DNA Technology 1
DNA Technology 2
Population Genetics
Evolutionary Genetics
Semi-cumulative Questions
100
What are 4 key innovations in genetic technology?
Recombinant DNA tech, PCR, sequencing, and CRISPR-Cas systems
100
Which technique uses probes to isolate specific proteins from gel electrophoresis?
Western blot.
What is used to isolate DNA from gels? What about RNA?
100
A group of interbreeding organisms of the same species are referred to as a(n) ________.
Population
100
A change in genetic makeup of a group of organisms (e.g. change in allelic frequencies) is referred to as ______.
Evolution
100
The number of chromosome copies within a species is referred to as ______. Humans have 2 copies of each chromosome and, thus, are ______.
Ploidy level; diploid
200
Technology that involves transfer of genetic material between organisms or altering genetic sequences is referred to as ______.
Recombinant DNA technology
200
This technique amplifies the quantity of a sequence of interest but cannot produce protein product, and involves 3 steps: denaturation, annealing, and extension. Cycles of temperature changes allow DNA polymerase to make many copies of our DNA sequence.
PCR
Bonus question: Is there a limit in the size of the DNA that can be amplified via PCR?
Bonus bonus question: Must anything be added or changed if we want to amplify RNA?
200
From a population genetics perspective, health or success of a population is determined by _______.
Genetic variation
200
Evolution that results in a lineage splitting into two new lineages is called ______.
Cladogenesis
200
Eukaryotic DNA replication begins at ______ along chromosomes; special sequences of DNA where replication starts. These sites must first be ______ or "approved" in G1 of the cell cycle, before DNA replication can begin. Once these sites are ______, DNA replication takes off.
Origins of replication, licensed, fired.
300
These are lab-made enzymes that have the active site of a restriction enzyme and the DNA binding domain of a DNA binding protein that ensures only gene of interest is isolated in gene cloning.
Engineered nucleases
300
If I want to visualize the location of a gene on a chromosome or in the cell, which technique should I use?
In situ hybridization
300
If allelic frequencies do not change in a population over generations (at a specific locus), that population is said to be in ______ at that locus, at that time.
Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium
300
What are 3 advantages of using molecular data over morphological data in evolutionary studies?
Quantifiable, universal, the code for phenotype, far more informative.
300
Proteins that modify gene activity (upregulation/downregulation) by binding to promoter regions of genes are called ______.
Transcription factors
400
In order to determine if a plasmid vector properly took up a gene and that bacteria properly took up the plasmid vector, these engineered plasmids often contain ______.
Reporter genes
400
What reagents are necessary for PCR?
DNA template, primers, dNTPs, DNA polymerase, magnesium ions
400
Individuals in a population prefer to mate with individuals of phenotypic similarity (e.g. shorter individuals like to mate with shorter individuals). This is an example of ______.
Positive assortative mating, a violation of Hardy-Weinberg theorem (random mating).
400
In the phylogeny seen here, which organism is more closely related to the rabbit, the rat or the mouse?
Neither; both are equally related to the rabbit lineage.
Bonus: A molecular clock was used to produce this phylogeny. If that is the case, what do the lengths of the branches tell us? What does that tell us if we are comparing rabbit evolution to human evolution?
400
What are 3 epigenetic mechanisms by which gene expression may be regulated.
Histone repositioning, histone methylation, histone acetylation, DNA methylation.
500
A researcher is studying melanoma and trying to determine DNA sequences that contribute to cancer progression. In order to do so, the researcher must isolate mRNA to compare between normal melanocytes and cancerous melanocytes to determine what genes show change in activity. Which molecular technology/technique would be required for this experiment?
RT-PCR and next generation sequencing (specifically RNA-seq).
500
A pharmaceutical company would like to produce large quantities of the protein human growth hormone (hGH). Which molecular technology would most likely be used for this purpose?
Gene cloning (can produce the protein product).
500
What affect does genetic drift have on allelic frequencies in a population?
Does genetic drift have a stronger effect on larger populations or small populations?
Causes random change in allelic frequencies, even driving alleles to fixation.
Drift affects smaller populations at a higher magnitude than large populations.
Is a violation of Hardy-Weinberg theorem (infinite population size).
500
Damselflies have particular genital shapes that differ between species. If the male "claspers" don't fit into the female "thoracic groove," mating will not occur between the two individuals. Different species tend not to fit the right lock-and-key orientation/shape. This is an example of which type of reproductive barrier and which type of reproductive isolation?
Prezygotic barrier; mechanical isolation
500
p53 helps pause the cell cycle if any DNA strand breaks are present before and after S phase. If DNA damage can't be fixed, p53 helps trigger apoptosis (programmed cell death). p53 must be a(n) ______, a gene that prevents the development of cancer.
tumor suppressor