Campbell Biology in Focus
Third Edition
Chapter 13
The Molecular Basis of
Inheritance
Questions prepared by
Douglas Darnowski
Indiana University Southeast
James Langeland
Kalamazoo College
Murty S. Kambhampati
Southern University at New Orleans
Roberta Batorsky
Temple University
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Question 1
Who conducted the X-ray diffraction studies that were key to the
discovery of the structure of DNA?
A. Griffith
B. Franklin
C. Meselson and Stahl
D. Chargaff
E. McClintock
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Answer 1
Who conducted the X-ray diffraction studies that were key to the
discovery of the structure of DNA?
A. Griffith
B. Franklin
C. Meselson and Stahl
D. Chargaff
E. McClintock
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Structure of DNA
James Watson (Am) & Francis Crick (GBR) - 1953
Nobel Prize 1954
Cavendish Lab, Cambridge U.
First to put all the pieces together
• Numerous Models proposed
Nobel Prize 1962
– Linus Pauling triple helix
• Pieces of the Puzzle
1. Chargaff Ratios
2. X-ray diffraction pattern
• Wilkens and Franklin
– First to get highly purified DNA
• Highly ordered
• Bases 0.34nm apart
• Helix
3. Build the model 4
Figure 13.3 Inquiry: Can a Genetic Trait Be
Transferred Between Different Bacterial Strains?
“Transformation” of avirulent
R strain to a virulent S strain
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6
Avery,
MacLeod
& McCarty
ENZYMES
Protease
RNase
DNase
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Figure 13.5 Inquiry: Is Protein or DNA
the Genetic Material of Phage T2?
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Question 2
The backbone of a double stranded DNA molecule consists of
which of the following?
A. Van der Waals interactions
B. hydrogen bonds
C. purine-pyrimidine base-pairs
D. antiparallel sugar-phosphate polymers
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Answer 2
The backbone of a double stranded DNA molecule consists of
which of the following?
A. Van der Waals interactions
B. hydrogen bonds
C. purine-pyrimidine base-pairs
D. antiparallel sugar-phosphate polymers
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Question 3
Suppose a double-stranded DNA molecule was shown to have
15% adenine bases. What would be the expected percentage of
guanine bases in that molecule?
A. 15%
B. 35%
C. 85%
D. not enough information
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Answer 3
Suppose a double-stranded DNA molecule was shown to have
15% adenine bases. What would be the expected percentage of
guanine bases in that molecule?
A. 15%
B. 35%
C. 85%
D. not enough information
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Question 4
Suppose a 100-base-pair DNA molecule consists of 20%
cytosine bases. How many total hydrogen bonds are there
holding the two strands together?
A. 20
B. 60
C. 100
D. 220
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Answer 4
Suppose a 100-base-pair DNA molecule consists of 20%
cytosine bases. How many total hydrogen bonds are there
holding the two strands together?
A. 20
B. 60
C. 100
D. 220
20 x 3 = 60
80 x 2 = 160
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Meselson & Stahl
Question 5
In Meselson and Stahl’s experiment proving semi-conservative D NA
replication, they showed that after switching bacteria from heavy to
light nitrogen and allowing one round of replication, their DNA
consisted of only hybrid DNA.
What did they observe after the second round of replication?
A. only hybrid DNA
B. equal amounts of light and hybrid DNA
C. equal amounts of light, hybrid and heavy DN
A
D. three times as much light as hybrid DNA
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Answer 5
In Meselson and Stahl’s experiment proving semi-conservative D NA
replication, they showed that after switching bacteria from heavy to
light nitrogen and allowing one round of replication, their DNA
consisted of only hybrid DNA.
What did they observe after the second round of replication?
A. only hybrid DNA
B. equal amounts of light and hybrid DNA
C. equal amounts of light, hybrid and heavy DNA
D. three times as much light as hybrid DNA
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17
Observed Results
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Question 6
In Meselson and Stahl’s experiment proving semi-conservative D NA
replication, they showed that after switching bacteria from heavy to
light nitrogen and allowing two rounds of replication, their DNA
consisted of equal amounts of light and hybrid DNA.
If they were to have observed the density of the DNA after three
replications, what would they have observed?
A. equal amounts of light and hybrid DNA
B. twice as much light as hybrid DNA
C. three times as much light as hybrid DNA
D. four times as much light as hybrid DNA
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Answer 6
In Meselson and Stahl’s experiment proving semi-conservative D NA
replication, they showed that after switching bacteria from heavy to
light nitrogen and allowing two rounds of replication, their DNA
consisted of equal amounts of light and hybrid DNA.
If they were to have observed the density of the DNA after three
replications, what would they have observed?
A. equal amounts of light and hybrid DNA
B. twice as much light as hybrid DNA
C. three times as much light as hybrid DNA
D. four times as much light as hybrid DNA
This would have supported conservative model!
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Figure 13.17 Synthesis of the Leading
Strand During
DNA Replication
Main “Replicase”
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Question 7
Comparing the leading and the lagging strands of DNA synthesis, how do they
differ?
A. The leading strand is synthesized in the same direction as the movement of
the replication fork, and the lagging strand is synthesized in the opposite
direction.
B. The leading strand is synthesized at twice the rate of the lagging strand.
C. The leading strand is synthesized in short fragments that are ultimately
stitched together, whereas the lagging strand is synthesized continuously.
D. The leading strand is synthesized by adding nucleotides to the 3′ end of the
growing strand, and the lagging strand is synthesized by adding nucleotides
to the 5′ end.
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Answer 7
Comparing the leading and the lagging strands of DNA synthesis, how do they
differ?
A. The leading strand is synthesized in the same direction as the
movement of the replication fork, and the lagging strand is
synthesized in the opposite direction.
B. The leading strand is synthesized at twice the rate of the lagging strand.
C. The leading strand is synthesized in short fragments that are ultimately
stitched together, whereas the lagging strand is synthesized continuously.
D. The leading strand is synthesized by adding nucleotides to the 3′ end of the
growing strand, and the lagging strand is synthesized by adding nucleotides
to the 5′ end.
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• Both strands synthesized in
5’-3’ direction
– One strand CONTINUOUSLY
synthesized
• Leading Strand
• Only one primer needed
– Other strand DISCONTINUOUSLY
synthesized
• Lagging Strand - Strand “lags”
behind
• Short stretches synthesized in 5’-3’
direction
• Requires multiple primers!
23
Question 8
Consider the replication bubble diagrammed at the right. Which
letters represent leading strands?
A. W and X
B. Y and Z
C. W and Z
D. X and Y
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Answer 8
Consider the replication bubble diagrammed at the right. Which
letters represent leading strands?
A. W and X
B. Y and Z
C. W and Z
D. X and Y
Can only synthesize 5’ to 3’
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Question 11
What enzyme compensates for replication-associated
shortening?
A. DNA polymerase II
B. ligase
C. telomerase
D. DNA nuclease
E. proofreading enzyme
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Answer 11
What enzyme compensates for replication-associated
shortening?
A. DNA polymerase II
B. ligase
C. telomerase
D. DNA nuclease
E. proofreading enzyme
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Replicating the Ends of DNA Molecules (3
of 4)
• If chromosomes of germ cells became shorter in every
cell cycle, essential genes would eventually be missing
from the gametes they produce
• An enzyme called
Telomerase catalyzes
the lengthening of
telomeres in germ cells
• Telomerase brings in
its own RNA template
• Extends unreplicated
end
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Figure 13.19 A Summary of Bacterial
DNA Replication
Topoisomerase
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Elongation by Replisome
• DNA Pol III extends
both strands 5 3’ Replisome
fashion
• Leading strand –
continuous synthesis
• Lagging strand –
discontinuous
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Question 12
Which of the following lists of replication enzymes consist only
of polymerases?
A. helicase, primase, DNA pol III
B. ligase, DNA pol I
C. primase, DNA pol I, DNA pol III
D. DNA pol I, DNA pol III, helicase
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Answer 12
Which of the following lists of replication enzymes consist only
of polymerases?
A. helicase, primase, DNA pol III
B. ligase, DNA pol I
C. primase, DNA pol I, DNA pol III
D. DNA pol I, DNA pol III, helicase
Remember the Primase is an RNA polymerase!!
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Question 13
Imagine a bacterial cell with a mutation that renders DNA Pol I
completely nonfunctional (note that this would be a lethal
mutation). What, precisely, would go wrong with replication in
this cell?
A. inability to unwind double helix
B. inability to prime replication
C. inability to extend the length of leading and lagging strands
D. inability to replace primers
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Answer 13
Imagine a bacterial cell with a mutation that renders DNA Pol I
completely nonfunctional (note that this would be a lethal
mutation). What, precisely, would go wrong with replication in
this cell?
A. inability to unwind double helix
B. inability to prime replication
C. inability to extend the length of leading and lagging strands
D. inability to replace primers
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35
Priming New DNA Synthesis
• DNA Pol III extends
new DNA strand in
prokaryotes
• On Lagging strand it
stops when hits next
Okazaki fragment
• Leading strand just goes
• Is there a problem
here??
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36
RNA/DNA Heteroduplex
• DNA POL I comes
in!!
• 5’3’ exonuclease
activity to remove
RNA primers
• 5’ 3’ polymerase
activity to fill in the gap
with DNA
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Yes Yes Yes
Yes Yes
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Question 14
DNA replication overall has very high fidelity. Which of the
following phenomena or processes contributes to this high
fidelity?
A. base pairing
B. proofreading
C. mismatch repair
D. all of the above
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Answer 14
DNA replication overall has very high fidelity. Which of the
following phenomena or processes contributes to this high
fidelity?
A. base pairing
B. proofreading
C. mismatch repair
D. all of the above
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Figure 13.21 Nucleotide Excision Repair
of DNA Damage
Endonuclease Activity
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Question 15
DNA replication overall has very high fidelity, but it is not perfect.
What is the biological and evolutionary importance of this
imperfection?
A. It allows for DNA repair to occur.
B. It allows for gene cloning.
C. It allows for genetic variation.
D. It allows for gene editing.
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Answer 15
DNA replication overall has very high fidelity, but it is not perfect.
What is the biological and evolutionary importance of this
imperfection?
A. It allows for DNA repair to occur.
B. It allows for gene cloning.
C. It allows for genetic variation.
D. It allows for gene editing.
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Question 16
Arrange the following terms in order, from smallest to largest
size: nucleosome, metaphase chromosome, histone, 30-nm
fiber.
A. histone, nucleosome, 30-nm fiber, metaphase chromosome
B. nucleosome, histone, 30-nm fiber, metaphase chromosome
C. histone, nucleosome, metaphase chromosome, 30-nm fiber
D. 30-nm fiber, histone, nucleosome, metaphase chromosome
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Answer 16
Arrange the following terms in order, from smallest to largest
size: nucleosome, metaphase chromosome, histone, 30-nm
fiber.
A. histone, nucleosome, 30-nm fiber, metaphase chromosome
B. nucleosome, histone, 30-nm fiber, metaphase chromosome
C. histone, nucleosome, metaphase chromosome, 30-nm fiber
D. 30-nm fiber, histone, nucleosome, metaphase chromosome
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45
A final level of condensation
• A scaffold of nonhistone proteins condenses the 30nm
chromatin fiber into loops or supercoiled domains
• Looped domain make a 300 nm fiber
300 nm 10 nm 2 nm
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Figure 13.23 Exploring Chromatin
Packing in a Eukaryotic Chromosome
• During mitosis, the looped 300 nm fiber fully condenses
to make the Metaphase chromososme
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Heterochromatin vs Euchromatin
• Heterochromation is in the solenoid form (30 nm)
– Transcriptionally Inactive
• Euchromatin is in the “beads on a string” configuration (10 nm)
– Transcriptionally Active
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48
Diagram of the structure of the functional state of the E coli chromosome.
Bio 218.Chp9
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Question 19
Which of the following correctly matches each gene tool with its
function?
A. restriction enzyme: amplify; PCR: cut; CRISPR-cas9: edit
B. restriction enzyme: edit; PCR: amplify; CRISPR-cas9: cut
C. restriction enzyme: cut; PCR: edit; CRISPR-cas9: amplify
D. restriction enzyme: cut; PCR: amplify; CRISPR-cas9: edit
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Answer 19
Which of the following correctly matches each gene tool with its
function?
A. restriction enzyme: amplify; PCR: cut; CRISPR-cas9: edit
B. restriction enzyme: edit; PCR: amplify; CRISPR-cas9: cut
C. restriction enzyme: cut; PCR: edit; CRISPR-cas9: amplify
D. restriction enzyme: cut; PCR: amplify; CRISPR-cas9: edit
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