does it differ from DNA?

1. RNA carries genes; DNA carries proteins
2. RNA is identical to DNA
3. RNA is single-stranded, uses ribose sugar, and uracil instead of thymine; it carries genetic instructions from DNA to ribosomes
4. RNA only exists in plants

17. Dolly the sheep (1996) was significant because she was:

1. The first animal to have its genome sequenced
2. The first genetically modified animal
3. The first mammal cloned from an adult cell
4. The first sheep to undergo gene therapy

18. Blood type (ABO system) is an example of which genetic principle?

1. Codominance and multiple alleles
2. Polygenic inheritance
3. Sex-linked inheritance
4. Simple dominant/recessive inheritance

19. What percentage of DNA do humans share with chimpanzees?

1. 85%
2. 92%
3. 98%
4. 99%

20. What is 'epigenetics'?

1. Changes in gene expression caused by factors other than DNA sequence changes
2. Genetic changes that occur after birth
3. The study of genes above the species level
4. The study of genetic mutations