Name: _______________________________
Date: _____________________ Period ____
Review of Gene Mutations
There are two basic types of mutations; gene mutations and chromosomal mutations.
We focused on gene mutations in the last activity. Below you will answer the questions
to show your understanding of gene mutations and how they affect organisms. While
you answer the questions keep the Eligible content/Objective in mind.
Eligible content/objective: Describe the process that can alter the composition or the
number of chromosomes (i.e.- duplication, translocation, deletion, insertion, inversion)
1. What is a gene?
2. What is a point mutation?
3. What is a frameshift mutation?
4. How do the two types of gene mutations affect the production of proteins? (be
specific)
a. Point-
b. Frameshift-
Directions: Circle the letter of the answer that best answers the question.
5. A mutation occurs at the midpoint of a gene, altering all amino acids encoded
after the point of mutation. Which mutation could have produced this change?
a. Deletion of two consecutive nucleotides
b. Deletion of three consecutive nucleotides
c. Insertion of six consecutive nucleotides
d. Insertion of twelve consecutive nucleotides
6. Diabetes is a disease characterized by the inability to break down sugars. Often
a person with diabetes has a defective DNA sequence that codes for the making
of insulin protein. Suppose a person has a mutation in his/her DNA and the first
triplet for the insulin gene reads T A T instead of T A G which is the normal
gene for insulin. Will the person with this mutation be diabetic?
a. Yes, because any mutation will cause disease.
b. Yes, because the insulin protein will be changed.
c. No, because the insulin protein is still produced.
d. No, because it is a gene mutation and not a chromosomal mutation.
7. Which of the following is arranged from largest to smallest?
a. chromosome, nucleus, gene
b. gene, nucleus, chromosome
c. nucleus, chromosome, gene
d. chromosome, gene, nucleus
Directions: Place a (X) by the answer that applies to the question below.
8. Does a gene mutation affect the composition or the number of chromosomes?
_____ composition of chromosomes
_____ number of chromosomes