Genetics Test
Multiple Choice
Identify the choice that best completes the statement or answers the question.
____
1. What step did Mendel take to be sure that his pea plants cross-pollinated?
a. He used two white plants.
b. He removed the anthers of one plant.
c. He added anthers to both plants.
d. He used plants that were not true breeding.
____
2. What happens when a true-breeding plant self-pollinates?
a. One of its offspring has the same traits as the parent.
b. Some of its offspring have the same traits as the parent.
c. All of its offspring have the same traits as the parent.
d. None of its offspring have the same traits as the parent.
____
3. Why were ratios important in Mendel’s work?
a. They showed that heredity does not follow a set pattern.
b. They showed that some traits are never passed on.
c. They showed the relationship between two different things.
d. They showed that some recessive traits are really dominant.
____
4. Each parent gives one set of these to the offspring.
a. genes
c. phenotypes
b. alleles
d. meiosis
____
5. A plant with two dominant OR two recessive alleles is said to be
a. heterozygous.
c. homozygous.
b. cross-pollinating.
d. true breeding.
____
6. Which one of the following statements is NOT true?
a. One gene can influence many traits.
b. Several genes can influence a single trait.
c. The environment can have an influence on traits.
d. Genes are the only influence on traits.
____
7. Asexual reproduction relates to humans in that
a. none of our body cells reproduce this way.
b. many body cells reproduce this way.
c. the parent cells do not divide.
d. meiosis occurs.
____
8. How are sex cells different from other human cells?
a. Sex cells have more chromosomes.
b. Sex cells have half as many chromosomes.
c. Sex cells are larger.
d. Sex cells have no chromosomes.
____
9. What are homologous chromosomes?
a. chromosomes that carry the same set of genes
b. chromosomes that carry different sets of genes
c. chromosomes that are small
d. chromosomes that are large
____ 10. Why do sex-linked disorders occur more often in males?
a. Males have two X chromosomes.
b. Males have only one X chromosome.
c. Males have two Y chromosomes.
d. Males have two X and two Y chromosomes.
____ 11. The one thing that Gregor Mendel realized could explain the results of his experiments was that
a. the traits were appearing at random.
b. the male traits were always the dominant ones.
c. each trait had two sets of instructions, one from each parent.
d. his important research would open the door to modern genetics.
____ 12. What carries the genes that determine sex?
a. homologous chromosomes
b. pedigree
c. sex chromosomes
d. phenotype
____ 13. Instructions for an inherited trait are called
a. alleles.
b. phenotype.
c. albinism.
d. genes.
____ 14. The different forms of a gene that decide a characteristic are known as
a. alleles.
c. albinism.
b. phenotypes.
d. genes.
____ 15. What did Mendel discover about recessive traits?
a. Recessive traits reappear in the second generation.
b. Recessive traits disappear altogether.
c. Recessive traits never appear in the second generation.
d. Recessive traits become dominant.
____ 16. Which one of the following is the name for the way cells divide in asexual reproduction?
a. twins
c. meiosis
b. mitosis
d. homologous
____ 17. This diagram is used to trace a trait through generations of a family.
a. pedigree
c. meiosis
b. selective breeding
d. generation square
____ 18. What are chromosomes that carry the same sets of genes?
a. twin chromosomes
c. ordinary chromosomes
b. homologous chromosomes
d. asexual chromosomes
____ 19. What is a feature that has different forms in a population?
a. pedigree
c. fertilization
b. characteristic
d. trait
____ 20. Sex-linked disorders are caused by males’ having
a. only one X chromosome.
c. two X chromosomes.
b. two Y chromosomes.
d. one X and two Y chromosomes.
____ 21. What is a trait?
a. different forms of meiosis
b. different forms of a pedigree
c. different forms of chromatids
d. different forms of a characteristic
____ 22. When a plant fertilizes itself, it is called a(n)
a. allele plant.
b. true-breeding plant.
c. self-pollinating plant.
d. cross-pollinating plant.
____ 23. When there is incomplete dominance,
a. one allele has more influence than the others.
b. each allele has its own degree of influence.
c. the alleles have no influence.
d. there are no alleles present.
____ 24. What kind of plant produces offspring with the same traits as the parent?
a. self-pollinating
c. true-breeding
b. cross-pollinating
d. nonbreeding
____ 25. What do you call one set of instructions for an inherited trait?
a. alleles
c. albinism
b. phenotype
d. genes
____ 26. Two forms of a gene, one from each parent, are called
a. alleles.
c. albinism.
b. phenotypes.
d. genes.
____ 27. Offspring that are different from both parents are produced by
a. asexual reproduction.
c. sexual reproduction.
b. something going wrong.
d. mitosis.
____ 28. What are chromosomes that carry the same sets of genes?
a. twin chromosomes
c. ordinary chromosomes
b. homologous chromosomes
d. asexual chromosomes
____ 29. What is heredity?
a. traits passing from offspring to parents
b. traits passing from parents to offspring
c. plants that are cross-pollinated
d. the ratio of dominant to recessive traits
____ 30. What is a plant that has two dominant genes or two recessive genes called?
a. organism
c. homozygous
b. genotype
d. heterozygous
____ 31. What is Mendel’s ratio for dominant to recessive traits?
a. 1 to 1
c. 3 to 1
b. 2 to 1
d. 4 to 1
____ 32. What is a phenotype?
a. the way an organism feels
b. a group of 5 alleles
c. a dominant gene
d. the way an organism looks
____ 33. What is it called when cells are copied with half the number of chromosomes?
a. sex cells
c. a nucleus
b. meiosis
d. mitosis
Use the figure below to answer the following questions.
____ 34. Why are all first generation flowers gray?
a. Gray is the dominant color.
c. Gray is the darker color.
b. Gray is the recessive color.
d. It is just a coincidence.
____ 35. What ratio explains the gray flowers and white flower in the second
generation?
a. 1 to 1
c. 3 to 1
b. 2 to 1
d. 4 to 1
____ 36. What is the difference between the pollination in the first generation and
the second generation?
a. The first one was natural and the second was selective breeding.
b. The first one was selective breeding and the second one was natural.
c. They were both natural, but new plants were added before the second
pollination.
d. They were both selective breeding, but the second one was not
controlled.
____ 37. What letters represent the four bases?
a. A, B, C, D
b. W, X, Y, Z
c. A, T, G, C
d. E, Y, A, O
____ 38. Using X-ray diffraction, what did Rosalind Franklin show the shape of DNA to be?
a. a circle
c. a square
b. a spiral
d. a line
____ 39. Watson and Crick built a DNA model like a
a. long, twisted ladder.
b. piece of twine.
c. straight line.
d. pyramid.
____ 40. The sides of the DNA “ladder” are made of
a. guanine and thymine.
b. adenine and cytosine.
c. sugar and phosphate.
d. helixes and twists.
____ 41. The “rungs” of the DNA ladder are
a. a pair of bases.
b. a pair of sugars.
c. a pair of phosphates.
d. a set of proteins.
____ 42. To be copied, a DNA molecule splits
a. across the top.
b. down the middle.
c. along the sides.
d. along the phosphates.
____ 43. A string of nucleotides that has instructions for a certain trait is a
a. cell.
c. gene.
b. ribonucleic acid.
d. chromosome.
____ 44. As messenger RNA is fed through the ribosome it is matched with
a. DNA.
c. cells.
b. transfer RNA.
d. proteins.
____ 45. Three bases code for one
a. cell.
b. DNA.
c. protein.
d. amino acid.
____ 46. In what type of mutation is one base left out?
a. substitution
b. deletion
c. insertion
d. cell
____ 47. A tobacco plant with a firefly gene that makes it glow is an example of
a. DNA fingerprinting.
c. protein science.
b. genetic engineering.
d. firefly breeding.
____ 48. Which best expresses the relationship between genes and DNA?
a. Genes contain DNA.
c. Both contain chromosomes.
b. DNA destroys genes.
d. They are unrelated.
____ 49. DNA is made of subunits called what?
a. proteins
b. deoxyribonucleic acids
c. traits
d. nucleotides
____ 50. Nucleotides are made of a sugar, a phosphate, and a
a. base.
c. gene.
b. protein.
d. ribosome.
____ 51. Who discovered that the amount of adenine in DNA always equals the amount of thymine?
a. Rosalind Franklin
c. Erwin Chargaff
b. James Watson
d. Francis Crick
____ 52. What scientist made images of DNA by using X-ray diffraction?
a. Rosalind Franklin
c. Erwin Chargaff
b. James Watson
d. Francis Crick
____ 53. What did Watson and Crick’s model of DNA look like?
a. a ball
c. links in a chain
b. a straight line
d. a long, twisted ladder
____ 54. A string of nucleotides that has information for making one trait is
a. a protein.
c. an amino acid.
b. a gene.
d. a cell.
____ 55. Each set of three bases is a code for
a. a specific cell.
b. a specific chromosome.
c. a specific ribosome.
d. a specific amino acid.
____ 56. The first step in making a protein is
a. RNA copying DNA.
b. transfer RNA matching mRNA.
c. mRNA going to ribosome.
d. amino acids linked together.
____ 57. What is the type of mutation where a base is added to the gene?
a. deletion
c. insertion
b. substitution
d. ultraviolet
____ 58. Using DNA to identify who committed a crime is
a. genetic engineering.
c. genetic disease.
b. DNA fingerprinting.
d. DNA cloning.
____ 59. The code for a given amino acid consists of how many bases?
a. one
c. three
b. two
d. four
____ 60. What materials make up each nucleotide in a DNA molecule?
a. mRNA, tRNA, and a ribosome
c. chromosomes and genes
b. sugar, phosphate, and base
d. amino acid, base, and protein
____ 61. Some genetic disorders, such as sickle cell anemia, are due to
a. a ribosome.
c. a DNA fingerprint.
b. a mutation.
d. genetic engineering.
____ 62. The complementary strand to the DNA sequence TAGTCA is
a. ATGAGT.
c. GTAGAT.
b. GACAGT.
d. ATCAGT.
____ 63. What determines how tall you grow and whether your hair is curly or straight?
a. a chromatid
c. proteins
b. RNA
d. ultraviolet radiation
____ 64. Which item is genetic engineering NOT currently used for?
a. to genetically alter plants
c. to manufacture proteins
b. to repair damaged genes
d. to create natural gas
____ 65. Which of these is a subunit of DNA?
a. RNA
b. trait
c. ribosome
d. nucleotide
____ 66. Along with a sugar and a phosphate, what is the third part of a nucleotide?
a. a base
c. a chromosome
b. a protein
d. a ribosome
____ 67. Who said that adenine equals thymine in DNA?
a. Rosalind Franklin
c. Erwin Chargaff
b. James Watson
d. Francis Crick
____ 68. Who first found out that DNA has a spiral shape?
a. Rosalind Franklin
c. Erwin Chargaff
b. James Watson
d. Francis Crick
____ 69. What does DNA look like?
a. a ball
b. a straight line
____ 70. What is a string of nucleotides called?
a. a ribosome
b. a gene
c. links in a chain
d. a twisted ladder
c. a rule
d. a chromosome
____ 71. What does each gene have instructions for making?
a. a cell
c. a protein
b. a ribosome
d. RNA
____ 72. Where does messenger RNA go?
a. to a protein
b. to a genetic engineer
c. to a ribosome
d. to a chromosome
____ 73. Which of the following is NOT part of a nucleotide?
a. base
c. fat
b. sugar
d. phosphate
____ 74. Which type of mutation causes sickle cell anemia?
a. substitution
c. deletion
b. insertion
d. mutagen
____ 75. Which is the first step of DNA replication?
a. Two complete, identical strands of DNA pair up.
b. New nucleotides attach to exposed bases.
c. A strand of DNA splits down the middle.
d. Adenine and thymine make a base pair.
____ 76. Which is the first step of protein production?
a. tRNA dropping amino acids
b. mRNA going through a ribosome
c. RNA making a mirror-like copy of a DNA sequence
d. tRNA translating the mRNA message
____ 77. Whose research indicated that the bases in DNA must match with each other in some regular pattern?
a. Erin Chagraff
c. James Watson
b. Rosalind Franklin
d. Francis Crick
Completion
Complete each statement.
78. Mendel discovered that sometimes a trait that is present in the parent is not present in the
____________________.
79. A true-breeding plant with purple flowers will always have plants with ____________________.
80. Genes that determine sex are carried in ____________________.
81. People often go to genetic counselors to have a ____________________ drawn to trace a disease that
they do not want to pass on to their children.
82. If an allele in a Punnett square is written Bt, ____________________ is the dominant trait.
83. When writing allele pairs, the dominant allele is written with a(n) ____________________ letter.
84. Only one parent cell is needed in ____________________ reproduction.
Use the terms from the following list to complete the sentences below.
heredity
dominant traits
probability
phenotype
allele
genotype
recessive traits
sex chromosomes
pedigree
85. In the second generation, _______________________ reappear after disappearing in the first generation.
86. The passing of traits from parents to offspring is called _______________________.
87. An organism’s appearance is its _______________________.
88. An organism’s inherited alleles together form its _______________________.
89. If each parent has the same recessive trait, the _______________________ of the offspring having the
trait goes up.
90. To trace a trait through generations of a family, you can use a(n) _______________________.
Use the terms from the following list to complete the sentences below.
genes
pedigree
color blindness
X chromosomes
91. Sometimes, two or more _______________________ work together to decide one trait.
92. Females have two _______________________, and males have one X and one Y.
93. To trace a family trait through many years, you can use a _______________________.
94. Men only have one set of X chromosome genes. Because of this, they are more likely to have
_______________________.
Use the terms from the following list to complete the sentences below. Each term may only be used once.
Some terms may not be used.
nucleotides
mutagens
thymine
mutations
genetic engineering
insertion
ribosome
cytosine
95. DNA is composed of subunits known as ____________________.
96. Chargaff’s rules state that the amount of ____________________ in DNA is always equal to the amount
of guanine.
97. When scientists transfer genes from one organism to another, it is called ____________________.
98. When sequences of base pairs are copied incorrectly, they are called ____________________.
99. Examples of chemical ____________________ include asbestos and chemicals found in cigarette smoke.
Use the terms from the following list to complete the sentences below.
guanine
complementary
replicate
thymine
100. Pairs of bases match up because they are ____________________ to each other.
101. The pairing of bases allows cells to ____________________.
102. Adenine and ____________________ bases fit together.
103. Cytosine and ____________________ bases fit together.
Use the terms from the following list to complete the sentences below.
guanine
thymine
phosphate
nucleotide
104. If there is 30% cytosine in a sample, there will be 20% ____________________.
105. The sides of the DNA ladder are formed in part by a ____________________.
106. As mRNA and tRNA go through the ribosome, the adenine and the ____________________ will pair.
107. A gene is made of more than one ____________________.
Use the terms from the following list to complete the sentences below.
chromosome
protein
DNA
amino acids
108. DNA can be wound so tightly that it fits in a(n) ____________________ inside the nucleus of a cell too
small to see without a microscope.
109. Although DNA provides the instructions, your straight or curly hair is most likely due to a(n)
____________________.
110. In the ribosome, mRNA gives instructions for the ____________________ that tRNA should drop in a
chain that will become a protein.
111. A disease such as sickle cell anemia is caused by an error in copying ____________________.
Use the terms from the following list to complete the sentences below.
substitution
insertion
deletion
mutagen
112. A DNA sequence that reads ATTGCCGAT that after being copied reads ATTGCCAGAT is an example
of ____________________.
113. A DNA sequence that reads ATTGCCCAT that after being copied reads ATTGCCAT is an example of
____________________.
114. A DNA sequence that reads ATTGCCGAT that after being copied reads ATTGCCCAT is an example of
____________________.
115. Substitutions, insertions, and deletions can all be caused by a(n) ____________________.
Problem
Use the figure below to answer the following questions.
116. In which box is Pp?
117. In which box is PP?
118. In which box is pp?
Use the figure below to answer the following questions.
119. Look at the table. What is this table called?
a. P-grid
b. dominance chart
c. heredity map
d. Punnett square
120. Look at the diagram. If purple (P) is dominant, and white (p) is recessive, what color will one out of every
four of the offspring be?
a. purple
c. purple with white edges
b. white
d. lavender (white and purple mix)
121. Look at the table. What is the probability that the offspring will be pp?
a. 25%
c. 75%
b. 50%
d. 100%
Genetics Test
Answer Section
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.
25.
26.
27.
28.
29.
30.
31.
32.
33.
34.
35.
36.
37.
38.
39.
40.
41.
42.
43.
44.
45.
46.
47.
B
C
C
A
C
D
B
B
A
B
C
C
D
A
A
B
A
B
B
A
D
C
B
C
D
A
C
B
B
C
C
D
B
A
C
B
C
B
A
C
A
B
C
B
D
B
B
48.
49.
50.
51.
52.
53.
54.
55.
56.
57.
58.
59.
60.
61.
62.
63.
64.
65.
66.
67.
68.
69.
70.
71.
72.
73.
74.
75.
76.
77.
A
D
A
C
A
D
B
D
A
C
B
C
B
B
D
C
D
D
A
C
A
D
B
C
C
C
A
C
C
A
COMPLETION
78.
79.
80.
81.
82.
83.
84.
85.
86.
87.
88.
89.
90.
91.
92.
93.
94.
offspring
purple flowers
sex chromosomes
pedigree
B
capital
asexual
recessive traits
heredity
phenotype
genotype
probability
pedigree
genes
X chromosomes
pedigree
color blindness
95.
96.
97.
98.
99.
100.
101.
102.
103.
104.
105.
106.
107.
108.
109.
110.
111.
112.
113.
114.
115.
nucleotides
cytosine
genetic engineering
mutations
mutagens
complementary
replicate
thymine
guanine
thymine
phosphate
thymine
nucleotide
chromosome
protein
amino acids
DNA
insertion
deletion
substitution
mutagen
PROBLEM
116.
117.
118.
119.
120.
121.
B
A
C
D
B
A